"You can choose to extinguish yourself under the pressure, or grow up to be part of this inferno that nothing and no one will be able to extinguish."
A murmur ran through the assembly. Some straightened their shoulders, others exchanged emotional glances.
Maxime sensed the moment. He added a final note, the one that would turn fears into ambition.
"I won't promise you an easy life, but I can promise you today that I'll give you a meaningful life. Keep following me, and you'll be able to accomplish absolutely anything you wish."
He let the silence fall, watching their reactions. Slowly, but surely, he saw their faces change. The fear hadn't disappeared, but it was now tinged with a glow of determination.
"Rest tonight," he concluded.
"But from tomorrow, I want to see warriors in the making, not broken souls."
...
Night fell quickly and Maxime and his men began to set up their tents not far from the previous battlefield.
