Zaeryn stood in the center of the circle, the golden sword construct fading from his hand after he was finished.
He wasn't even breathing heavily. Three regenerating targets, neutralized in under three seconds with controlled speed, spontaneous constructs, and instinctive defense.
Among the shocked faces that could not believe what they had just witnessed.
Leia was the one Zaeryn noticed. She stood perfectly still, arms crossed, but her posture had lost its usual razor edge confidence.
Her eyes were locked on him. They weren't wide with shock, they were scrutinizing him with an intensity that felt almost physical. The mocking smirk from moments ago had vanished completely, replaced by something harder to read, shock, yes, but beneath it, something sharper.
Calculation, maybe. Or reassessment.
Their eyes met across the training floor and for a heartbeat, neither of them looked away.
