Arthur turned slowly to face her, his gaze unreadable. He didn't respond.
Inside, though, his thoughts weren't nearly as calm as his face suggested.
Stay focused. You made this rule for a reason. Don't let her distract you.
But it was easier said than done.
Seeing her standing there, bright eyed, determined, looking like she actually wanted to be here, it shook something in him. Her anticipation for the day's training, the quiet eagerness she carried, it chipped away at the discipline he had spent years perfecting.
Just a little.
But enough to make him feel it.
He couldn't understand it.
Just under a year ago, his entire heart had belonged to his childhood best friend, pure, unwavering, loyal. And now… little by little, pieces of that same heart were slipping toward Nnenna.
It made him feel helpless. Unworthy of the love he had once carried so proudly. Disloyal to a memory that had shaped him.
But what could he do about it?
He didn't have an answer. Not anymore.
