Eclipsed monarch

Her hands no longer trembled.

The first kill had shaken something loose inside her. She had expected nightmares, guilt—something. But all she felt was a quiet emptiness.

Kael had given her a task, and she had completed it. That was all.

But he was not done with her yet.

---

Training intensified.

Kael did not allow her to settle into comfort. The morning after her mission, he threw a dagger at her the moment she stepped into the training room.

She barely dodged.

"You survived one mission. That does not make you strong." His voice was cold, unwavering.

She caught her breath, nodding.

Training resumed.

Stealth drills. Moving through shadows, avoiding detection, learning the silent language of assassins.

Poison studies. She memorized symptoms, dosages, and the precise moment a victim would succumb.

Combat refinement. Kael attacked without warning, forcing her to react under pressure. Each mistake was met with bruises, each hesitation with exhaustion.

"Pain is a lesson. Weakness is a choice."

She endured.

---

One night, as they sat in silence after training, Kael finally spoke.

"Do you feel regret?"

She met his gaze. Thought about the blood on her hands. The lives she had ended.

And then she remembered the chains. The hollow eyes of the captives.

She shook her head.

Kael studied her for a long moment.

"Good. You're ready for the next step."