Here, there was no impossible choice, no treasonous mother, no secret brother. There was only the fight.
After defeating the last Vorthak simulation, Viora collapsed to her knees on the crystal floor, her body a screaming chorus of overexertion.
Her breath came in ragged, burning gasps. The cold rage had burned itself out, leaving behind a cold, hollow emptiness.
Viora finally looked up, her ice-blue eyes no longer blazing with fury, but cold and clear as a winter sky. Training always helped her deal with emotions, and this time it did the job as usual. She could feel that the emotional storm had passed, and now she was calm.
She rose back to her feet and left.
She walked to her room, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The anger that had burned white-hot in her chest earlier had cooled to embers, but the guilt? That remained, heavy as armor she couldn't shed.
