Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Renan Folder.

A thin mist covered the makeshift training field in the middle of the forest, like a curtain that made everything feel heavier. The atmosphere seemed to mirror the weight Meridian and I carried. She stood there, sword in hand, her black eyes glowing with an almost supernatural intensity. Meridian was a force of nature — beautiful, dangerous… and completely unsettling.

“Please, this time, fight properly.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice. “Fight like the hunter everyone says you are. So far, all I’ve seen is a trainee.” I clicked my tongue, provoking her on purpose.

She didn’t answer right away. Her lips tightened into a thin line, and I could practically see the anger building in her expression. Her shoulders tensed as if every muscle was ready to snap.

“You talk too much.” Her impatience was obvious. “Is this a fight or a debate?”

“That depends on you.” I smirked, lifting my sword.

This time, she came at me seriously. A quick, almost elegant movement — her blade cut through the air toward me. I dodged easily, my smile widening.

“Almost impressive…” My voice dripped with irony. “If I were fighting a beginner, maybe that would’ve been dangerous.”

She attacked again without hesitation, stronger and more precise. I decided to push her limits and countered with a strike that forced her back two steps.

“I expected more from you, Meridian. Honestly, I think you’re just a shadow of what you used to be. A lost wolf who doesn’t even remember what she’s truly capable of.”

Her eyes narrowed, burning with fury.

“And you’re just an arrogant wolf blinded by his own ego. You think you’re stronger and smarter than you really are.”

Her next attack almost caught me off guard. The sword came fast, brutal. I blocked it at the last second. The impact pushed me back, yet the smile stayed on my lips.

“Do you really think courage is everything?" I pushed her aside and stood in front of him.

"If you want to challenge me, do it with your sword, not your mouth." Her tongue was so sharp. But I noticed... She was trying to hide something.

"Telling the truth is not provoking." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you afraid to face reality, Meridian?"

She took a deep breath, as if to contain her anger, or something like that. Before I could understand what she was thinking, Meridian came at me.

Our swords clashed with force.
She was coming at me with everything she had...
But then I saw it.
Her eyes were shining and she... seemed to hesitate... a little.

One moment was enough. Her next strike was wrong, sloppy, as if her mind had gone somewhere far away.

“Meridian!” I called out, still trying to sound tough but failing to hide the worry. “What was that? Are you okay?”

"It's none of your business," she replied immediately. But her voice almost failed her. "I'm fine."

A lie.
Of course it was. Something inside her was broken, and she refused to show it.

"If you were fine, you wouldn't have hesitated." I watched her carefully, searching for answers...

"Shut up and fight!" she shouted, coming toward me angrily.

I tried to focus on the battle, but I couldn't ignore what was before my eyes. Her anger... There was something more there.
It was pain. Confusion. An abyss widening between us.

And then everything around us seemed to fade. Only she existed. Meridian. Every breath, every movement of hers was heavy with something I couldn’t explain.

She charged again, but now her eyes were different. Darkened. Devoured by the storm tearing her apart from the inside.

And that… shattered me.

Her rage hit me like blades, but that wasn’t what hurt the most. What destroyed me was the realization that, looking at her now, something inside me was breaking. The girl standing in front of me wasn’t mine anymore. And I had no idea when I’d lost her.

The urge to hold her, to pull her close, to kiss her — it hit me like a punch. Something wild inside me surged forward. But I held myself back. Because whatever was left of her now was dangerous. Wrong. Painful.

And the guilt… God, the guilt was suffocating.

She was so close I could feel her body heat, smell the sweat mixed with forest earth. Hear her ragged breaths. See the pain buried deep in her eyes.

She was right there.

But unreachable.

Untouchable.

And that destroyed me more than any attack could ever do.

The desire to reach her was insane, but I was sure that if I hurt her... It would destroy me... But I still wanted to be close to her, to tease her.

Meridian was in front of me—very close, and at the same time... Distant. In my heart, she was too far away.
It drove me crazy.