Chapter 85: Fractures in the Night – ( You've walked the path of discipline long enough. It's time to remember the blood that runs in your veins–and the legacy waiting 'beneath' the surface.)
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It had been over a year since she heard from her mother directly. Only third-hand updates from her uncle–Sherman Perry, the head of the Sherman family–whispers in encrypted reports, maybe a random digital footprint. But now, as the envelope pulsed faintly in her grip, an image came unbidden to her mind.
Her mother.
Sharp eyes like stormlight behind clear lenses. Hair always tied in a sleek, disciplined braid. A woman made of command, not affection. Her rare smiles were never meaningless–they were earned.
Tyler remembered one moment in particular.
When she passed her early endurance trial as a child, barely able to stand, her mother placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "You walk the edge of two worlds, Tyler. One will shape you. The other will test if you're worthy of it."
