Rose sat just outside the castle's sparring field, watching as Zethan and his cousin, Zack, now dressed in their sparring gear, held their swords at the ready. Zethan's gaze shifted to Rose, his eyes fixed on her where she sat quietly, before returning to Lucas, whose smirk revealed he'd noticed it too. Then Lucas raised his arm and brought it down—a signal that the sparring had begun.
Zack moved swiftly, flinging his sword forward with practiced ease, already anticipating Zethan's next move. But Zethan dodged effortlessly. Zack's eyes widened slightly—what had just happened had been Zethan's move. It seemed today he was doing things differently. A cold smile curled on Zack's lips as he met Zethan's indifferent gaze.
Zethan shifted again—this time swiftly—while Zack launched a flurry of strikes. Zack swung his sword in a wide arc, but Zethan slipped aside. Clang! Their blades met with ringing steel.
