As the squads dispersed to prepare for the mission, Asher headed back to his quarters, his mind occupied with strategies for the upcoming battle. However, he couldn't ignore the subtle shift in the way people looked at him since the last mission. Whispers followed him, and squad members who previously saw him as just another recruit now gave him nods of acknowledgment, some even saluting.
He brushed it off as battlefield camaraderie, but the truth was more complicated. The Magnus name carried weight, and Myria's open approval of him hadn't gone unnoticed. To be acknowledged by one of the elite—the Blue Terror herself—was practically a badge of honor in their world.
Inside the training grounds, Asher noticed Myria observing him with her sharp, discerning gaze as she sparred with a few elite members of her squad. She fought with a fluidity that was almost hypnotic, her blue flames dancing around her with precision and control, a stark reminder of her title.
