Kaian spent the evening tending to his wounds in the dim light of his tiny studio. His body ached from the humiliating defeat at Chiva’s hands, but it was his pride that hurt the most. Despite the sting of his failure, a part of him refused to give up. He couldn’t go back to the life he once knew, a life of luxury and entitlement that now felt meaningless. If he had to claw his way into becoming something more, so be it.
The next morning, Kaian stood outside the border guard’s training grounds, his resolve firm despite the bruises and stiffness in his limbs. The cold morning air bit at his skin, and his breath formed faint clouds as he approached the grizzled commander.
Kovacs was leaning against a post, his arms crossed over his broad chest, watching the world with the wary eyes of a m
