The forest did not offer distractions.
That was the first thing Karna realized.
There were no crowds, no scattered voices, no movement beyond the natural rhythm of wind through leaves and the occasional shift of distant life. It was quiet in a way that did not demand attention—it simply existed.
And in that quiet—
There was nowhere to hide.
Karna stood alone in a small clearing, the ground firm beneath his feet, the trees forming a natural boundary around him. The sunlight filtered through the branches above, broken into uneven patterns that shifted slowly with the wind.
Duryodhana leaned against a tree at the edge, arms crossed, watching.
He had asked once what Karna was doing.
Karna's answer had been simple.
"Training."
But this—
Did not look like training.
There were no weapons drawn.
No opponent.
No movement.
Just stillness.
Duryodhana frowned slightly. "…You've been standing there for a while."
Karna didn't respond.
Because he wasn't ignoring him.
