CHAPTER 1 — THE GIRL WHO SAT IN THE CORNER
Nobody remembered when she first entered the dojo.
That was exactly what she wanted.
At Westbridge Martial Arts Academy, everyone knew the important names.
They knew the champions.
They knew the fighters with trophies.
They knew the students who posted training videos online.
But nobody knew the quiet girl who always sat near the back of the room.
Her name was Mia Anderson.
Twenty-one years old.
A university student.
And someone most people would describe as ordinary.
She wore simple black training clothes.
No expensive gear.
No sponsor logos.
No championship belt.
She arrived early, trained quietly, and left before anyone could ask questions.
To everyone else, she looked like a beginner.
Someone who was still learning basic movements.
Nobody knew she had spent the last seven years training in a private martial arts school far away from the city.
Nobody knew her teacher had forbidden her from chasing attention.
"Skill does not need an audience," he always told her.
So Mia followed that rule.
Until the day she walked into Westbridge.