CHAPTER 42
The training range behind the estate stretched farther than most people expected.
From the outside it looked like little more than a reinforced building surrounded by tall fencing and security lights.
But inside, the space opened into a series of carefully designed lanes built for precision shooting and tactical drills.
It smelled faintly of metal, gunpowder, and oil, the unmistakable scent of weapons maintained with obsessive care.
Sera stood near the entrance for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the harsher lights overhead.
The room echoed slightly with each step she took across the concrete floor.
Targets hung at various distances downrange, some fresh and untouched, others riddled with tight clusters of bullet holes.
Evidence of hours spent training. She had never imagined herself standing in a place like this.
Months ago, the idea would have felt absurd. Yet now the weight of the pistol in her hand felt strangely natural. Not comfortable exactly, but familiar in a way she hadn’t expected.
The truth was simple. This world didn’t allow people to remain naive for long. If you lived inside it, you either learned to protect yourself or you became someone else’s vulnerability.
Sera tightened her grip slightly, exhaling slowly as Ronan’s voice echoed instructions from behind her. Her stance adjusted automatically, the lessons becoming easier each time. The first shot rang out sharply, the sound bouncing off the concrete walls before fading into silence again.
The bullet struck the target slightly left of center. Not perfect, but close enough to remind her that she was learning faster than anyone had expected.