Elena's first test came at dawn. A warehouse on the outskirts of Veronia, abandoned by most legitimate eyes but crawling with shadows that whispered secrets in the wind.
Adrian led her inside without a word, his presence a constant shadow at her back. Inside, a man knelt, blood trickling from a split brow. Chains hung from the ceiling, the metal groaning under its own weight.
This, Adrian said, voice low and calm, is how loyalty is earned. Observe. Learn. Survive.
Elena's stomach turned. She had seen violence before, but nothing like this. The man's life hung on a thread, and she realized that in this world, those threads were pulled by the strongest hands.
Your turn, Adrian said suddenly, producing a knife. Do you cut the ties or leave him to die?
Elena's breath caught. Survival demanded action, but morality screamed otherwise. She hesitated, then made a decision one that would mark her forever.
The man survived, barely, and Elena learned her first lesson in the Romano world, hesitation could be fatal, but control was power.