Chapter 34 Swearing In

• ARIA’S POV
• The next two weeks passed in a blur with intense training and a strange, unsettling silence from Kael. I did tell him to stay away but I didn’t expect him to listen to me. I mean, he never listens. He kept his distance, his interactions with me brief and very formal, as if trying to create a barrier between us. It was confusing and frustrating, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the trials that was ahead.
• I spent my days training and honing my skills, pushing my body to its limits, preparing for whatever challenges awaited me in the trials. Ronan was a patient as he guided me. His presence was comforting, but even that couldn't fully lift the lingering unease that clung to me. The events of the past few weeks weighed heavy on me.