The morning was thin with light when I finished the last of my latest batch of beast cores.
The residue of their energy still buzzed in my veins, warm, like molten iron ready to be forged.
I wiped my palms on my robes, went to the bathroom, rinsed quickly, then dressed in the loose, flexible set I always wore, just because it was less revealing and I couldn't take any risks while posing as a man.
The bindings at my chest and the cut of the trousers flattened the shape of me into something easily read as male by the careless eyes that filled this sect; they would never even imagine that a woman would be brave enough to be in their midst, arrogant set that they were.
I tied my hair up tight; the knot was a crown of practicality with no frills.
My reflection in the mirror gave me a handsome young man's silhouette, but only because I didn't smile and usually kept my expression neutral.
