[Next Day: Morning]
•Bathroom•
[Ovelia's POV]
The water cascaded from the shower, warm and steady, drumming against my skin in a rhythm that felt almost musical. I lifted my hand, watching the droplets catch the pale morning light filtering through the small window above. They slid between my fingers, tracing the lines of my palm before falling away.
Yesterday, my whole body had ached. Every muscle had screamed with the effort of Ann's training—the drills, the stances, the endless repetitions of movements she made look effortless. Even though she had held back her strength, even though she had pulled her punches and slowed her strikes, I had gone to bed feeling like one giant bruise.
But now?
I turned my hand over, flexing my fingers. No stiffness. No pain. Not even the faintest twinge.
I looked down at my knees. The skin was smooth. Unblemished. The wounds from the garden—the scrapes and cuts that had bled through my dress—were completely gone. As if they had never existed.
