Aria's pov
I punched the dummy with all my strength hoping I could get back my fighting progress but my mind wasn't fully on the routine. As I practiced, my thoughts drifted back to the first day I arrived at the palace.
The cloaked shadow that had attacked me. I paused my training and wiped the sweat from my brow. The memory of that man lingered vividly in my mind. He had worn a cloak of deep green and gold, tailored in a way I'd never seen before. The way he moved, almost gliding across the courtyard, left an impression I couldn't shake.
I headed toward the shaded bench where I'd left my sketchbook. My fingers itched to capture the details that had haunted me ever since that encounter.
Sitting down, I let the image flow from memory to paper. The intricate patterns of his cloak, the subtle embroidery along the cuffs—each detail came alive as I sketched.
