Penelope pov

"So how do I defend against that?" Timothy asks.

"By not being where he expects," I say. "By moving before he strikes, by reading his tells and reacting faster than he can adjust."

We work on defensive drills for another hour. Reading body language, anticipating attacks, moving just enough to avoid hits without wasting energy on big dodges.

"This is exhausting," Timothy says after the fifteenth drill.

"Fighting for your life usually is," I say. "But it's working. You're getting ...