Cough. Cough.
The sound clawed its way up Eclipse's throat, dry and hoarse like leaves scraping stone. His chest tightened as he stood, shoulders taut, each breath a battle.
They stood in the center of the sparring field, where lines of trampled grass and scattered training weapons told stories of failed duels and narrow victories.
The late afternoon sun cast a golden hue over the academy's open practice ground, where students once laughed, trained, and shouted.
Today, the air was thick with tension.
Because Eclipse Warbringer was sparring.
And Eclipse Warbringer almost never sparred.
And yet—here he was.
Tessa stood across from him, her wooden sword resting lightly in her hand.
Her posture was calm, blade pointed downward, but there was a quiet calculation in her eyes. Yellow irises that gleamed like polished gold.
Eclipse had seen that look before. On loading screens and in battle replays. But this was the first time it was aimed at him.
