(( bonus :3))
Victor Pov
Victor heard her before he saw her.
Not the crowd. Not the clash of steel. Her.
Her sharp clap cut through the noise, bright and clear, like a signal flare into his spine.
Good. She's close.
That thought settled him more than breath ever had.
He moved without hesitation, body flowing through the yard with brutal efficiency. Every strike landed where it was meant to. Every parry came a fraction early. He didn't question it. He didn't analyse it.
She was watching.
That was enough.
Victor had fought his entire life with no witnesses he cared about. Fought for survival. For the position. For a territory that never stayed claimed long enough to matter.
This was different.
This wasn't about winning.
This was about showing her.
Steel rang as a blow glanced off his ribs. He twisted to put his opponent off-balance. The man staggered. Victor drove a fist into his throat, sending him down choking.
Don't look back yet.
