Ren layed on the ground, his chest heaving, his body aching from the beating he had just endured. But he wasn't thinking about the pain.
All he could hear was the silence.
The same people who had been mocking him moments ago were now watching him differently. They weren't laughing. They weren't sneering.
They were uncertain.
Ren forced himself to sit up, ignoring the protests from his ribs. Blood dripped from his busted lip, and his knuckles stung from the impact of his wild punches. But he didn't care.
He had fought back.
Wolfe crouched beside him, shaking his head. "You're a damn mess, kid."
Ren wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing the blood across his skin. "Yeah?" he rasped. "Well, at least I'm still conscious."
Wolfe chuckled. "That you are." He stood, glancing at the recruit Ren had just tackled. The guy was still on the ground, groaning in pain, blood dripping from his broken nose.
Ren had lost the fight. He had been beaten down, overwhelmed, and humiliated.
But he hadn't stayed down.
Wolfe extended a hand toward him. "Get up."
Ren stared at it for a moment before gripping Wolfe's wrist, letting himself be pulled to his feet. His legs almost gave out beneath him, but he locked his knees, refusing to show weakness.
The watching recruits slowly turned away, murmuring amongst themselves.
"He's crazy."
"Barely standing, but still fought back? He's insane."
Ren ignored them, his focus locked onto Wolfe. "What now?"
Wolfe smirked. "Now? You run."
Ren's face twitched. "...What?"
Wolfe pointed toward the perimeter of the training grounds. "Five laps around the entire field. Standard punishment for reckless fighting."
Ren's tail flicked in irritation. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Wolfe said, crossing his arms.
Ren exhaled sharply through his nose. He glanced at the field—it was huge. Each lap had to be at least a kilometer long.
His legs already felt like dead weight beneath him. His ribs ached, his lungs burned, and his knuckles were raw.
But he didn't hesitate.
He started running.
Pushing Through the Pain
The moment Ren took his first stride, his entire body screamed in protest.
His ribs felt like they were cracking with each breath. His legs, still sore from the stamina test, felt like lead.
But stopping wasn't an option.
The first lap was brutal. He was barely keeping pace with the slower recruits. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat trickling down his back.
By the second lap, his vision was blurring. His lungs felt too tight.
By the third, his body was shutting down.
One more step.
Keep moving.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, forcing himself to keep running.
The other recruits barely paid him any mind, already finished with their own laps, standing off to the side, chatting and drinking water.
They weren't struggling.
He was.
But he kept going.
By the time he reached the fourth lap, his legs buckled. He fell forward, slamming onto the dirt, his vision spinning.
His entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out.
The temptation to just lie there, let it end, was overwhelming.
No.
Get up.
GET UP.
Ren gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the dirt. His arms shook violently as he pushed himself upright.
He couldn't stop.
Not when he still had one lap left.
A few of the recruits stopped their conversations, watching him crawl back to his feet.
He started running again.
Every step felt like hell.
His breath was ragged, his heartbeat erratic, and his body numb with pain.
But something inside him kept pushing forward.
He wasn't fast.
He wasn't strong.
But he kept going.
By the time he crossed the finish line, he collapsed onto his hands and knees, his entire body shaking violently. He couldn't breathe.
Dirt stuck to the sweat on his skin. His arms felt like jelly, barely holding him up.
But he had done it.
---
Wolfe crouched down beside him again, a smirk playing at his lips. "Still conscious?"
Ren couldn't even lift his head, his forehead still pressed against the ground. "...Shut up."
Wolfe laughed, standing up. "Alright. That's enough for today." He turned to the other recruits. "Someone get him some water before he dies on my watch."
One of the cadets—a girl with short, dark red hair—stepped forward, holding out a canteen. "Here."
Ren forced himself to sit up, snatching the water from her hands. He barely muttered a thanks before gulping it down, not caring how desperate he looked.
The girl raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "You looked like you were going to drop dead back there."
Ren wiped his mouth, his glare sharp. "But I didn't."
The girl smirked. "Fair enough." She crossed her arms. "Name's Astra."
Ren exhaled heavily, his body still trembling. "Ren."
She nodded, then looked over at Wolfe. "This guy seriously your responsibility?"
Wolfe grinned. "For now."
Astra snorted. "You're screwed."
Ren ignored her, shifting his focus back to Wolfe. "What's next?"
Wolfe raised an eyebrow. "Next?" He shook his head. "Next, you rest. Unless you want to actually drop dead."
Ren opened his mouth to argue, but his body betrayed him. His vision swam, and before he could react—
His world tilted sideways.
Darkness swallowed him whole.