The air was thick with tension as I stood in the middle of the training grounds, my body aching from the fight. My father’s piercing gaze stayed on me, as if analyzing every movement, every breath.
I refused to look away.
“Not bad,” he finally said, his voice calm but firm. “You lasted longer than I expected.”
A strange silence followed. Bianca looked irritated, while Marcus yawned as if bored. Adrian, however, was watching me with something unreadable in his eyes.
Antonio wiped the sweat off his brow and smirked. “She’s got potential.”
My father turned to me. “You will train every morning from now on. No excuses.”
I swallowed the protest rising in my throat. I was exhausted, my body sore, but I knew better than to argue.
This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? A chance to get stronger. A chance to fight back.
“Yes, Father,” I said evenly.
He nodded once, then gestured for everyone to leave.
Bianca scoffed. “Whatever. She’s still weak.”
I ignored her, keeping my focus on my father. He was testing me, watching for any signs of fear.
But I wasn’t afraid anymore.
As the others walked away, Adrian lingered. His smirk had faded, replaced by something else.
“Careful, little sister,” he murmured, just low enough for me to hear. “You’re starting to look… interesting.”
A shiver ran down my spine as he turned and walked away.
I wasn’t sure if it was a warning or a threat.
Maybe both.
-----
The moment Adrian walked away, I let out a slow breath, my body still tense. His words echoed in my mind.
"You’re starting to look… interesting."
There was something unsettling about the way he said it. Like he had just discovered something new about me—something dangerous.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on my current problem: my body.
Every inch of me ached. My muscles burned from the fight, and my shoulder throbbed where Antonio had landed his punch. I was exhausted, but I couldn’t afford to show weakness.
As I turned to leave, a familiar voice stopped me.
“You did well.”
I froze, surprised.
My father never gave compliments.
I turned slightly to see him watching me, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
For a second, I wasn’t sure what to say.
“…Thank you.”
His sharp gaze studied me for a moment longer before he spoke again. “Your training starts tomorrow at dawn. Don’t be late.”
With that, he walked away, leaving me standing there.
I clenched my fists.
I had survived today.
But tomorrow, a new battle would begin.
-----
I walked back to my room, every step making my body scream in pain. The corridors were silent, the faint glow of the chandeliers casting long shadows against the walls.
The old Clarisse would have dragged herself to bed, hoping for the pain to go away.
But I wasn’t her.
I was Leila.
And I knew pain was just another lesson.
I stepped inside my room, locking the door behind me. My reflection stared back at me from the mirror—sweaty, bruised, but standing tall.
I moved closer, taking in the face that wasn’t mine but had become mine. Clarisse’s delicate features, once filled with fear, now held something else.
Determination.
I ran a finger over the bruise forming on my shoulder and smirked.
"Let them try."
A sudden knock on my door made me turn sharply.
I hesitated before walking over, opening it just enough to see who was there.
Adrian.
He leaned against the doorframe, his usual smirk in place, but there was something different in his eyes—curiosity.
“You should rest,” he said casually. “Tomorrow will be harder.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why do you care?”
He chuckled. “I don’t. But I do enjoy a good show.”
I held his gaze, refusing to let him see any hesitation.
His smirk widened. “You’re changing, little sister.”
I said nothing.
Because he was right.
-----
Adrian’s smirk didn’t waver as he leaned closer, his gaze sharp and amused. “I wonder… how much more will you change?”
I clenched my jaw. “That’s none of your concern.”
He chuckled, clearly entertained by my defiance. “Oh, but it is. You see, weak little Clarisse was predictable. Easy to control. But you? You’re becoming… interesting.”
I hated the way he said it, like I was a puzzle he was eager to solve.
“I don’t need your approval, Adrian,” I said firmly. “And I don’t care what you think.”
His eyes darkened slightly, the amusement fading for just a second before his usual smirk returned. “We’ll see about that.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing at the doorway, my heart pounding.
I took a deep breath and shut the door, locking it behind me.
Adrian was dangerous.
Maybe not in the way my father was, but in his own twisted way.
I knew better than to trust him.
Shaking off the unease, I made my way to the bathroom, turning on the shower. The cold water hit my skin, washing away the sweat and grime from today’s training.
Tomorrow, it would all start again.
The pain.
The tests.
The fight to prove myself.
But I was ready.
Let them come.
------
The water cascaded down my body, soothing the bruises that painted my skin. Every ache reminded me of today’s battle—of how much I had endured.
But I was still standing.
As I stepped out of the shower, I caught my reflection again. The girl in the mirror wasn’t weak anymore. She wasn’t afraid.
She was changing.
I wrapped myself in a towel and walked toward the bed, but before I could lie down, a sharp knock echoed from my door.
I stiffened.
It was late. Too late for casual visits.
I grabbed a robe, tying it tightly before approaching the door. “Who is it?”
Silence.
My pulse quickened.
I hesitated before slowly unlocking the door and opening it just a crack.
Bianca stood there, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
I frowned. “What do you want?”
She tilted her head, studying me. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, Clarisse. But don’t think for a second that you belong here.”
I met her glare without flinching. “Then I guess you’ll just have to get used to it.”
Her lips curled into a sneer. “Enjoy your little victory. It won’t last.”
She turned on her heel and walked away, her words lingering in the air like a threat.
I exhaled slowly and shut the door.
They were all watching me now.
Waiting for me to break.
But they would be waiting forever.
----
I leaned against the door, closing my eyes for a moment. Bianca’s words were nothing new. She had always looked down on Clarisse. But this time, there was something different in her tone—something almost desperate.
She was afraid.
Afraid of the change she was seeing.
Good.
I pushed off the door and climbed into bed, my muscles still sore from the fight earlier. The room was silent, but my mind wasn’t.
I thought about my father, about how he had finally acknowledged me—something he had never done before. It wasn’t warmth or love, but it was recognition.
And then there was Adrian.
He was watching me closely, intrigued by the shift he saw. But he wasn’t an ally. He was a predator, circling, waiting.
And Bianca? She was clinging to the old hierarchy, unwilling to accept that I was no longer the weak, quiet girl she could push around.
Let them watch. Let them doubt me.
Because one day, they would realize the truth.
Clarisse was gone.
And Leila was here to stay.
With that final thought, I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.
Tomorrow, the real game would begin.
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