Chapter 27
Physical class
"Hello! It's good to have some fresh blood in here. My name is Riley… and my surname is also Riley," the man said with a grin so bright it nearly blinded them.
He stood in front of the group like a talk show host rather than a combat instructor, radiating friendliness in contrast to his 'do not fuck with me vibe'. His casual hoodie and cargo pants contrasted the sterile, intimidating training hall around them. But just as quickly as the smile appeared, it faltered.
His eyes darted behind him. The group's gaze followed.
Riley leaned slightly back, whispering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Are… are you sure you want to do this? Especially after… ahem… that little incident a while ba—"
"I. CAN. HANDLE. IT." The voice was ice.
Regina Carlos. Cold, composed, and unwavering, she stood beside him like a sword drawn halfway from its scabbard — quiet, but full of tension. Her piercing gaze sliced through the air like a blade, daring anyone to contradict her.
Riley winced. "I… I understand… but—"
"I said," she interrupted again, her voice dangerously calm, "do not mention that again."
A bead of sweat trickled down Riley's forehead. He stood frozen for a second too long before awkwardly snapping back to action.
"Yes, ma'am," he muttered, stiffly stepping aside as if anticipating a backhand. Then, he forced a nervous smile and gestured broadly to the class. "This is my assistant, Regina Carlos — a Rule Path ascender at the Level of Experience and a certified Two-Star."
His hand patted his own chest with a thud. "As for me, I'm of the prestigious War Path — Two-Star ascender, also at the Level of Experience — and I'll be your instructor."
He began walking toward the vast white floor of the training space, gesturing for the group to follow. The recruits obeyed in an uneven shuffle, their boots echoing in the cavernous room. Riley's voice continued, bouncing off the sterile steel walls.
"Now, some of you might be wondering why you're even taking physical classes," he said, slowing his pace for emphasis. "But as you'll come to learn in your Path classes, combat skill is just as important as raw power. In fact, it may be more important. If you can't fight, if you can't move, if you panic the moment blood spills, your power means nothing."
He stopped at the center of the white floor, turning to face the group with a grin that had lost some of its charm.
"You must be trained. You must be ready. Your mind and your body must be forged into a weapon that elevates your Path — and your Mech, when the time comes — to its highest potential."
He glanced at Regina and cleared his throat. "Now, as most of you know, after forming your Avien, your body and mind undergo a natural reinforcement. You become faster, tougher, sharper. And let me make something very clear…"
Riley's voice dropped, more serious now. "Don't think for a second that just because someone is smaller, quieter, or female, they're any less dangerous. Don't make that mistake. Trust me... I found out the hard way."
He visibly shivered at the memory, the class letting out a few awkward chuckles. Regina, meanwhile, stared forward with the dead-eyed composure of someone already ten moves ahead.
Riley quickly clapped his hands, eager to shift focus.
"So! Let me ask you something. What's the most important thing in any fight?"
Hands shot up, and voices called out.
"Technique!"
"Strength!"
"Speed!"
"Strategy!"
"Patience!"
He nodded along, visibly pleased by the enthusiasm. "Yes, yes, yes — all good answers. All important factors."
Then, he clapped once, sharply, silencing them.
"But none of those matter without intent."
He let the word hang in the air like a challenge.
"Your intent is everything. Whether it's to kill, protect, subdue, or survive — your intent reigns above all. If your body, mind, and Path are aligned with your purpose… everything else becomes noise. Broken bones? Irrelevant. Overwhelming odds? Background static. Hopelessness? Just another lie."
He paused, locking eyes with the crowd. "If your intent is clear and unshakable, you will either reach your goal — or die trying. And that's a hell of a lot better than freezing up."
IAM felt a jolt through his chest, like something inside him had cracked open. Riley's words echoed in his mind like prophecy.
My intent is my weapon.
Riley, seemingly satisfied with the shift in mood, clapped his hands again. "Now then, we're going to move into pair training. My previous class managed to find partners in ten minutes, so I expect no less from you lot. There should be an even number of people, so nobody's left out."
As the class began to break off into murmuring pockets of negotiation and sizing up.
This is a good time to tell you that not everyone had the same timetable, the massive group of volunteers was broken into even groups and one could have theory class, while another in path class and vice versa and after the class was finished, they would swap classes with the 30 minutes break. So Riley had 2 classes before this one.
IAM and Kepa shared a glance and nodded at each other without speaking. Ryan was visible somewhere deeper in the crowd, already surrounded by Hen and a group of people he'd somehow befriended with unnatural speed.
IAM took a breath, steadying himself, then approached Riley.
Thinking of the implications of being in a pair, IAM informs Riley of his unfortunate situation...
Riley turned so fast it startled IAM. "What!?" he shouted, eyes bulging. "More than a month, and you still haven't—?!"
He stopped himself too late.
Silence fell like a dropped bomb. Then it began.
A single snort.
Another.
A chuckle.
A snicker.
Riley looked horrified. He slapped a hand over his mouth and gave IAM a desperate, I'm-so-sorry look, mouthing an apology.
Before the room desolved into snickers and laughter, sounding quite sharp and harsh in IAMs ears...