(Lina)
I had just finished sparring with Kieran, wiping the sweat from my forehead as I grabbed a towel. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his smirk teasing yet approving. "You're so good at this," he said.
"Don't sound so surprised," I shot back, rolling my eyes but unable to hide my grin.
"You're better than I expected," he admitted, tossing me a water bottle. "But you still drop your left guard. One of these days, I'll—"
His sentence was cut short as raised voices came down the corridor. The harsh tone of an argument caught my attention, and I immediately straightened. Kieran's expression shifted, the light humor disappearing as his eyes narrowed.
"Stay here," he said, his voice firm. "I'll check it out."
"No," I replied quickly, already moving toward the noise. "I'll handle it."
