"Selene?" he called out softly, but there was no response.

He quickly left the room, walking fast as he looked for the others. Lilith and Abyss were lounging in the common area, their earlier temporary truce apparently forgotten.

"Have you seen Selene?" Adrian asked in a clipped voice.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "She's not in her room?"

"No," Adrian replied, his eyes narrowing. "And I can't find Medea either."

Abyss straightened, her sharp gaze locking onto him. "You think something happened?"

"Not yet," Adrian said, his voice firm but tinged with concern. "But I don't like it."

The three of them moved swiftly through the hotel, checking every corner and asking staff if they had seen the two missing women. The answers were the same—no one had seen them leave.

**************

Ava was the last person Adrian thought to ask. She had gone to the market earlier, eager to scout for profits. Adrian led the group to the bustling streets, their eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of her.

It didn't take long to find her. She was standing at a colorful stall, examining a collection of trinkets with a glint of excitement in her golden eyes.

"Ava!" Adrian called, his voice cutting through the din of the market.

She turned, startled, her expression shifting from delight to confusion as she saw the urgency on their faces. "What's wrong?"

"Selene and Medea," Adrian said. "Have you seen them?"

Ava frowned, shaking her head. "No. I thought they were at the hotel with you."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "They're not."

Ava looked back and forth between him and the others, her worry increasing. "Where could they have gone?"

Adrian exhaled sharply, his mind racing. "Is there a barracks nearby?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Abyss and Lilith.

Lilith tilted her head, considering. "Knowing Medea? If there's a place with weapons or a sparring ring, that's where she'd be."

"There's a garrison not far from here," Abyss said. "I saw it on the way into the city."

"Let's go," Adrian said, already moving.

*****************

The garrison was a formidable structure, its stone walls worn and imposing. Soldiers moved purposefully within its confines, not even bothering to cast a second glance at them.

Adrian and the group entered cautiously, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of their missing companions.

They found neither Selene nor Medea.

Adrian's frustration mounted as he paced the courtyard.. "They wouldn't just leave without telling us," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Ava placed a hand on his arm, her expression sympathetic. "We'll find them, Adrian."

He stopped, his gaze sweeping over the bustling garrison. "If they're not here… where would they be?"

No one had an answer.

***************

"Again," Medea growled in a harsh voice.

The clearing was filled with the sound of heavy breathing, interrupted only by the sharp clash of blades and the occasional grunt of effort.

Selene stood in the middle of the makeshift sparring ring, her silver cloak thrown aside and her normally shy attitude transformed into a fierce one. Sweat dripped down her face, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tightened her grip on her dagger.

"I said… AGAIN!"

Selene swallowed hard and nodded, lunging forward with her dagger aimed at Medea's midsection. Her movements were fast, but they did not have the smoothness she recalled from the blurry memories of her battle with the assassins.

Medea sidestepped easily, her black-flamed blade deflecting Selene's strike with a jarring clang. The force of the parry nearly sent Selene's weapon flying from her hand.

"Too slow," Medea mocked. "Is this the same girl who supposedly took down two assassins and left another crawling away?"

Selene clenched her teeth, the frustration bubbling inside her. She turned and aimed a wide slash at Medea's shoulder, but Medea easily grabbed her wrist.

In a blur of motion, Medea twisted Selene's arm and swept her legs out from under her. Selene hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.

"Get up," Medea ordered, stepping back and pointing her blade at Selene. "You wanted this. So show me."

Selene groaned, pushing herself to her knees. Her hands trembled as she retrieved her dagger from the dirt. "I… I can do this," she muttered, more to herself than to Medea.

The hazy memories of her fight against Crix, Saria and Roxie swirled in her mind—flashes of strength, speed, and precision she couldn't replicate no matter how hard she tried.

She charged again, this time feinting left before darting to Medea's right. Her blade came within inches of Medea's ribs before the goddess twisted away, her movement impossibly fast.

Medea's counterstrike was brutal—a flat kick to Selene's stomach that sent her sprawling backward into a tree. The impact rattled her, and she coughed violently, clutching her midsection.

"You are hesitating," Medea said icily as she strode towards her in deliberate strides. Her blade remained steady, glowing faintly with black fire. "Whatever strength you think you have, it's buried under fear. Fear of failing. Fear of hurting me. Fear of yourself."

"I'm not afraid!" Selene shot back, struggling to her feet.

Medea arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Then prove it."

With a roar of frustration, Selene charged once more.

This time, her movements were erratic, fueled by desperation rather than strategy. Medea met her head-on, their blades clashing in a series of sharp, ringing strikes. Selene pressed harder, her attacks wild but determined.

Medea's calm demeanor didn't waver.

She sidestepped one of Selene's wide swings, catching her off balance, and delivered a precise slash across Selene's forearm. It wasn't deep, but the sting of the blade drew a sharp cry from Selene as she staggered back, clutching her arm.

"Pathetic," Medea said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're fighting like someone who doesn't know their own strength. You're second-guessing every move, and it's costing you."

Selene's vision blurred with tears of frustration as she stared at the shallow cut on her arm. "I don't understand!" she shouted. "I remember moving faster, hitting harder. It was like my body knew exactly what to do, but now—now it's like it's gone."

Medea's eyes softened slightly, but her tone remained firm. "That 'you' wasn't hesitating. That 'you' embraced the moment. If you want to reach that state again, you need to stop holding back."

Selene wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, nodding shakily. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and raised her dagger once more. "Again."

Medea smirked, motioning for her to come. "That's more like it."

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