Tenma looked after her proud figure striding away. She soon disappeared into the dark halls lit by lantern light. Aphra was certainly mysterious.
He put a cold hand to his forehead.
” ‘Be still, my beating heart,’ ” he chuckled to himself. “Easy for you to say,” Tenma sighed.

Aphra was stared at as she walked down the halls. Little whispers leaked out of corners of mouths. She didn’t care. She kept carrying on.

Aphra went to a training room and looked at the targets.
“Sensei, do you only have straw and cloth targets?” she asked a teacher.
“Yes. Why?”
“Nothing; I just usually train with steel targets,” she said, drawing her swords.
“Surely, hollow ones,” the teacher said.
“No; Pure steel and metal,” Aphra drew her swords in delicate arcs, warming up her muscles.
“No blade could cut through solid metal,” the teacher stuck to his point.

“You want to bet, sensei?” Aphra’s mouth cracked into a grin.