All Chapters of Broken by One, Desired by All : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Zane's Point Of View Evening fell fast on campus. The sun dipped low, leaving a bruised purple streak across the horizon, and the lamps around the training grounds flickered to life. I stood near one of the benches, fidgeting with my wristband, half-expecting she’d forget or just not show. My chest still ached faintly when I breathed too deep, the injury reminding me it was there, lingering, like a shadow.“Zane.”Her voice cut through the murmurs of students still milling around. I turned, and there she was… Caroline. She walked over with this steady, almost careless confidence, like the night belonged to her.“You came,” I said, sounding stupidly surprised.Her mouth curved in a small smile. “You accepted. That’s the bigger surprise.” She stopped in front of me, eyes flicking over me quickly, sharp, like she was measuring something. “How’s your health?”I straightened up a little, ignoring the sting in my ribs. “Not fully recovered. But it won’t affect the trial.”She tilted her he

Zane's Point Of View She smiled, a little softer than usual, and for some reason it eased something inside me. I didn’t want to keep chewing on the Ronan mess, or my uncle, or the shadows of the past. So when she suggested practicing… really practicing, I agreed without hesitation.The training hall was almost empty at that hour, the kind of silence where every footstep bounced back twice as loud. Torches hummed with faint magical energy, throwing shifting light across the polished floor. Caroline tied her hair back, her whole demeanor flipping from casual to sharp in seconds.“Don’t hold back, Zane,” she said, cracking her knuckles. “If you hesitate in the trial, you’ll end up on the ground.”I smirked. “Ground, huh? Don’t get too cocky. I’ve been training with Miles, you’ll be surprised.”Her eyebrow arched. “We’ll see.”The first clash wasn’t clean. I lunged too fast, she sidestepped like I was moving in slow motion, and the flat of her palm tapped my ribs hard enough to sting.“T

Zane's Point Of View Ronan smirked, said nothing, started the car and drove off. I didn’t say a word either. What was there to say? The silence between us was thick enough to choke on. I stared out the window, jaw set, trying not to let his stupid smirk stick in my head. From then on, things fell into a rhythm.Training. Sparring. Blood, sweat, bruises. Caroline was there every single day, dragging me harder, faster, like she had a personal mission to break me down and then build me back up. She never went easy on me. Honestly, I didn’t want her to. At least with her, there were no games. Just fists, grit, and the burn of muscles screaming for mercy.Ronan… he kept his distance. Apart from picking us up and dropping us off at the academy, he didn’t talk to me. Didn’t try to. Not even a jab, not even a look. Just silence. Which, fine. That’s exactly what I wanted. Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself whenever I caught his stupid profile reflected in the rearview mirror.But t

Zane's Point Of View Blood burned in my throat, hot and metallic, spilling past my lips in ugly coughs. Another ragged heave tore my chest, crimson spattering the dirt, pooling beneath me. My arms gave out, and I collapsed face-first, cheek grinding into the grit. The world tilted sideways, spinning, vision fraying at the edges like a torn cloth. Every breath felt like it was trying to stab me from the inside. Through the haze, I saw them, black silhouettes moving closer. Their boots crushed the ground with deliberate steps. My gut twisted, that old, sour terror mixing with fury. No… not like this. I clawed at the dirt, tried to lift myself, but my limbs trembled, heavy as stone. My chest felt like it was caving in. Still, desperation kicked in, raw and ugly. Survival… it roared louder than the pain. I fumbled at my pocket, dragging out the watch with shaking hands. My thumb pressed the etched grooves like a prayer. “Come on,” I rasped, spitting blood. “You saved me once. Do it

Zane's Point Of View We hit the ground hard, the air ripped right out of my lungs. I rolled onto my side, hacking, blood hot and bitter spilling past my lips. My body screamed with every move… cuts burning, ribs aching, like someone had set fire under my skin. The smell came next, thick and suffocating. Rot. Wet leaves molding into dirt. Mildew clinging to everything. And underneath it all… copper. Blood. Mine, Ronan’s, both of us. “The… Decaying Forest…” Ronan’s voice rasped, barely a whisper. Then he doubled over, coughing hard, crimson splattering the dark soil. My chest clenched. He wasn’t supposed to look like this. Not Ronan. He was the immovable one, the one who stood like stone no matter what was thrown at us. But now his body sagged, his skin too pale in some places, flushed a dangerous purplish red in others. His breaths came sharp and uneven, his whole frame trembling like he was on the verge of shattering. “Shit, shit, shit…” I scrambled, wiping blood off my chin with