The morning air felt different as I walked through Veridia City's eastern district. I sensed someone following me before I heard them—a presence radiating aggression and wounded pride. I didn't break stride, merely adjusting my awareness as footsteps quickened behind me.
"Knight!"
I turned slowly to face a tall, imposing man with chiseled features that marked him unmistakably as a Thornton. Not Conrad, who I'd humiliated at the cemetery, but someone with an even more formidable aura. Tristan Thornton, the eldest brother and heir to the Thornton family—an Inner Strength Greatmaster whose reputation preceded him.
"You've been busy making enemies," Tristan said, his voice deceptively calm. "First Miles, then Conrad. Now you face me."
I remained silent, measuring him. Unlike his brothers, Tristan carried himself with the confidence of someone who'd earned his power through more than just his family name.
