Xander's POV
The darkness that surrounded me as Lyra compressed my carotid artery was the first moment of peace I had felt throughout our entire vicious encounter.
The battle had started deceptively promising. Lyra entered first, then I followed. The thunderous roar of the crowd shouting my name sent adrenaline pumping through my veins. I would never confess it to another living soul, but nerves had twisted in my gut from the beginning. Between my relentless, torturous thoughts about Lyra and watching her brutal training sessions with both Ash and the Headmaster, fear had lodged deep in my stomach.
Things only got worse when I stepped into the arena and saw her standing there, looking absolutely lethal.
Clearly, the additional training had changed her entirely.
