"Are you alright?" Helena asked, her voice soft as she knelt beside healing Aqualina, who lay sprawled on the ground with a defeated, empty expression.
"... Yeah," Aqualina murmured after a long pause. Her lips quivered as she bit down, hard... so hard that blood began to bead, trailing down her chin.
For what?
Because she'd been utterly and humiliatingly defeated by Victor!!
She had imagined there might be some difference between them in skill; after all, he was the Sovereign's disciple.... But after that fight, she realized the bitter truth—she wasn't even close to his level.
"There's no need to be so hard on yourself," Thalia said gently, her voice a rough mumble as she lay on the ground nursing her own broken limbs. She glanced over at Aqualina, understanding her thoughts without a word needing to be said.... Because she too having the same thoughts!!
