Eve
The moment Hades stepped back, the air between us felt charged, crackling with unspoken tension. My shoulder throbbed like a steady drumbeat, but I clenched my teeth and pushed through it. Showing weakness now would be like bleeding in front of a predator.
"Again," Hades ordered, his voice smooth but commanding. His silver eyes flicked over me, missing nothing. He knew. I could see it in the slight arch of his brow, the curl of his smirk. But he wasn't calling me out on it yet. Why?
I reset my stance, keeping my weight centered, my fists up. His movements were unhurried, deliberate, as though he had all the time in the world to toy with me. I hated it. I hated that he made me feel like a beginner every time I faced him. But it felt good to fall back into our usual routine of banter. It felt… comfortable, no longer unnerving. I hadn't realized how much I missed training with him.
