Eran POV
The full moon hung high, spilling silver across the floor. I stared at myself in the mirror, every muscle coiled and ready, veins thrumming with anticipation. The fight ahead wasn’t just a test of skill—it was survival. Every heartbeat hammered against my ribs as I traced the edges of my reflection, imagining the clash, the inevitability of it all. A single mistake, a single hesitation, and it would be over. My eyes narrowed. No room for doubt. Not tonight.
A knock at the door echoed through the room, cutting into the quiet. I tensed, hand brushing over my side where my own sword would normally rest if it weren’t already accounted for elsewhere. “Come in,” I called, my voice low, steady, betraying none of the sharp pulse in my chest.
The door opened, and a man stepped in, carry
