Days blurred together into an exhausting routine that Selene's body slowly adapted to.
Wake before dawn when the castle was still dark and quiet. Stumble to the kitchens half-asleep. Work until her hands were raw and her feet ached. Collapse into her bunk in the servants' quarters well after midnight. Sleep for maybe four hours if she was lucky. Then do it all again.
It was brutal. Relentless. The kind of work that broke people who weren't prepared for it.
But Selene had trained for eight years in the wilderness with Mira. She knew exhaustion. Knew pain. Knew how to push through when her body was screaming at her to stop.
This was nothing compared to sparring with Mira for hours in the freezing cold. Nothing compared to tracking prey through the forest for days with minimal food and sleep.
This was just another kind of training. Another test to pass.
And she was passing it.
