•Palace Forest•
[Ovelia's POV]
The afternoon light filtered through the canopy above, dappling the forest floor in patches of gold and green. The air was cool here, heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth and the faint sweetness of wildflowers growing in the shade.
I crossed my arms in front of my face, bracing for the impact.
Ann's fist stopped just short of my forearms—controlled, precise, exactly as she had demonstrated. "Good. Your guard is steady now." She stepped back, her dark eyes scanning my stance. "That's it, my lady. Next, we'll practice stepping to the side. When someone strikes at your center, you don't always have to block. Sometimes the best defense is to not be there."
She demonstrated the movement—a fluid shift of her weight, her body flowing sideways like water around a stone. "See? Your opponent's momentum carries them forward. They're off balance. And you're already in position to counter or escape."
