Chapter 56
- Alex
- The training pavilion reeked of sweat, and fresh-cut grass. Morning sun sliced through the rafters, dappling the sanded floors with gold and shadow. The clang of swords, the crack of bone against padded mats, the sharp bark of instructors echoing commands—all of it usually grounded me, reminded me where I belonged in the hierarchy of Blackwood.
- Today, it only grated my already fraying nerves.