Aiden sat on his bed, gncing at Elise from the corner of his eye. She hadn’t said a word to him since their first meeting.

  Not that he expected her to.

  She still sat in the same position as before—on her bed, reading a book, completely uninterested in his existence.

  Aiden had tried to start a conversation earlier. A simple “Good evening.”

  She hadn’t even looked up.

  He sighed, leaning back against the wall. Guess she just likes being left alone. That was fine. He wasn’t the type to force people to talk.

  At the very least, he was finally able to rex.

  His bed—his own bed—was the softest thing he had ever felt. Compared to the cold floors and cheap inns he was used to, this was luxury.

  Lying down, he stared at the ceiling, letting his mind wander.

  So much has changed in such a short time.

  Only a few days ago, he had been traveling aimlessly, hoping to find a pce to belong. He had nearly given up on becoming a Protector. Now… he was here.

  He thought about Darius—his years of training, the grueling exercises, the harsh lessons. His old mentor had prepared him for this moment, even if he never said it out loud.

  He thought about Leon—the way he had stepped in to vouch for him, how he treated him like an equal rather than an outsider.

  Maybe… things are finally getting better.

  Aiden closed his eyes, a small, hopeful smile forming on his lips.

  Tomorrow would be his first real day of training.

  For the first time in years, he was excited about what was to come.