Soma loved having Maricela around. She wasn’t just her only friend—she was her favorite one too. A companion, a rival, a spark in her otherwise quiet world. But the gap between them in skill? That was massive.

  It was like Soma had been born to fight. She moved with ease, fought with power, and had a naturally sharp instinct for combat. (Mashallah—this is your author speaking—I kinda wish I were like her too.)

  The two girls sparred over and over, but the outcome never changed: Soma won. Every. Single. Time.

  No matter how much Maricela trained, how many hours she pushed herself, how many bruises she collected... victory never came.

  That’s what baffled Spearhead the most.

  Maricela was an excellent trainee—disciplined, focused, improving by the day. Meanwhile, Soma? She spent most of her time goofing around with her little brother or napping in the sun. No one had ever caught her training on her own. Sure, she showed up for group sessions, but outside of that? She never practiced alone. Her strength always felt like something that just happened—as if it woke up with her in the morning.

  Spearhead kept watching her, trying to make sense of it, but eventually gave up. Not because the mystery was solved, no. He just got tired. You see, Spearhead is many things—wise, skilled, dependable—but let’s be honest: he’s also stingy, lazy, and gets bored really fast. And that’s the cold hard truth we all pretend not to talk about.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Anyway, days turned to months, and months to years.

  Then came Soma’s fifteenth birthday.

  It was also Theo’s 5th birthday, even if it wasn’t their real birthday. It was the day the siblings first met Spearhead. That was enough reason to celebrate. Maricela was there too, carrying two little gifts—one for each of the siblings.

  It was a beautiful party. All four of them sat around a table overflowing with food. And for once, Spearhead looked... genuinely joyful. Like he’d finally found a family again—a home full of laughter and peace.

  But then Soma dropped a bomb.

  With a calm, confident voice, she said that tomorrow, she’d be challenging both Maricela and Spearhead to a duel. And if she beat them, it would prove—once and for all—that she was capable of protecting herself and her brother.

  Then she added something even bolder.

  She revealed her dream: to change the world.

  Her plan? Conquer territories, defeat the corrupt organizations scattered across the land, and rise high enough to become someone powerful. Someone feared. So feared that people would listen to her... and follow a path that pleased God.

  It had been her dream since the death of her parents—not to hunt down the killer or seek revenge, but to rise for something bigger. A new world. A better world.

  Spearhead and Maricela were both stunned silent. But deep down, they admired her. They really did. It was a goal like no other—noble, daring, and full of purpose.

  Still, that didn’t mean they were ready to accept what it meant.

  Because if Soma’s journey was just beginning...

  It also meant the end of something else.

  Their little family.

  And none of them were ready to let that go.