The next morning, the barracks were lively as everyone rose early. Some were on the training grounds, flexing their muscles, others ran across the fields, while a few lounged about, uninterested in any activity, going about their lives in their own way.
Hazen, Cain, Ghain, and Fatty—who was holding a bowl of rice—sat down on the pavement by the entrance of the Shadow Pit. Hazen, already dressed and prepared for the journey, waited for Commander Kyle to appear.
"Hazen, you're really leaving just like that?" Fatty asked, looking as though he were on the verge of tears.
"Why do you all look so gloomy? Didn't you guys suggest this before Nathan called me out?" Hazen asked, suppressing a laugh.
"Yes, but we didn't expect it to actually happen like this," Ghain replied, his tone laced with sadness.
