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He maintained a steady, rhythmic pace.

Not slowing down. Not tiring. His face was granite-smooth as he lowered himself to the ground over and over.

“How many is that?” she asked. “A hundred?”

“Or several.” Takeshi didn’t look at her as he spoke. He just kept driving downward.

The fact that he still had energy to expend after spending hours mining and hauling heavy rocks was beyond her comprehension.

“Doesn’t it hurt? Don’t you get tired?” She rested her arm on her knee, studying him.

Takeshi paused mid-pushup and looked at her, the hard cords of his triceps bulging even under the dim lighting. “Being tired and feeling pain are just states of mind. We all have limits. I’ve simply trained my body to extend past those limits.”

His defiant words brought her back to their training sessions in Braderhelm.

“I knew you were a quitter.”

He’d stand over her in prison, slinging harsh accusations like whips. Takeshi had made it his personal mission to push her harder than anyone else underground, and it only fueled her rage, driving Khalani to work until her bones screamed to break.

A light suddenly went off in her head, like the one shimmering across the cell.

How many chances would she get to be locked in a tiny cell with her longtime nemesis—and maybe get a little payback of her own?

“You know,” she began, “with how fast you’re doing those, you’re probably not working hard enough.”

Takeshi didn’t bother replying, but she noticed his pace quicken, even though he’d already been moving at breakneck speed for an hour without stopping.

“Yeah,” she yawned, feigning boredom. “Definitely looks like you’re taking it easy. I’ve seen Brock do one-armed pushups with no sweat.”

Khalani twisted her lips to smother her grin as Takeshi glared at the floor. He twisted his head, narrowing his gaze.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“Me?” She gestured to herself in shock. “I’m just making an observation. Laziness is weakness, remember?”

He’d said those exact words to her in Braderhelm. And repeating them back gave her more satisfaction than she cared to admit.

Takeshi cursed under his breath, then shifted, putting one arm behind his back while continuing to drive downward with all his weight centered on his right hand, maintaining his fast speed.

She shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as she was.

Maybe the same wickedness lived in both of them.

Takeshi moved furiously, sweat glistening across his skin, and Khalani swallowed as the white fabric of his shirt rode up, revealing a hint of corded muscle.

“Alright. You’ve proved your point,” she interjected, heart racing for no reason. “Please stop before you pass out and become useless to me.”

Takeshi released a dark chuckle and lifted off his hands, casually leaning back against the wall. “That was just a warm-up. I’ll start again in a bit.”

“Thatwas a warm-up?” she repeated slowly. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re crazy?”

“Sure. But they usually liked it.”

Khalani swallowed, becoming acutely aware of how physically close they were.

The cell was so small that his legs were centimeters from hers.

The temperature in the room kept rising, and she didn’t know if it was coming from his body heat or the anxiety ratcheting up inside her.