"Na… A… Na… ANNA!"
"Haah!" A girl with pink hair and pale pink eyes jolted upright, gasping for breath, her skin slick with sweat.
"Whoa—hey, calm down," a voice said beside her, grounding and familiar.
Her breathing slowed as she gradually came back to herself. She looked up and met Jason's gaze—worried, searching, steady.
"W-what's wrong with you?" he asked gently.
"I… It's nothing," she replied quickly, forcing a smile.
"It's not nothing," Jason said, not buying it for a second. "You've been spacing out a lot lately. That guy almost got you if I hadn't shouted."
Anna glanced around.
They were still in the training hall—Combat Class. The clang of weapons and shouts of students filled the space. Most of the class was still locked in battles with their sparring partners. Only a few had already subdued their opponents and were resting by the sidelines.
She had been one of the first to win.
But it was a close call.
