CHAPTER 11

NIKLAUS

I was lurking in the shadows at the edge of the clearing, like some kind of mysterious ninja. The night wrapped everything in darkness, but the moon was doing its best to spill some light through the trees. And there she was, swinging that sword of hers like she meant business.

She moved with such grace, and that sword gleamed in the moonlight. It was like she was in a dance with her own frustration and determination, slashing at the air like it owed her money. Trees didn't fare too well either – they got some deep cuts and bruises as if they were the ones who ticked her off.

The sound of that sword cutting through the air was almost poetic, echoing through the quiet forest. I could feel the weight of her emotions in every swing, like she was taking out all her inner struggles on those poor trees.

I couldn't help but feel for her. Rejection sucks, and I've seen it in the way those recruits treat her on the training grounds – like she's invisible. But here, under the night sky