The training grounds were quiet in the early morning, but it was the kind of quiet that pressed down on the chest rather than soothed it.

Desiree stood at the edge of the clearing, her fingers curled tightly around the fabric of her cloak. The air was cold, sharp against her skin, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. Somewhere deeper in the forest, birds chirped softly, unaware that this place had become her battlefield.

She inhaled slowly.

Today wasn’t different, she didn't expect ...