Chapter 4

The next morning, I woke to the sound of metal clashing against metal.

I followed the noise to a room I hadn't noticed before—another seamless wall that had opened to reveal what could only be described as a professional training facility. Roman stood in the center, moving through a complex sequence of combat forms with fluid precision. His movements were nothing like the stumbling drunk from our first meeting. Every strike, every block, every pivot was executed with the kind of muscle memory that took years to develop.

He noticed me watching and paused, barely winded despite the intensity of…