Absolute silence filled the training ground.
Then—
*CLAP*
*CLAP*
Namari's voice rang out, breaking the silence.
"That was amazing, Renan," she said, clapping lightly, a small small on her face.
Renan, who had heard Namari's compliment, was suddenly brought out of his reverie. His eyes blinked twice as he quickly turned his head in her direction, his expression shifting as he processed her words. After a brief pause, he spoke up, his voice filled with gratitude, "Thank you, Mother." His words carried genuine appreciation, yet his focus quickly shifted back to someone else—someone who, unlike him, was still lost in thought, completely absorbed in his own world.
Gracen, who had yet to recover from what had just happened, remained lying on the ground, staring blankly up at the vast ceiling above. His mind, unlike his body, was still engaged in battle—only this time, it was a battle within himself.
'I lost,' the words echoed in his head, slow and heavy.
'I lost… I actually lost.'
