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I curse and stand, excusing myself from class. I go straight to the gym, needing to work off some of the anxiety.

Max is sitting at the front desk, staring intently at a notebook. He rubs his hand over his face, and only then do I see the strain.

I walk up beside him, peering over his shoulder. The pages are filled with figures and sums. It’s clearly a ledger or a budget of some sort. Perhaps for the gym?

“You do the books?”

Max startles and looks up. “Where did you come from?”

“The… entrance,” I reply, glancing toward the front door.

“Oh, right.” He closes the book. “Need to fight?”

I lean my forearms on the desk, glancing at the notebook again. “Do you need help with that? I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m kind of a nerd.”

Max shakes his head. “No, thanks. Hey, I got a gift for you today.” Max pushes the chair back and reaches under the desk. He pulls out a box and places it on the desk before opening it. Nestled inside are two small sai. They are exquisitely crafted and have a feminine feel to them, with intricate engravings along theblades. The edges and tips are blunted, but they are obviously meant to be used. These are not showpieces. “I was thinking about what kind of weapon would suit you best, and this is what I landed on. They are more versatile than a dagger but still lively and quick.”

I brush my fingers over the dagger strapped to my thigh.

“That will not stop a sword. So,” Max pushes the sai toward me, “these are better.”

I look at him, surprised by this unexpected act of kindness. “Thank you for the gift, Max.”

Max nods, shrugging off my gratitude like it’s tar against his skin. He grabs the sai from the box before heading into the sparring room. I follow him in, and he hands them to me. I am surprised by their weight and how they fit into my hands. He gives me a quick overview, showing me how to hold them and a few basic blocking moves.

“Your hand-to-hand is passable, so let’s see how your fae instincts handle weapons,” he says, collecting a broadsword from the wall. The one he selects is at least as long as his leg.

I look down at the sai, squeezing their hilts. “I wasn’t great the last time I tried.”

Max quirks a brow.

“In Eden. I did some training with the Morningstars.”

“Ahh. Well, let’s see,” Max says, swinging the broadsword with an expert twist of his wrist. It looks like an extension of his arm.

I get into my usual stance, but it feels unfamiliar while brandishing the weapons.

“Don’t dodge. Block.”

I nod once, waiting for him to swing.

Max’s first strike is slow, easing me into it, and I’m grateful. Even though he gives me plenty of time to react, my instinct to dodge takes over, and I swiftly duck out of the way.

“Fuck, sorry!”

“Again,” Max says, getting back into an offensive position.

I shake it off and nod when I’m ready for his next attack. This one is faster, and I can tell he’s trying to give me less time to think, trying to pull me out of my head. I lift my weapon at the last second, and the sound of the blades meeting echoes around the room.

Max nods and resets. “Good, again.”

I block his next hit, but I can tell my stance is off. My footwork is not optimizing my defense, but I know Max wants me to focus on my instincts before he bogs me down with instruction. Especially when I already have a good basic knowledge of hand-to-hand defense.

“Okay, I’m going to go slower so you can analyze the moves,” Max says.

“Is my form okay?”

Max looks me over. “It’s fine for now. You’re just used to dodging.”