390 BC in Sparta
"To your feet! The weak die here, boy!" Felix's roar echoed across the training grounds.
Lysander's small frame screamed in protest. Three years of the brutal agoge, the Spartan training, had etched themselves into her fragile bones, a constant ache. Just… get up, she told herself tell them you don't belong her...tell them you are a girl, her vision blured with exhaustion.
Just as she braced to push herself up, a crushing blow slammed into her back, sending her sprawling face-first into the dirt. The world swam in her vision. Darkness… so tempting. To sleep, just for a moment. But to surrender was unthinkable, a stain on the very idea of a Spartan.....this she had come to know and that idea had taken root deep within her. She could not give up, not now, not ever.
"Disgrace!" The weapon crashed down again, a brutal reminder. "Yield?"
Lysander's eyes flickered open, gritty with dust. The other boys watched, some with wide, terrified eyes, others with a cold indifference born of shared suffering. Then, she saw him.
Damon. Fair-haired boy, with eyes like emeralds, even from a distance. He didn't shout, didn't make a grand gesture. He simply mouthed one word: "Stand."
A surge of something unspeakable, a spark of defiance, ignited within Lysander. She found a strength she didn't know she had, fueled by his unwavering gaze. She rose, legs trembling, back burning like a brand. Why did she do that? For him? Or for herself? Does it even matter?
She quickly joined the others in the circle, her eyes still drawn back to Damon. A subtle smile played on his lips, a flicker of something she couldn't quite decipher. His golden hair, those green eyes… a stark contrast to the brutal, unforgiving surroundings.
"You! Here!" Felix barked, pointing at Damon.
Damon stepped forward, no fear, only a quiet determination that radiated from him like heat. He met Felix's gaze, unwavering.
Lysander watched, heart pounding against her ribs. He's too kind for this. Too… something. Felix circled him, a predator sizing up its prey, then lunged.
Damon moved like a whisper, a shadow dodging the sun. He rolled, he weaved, he kicked, sending Felix stumbling – a victory no one else had achieved. But then came, a brutal blow to Damon's head, a sickening thud.
He rose again, refusing to stay down, refusing to yield. He's strong. Stronger than he looks. But is it enough? Lysander thought
"You would make a fine warrior " Felix grunted, sending Damon back to the line.
Lysander's nails dug into her arm, a faint sting a testament to the tension that coiled within her. Damon glanced at her, then away, his expression unreadable. He's hiding something too, she could feel it.
The next boy fell instantly, a pathetic display of weakness.
"Enough!" Felix's voice boomed across the training grounds. " To the Barracks!"
"Wait! Not yet " Gaius snapped, his voice laced with malice, pointing at Lysander and another boy, Darius. "You two, here."
Gaius, the cruel one, the sadist. Felix watched, arms crossed, jaw tight, a silent disapproval radiating from him.
Lysander stepped forward, heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. The other boy, Darius, looked terrified, his eyes wide with fear.
"Cowards," Gaius sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "What do we do with cowards?"
"Maim! Punish! Punish!" the boys chanted, suddenly emboldened by the focus shifting away from themselves. A rock flew, narrowly missing Lysander's head. She ducked instinctively.
"Silence!" Gaius glared, his eyes burning with cruel amusement. "You two are a disgrace. But here is a chance to prove yourselves."
"No. Please, no." Darius whispered.
"Names?" Gaius demanded, his voice sharp.
"Darius," the boy stammered, his voice barely a audible.
"Lysander," quickly replied, her voice a steady with a forced firmness, betraying none of the fear that gnawed at her insides.
"Fight," Gaius grinned, a chilling, predatory smile. "Until one falls. Surrender means death."
Lysander's knees shook, threatening to buckle beneath her. How can I fight him? He's done nothing.
"Begin!"
No one moved, the silence thick with tension. Then, a blow slammed into Lysander's face, sending her reeling, the taste of blood filling her mouth. She quickly caught myself before she could hit the dirt, twisting just in time to see the look on Darius's face.
His timidity was gone, replaced by a raw, uncertain intensity that mirrored her own.
He struck the second time.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through her. Against everything she believed, she retaliated, a brutal blow landing beneath his left eye. A sickening crack echoed, and Darius cried out, a raw, animalistic sound.
He lunged, a whirlwind of fists and fury. They collided, a brutal dance of desperation, punches landing anywhere they could find purchase. Lysander's face throbbed, the metallic tang of blood filling her mouth. Fight. Win. Survive.
Darius shifted tactics, rolling under her blow and shoving her from behind. She stumbled, hitting the dirt hard. Before she could rise, his arms were around her neck, a crushing grip cutting off her air.
Panic clawed at her. She clawed at his arms, bucked and thrashed, but he was stronger than he looked, grinding her into the earth. Her lungs burned, her vision blurring. Through the haze, she saw the other boys, their faces a mask of cruel amusement. She knew she meant nothing to them.
Then, She saw Damon. He'd moved forward, his green eyes blazing with an intensity that made her heart pound. His fists were clenched, his stance tense.
He cared.... someone cared? Lysander thought
Her hand brushed against something rough, something familiar. The rock. With a surge of desperate strength, She slammed it into the side of Darius's head. His grip loosened, and she gasped for air, her lungs screaming.
She quickly rolled, tackling him before he could recover. Blood dripped from his eye, his movements sluggish. She straddled him, knees digging into his sides, and unleashed a flurry of blows, rage blinding her.
Even as she did this , she thought at whather life had become . At what she was forced to do.
She stopped struggling, the boys eyes swollen and half-shut. Finish him, Gaius's voice echoed to Lysander.
"No!!". Lysander replied back
She looked down at Darius, his face wore a mask of fear. He tried to move, then went limp, surrendering to the inevitable.
Gaius slapped the back of her head. "Show no mercy boy! Finish him!"
Darius's mouth opened, a silent plea. He looked like a fish out of water, gasping for a life he couldn't grasp.
She knew what she had to do.
The rock felt heavy in her hand." Forgive me"!!
Darius's eyes widened, a sob escaping his lips as she brought the rock down. A sickening crunch, a spray of warmth, and then… silence.
His body slumped, his eyes staring blankly at the sky....
It was over, he was dead.
That night, in the rough barracks, Darius's face kept haunting Lysander. The fear, the stillness, the lifeless eyes. She had killed a boy .
She tried to squeeze her eyes shut, trying to banish the image. The other boys shifted on their mats, their breaths heavy in the darkness.
Then, a presence came beside her.
She turned, his breath catching in her throat.
And there was Damon, his green eyes luminous in the dim light, his face inches from her.
"Today was hard," he whispered. "You had no choice."
"I killed him…" her voice was a raw whisper.
"Yeah , you had to"
"You missed your evening meal." He smiled, pulling something from his cloak. A large piece of bread.
Her eyes widened.
"Eat," he whispered. "Rebuild your strength."
Lysander sat up, wincing at her bruises. She broke the bread in half, offering him the other piece.
" Let's share?"
His eyes lit up, and he took the bread from her with a grateful smile.
"Thank you," she said, savoring the taste. "I won't forget this."
"You're welcome. I can teach you how to fight," he offered.
"Gaius and Felix will have no choice but to watch you in awe ."
He held out his hand. "I'm Damon."
She took his hand, her heart pounding. "Lysander."
"Lysander," he repeated, his voice a warm caress.
"Finish your bread. Morning comes early."