The morning of the duel dawned with a heavy, ominous sky, clouds hanging low as if the very heavens were reluctant to witness what was to come. The usual morning chill was absent, replaced instead by a stifling warmth that seemed to seep into my bones, making the air feel thick and oppressive.
I woke up in Lise's arms, her warmth comforting against my back, but even that couldn't completely quell the unease bubbling in my chest.
I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, trying to calm the flurry of thoughts racing through my mind. Today was the day, the day I would face one of the Council members in a duel that would either cement my place among the university's elite or expose me as unworthy. The weight of it was suffocating.
