While Ivan threw himself into his training with solid determination, his daily routine before the duel became absolute. Every dawn he would rise before the others, knock on her mother's door for today's preparation, ask for the chef to prepare breakfast and lunch for him and Sienna-Rose, then drill himself until his body screamed with exhaustion.
By the time he returned home, sweat-soaked and trembling, he devoured his meals in silence, his hunger insatiable, and soon after collapsed into sleep, only to repeat it all again the next morning.
It's not long before Olivia and the others begin to notice. Small marks at first, faint scratches across his hands, then deeper cuts on his back, and even scars that crept across his young face. They grew more numerous each week, painting a quiet testament to the training he was waging with himself.
"Dear," Olivia spoke softly one evening; she sounded worried and concerned as she and Sienna-Rose found themselves alone in the bathroom.
