Chapter 16 — The Lesson Behind the School

Sara Redmere knows how to fight.

That is not what she teaches.

Behind the school, Mina, Nori, Chika, and Ren ask Sara for a lesson. They expect strength, technique, maybe even something impressive from the girl people whisper about.

Instead, Sara teaches them how to leave.

Distance. Noise. Witnesses. Doors. Dropping pride before pride gets someone hurt.

For Sara, survival has never been about looking strong.

It has been about knowing when to move, when to run, and when winning means getting away.

But as Sara teaches the girls how not to break, she begins learning something too:

Being useful is not always the same as being wanted.