The next morning, Jack woke up to the familiar sight of Duke already deep in his workout.
The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but there he was—**Duke**, shirt damp with sweat, silently powering through push-ups on the cold stone floor.
Jack yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Man... every single morning I open my eyes and see you doing this. Are you even human?"
Duke said nothing—his expression focused, his movements steady and sharp.
"You literally got smacked in the head yesterday," Jack added, groaning as he sat up. "At least take one day off!"
Still no response. Duke kept going, muscles tensing with each controlled motion.
Jack scowled, tossing aside his blanket. "Are you seriously ignoring me right now?"
He watched Duke's relentless pace and sighed in frustration.
*Crap… if I don't start training too, this freak's just gonna keep getting stronger. At this rate, I'll never catch up.*
Muttering to himself, Jack dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups beside him.
His arms shook almost immediately, but his pride wouldn't let him stop.
"Fine. You win this round," Jack muttered, struggling to keep up. "But tomorrow I'm waking up first."
Duke, still silent, smirked ever so slightly—but didn't break rhythm.
After the workout, Jack stretched his arms and glanced at Duke.
"Duke, are you ready? Our first official day at the fortress..."
Duke looked up, a slight glint in his eyes. "Yeah… finally, it begins."
Jack grinned. "I can't believe it. We're really gonna do it."
Duke nodded. "I want to learn everything—every detail about Kendra Energy. The kind I've only read about in books… or heard in legends."
Jack laughed, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Then let's not waste time. Come on."
The two of them headed off to clean up. After a quick bath, they changed into their training gear and stepped outside onto the main ground.
It was 7 a.m., and the cold morning air bit into their skin. Mist lingered above the stone floor, and frost shimmered faintly on the edges of the training pillars.
All **100 students** stood gathered in formation, silent and tense.
At the front stood the strongest—Kairoz, perfectly composed as always; Darius, silent with arms crossed; Vairan, eyes sharp despite the bandages on his nose; and Drex, head wrapped but standing tall like nothing had happened.
The tension in the air was thick, like the calm before a storm.
Then, heavy footsteps echoed from the fortress steps.
Cladwill had arrived.
Cladwill stood tall at the front of the training ground, his cloak fluttering slightly in the morning wind. His piercing gaze swept across the gathered recruits as silence fell over the crowd.
"As I can see," Cladwill began, his voice cold and commanding, "all of you have arrived on time. Good."
Just then, he paused.
Two girls were quietly slipping in from the back, attempting to blend into the group unnoticed. But Cladwill's sharp eyes caught them instantly.
"You two," he said, his tone cutting through the silence. "There's no need to sneak in. Step forward."
The latecomers were none other than **Samaira** and **Touka**, both freezing in place as every head turned toward them.
"Ahhh… we got caught," Samaira muttered with a sheepish grin.
"Crap," Touka hissed under her breath.
The two girls slowly walked to the front, trying not to meet Cladwill's gaze.
"Now," Cladwill said, folding his arms, "can either of you explain why you're late?"
"Ah, actually," Samaira started, smiling awkwardly, "my roommate here wasn't feeling too well this morning, so I stayed back to help her. That's why we're late."
Touka's eyes widened. "Hey! Stop lying! You were the one who overslept!"
Samaira leaned toward her, whispering through clenched teeth, "Shhh—just go with it. I've got this."
Cladwill raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. His silence said everything.
"Sir, these are the girls I mentioned yesterday," one of the soldiers spoke up. "They're the ones who carried the heaviest boulders to the top."
Cladwill gave a small nod. "Yes... I remember them."
He turned his gaze back to Samaira and Touka.
"You hauled the heaviest stone up the mountain—impressive for anyone, let alone for two girls. Because of that, I won't give you a punishment this time. You must've been exhausted."
He paused for a moment, but before he could continue, Samaira's voice rang out.
"Hey! That's not fair!" she said, eyes narrowing. "Treat us equally! We're not skipping punishment just because we're girls—we want to be held to the same standard."
Touka's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?! Give her the punishment, not me!"
Cladwill stared at the two of them for a long second… and then, surprisingly, let out a small chuckle.
"Hah. I like you two already," he said. "Fine. Since you demand to be treated equally, you'll both be punished for being late."
He stepped forward, voice calm but firm.
"Your punishment is this: this evening, you will retrieve the same boulder you carried to the top... and bring it back down."
Samaira's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! That's exactly what I wanted!" she said, her voice blazing with determination.
Touka's face dropped into visible despair.
Not again... she thought bitterly, lowering her head. Why does no one ever listen to me? Why is it always her pulling me into this?
"Chill, Touka," Samaira said, slapping her gently on the back. "We've got this. Together, we can achieve anything."
The rest of the class murmured, visibly shaken by the idea of repeating the boulder task—but for punishment.
"Those two are made for each other," Jack whispered, half in awe.
"You're right," Duke said with a smile, watching the chaos unfold.
"Silence," Cladwill snapped.
Instantly, the murmuring crowd fell quiet.
"You two—go back and take your positions," he ordered, nodding at Samaira and Touka.
Without another word, the girls returned to the line—Samaira still grinning with excitement, and Touka dragging her feet with a defeated sigh.
He took a few steps forward, boots echoing against the stone.
"From this day onward, your lives will not belong to you alone. You are no longer just recruits—you are trainees of the **Kendra Order**. Every action, every failure, every weakness will now have consequences."
Some students shifted nervously. Others straightened their backs.
"You were selected because you showed potential. But potential is worthless without control, discipline, and understanding. That is what you are here to gain."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"Today, you begin learning what Kendra Energy truly is—not just what you've read in books or heard in bedtime stories. Not all of you will grasp it quickly. Some of you may never grasp it at all."
Duke's eyes narrowed, focused.
As you already know, the class will be divided into three groups: Class A, B, and C. The top thirty ranked students will be placed in Class A. These individuals are already at a rookie soldier level—skilled, disciplined, and physically formidable.
They will begin training in both weapons mastery and Kendra Energy immediately.
The remaining students will be placed into Class B and Class C. Their initial focus will be on weapon handling, combat fundamentals, and physical conditioning. Only after demonstrating sufficient growth in strength and control will they be allowed to begin learning Kendra Energy.
"Is that clear?" Cladwill asked, his voice sharp and commanding.
"Yes, sir!" the crowd responded in unison.
"Good. Now, go to your assigned classes," Cladwill ordered, turning sharply on his heel.
"So we're in the same class as Kairoz, Darius, Vairan, and Drex?" Duke asked, a grin spreading across his face. "Great. The stronger the company, the better. Training with them will only make us stronger."
Jack nodded enthusiastically. "Yeahhh, now we're talking!"
Nearby, Samaira glanced over at Touka, who was visibly shivering.
"Hey, Touka—are you okay?" she asked with concern. "You're shaking."
"I'm fine," Touka replied quickly. "It's just a little cold out here. Let's get to class."
Soon, all thirty top-ranked recruits—the elite—gathered inside the training hall assigned to **Class A**.
Kairoz stood silently near the front, arms crossed as if sizing everyone up.
Vairan leaned against the wall, bruised but unbothered.
Darius was focused, his sharp eyes scanning the room.
Drex stood still, head bandaged but proud.
Regan and Lysa whispered among themselves, their expressions unreadable.
And among them stood **Jack, Samaira, Touka, and Duke**—each carrying their own hopes, fears, and fire.
Thirty rookies. One class.
The strongest of the fortress.
As the recruits settled into their places, the heavy wooden doors creaked open.
A cold silence swept through the room as Cladwill stepped in.
The head instructor's presence was unmistakable—his sharp eyes scanned the class with quiet authority, and his dark cloak trailed behind him like a shadow.
Without a word, he walked to the front of the room, turned, and faced the recruits.
"I will be the one to deliver your first lesson," he said, his voice calm but commanding.
Not a single student dared to speak
Cladwill's eyes swept over the room, pausing briefly on each student.
"Your first topic," he said, his voice firm and unwavering, "is weapons."
A quiet murmur ran through a few of the recruits, quickly silenced by his glare.
"Before you learn to channel Kendra Energy, you must master the basics. And in this fortress, that begins with steel, not spirit."
He turned toward a rack on the far wall—lined with various weapons: swords, spears, staffs, daggers, and more.
"Each of you will choose a weapon. Not based on what looks 'cool'—but on what feels right. The weapon you bond with today may well become your lifeline tomorrow."
Duke leaned forward slightly, intrigued.
Jack whispered, "So we get to pick our own? This is going to be fun."
Cladwill's voice cut through again.
"Once you've chosen, you will undergo a basic form test. Let's see how many of you can even hold a blade properly.
"Remember one thing, kids," Cladwill said, his tone cold and direct. "Every weapon can be dangerous. It all depends on the one who wields it."
He walked slowly along the front of the class, letting his words sink in.
"Even a bare fist can be deadly if used with precision and intent. Power doesn't lie in the weapon—it lies in the hands of the one who controls it."
The room fell into complete silence.
Cladwill stopped and turned to face them fully.
"After this lecture, you will each choose your weapon. So think carefully about what suits you—not just what you like, but what you can master."