[Location: New York, USA]
"…your growth rate," Ares continued, voice steady now, stripped of mirth, "on the one hand, has been mind-blowing. From struggling against my avatar to standing in front of me—not flinching, not posturing—in such a short span of time."
His eyes narrowed further.
"That kind of acceleration doesn't come from training alone."
The words hung heavy.
I said nothing.
Not because I didn't have an answer—but because silence, here, was the correct response.
Ares watched me for several seconds. Then he laughed again—softly this time, without joy.
"Relax. I'm not asking for your secrets. Everyone worth killing has them."
Zeraphira shifted in the air, halberd lowering a fraction but not dispersing. Carmilla remained upright, blood authority coiled but restrained. Ezravia hovered close, her envy mana unstable, eyes darting between me and Ares as if waiting for a signal.
Eris pressed closer to my side.
I rested a hand on her head.
Ares noticed.
