The battlefield reeks of sweat, blood, and wet grass. Blades clash in the distance like thunder, and bodies drop one by one into the mud.

Blood splatters across my face as I slide my knife through a man’s neck. It's warm, thick, and smells metallic. Just ahead, Riken barely manages to stab someone in the side with his sword before rushing forward.

“You have to actually kill them before moving on, Riken!” I call after him. We’re in a race — two teams of friends, seeing who can kill the fastest and get to the castle first. And that prick’s not even bothering to finish the job.

I slice off the head of Riken’s still-standing “victim” before he can raise his weapon at me, then twirl through the air and land two more killing blows in quick succession. Riken’s ahead, but I can still catch up.

The sounds of battle fill the field — swords clashing, bodies thudding against the grass, and a scream that sounds... strangely beautiful.

I turn my head and spot the source — and for a moment, I forget the race, the goal, everything.

She’s smaller than most of the warriors around her, but she moves like a force of nature. She’s death in motion, knives in both hands, slashing through my side’s men like a storm. If I were a painter, I’d call the scene The Angel of Death.

At first, disappointment stings. She's killing my men. But then I recognize one of the guys she’s about to fight. I shout, getting his attention, and call him off.

Only then do I get a clear look at her — and gods, she’s breathtaking.

She shouldn’t belong out here on this brutal field. And yet, her stance, her precision, the very fact she’s still alive... say otherwise.

Before I can speak, she charges at me with both knives drawn, fury in her eyes. I dodge, barely avoiding the first strike. Every bone in my body comes alive. We move around each other — slashing, blocking, spinning. It’s a dance. A dangerous, beautiful dance.

I knock one of her blades away with as much care as I can. She huffs, clearly annoyed, and I grin.

She’s good — really good. Her stance tells me she’s trained, but more than that, she’s natural. With a little more practice, she could be better than me.

We fight. We dance. She knocks my sword from my hand. I knock her other knife from hers. We continue without weapons, just dodging and circling, our bodies in sync.

“If I didn’t know better,” she says, panting slightly, “I’d say you were going easy on me.”

Her voice — stars, it's the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.

“You’re really good,” I say as I maneuver to her other side.

She glances around and stills. “You backed me up... to my people.”

I offer her a dramatic bow. “It’s been an honor dancing with you.”

“I wish it didn’t have to end.” Her honesty stuns me. She looks at me, really looks at me.

“Maybe we could have another dance next week?” I ask. “I could... be in your area.”

“Are you saying there’ll be another battle?” she teases, and her smile nearly takes me out.

“Will you promise not to tell on me if I say yes?”

“I promise.” She flashes one last grin before turning and sprinting back to her people. Just before she disappears, she glances over her shoulder — so I give her a wave.

Riken jogs up beside me. “You totally lost. I got twenty-two kills, and I look better doing it.” He laughs, smug as ever.

I can’t stop smiling. “Believe me, I won.”

——————-

The chaos behind me blurs as I make my way to my father. I can already feel his eyes on me — always watching, always worried. I’m not like my sisters. Losing me would break him.

But none of that matters right now. All I can think about is the tall, rugged enemy who moved like a storm and fought like he was teasing me with every strike. He made it look easy, but I don’t think it was.

My skin still tingles with the thrill, the adrenaline pulsing through my veins like fire. I should be angry, or scared. Instead, I’m… charged. Alive in a way I never expected.

I’m already counting down to next week. To maybe face him again, to dance with him once more on this battlefield. There’s something about him — daring me to keep pace, to push harder, to see how far I’ll go.

Curious or cautious? Maybe both.

All I know is this: next time, I want to win.