The training field fell silent. Every pair of eyes focused on Seraphina and Kael. Even the wind seemed to stop.
"Show me."
Kael held the wooden practice sword loosely in one hand. The simple request carried undeniable authority. Unfortunately, it wasn't really a request. It was a test.
Seraphina immediately understood. Kael had already noticed her change in behavior. Now he wanted to see whether her combat skills were another anomaly.
Refusing would only raise more suspicion. Accepting carried its own risks. The original Seraphina Ardent was not known for swordsmanship.
If she displayed too much skill, questions would follow. Yet if she intentionally performed poorly, Kael would notice that too. The man before her wasn't an idiot, far from it.
Aiden looked between them with excitement. His golden eyes sparkled. "Father, are you going to spar with Lady Seraphina?"
Several officers visibly stiffened. One nearly laughed before catching himself. The idea sounded ridiculous.
Kael ignored them. His gaze remained fixed on Seraphina. "Well?"
The challenge hung in the air.
Seraphina sighed internally.
There was no escape.
She stepped forward. "Fine."
The officers exchanged startled looks. Nobody expected her to agree.
One of them whispered under his breath. "This should be interesting."
Another shook his head. "No. This should be short."
Seraphina pretended not to hear. Aiden, meanwhile, looked thrilled. The boy hurried toward the edge of the training ground. The officers followed. Soon, a wide circle formed around the field.
Only two people remained inside.
Kael and Seraphina.
The contrast was striking. The Alpha stood tall and imposing, a veteran commander who had survived countless wars. His presence alone felt overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Seraphina appeared elegant and composed, a noblewoman holding a wooden sword. To the spectators, the outcome seemed obvious.
Kael slowly raised his weapon. "One exchange."
A reasonable offer.
A demonstration rather than a true duel.
Seraphina nodded. "One exchange."
The Alpha adopted a casual stance, almost relaxed.
Yet Seraphina immediately recognized the danger.
The posture was deceptive. His center of gravity remained perfectly balanced. His guard contained no obvious openings.
Years of combat experience screamed a warning. The spectators watched intently. Nobody moved or spoke.
Then, Kael attacked. The distance between them vanished instantly. The wooden sword descended. Far faster than most humans could react to.
Aiden gasped.
Several officers smiled confidently. The match was already over. Or so they thought.
Seraphina moved. Her body shifted sideways. The strike missed by mere centimeters. The wooden blade cut through empty air.
There was absolute silence.
The officers froze.
Kael's eyes narrowed. Most people couldn't evade that attack. Not cleanly or as effortlessly.
Seraphina immediately stepped back. She had no intention of counterattacking. The goal was survival, not victory.
Unfortunately, Kael seemed to have different plans. The Alpha advanced again. A second strike followed. Then a third. And a fourth.
The attacks flowed together seamlessly. Each faster than the last and more dangerous. The training field erupted with movement. Wood collided against wood.
Crack!
Seraphina finally raised her sword. The impact traveled through her arms.
He was this strong...
Much stronger than any normal human.
Of course he was.
The man was a werewolf.
Not just any werewolf.
The strongest Alpha in the empire.
Another strike came.
She blocked.
A third followed.
She redirected it.
The spectators stared in disbelief, especially the officers. Their expressions gradually shifted from amusement to shock. Because the impossible was happening.
Lady Seraphina wasn't losing. She was keeping up.
Aiden looked as though he had forgotten how to blink. His eyes followed every movement. Excitement radiated from him.
"She's amazing..." The boy's whisper reached several nearby officers.
None disagreed.
At that moment, Kael attacked again. This time, however, something changed. The pressure increased a lot.
The wooden sword became a blur. Seraphina's instincts screamed: danger.
The Alpha was no longer testing basic reactions. He was probing deeper. Looking for answers.
The next exchange happened in an instant. Their swords collided.
Crack!
Kael twisted his wrist. The angle changed unexpectedly, a clever maneuver, one designed to break through defenses. Unfortunately for him, Seraphina recognized it.
Her body reacted automatically. Years of assassination missions had engraved countless combat techniques into her muscles. Without thinking, she pivoted.
Her sword slid beneath Kael's weapon. Then rose upward, the movement was elegant, efficient, and deadly. It was a classic disarming technique.
Kael's expression changed. There was a genuine surprise. The wooden sword nearly left his hand.
The spectators collectively inhaled. No one could believe what they were seeing. Not even Seraphina. Because she realized her mistake immediately, that had been too much.
The original Seraphina should not possess that skill. The realization came too late. The technique was already revealed.
Kael stepped back.
The match stopped.
Silence dominated the training ground.
Even the birds seemed quiet.
The Alpha stared at her. His golden eyes became unreadable. The atmosphere grew heavier. Several officers exchanged concerned glances.
Finally, Kael lowered his weapon.
The pressure vanished.
"Interesting."
Only one word.
Yet it carried countless implications.
Aiden immediately rushed forward. His excitement exploded.
"That was incredible!" The boy looked ready to bounce with energy. "You almost got Father!"
Several officers looked horrified by that statement.
One muttered, "Almost?"
Another answered, "She did."
The first officer looked ready to question reality itself.
Kael ignored them. His attention remained on Seraphina. "You've trained before."
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
Seraphina nodded carefully. "A little."
The officers nearly choked.
A little?
A little?
A LITTLE?
The understatement bordered on criminal.
Kael, however, didn't react. If anything, he seemed thoughtful. "A little."
The Alpha repeated the words. Clearly unconvinced. Yet he didn't press further, not publicly. That alone relieved Seraphina.
Aiden looked between them. Then his face brightened. "Can Lady Seraphina teach me?"
The training field became silent again.
The request caught everyone off guard, especially Seraphina.
The boy stared hopefully at his father.
Kael looked at his son, then at Seraphina.
A long pause followed.
"If she agrees."
Aiden's face lit up. The joy was immediate, pure, and unfiltered, the kind of happiness only children could express.
The sight softened something inside Seraphina, a dangerous feeling, one she wasn't accustomed to. Back on Earth, attachments were weaknesses. Weaknesses got people killed. Yet every day she spent here seemed to challenge that belief.
Aiden wasn't a target.
He wasn't an enemy.
He was just a child.
A lonely child.
One, desperate for affection.
The realization made it harder to maintain emotional distance.
The training session eventually ended.
The officers returned to their duties.
Aiden departed for his lessons.
Only Kael and Seraphina remained. The atmosphere changed immediately. It was more serious and private.
Kael stood beside the training field. Watching the distant horizon.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then, "Who taught you?"
The question finally arrived.
Seraphina had expected it. The answer, however, required caution. "A family instructor."
Technically not true. But close enough.
Kael studied her profile. "Your records say otherwise."
Of course... they did, because fate hated her.
Seraphina resisted the urge to sigh.
The Alpha continued. "The previous Seraphina Ardent disliked combat training."
The previous.
Not the current.
The wording caught her attention immediately.
Had he done that intentionally?
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.
Either way, it was dangerous.
Kael's gaze remained calm. The man truly missed nothing. Fortunately, years of deception had prepared her for moments like this. People often assumed assassins relied only on weapons. In reality, lies were just as important.
"I changed." The answer was simple.
Kael remained silent. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
A low, quiet laugh, simply amused.
The sound caught Seraphina completely off guard. Apparently, it surprised Kael himself. The amusement quickly disappeared. Yet she had seen it.
For a brief moment, the terrifying Alpha looked almost human.
Then he spoke. "Perhaps you did."
His eyes shifted toward the mansion.
Toward the place where Aiden had disappeared.
The warmth returned briefly.
"If that's true..."
He paused.
Then continued.
"Keep moving forward."
The words were simple.
Yet somehow, they felt genuine.
Seraphina wondered if perhaps the future wasn't completely fixed. Perhaps the execution platform she had seen in those memories wasn't inevitable. Perhaps destiny could be changed.
Perhaps.
Yet deep within the shadows of the estate, unseen eyes had already begun watching her. And somewhere beyond the stars, forces connected to the ancient prophecy had started moving.
The countdown toward fate had already begun.