I showed up at the training yard the next morning even though my body still ached. Captain Lira had me running drills again, then told me to spar with one of the newer guards. I tried to focus. But the moment I spotted Selene standing at the edge of the yard, watching with that calm, interested expression, everything fell apart.She looked flawless in her cloak. I missed a block and took a hit to the ribs that knocked the air out of me. I hit the ground hard. When I got up, Selene clapped softly.“Don’t worry, Seraphina,” she called out, voice carrying across the yard. “Nobody expects you to be good at this yet. You’re doing your best.”The words sounded like encouragement. A few soldiers nodded in agreement. But I heard what lived underneath them. The same thing I had heard for years. Poor Seraphina. Always trying. Never quite enough. Heat climbed into my cheeks. I gripped the staff tighter and kept going, but my movements stayed clumsy.Lira ended the session early. “Clear your head
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