Chapter 24: Threads of Fate
After the match, Drakan smiled faintly and walked off the stage with a calm expression.
Selena watched his back, her sword lowered but her thoughts spinning.
"Why does it feel like he was holding back?" she wondered, frowning. "I train like a maniac every single day, and yet... he still had the strength to go easy on me?"
Her hands clenched into fists, not from defeat, but from the quiet fire of frustration and determination. "No matter what it takes, I’ll get stronger. Next time... he won’t hold back."
Unaware of Selena’s steely resolve, Drakan was lost in his own thoughts as he walked away.
"Hmm... I held back. That’s what they do in the Demon Continent when they’re in love. She’ll understand... right?"
But when he glanced back at Selena, expecting a look of admiration or shy affection, his expression faltered.
She wasn’t blushing.
She looked like she was preparing for all-out war.
Drakan’s eye twitched. "...Maybe I miscalculated."
On the sidelines, Mia was practically bouncing off the floor, eyes sparkling with excitement. She clung to Zara’s arm for balance, barely containing herself.