The night of studying had left everyone drained. After Arthur finally closed the Pirstein book, they had shuffled to the cafeteria for a late dinner, eaten in near silence, and collapsed into their beds. Brenden was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Vor muttered something about Vexxi in his sleep. Warden had his notes clutched to his chest like a comfort blanket.
Arthur lay awake a little longer, staring at the ceiling. Fifteen days. Seven lectures. One exam. Ninety percent.
He closed his eyes. Sleep took him
The next morning came brutal and early.
At exactly 5:00 AM, the door to their dorm burst open. Miss Samantha stood in the doorway, her sweet smile somehow more terrifying than any battle cry.
"Wake up, little ones! The track is waiting!"
Arthur was first on his feet, already moving. Brenden groaned like a dying animal. Warden rolled off his bed and landed on the floor, still half-asleep. Vor sat up slowly, eyes barely open.
"I hate mornings," Damian muttered.
"You hate everything before breakfast," Magnum replied.
They dragged themselves to the track. The ten-mile run was as punishing as ever. Miss Samantha set a brutal pace, her speed increasing with every mile. By the end, even Arthur was breathing hard. Brenden looked like he had crawled through a warzone.
Yoga followed. Chakrasana. Arthur's back screamed. Warden somehow fell asleep during meditation and had to be woken up by Magnum poking him with a vine.
Swimming was next. Vor and Warden no longer feared the water — Miss Samantha's method of throwing them in had worked, though neither would ever admit it. They swam laps until their arms burned.
By the time they showered and changed, everyone was awake but exhausted.
"Two classes before combat training," Oliver said, toweling his silver hair. "Literature and History."
"Literature first," Noah added. "Sergeant Fei."
"At least she's nice," Brenden said. "Unlike Luther. That man scares me more than Leo."
"Luther doesn't break your bones," Arthur said. "He breaks your spirit."
"Exactly."
---
They filed into the literature classroom. It was the most comfortable room in their building — soft lighting, chairs arranged in a circle, a blackboard covered in Sanskrit letters from the previous lesson. Sergeant Fei was already there, arranging papers on her desk.
"Good morning, everyone," she said, her voice warm. "Please take your seats."
They settled into the circular arrangement. Arthur sat near the front. Brenden slumped beside him, already looking worried. Warden and Vor sat together. Damian and Magnum took the far side. Oliver and Noah sat shoulder to shoulder, as always.
Sergeant Fei looked at them with a gentle smile. "Before we begin today's lesson, I want to check on something. How are your studies going? And I don't just mean literature — I mean all of your classes."
Silence.
Then everyone started talking at once.
"The Nephtaris siege is killing me," Brenden blurted out.
"Language, Brenden," Miss Fei said gently.
"Sorry. But it's true. There's so much to remember. Syllvans, Gorath, Vexxi, Commander Voss, the speech, the thermal chambers — "
"You remembered more than I expected," Arthur said, slightly impressed.
"I remember the names. I don't remember what they did."
"Syllvans were the four-armed infantry," Damian said. "Gorath were the shock troops. Vexxi were the brains."
"How do you remember everything?" Brenden asked, throwing his hands up.
"I pay attention."
"Now, now," Miss Fei interrupted softly. "Everyone learns at their own pace. Brenden, you're clearly trying. That's what matters." She looked around the room. "And the rest of you? How are you managing?"
"Martial arts is going well," Vor said. "The Light Dragon in the Dark style suits me."
"I've noticed your improvement," Miss Fei said. "Captain Nox mentioned it to me. He said you're fighting more on instinct now. That's a valuable skill."
Vor straightened slightly in his chair. Praise from a teacher still felt new to him.
"Sanskrit is difficult," Magnum admitted. "The alphabet is completely different from anything I learned on Sedala."
"That's normal," Miss Fei said. "Sanskrit is the second hardest language to master. But you're all making progress. I can see it in your written work."
Oliver raised his hand. "Miss Fei, I have a question about the Draxian language. You said it's a mixture of Sanskrit, Mandarin, and Latin. But why those three? Why would the Draxians use human languages?"
Miss Fei's expression flickered — just for a moment — at the mention of Draxians. But she composed herself quickly. "That's an excellent question, Oliver. The Draxians didn't originally use our languages. They developed their own communication system. But after the merging of the galaxies, they needed to understand human communications for strategic purposes. They studied our most ancient and complex languages and created a hybrid. We study it now for the same reason — to understand them."
"So we're learning their spy language," Brenden said.
"Essentially, yes."
"That's actually kind of cool."
Miss Fei smiled. "I'm glad you think so."
She set down her papers and her expression became more serious. "Now, I have something important to discuss with all of you."
The room quieted.
"As you know, your first deployment is in fifteen days."
Nods around the room.
"Before you leave, there will be a test. It will cover everything you've learned in my class so far — Sanskrit alphabet, pronunciation, basic grammar, and the history of the language. As well as everything Sergeant Luther has taught you about the Siege of Nephtaris."
Brenden's face went pale. "Another test?"
"The History test was already announced," Miss Fei said. "I'm simply reminding you that Literature will also be examined."
"Two tests?" Vor looked like he'd been punched.
"Three, actually," Miss Fei said gently. "Diplomacy as well. All before deployment."
A collective groan filled the room.
"Three tests in fifteen days?" Brenden looked genuinely horrified. "That's not fair. We're supposed to be preparing for combat, not memorizing Sanskrit letters."
"Brenden," Arthur said quietly.
"I'm serious! We're warriors, not scholars. Why do we need to know — "
"Brenden." Arthur's voice was firmer this time. "Remember what we talked about last night."
Brenden stopped. He remembered. Ninety percent. Reputation. The teachers watching. The other cadets waiting for them to fail.
He took a breath. "Fine. Sorry, Miss Fei."
Miss Fei's expression softened. "I understand your frustration. Truly, I do. But these tests are not meant to punish you. Language, history, diplomacy — these are tools. A warrior who can only fight is a blunt instrument. A warrior who can speak, understand, and negotiate is a weapon that can win battles before they even begin."
"That's what Arthur said," Warden muttered.
"Then Arthur is wise," Miss Fei said, glancing at him with a knowing look. "You should listen to him."
Arthur said nothing, but a faint smile crossed his lips.
"I don't like studying," Brenden admitted. "I never have. My family... they never bothered to teach me properly. I was always in the training yard while my cousins had tutors."
Miss Fei walked over to his desk. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Brenden, I know your past. I know your family treated you poorly because of your fire ability. But you are not with them anymore. You are here. And here, you have something they never gave you."
"What's that?"
"People who believe in you." She gestured around the room. "Arthur, Warden, Vor, Damian, Magnum, Oliver, Noah — every single one of them wants you to succeed. And so do I."
Brenden looked down at his desk. His jaw was tight. When he looked up, his eyes were a little too bright. "Thank you, Miss Fei."
"You're welcome. Now, let's continue with our Sanskrit lesson. We were learning vowel formations..."
---
The rest of the class passed in focused silence. Miss Fei reviewed Sanskrit vowels, had each student practice writing them, and corrected their pronunciation one by one. Arthur picked it up quickly. Damian and Magnum were close behind. Oliver and Noah helped each other quietly. Warden struggled but kept trying. Vor's handwriting was terrible, but his pronunciation was surprisingly good.
Brenden stared at his paper, tongue poking out slightly as he traced the unfamiliar letters. It was slow. It was frustrating. But he didn't give up.
When the bell rang, Miss Fei gathered her papers.
"Remember," she said. "Fifteen days. Three tests. I expect all of you to do well. Not for me — for yourselves."
"We will, Miss Fei," Arthur said.
She smiled. "I know you will."
As they filed out, Brenden caught up to Arthur. "Three tests, Arthur. Three."
"I know."
"I'm going to die."
"You're not going to die. We'll study every night if we have to."
"Every night?" Brenden's voice cracked.
"Every night."
Brenden groaned. But he didn't argue.
Behind them, Warden clapped a hand on Brenden's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll make snacks."
"You can cook?" Damian asked.
"I can try."
"That's terrifying," Vor said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means last time you 'tried,' the kitchen smelled like burning rubber for two days."
"That was one time!"
The group dissolved into laughter as they headed toward the cafeteria. Even Brenden cracked a smile.
Fifteen days. Three tests. One deployment.
They would be ready.