The woman's smile radiated warmth, but there was something in her eyes that made my chest tighten—a deep worry she was trying hard to hide. She wore a blue hoodie, the colour almost identical to Coco's hair. A matching ribbon was tied around her neck, softening the casual look.

It wasn't just the clothes that connected her to her children. Her dirty blonde hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and her eyes were the same deep purple as Luke's, framed by long lashes and a scattering of freckles across her nose. As I studied her face, I noticed the small flower earrings—identical to the ones Coco wore—that swayed slightly as she moved.

Coco, who had been snuggled into my shoulder, lifted her head and turned to look at her brother with wide, anxious eyes. "Luke will be okay, right, Mummy?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

I gently set her down, and she darted to the woman's side, wrapping her arms around her waist. The woman—definitely their mother, though she didn't look old enough to have an eighteen-year-old son—smoothed Coco's hair with one hand.

"Of course, he will, my little diamond. He always pulls through." Her voice was soft, reassuring, but I caught the flicker of uncertainty in her gaze, the way her lips pressed together as if holding back something darker. Her eyes, despite the calm she tried to project, were shadowed with fear. She didn't know the answer to Coco's question any more than the rest of us did.

Mara, never one to let a tense moment linger, broke the silence. "He's gonna be fine, don't worry. Nothing's gonna stop him from competing in the Proelium."

"What's the Proelium?" I asked, the unfamiliar word slipping out before I could stop myself.

Every head turned my way, like I'd just announced I'd never heard of pizza. Even Coco blinked at me in surprise.

"The Proelium Tournament, idiot," a weak voice rasped from the sofa.

I looked over to see Luke stirring, his eyes barely open but already managing to roll in my direction. It was a relief to hear him talk, even if it was just to insult me. Typical.

"For once, I agree with him," Mara chuckled softly, though I could see the tension easing from her shoulders. The corners of her mouth twitched upward, relief mingling with her usual snark.

"What are you doing h—ugh, shit!" Luke tried to sit up, only to grab his head, wincing as pain shot through him.

"Lie back down, will you?" I said, pushing him gently back onto the sofa. "We need to bandage that properly. Looks like it's my turn to patch you up, huh?"

Coco darted off, returning in a flash with a first-aid kit clutched in her little hands. She thrust it toward me, her eyes wide and worried.

"Thanks, Coco. You've been a big help," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "But why don't you show Nilla your room for a bit, yeah?"

Her face scrunched up in protest. "But I want to stay with Luke!"

Her mother knelt beside her, brushing a stray hair from her face. "I know, sweetie. But Nilla's never seen your room before. Why don't you show her all your toys?"

Reluctantly, Coco allowed herself to be led away, her small hand gripping Nilla's. As soon as they were out of sight, I turned back to Luke, opening the first-aid kit with a sense of purpose.

"This is gonna hurt," I warned, echoing Luke's earlier words to me as I cleaned the cut on his hand.

Luke flinched, sucking in a breath through gritted teeth. "Ouchy," he muttered, the childish word so out of place that I almost laughed. But I could see the strain in his face, the way his usual bravado was cracking under the weight of his pain. Even in this state, he couldn't resist throwing in some sarcasm, though his voice was quieter, less sharp than usual.

I worked quickly, focusing on cleaning and bandaging the wounds. His hand first, then the gash on his head. Luke tried to keep up his tough-guy act, but his winces betrayed him. I ignored his half-hearted quips, knowing he was just trying to distract himself.

"Should be good now," I said, tying off the bandage. His mother hovered nearby, her worry still palpable, but her breathing had slowed, her shoulders less tense.

"What happened?" I finally asked, needing to understand what had led to this.

"It's his father," his mother began, her voice catching in her throat. "We got divorced after Coco was born, but he keeps... showing up." She looked down, her hands trembling slightly. "And doing what he used to do." The last words were barely audible, as if saying them out loud would make them too real to bear.

"Mum, it's fine. He doesn't need to know." Luke's voice was gentle but firm. I could tell he was trying to protect her, to stop her from going down a road she wasn't ready to travel.

I didn't push. I just nodded, letting him know I understood. Luke gave me a small, grateful smile, the kind that was so rare on his face that it almost looked out of place.

Mara, who had been unusually quiet, tugged at my sleeve. "Come on, pretty boy. Let's give them a minute before we take Luke back to your dorm." She led me outside, where we sat on the steps, the weight of the situation pressing down on us both.

The silence stretched between us until Mara finally spoke, her voice low and serious. "I'm only telling you this because you need to know, not because I give a damn about that womanising, cheating bastard." She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. "Luke's dad started drinking around the time Luke was born. He took it out on him, mostly."

Her words were like stones, each one hitting me harder than the last. I tried to picture Luke as a kid, dealing with that kind of hell, and it made my stomach turn.

"Lara was just nineteen when she had him," Mara continued, her voice thick with emotion she was trying to keep in check. "She married his dad, hoping things would get better. They didn't. Back when Luke and I... well, he'd show up to dates looking like he'd been through a meat grinder. Always black and blue, but he'd never say why."

She took a deep breath, her shoulders shaking. "He never fought back. Not once. He just... took it. I think he was trying to protect his mum and Coco, y'know? Keep the worst of it away from them."

Mara's voice broke, and she paused, fighting to regain control. I could see how much this still hurt her, how deeply she cared for Luke, even if she'd never admit it out loud.

"That's what happened today," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "His dad knocked him out quicker than usual. Must've scared him. The bastard didn't want to stick around and risk a murder charge, so he ran off."

She looked at me, her eyes fierce. "Don't you ever tell Luke I told you this. He hates people knowing his vulnerabilities. Especially people like you."

I didn't know what she meant by people like me, but I wasn't about to ask. Mara had already shared more than enough.

Before I could respond, the door creaked open, and Luke stepped out, leaning against the frame with a familiar smirk that looked almost painful on his bruised face. "You two out here flirting without me?"

The way he said it, with that crooked grin and sarcastic edge, made my chest tighten. I realised then that this was his armour—the sarcasm, the jokes, the smirk. It was all a way to hide his pain.

"Like I'd flirt with him," Mara shot back, her tone dripping with mock disgust, though I could see the relief in her eyes.

"Can't believe I missed half a day of school because of you," Mara continued, her voice lighter now. "I am so dead."

We helped Luke back to the dorm, the three of us falling into an easy banter that, for a moment, made everything feel almost normal. But the shadows of what I'd just learned still clung to me, making every word feel heavier.

***

Back in the dorm, Luke collapsed onto his bed, sticking his tongue out at Mara as she left. "Sorry my shitty day inconvenienced you."

"That was a bit harsh," I said, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "But she's got a point. If my father finds out I missed half of my second day, I'm dead meat. We should go to Miss Reid, maybe she can help?"

Luke turned on his side, his face serious. "The only way to help is to win the Proelium. If I win, maybe my dad will finally back off."

I wanted to ask more, to understand what this tournament meant to him, but the look in his eyes told me it was better not to push.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Luke didn't move, just shrugged, so I got up to answer it. The door swung open before I could fully reach it, almost hitting me in the face. Miss Reid stormed in, her usual stern expression sharpened with anger.

"I trust you have a good excuse for missing most of the day, Mr Mercia?" Her voice was cold, her eyes narrowing as they swept the room, landing on Luke still sprawled on his bed.

I opened my mouth, trying to come up with something that didn't sound completely lame, but she cut me off, her gaze softening slightly. "Would you like to explain what happened to Mr Dean and why he hasn't been taken to the infirmary?"

"He, well, um..." My mind went completely blank. I knew I needed to say something, but the words just tangled up in my throat. Miss Reid's stare didn't help—those eyes were like two glaciers, slowly advancing on the truth.

Before I could make a total fool of myself, Luke jumped in. "It's no big deal. I just got into a bit of a kerfuffle with some kids from another school and asked Nate here to help bandage me up."

He sounded so casual, like he was just explaining why he was late to class. But Miss Reid wasn't buying it, not for a second. Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the room felt a bit colder.

She let the silence hang, probably hoping we'd crack under the pressure. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders relaxing just a touch. "I'll let the two of you off this time, but if this happens again, there will be consequences." The warning was clear. With that, she turned on her heel and swept out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

I exhaled slowly, realising I'd been holding my breath. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?" I asked, turning to Luke.

Luke didn't answer straight away. Instead, he rolled over, turning his back to me. "Doesn't matter," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Before I could press him, his breathing evened out, and a few seconds later, he started snoring softly.

What more will Nate learn about the Proelium? Will winning it really help Luke? Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote!