───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 22 - 2027 ║║ Friday║ Olympia's Cup 1st Training Day║The courtyard fills up with students from the different houses, their chatter and laughter grating on my nerves. Each one of their words drips and seemed to be filled with both anticipation and expectation. But that's not the case for me. Buzzing with activity as students milled about, I stand alone, separate from the crowd, dreading the start of training for the Olympia's Cup. Every muscle in my body tenses at the thought of the rigorous exercises and drills that lie ahead. I have no desire to face the brutal challenges designed to weed out the weak from the competition. Damn this, but honestly... I would rather retreat to the shadows than join the throng of hopefuls vying for a chance for winning.I watch as they pair off, chattering excitedly about tactics and glory. But to me, their eagerness feels misplaced, and naïve. For me, it feels as though they don

Chapter 43: "Heaven," ───── ❝ K I L L I A N W I L D E' S P O V ❞ ──── ║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 22 - 2027 ║ ║ Friday║ Olympia's Cup 1st Training Day║ With the strange warmth of the current task dangling on my veins, the bow felt heavy on my shoulders, its ominous weight a reminder of the task ahead. The quiver swung against my back, arrows clacking together in dissonant rhythm. The sun shone brightly, casting long shadows across the cobbled path as I made my way to the starting point. Walking across the quad, I see my fellow archers gathering at our designated spot on the side of the courtyard near the stage. With the grass still wet with dew, I take a deep breath of the morning air, relishing these moments of calm before the bustle of training begins. When the darkness of the forest seemed to creep into my soul, the once bright sun now filtered dimly through the thick canopy of twisted branches and gnarled trees signaling me of venture I was about to lead on to. Nearly approa

Chapter 45: Endless Pursuit of Liberty───── ❝ T H I R D P E R S O N ' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 02 - 12 - 2027 ║║ Friday║ Olympia's Cup 3rd Week of Training Day║The third week of training for the Olympia's Cup began ominously. This was Ruby's third week of training for the damn cup, a brutal competition that tested the limits of both body and mind.The predawn gloom was pierced by no cheerful birdsong, only an eerie silence that seemed to press in on all sides. Ruby woke before dawn, her body sore and aching from the previous weeks' exertions. The training masters pushed her and the other students relentlessly, testing their physical and mental limits with grueling exercises and challenges that left them exhausted at day's end.But just as the other days, Ruby had no choice but to surrender to this hellish routine every single day and night, no matter how fucking tired she maybe.With the faint glow of dawn barely illuminating the barracks, she dressed with her uniform

Chapter 47: Drunken Apologies───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 02 - 21 - 2027 ║║ Sunday║ (D - 5) Before the Commencement of Olympia's Cup║Warning : R18+As I ascend the creaky wooden staircase, my heart pounds in my chest. I clutch the velvet rose and folded note tightly, afraid to let go for fear they will disappear. The hallway is dark and silent as I tiptoe upstairs my bedroom. Though with every damn step, I pause, straining my ears for any indication I have roused someone, but all remains silent. As I had anticipated, my roommate, Serene remained lost in her own dreamland, perhaps. Climbing the steps slowly, my footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. The old house creaks and groans around me, and the wooden stairs let out a squeak with every step. My palms feel sweaty as I grip the rose, its velvety petals soft against my skin. The note in my other hand crinkles slightly as I squeeze it, the words written there replaying in my mind.While I did,

Chapter 49: Inevitable Inspection ───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ──── ║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 02 - 22 - 2027 ║ ║ Monday║ (D - 4) Before the Commencement of Olympia's Cup║ I slipped under the covers, my eyes drawn once more to Killian's tranquil face as he slept, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. It seemed so surreal, like a dream. Only hours before we had been consumed by passion, our bodies and souls joining in the most intimate of ways. Now here he was, peaceful and still as I watched him. My mind replayed the night's events over and over - his touch, his kiss, his whispered words of love — it all felt so real yet somehow unearthly. I wanted to freeze this moment in time, to stay in this room where the outside world did not exist, where there was only us. Killian's eyes fluttered half-open and met mine, and a smile spread across his face, "You're watching me sleep," he said quietly. I smiled back, "I couldn't help it. You look so handsome and peaceful..