The afternoon sun painted streaks of gold across the walls as the cadets made their way to the main building.
Elijah walked alongside Visconti and Kieran, the three of them quiet, lost in their thoughts.
The room where the meeting was held was eerily quiet, devoid of the usual energy of over fifty cadets.
Elijah's eyes scanned the sparse crowd—there were only twenty-seven students left.
His chest tightened.
The memory of the forest trial surged forward, unbidden. The screams, the blood, the sense of helplessness.
He shook his head sharply, trying to banish the thoughts. 'Stop thinking about it. It's not my fault I wasn't able to save someone.'
The door slammed open, breaking his reverie.
The instructor walked in, his booming voice echoing through the hall.
"MIC TEST! MIC TEST! ONE TWO THREE! ONE TWO THREE!" he bellowed, adjusting the microphone.
The cadets exchanged confused glances, the instructor's loud theatrics seeming almost out of place given the grim atmosphere.
"I KNOW IT WAS STATED IN YOUR POCKETS THAT YOU CAN TRAIN ALL DAY! BUT THERE'S STILL SOME CADETS WHO DON'T HAVE A TEAM YET DUE TO THE RECENT ATTACK," the instructor explained, his voice growing somber.
A faint hum filled the air as a holographic screen flickered to life in front of them. Names began appearing, sorted into groups.
"THERE WERE ONLY TWO TEAMS THAT HAVE NO DEATHS: TEAM VISCONTI AND TEAM ENU."
Elijah's gaze shifted to the hologram. He recognized some of the names. Ayun and Oscar were in the same team along with En. Laurent, another familiar face, was teamed with two others named Lira and Axel.
"AND TOMORROW, YOU WILL START PATROLLING ALONG WITH TRAINEE LEVEL 5 CADETS!"
The announcement sent a ripple of murmurs through the room.
Level 5 cadets—the most experienced among trainees, only one step away from becoming official corps officers.
Elijah's stomach churned.
Level 1 cadets like them, the lowest and least experienced, were rarely paired with such advanced groups.
Even though it was required for them to patrol the streets, with the recent attacks that happened it was really not a good time.
The recent attack had left scars, and now the remaining cadets were being thrust into more intense roles.
Visconti leaned toward Elijah, whispering, "What kind of sudden responsibility is this?"
Elijah didn't respond, his mind racing with thoughts of the implications.
Patrols weren't really dangerous, but after what had happened during the forest trial... it would be impossible to tell if it's dangerous or not.
The instructor continued, addressing the murmurs. "THIS IS A CHANCE FOR YOU TO PROVE YOURSELVES. THE LEVEL 5 CADETS WILL LEAD, BUT YOU MUST SUPPORT THEM. REMEMBER, EVERY ACTION YOU TAKE REFLECTS ON THE CORPS."
Elijah clenched his fists.
This wasn't just training anymore. It was real. Mistakes could cost lives—again.
As the hologram faded and the room began to empty, Elijah lingered for a moment.
He stared at the place where the names had been displayed, thinking about the cadets who weren't here.
"Elijah, let's go," Kieran called, his voice breaking through Elijah's thoughts.
Elijah nodded, forcing his legs to move.
Later, they headed to the cafeteria.
The air was filled with chatter, and the tantalizing aroma of food wafted through the room.
Elijah noticed a loud group seated at a long table—among them were Enu, Hanz, and their teammate.
"So damn loud," Kieran muttered.
Visconti gave him a pointed look. "Says the one who shouts the loudest during training."
They were about to take seats at a vacant table when Enu waved them over. "Hey! Sit here."
The three exchanged glances before reluctantly joining the group.
As they sat down, Enu's eyes immediately fell on their trays.
Both Elijah and Visconti had ordered steak with mashed potatoes and apple juice, while Kieran had doubled the portion.
"Steak with mashed potatoes and apple juice? That's 45 points! How many points do you guys even have? Meanwhile, I'm stuck with pork soup for 20 points."
Enu eyed Kieran's plate, which had double portions. Then, in an overly dramatic tone, he added, "Oh, benevolent one. Can I have a piece?"
Kieran gave him a disgusted look, biting into his steak. "Screw off."
The table erupted in laughter, the tension of the day momentarily lifting.
The meal took longer than usual as the group chatted, bantering about training and their teammates.
After eating, everyone dispersed to train.
Enu and Hanz's other teammate left for a secluded side building to train alone.
A girl with long brown hair followed them, her hair swaying gently with each step. "Hey," she called out, her voice steady.
The other girl didn't respond, continuing to walk ahead.
"HEY!" the girl repeated, louder this time.
Still, there was no reaction.
A sly smile spread across the brown-haired girl's face. "Hey, you fake."
The words froze the other girl in her tracks.
In a flash, the short-haired girl lunged forward, drawing her rapier in a swift motion aimed at the girl's neck.
The brown-haired girl raised her hand instinctively, blocking the attack with her palm.
The brown-haired girl's smile widened, her hairpin catching the light. The intricate design glowed faintly—a three-star pattern with a yellow diamond embedded at the center of a star.
"Hey, chill." The brown-haired girl said while smiling.