Two weeks passed since the assassin's attack. Marcus's wounds healed completely, faster than normal. The academy healer said it should have taken a month, but Marcus recovered in days."Your body is strange," the healer told him. "It's like something inside you speeds up healing. I've never seen anything like it."Marcus knew it was the golden energy. The same power that saved him in the river three years ago. But he still didn't understand what it was or where it came from.Now he stood in a private training ground behind Grandfather Octavius's residence. The old man had cleared this area specifically for Marcus's training."Your foundation is good," Octavius said, watching Marcus practice sword forms. "But you've been teaching yourself. That creates bad habits.""What kind of bad habits?" Marcus asked."You rely too much on raw power and speed. Against weaker opponents, that works. But against someone truly skilled, you'll lose." Octavius picked up a wooden practice sword. "Attack m

Marcus spread a hand-drawn map on the table. It showed the imperial capital's tournament arena. Grandfather Octavius, Lydia, and Julian gathered around to look."The tournament has three stages," Marcus explained. "Preliminary matches, semi-finals, and the final. Cassian's assassins will strike during the chaos of the preliminary rounds when hundreds of fighters are competing.""How do you know this?" Julian asked."Diana told me. She has sources inside the capital." Marcus pointed to different sections of the arena. "Assassins will be disguised as competitors, guards, and spectators. They'll attack from all sides when I'm focused on my official match."Octavius stroked his beard. "Twenty trained killers against one boy, even a talented one. The odds are terrible.""That's why I'm not fighting alone." Marcus looked at each of them. "I need you all to enter the tournament with me."Lydia's eyes widened. "But I'm only first class warrior. The tournament requires at least second class to