Chapter 32: The Space She Left Behind
Liora pov
I woke up to the sound of soone knocking on my door.
Not the usual light knock Elara used when bringing breakfast. This one was faster, urgent, like whoever stood outside didn’t have the patience to wait.
For a mont I stayed where I was, staring at the ceiling while my body protested every movent I tried to make.
Training yesterday had been brutal.
My shoulders burned when I shifted. My thighs ached from falling too many tis on hard stone.
Even breathing felt uncomfortable because the muscles around my ribs were still sore.
Mira hadn’t been gentle. But that was exactly why Kael hire her.
I pushed myself up slowly, wincing as stiffness crawled through my body.
"Co in," I called.
The door opened imdiately.
Elara stepped inside, but sothing about her expression made sit up straighter.
She looked pale.
Her hair wasn’t properly tied like it usually was in the mornings, and in her hand she held a folded letter with a broken seal.
"My lady," she said quietly.
"What’s wrong?" I asked.
She walked closer, holding the letter tightly like it might disappear if she loosened her grip.
"This arrived at dawn," she said. "From the lower territories."
My stomach tightened slightly. "From your family?"
She nodded. "My sister."
The way she said it told everything before she even continued.
"She’s sick," Elara said. "Worse than they thought. The healer there sent word that I should co imdiately."
Silence filled the room.
I pushed the blankets aside and stood, ignoring the dull pain in my legs.
"When do you leave?"
Elara hesitated. "Today."
I didn’t even think about it. "Then you should start packing."
Her eyes widened slightly. "My lady—"
"Your sister needs you," I said gently. "Why are you still standing here?"
She looked conflicted. "I didn’t want to leave you alone, expecially when your sister is around but didn’t co for you."
I almost smiled at that. "Elara, I’m not a child, don’t worry about ivy, I will handle her"
"You’re injured," she argued softly. "You’re training every day. Soone should at least be here to—"
"I’ll manage."
She stared at like she wanted to argue more, but eventually she sighed.
"It shouldn’t take more than a week," she said quietly. "As soon as she’s stable, I’ll return."
"Take as long as you need," I replied.
Elara stepped forward then and surprised by wrapping her arms around in a quick, tight embrace.
It lasted only a second before she pulled back again.
"I’ll leave instructions for the kitchen," she said. "And for the servants."
"That’s not necessary."
"I’ll do it anyway."
I didn’t argue. She gave one last worried look before turning toward the door.
"I’ll send word when I arrive," she said.
"Travel safely."
The door closed behind her. The room felt strangely quiet afterward.
I stood there for a long mont, staring at the door she had just walked through.
The fortress was already waking outside. I could hear distant voices in the corridor, the muffled sound of boots from guards changing shifts, servants moving sowhere far down the hall and yet my sister isn’t at my door yet.
Everything sounded normal. But the room suddenly felt bigger. Empty in a way it hadn’t before.
I exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of my neck.
"She’ll be back in a week," I muttered to myself.
I could handle a week. Training started soon.
Mira would probably already be waiting.
---
The underground training hall slled faintly of smoke and cold stone when I arrived.
Mira stood in the center of the sparring circle, exactly where she had been yesterday.
Her arms were crossed over her chest as she watched walk down the steps.
Her eyes went imdiately to the bandage wrapped around my forearm.
"Still bleeding?" she asked.
"No."
"Stitches holding?"
"Yes."
She gave a small nod. "Good."
Then she added, "Today will be worse."
I stepped into the circle. "How much worse?"
Mira smiled. Not kindly.
"Let’s find out."
She moved before I could even finish adjusting my stance.
I barely had ti to raise my arms before her strike ca fast and low, sweeping my legs out from under .
I hit the ground hard.
The air rushed out of my lungs as pain exploded across my side.
Before I could recover, she grabbed my arm and pulled back onto my feet.
"Again."
The next hour blurred into a relentless storm of movent. Dodge. Fall.
Get up. Block. Fail. Fall again.
Mira didn’t let rest for more than a few seconds each ti.
"You’re too slow," she snapped when I failed to avoid another strike.
"I know," I gasped.
"Wolves are faster than this."
"I know. I’m wolfless"
"And you’re a Luna, then move like one."
I tried.
My muscles scread in protest. Sweat ran down my back. My legs felt heavier with every passing minute.
Then Mira suddenly changed tactics. Her foot swept forward sharply. I didn’t see it coming.
My balance disappeared instantly.
I crashed onto the stone floor with a sharp crack that echoed through the hall.
Pain exploded across my ribs. For a mont I couldn’t breathe.
The world spun as I lay there, staring up at the ceiling while my lungs struggled to draw in air.
My mind filled with different questions
Why would seraphina bring ivy over?
Will ivy stoop so low and betrayed again?
Mira stood above . "Get up."
I pushed against the floor, barely managing to sit before pain shot through my chest again.
"Your ribs are hurt," Mira said calmly.
"I can continue."
"You shouldn’t."
"I will."
She studied for a long mont.
"You’re stubborn."
"Yes""
For a second I thought she might end the session. Instead she stepped back.
"Fine," she said. "But we change the exercise."
I frowned. "What kind?"
"Defense."
Before I could ask anything else, she attacked again.
This ti the focus wasn’t on striking.
It was on forcing to move.
Every movent sent sharp pain through my ribs, but I refused to stop.
Mira circled like a predator testing prey.
"Too slow," she said again.
"I’m trying."
"Trying isn’t enough."
The pain grew worse. Breathing felt like dragging air through broken glass.
But I kept moving. Then sothing strange happened.
It started as heat. A faint warmth spreading beneath my skin.
At first I thought it was just exhaustion. But then my senses sharpened.
The torches along the wall suddenly seed brighter.
The sound of Mira’s boots against the floor echoed louder in my ears.
And when she lunged forward again—
I moved before she did. My body shifted to the side instinctively.
Her strike missed by inches.
Mira froze. I blinked.
Had I...?
She stepped closer slowly. "What was that?"
"What?"
"You moved before I attacked."
"I dodged."
"No," she said quietly. "You reacted before I moved."
I stared at her, confused.
"I don’t know what you an."
Her eyes studied carefully. For a brief second, sothing like uncertainty crossed her face.
Then she stepped back. "Training is over."
"What?"
"But we just—"
"Over."
Her tone left no room for argunt. "Go rest," she said.
I didn’t argue. My ribs hurt too much anyway.
But as I walked back through the corridor, that strange warmth still lingered beneath my skin.
And sowhere deep inside —
sothing felt awake.
---
When I returned to my chambers later that afternoon, soone was waiting inside, for a second,I thought maybe ivy is finally here to see , but I was wrong.
A woman stood near the window. She turned when I entered.
She looked ordinary. Middle-aged. Plain face. Wearing a servant’s dress.
She bowed slightly. "My lady."
I stopped just inside the doorway.
"Who are you?"
"My na is Thea," she said calmly. "I’ve been sent to assist you while Elara is away."
My eyes narrowed slightly. "Sent by who?"
"Lady Seraphina."
That answer alone made suspicion crawl through my mind.
As if hidden ivy in her chamber isn’t enough,she even send a maid?
"I don’t need an attendant," I said.
Thea’s gaze moved briefly to my bandaged arm. Then to the way I was holding my side.
"With respect, my lady," she said gently, "you’re injured."
I said nothing.
"At least allow to change the bandages," she continued. "It will only take a mont."
I hesitated. My ribs throbbed painfully.
Changing the bandage myself would be difficult.
Finally I sighed.
"Fine," I muttered.
Thea worked quietly. Efficiently.
When she helped wrap my ribs, her movents were careful and practiced.
"You should see a healer," she said softly.
"No healers."
She didn’t question it. But I noticed her eyes lingering briefly on the old scars across my back.
She didn’t comnt.
After finishing the bandage, she stepped back.
"There," she said. "That should help."
"Thank you."
She bowed again before leaving the room.
I watched the door close behind her. Sothing about her presence felt strange.
Not threatening. Just... careful. Too careful.
I shook the thought away.
Elara would return soon.
Until then, I would tolerate the help. What harm could a servant do?
A knock interrupt my thoughts
" Who is there? "
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