The silence after Lena's words didn't last long.
It couldn't.
Because once the truth was out—
Everything changed.
"You're not leaving this room alone."
Adrian's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Sharp.
Final.
Kate exhaled slowly. "We just did this."
"And we're doing it again."
She turned toward him, arms crossing. "I'm not a liability."
"I didn't say you were."
"You didn't have to."
Lena leaned casually against the wall, watching them like this was entertainment.
"It's not about whether she's a liability," she said. "It's about whether she can survive what's coming."
Kate's jaw tightened. "I already have."
"Barely," Lena replied.
That hit.
Harder than it should've.
Kate stepped forward. "Then I won't 'barely' survive next time."
Silence.
Adrian's eyes locked onto hers.
"You won't be in that position next time."
Kate let out a short, humorless laugh. "You can't control everything."
"No," he said.
A beat.
Then—
"But I can control enough."
"That's not how this works," she snapped. "You don't get to just decide I'm staying out of it."
"I'm not keeping you out of it."
"Then what are you doing?"
A pause.
Then—
"Keeping you alive."
The words landed heavier than anything else.
Kate stared at him.
Because there it was again.
That intensity.
That certainty.
That fear he refused to name.
"I don't want to just survive," she said quietly.
Adrian didn't respond.
"I don't want to hide behind you," she continued. "I don't want to be the reason you have to fight like that every time something happens."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"You're not—"
"I am," she cut in. "And I'm tired of it."
Lena straightened slightly, her interest sharpening.
"Then stop being it."
Kate's gaze snapped to her. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Lena said. "If you don't want to be the weak point, then don't be."
Adrian stepped in immediately. "No."
Both of them looked at him.
"No?" Kate repeated.
"No," he said again. "She's not training. She's not putting herself in more danger."
Kate blinked. "More danger? I'm already in danger."
"And I'm handling it."
"That's the problem!"
Silence hit hard.
Because that—
That was the truth neither of them wanted to say out loud.
Kate stepped closer.
Not backing down.
"Every time something happens, you lose control," she said.
His expression darkened. "That's not your concern."
"It is when it's because of me."
A pause.
Then—
"I don't need you to protect me from everything," she said.
"I need you to trust me to handle something."
Adrian didn't answer.
Didn't move.
Didn't give.
Lena pushed off the wall.
"Well," she said lightly, "this is interesting."
"Stay out of it," Adrian snapped.
"No," Lena replied calmly. "I don't think I will."
She stepped closer to Kate.
Slow.
Measured.
"You're right," Lena said. "You're a target now."
Kate held her gaze. "I figured that part out."
"But what you haven't figured out," Lena continued, "is that people like them don't just attack."
A pause.
"They exploit."
Kate frowned. "Meaning?"
"They find the weakest point," Lena said.
"And they break it."
Silence.
Then—
Lena tilted her head slightly.
"So the real question is…" she said softly.
"Are you going to let that be you?"
Kate's chest tightened.
Because she already knew the answer.
"No."
Adrian stepped forward, his voice sharp. "This isn't a choice."
Kate turned to him.
"Yes, it is."
"No, it's not."
"Yes. It is."
They stood there—
Face to face.
Neither backing down.
Neither willing to give.
"I'm not asking for permission," Kate said quietly.
"I'm telling you what I'm going to do."
That did it.
That was the line.
Adrian's gaze darkened, something dangerous flickering beneath the surface.
"You don't understand what you're stepping into."
"Then show me."
Silence.
Heavy.
Charged.
For a second—
It looked like he was going to refuse.
Completely.
Like he would shut it down no matter what she said.
Then—
Something shifted.
His voice dropped.
Lower.
Controlled.
"Fine."
Kate blinked.
"…What?"
"You want to train?" he said.
"Then you train."
Lena smirked slightly. "This should be good."
"But you train with me," Adrian continued.
Kate's attention snapped back to him.
"And you do exactly what I say."
A beat.
"No hesitation."
Kate nodded.
"Deal."
Adrian didn't smile.
Didn't soften.
If anything—
He became more intense.
"Then we start now."
Later
The room was cleared.
Furniture pushed aside.
Space opened.
Kate stood in the center, her pulse already picking up.
Not from fear.
From anticipation.
From knowing this—
This mattered.
Adrian stood across from her.
Watching.
Assessing.
"First rule," he said.
"Stop thinking."
Kate frowned. "That sounds like bad advice."
"It's not," he replied. "Thinking gets you killed."
Before she could respond—
He moved.
Fast.
Kate barely had time to react before he grabbed her wrist, twisting just enough to throw her off balance—
She stumbled—
Caught herself—
But not fully.
"Too slow," he said.
Kate glared. "You didn't warn me."
"I won't next time either."
She reset her stance.
"Again."
This time—
She watched him.
Carefully.
Waiting.
He moved again.
But this time—
Kate reacted.
Not perfectly.
Not cleanly.
But enough.
She twisted out of his grip—
Barely—
Stepped back—
Breathing harder now.
A flicker of something crossed his face.
Approval.
"Better," he said.
They went again.
And again.
And again.
Each time—
She got faster.
Sharper.
Less hesitant.
And Adrian—
Didn't go easy on her.
Not once.
"You hesitate, you lose."
"Then I won't hesitate."
"Prove it."
Kate lunged—
He countered—
She adjusted—
Faster this time—
Stronger—
Until—
She almost had him.
Almost.
He caught her wrist—
Pulled her forward—
And suddenly she was too close.
Way too close.
Her breath caught.
His grip tightened slightly.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to hold.
"Too focused on winning," he said quietly.
"Focus on surviving."
Kate's heart pounded.
Because now—
This wasn't just training.
"Then don't hold back," she said.
A pause.
Then—
"I'm not."
Something shifted again.
The next move—
Faster.
Harder.
Real.
Kate barely kept up—
But she did.
She blocked—
Turned—
Drove forward—
And this time—
She didn't stop.
Adrian stepped back.
Just once.
That was new.
Kate's chest rose and fell as she steadied herself.
"…I'm learning."
A beat.
Then—
"Yes."
Not dismissive.
Not reluctant.
Just truth.
Lena's voice cut in from the side.
"Not bad."
Kate glanced over.
"You sound surprised."
"I am."
She stepped forward slightly, arms crossed.
"But not disappointed."
Kate turned back to Adrian.
"…We're not done."
His gaze held hers.
Dark.
Focused.
Something deeper underneath.
"No," he said.
"We're not."
And this time—
When they moved—
It wasn't just about survival.
It was about becoming something stronger.