The morning light filtered through half-closed blinds, streaking across the dorm room walls in pale gold. The sound of distant waves from the training center's coast hummed faintly beneath the city noise. Blaze sat at the edge of his bed, one hand pressed to his thigh. Every pulse of blood felt like someone driving a needle into the bone.
He'd ignored it the night before. Adrenaline, victory, and the roar of thousands had buried the pain. But now it was raw, alive, unrelenting.
When he tried to stand, his leg buckled. He caught the desk with one hand, teeth clenched.
"Damn it…"
A knock came at the door. "Blaze? You awake?" Anastasia's voice steady but soft. She didn't wait for an answer; the door slid open, and sunlight poured in behind her.
Her usual training jacket hung loose around her shoulders, and strands of hair had escaped her ponytail. She looked more human than the disciplined warrior she was on the field. "You missed breakfast. Coach sent me to check."
