46.

Leonor felt deflected, she knew she couldn't be feeling what she felt. So attracted, like a moth to flames. She would rather not get burned by his flames.

She watched him retreat inside and silently hugged herself as the cold air passed by.

Over the following days, Leonor couldn't shake off the idea of learning to fight. She asked Armando time and again, hoping he would change his mind, but he was like a wall, unmovable. “Have you thought about it?” she would ask, her voice filled with a hope that refused to die.

“Not going to happen,” Armando would respond each time, not even looking up from the documents or device he was usually buried in. This back-and-forth became a routine, with Leonor's persistence meeting Armando's stubborn refusal. But she was determined not to give up.

One evening, as they were in the middle of this usual exchange, Leonor's patience snapped. “Why won't you just consider it? That night you said you would” she pushed, her voice rising slightly in frustration.

A