By midday, Lila found herself in a training facility for high-risk scenarios: simulated attacks, combat exercises, and high-speed evasive drills. Liora's skills demanded precision, decisiveness, and instinct, and for the first time, Lila felt the crushing weight of expectation.
Her movements were awkward at first. She stumbled, misjudged distances, and felt her confidence falter. But as she pushed past exhaustion, something remarkable happened. Muscle memory kicked in, instincts sharpened, and her reflexes improved. By the end of the session, she could move, react, and strike with a skill that was almost Liora-level.
Sweat dripped down her brow as she collapsed onto the mat. Exhausted but triumphant, she realized that heroism wasn't simply inherited. It was earned, built from discipline, courage, and the willingness to face fear head-on. And for the first time, she felt like she might just survive—and even thrive—in the shoes of the woman she had worshiped for so long.