The world had narrowed to impact and breath.
Selene felt it in every movement now—the shift that had taken hold of her, the quiet force threading through her veins like something ancient finally waking. It wasn't chaos. It wasn't rage.
It was control.
And it changed everything.
Malric came at her again, faster than before, his strikes no longer testing but decisive—each one aimed to end the fight.
Selene met him head-on.
Their collision cracked the ground beneath them, the force of it sending a shockwave through the courtyard. Stone split under their feet as they drove into each other, strength against strength, will against will.
But this time—
She didn't give ground.
Her hand caught his wrist mid-strike, redirecting it with a precision that surprised even her. She pivoted, using his momentum to twist his balance just enough—
Enough to land a clean hit across his ribs.
Malric staggered half a step.
Only half.
But it mattered.
It proved something.
