Chapter 32: The Space She Left Behind
Liora pov
I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door.
Not the usual light knock Elara used when bringing breakfast. This one was faster, urgent, like whoever stood outside didn't have the patience to wait.
For a moment I stayed where I was, staring at the ceiling while my body protested every movement I tried to make.
Training yesterday had been brutal.
My shoulders burned when I shifted. My thighs ached from falling too many times on hard stone.
Even breathing felt uncomfortable because the muscles around my ribs were still sore.
Mira hadn't been gentle. But that was exactly why Kael hire her.
I pushed myself up slowly, wincing as stiffness crawled through my body.
"Come in," I called.
The door opened immediately.
Elara stepped inside, but something about her expression made me sit up straighter.
She looked pale.
