The shadows lengthened like grasping fingers across the ancient courtyard, creeping over the moss-covered stones where Ellie sat, lost in thought. Her fingertips traced slow circles in the damp earth beneath her boots, grounding herself in the cool texture of the moss.

The air was thick with the smell of wet stone and soil, carrying the tang of hearth smoke drifting lazily from the chimneys of Greymire. This was supposed to be her refuge, her sanctuary—a place where she could hide from the crushing weight of her new, unearned reputation.

But even here, peace was fleeting. The burden of her name followed her like a shadow she couldn’t outrun.

“Ellie Liddell!”

Her name tore through the stillness, shattering the fragile quiet she’d barely clung to. Ellie’s breath caught in her throat as her muscles tensed, recognizing the voice before she even turned. Slowly, reluctantly, she lifted her head, squinting into the low, blinding sun that hung just above the rooftops of Greymire. The golden light cast long shadows and bathed everything in a burnt orange glow.

He stood before her, tall and broad, his figure backlit by the sinking sun. His armor gleamed, polished to a mirror shine, each plate catching the light like the skin of some gilded creature. Kaedin.

Of course it had to be him.

She swallowed hard, her stomach twisting. Kaedin was infamous in the guild, a name everyone knew. His reputation wasn’t built on whispers or misunderstandings like hers, but on cold, hard facts. Victory after victory. Duel after duel.

His entire life seemed dedicated to the pursuit of combat and glory, and he had the easy arrogance of someone who had never known defeat. His smirk, now directed squarely at her, brimmed with mischief and challenge.

Ellie forced herself to rise from the bench, brushing off her hands as if it might somehow prepare her for the confrontation barreling her way. “Kaedin,” she said, her voice steady, though her heart pounded against her ribs like a drum. “What a… surprise.”

He closed the distance between them with long strides, his hand resting casually on the pommel of his sword, fingers tapping lightly. The look in his eyes was far too knowing, far too eager.

“I’ve been hearing some interesting stories about you lately, Ellie.” His grin widened, white teeth flashing beneath the light stubble on his jaw. “The guild’s buzzing about how you took down that Stonebeast by yourself.” He spoke with a hint of disbelief, but more than that—there was something sharper in his tone. Interest. Curiosity. The desire to see for himself.

Ellie’s throat tightened, her pulse quickening. Her gaze flicked toward the distant line of trees at the edge of the courtyard. If she bolted now, if she could just get a few seconds’ head start—

“You wouldn’t believe the talk.” Kaedin’s voice yanked her back, every word a tether. “That beast was twice the size of a horse, I’m told. Took a whole battalion of guild members just to weaken something similar. But you—well, the stories say you finished it off like it was nothing.”

She flinched inwardly at his words. The stories, yes. The stories had a way of spiraling out of control, morphing into something beyond recognition. The truth was far less impressive—less heroic.

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It had been luck. An accident, really.

The creature had slipped, and she had been in the wrong place at the right time. One misplaced blow, one moment of pure dumb chance, and now she was the guild’s newest legend.

And Kaedin was staring at her like a puzzle he wanted to solve.

“I…” Ellie began, already grasping for an excuse, for a way out. “I think they may have exaggerated a bit.”

But Kaedin wasn’t listening. He never did when the chance for a duel loomed on the horizon. His grin grew sharper, and his hand shifted on his sword. “Come on, Ellie. Don’t be modest. We both know talk is cheap. Let’s see if there’s truth to the legend.”

The weight of his words settled on her chest like a stone. A duel. He wanted a duel. Her heart raced faster, panic bubbling up, threatening to spill over. Her mind scrambled for a way out, but there was none. Kaedin wasn’t the type to take no for an answer, and she could feel the intensity in the air around him, like the moment before a storm breaks.

“I really don’t think—”

He cut her off with a laugh, loud and full of confidence. “Just a friendly match. We’ll keep it light.” His voice was smooth, coaxing, like he was offering her a favor instead of a challenge. “Besides, everyone’s eager to see what you can do. It’ll be fun.”

Fun. The word echoed hollowly in her mind. There was nothing fun about this. She could barely control her magic on the best of days, and now, with a crowd beginning to gather, the pressure was suffocating.

She glanced around, noticing more guild members filtering in from the streets, drawn like moths to the promise of spectacle. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation, the quiet murmur of excitement building as they settled in to watch.

“No, no, no…” The words slipped from her lips in a frantic whisper, barely audible.

She couldn’t do this. The truth, the awful, terrifying truth, was clawing its way to the surface. She wasn’t a hero. She wasn’t the warrior they believed her to be. Everything—the battles, the stories—it was all a misunderstanding. A grand, terrible mistake. If she fought now, if she failed, they would see. They would know.

Kaedin must have seen the fear flicker in her eyes because he softened, just for a moment. His smile was still there, but his voice dropped, almost gentle. “Hey, it’s just a duel, Ellie. No harm done.”

He drew his sword with a slow, deliberate flourish, the blade catching the last light of the setting sun, reflecting a brilliant arc of gold.

Ellie’s stomach churned. A duel. Here. Now.

She turned again to the growing crowd, their faces eager, expectant. They weren’t waiting for her to refuse. They weren’t waiting for her to explain. No—they were waiting for her to dazzle them, to live up to the legend they had built in their minds. To triumph.

Her chest tightened painfully. She wanted to tell them. To scream the truth, to let it out, to tear away the mask she had been forced to wear. But the words died in her throat, choked by the unbearable weight of their belief in her. They wanted a hero. They needed one.

And she wasn’t that hero. But she couldn’t disappoint them.

“I…” Her voice cracked, but she forced the words out, feeling the trap close in around her. “I suppose I could.”

The courtyard came alive in an instant. Kaedin’s grin stretched wider, and the crowd surged closer, the hum of excitement almost deafening now. Ellie’s breath hitched as she realized what she had done. There was no turning back. Not anymore.

Kaedin rolled his shoulders, limbering up, as if this was just another game. “There we go. No need to worry, we’ll keep it nice and easy. Just a warm-up.”

His sword flashed as he took his position, his stance relaxed, confident, as if this was all part of a routine he’d gone through a thousand times before. He pointed the tip of his blade toward her, that same maddening grin plastered across his face.

“Whenever you’re ready, Ellie Liddell.”

The crowd fell silent, their gazes locked on her. Waiting. Expecting.

Her heart slammed against her chest. She wasn’t ready. She would never be ready.

But there was no escape.