The night inside the bunker felt long. Some exam participants tried to sleep, even if only in a half-conscious state. The occasional sound of snoring and groaning broke the silence. I myself sat leaning against the wall, trying to process all the information I had received.
Nethera Academy. A survival exam. The Exam Army.
It all felt like a nightmare. But the cold of the steel floor beneath me, the pungent smell of metal and sweat, and my heart that was still pounding fast—it was all too real to be an illusion.
For now, I had to focus on one thing—finishing this exam.
My eyes shifted to Aurel, who was sitting in front of the control desk, her eyes fixed on the holographic screen. Her face looked calm, but I could feel the tension in her shoulders.
She definitely knows more than she's letting on.
William was checking his weapon, cleaning his Energy Rifle with skilled movements. Occasionally he glanced at me and gave a small smile. As if he knew how confused I was.
Farren, next to me, was chewing his ration with a sour face. "The smell alone is nauseating," he grumbled.
I sighed. "You've been here for two days. How did you survive?"
Farren shrugged. "At first, I ran with a few others. But... one by one they got shot. I hid here after finding this bunker yesterday, then looked for other surviving participants, like Aurel and William." He looked at his bandaged hand. "And I almost died trying to take a weapon from a soldier's corpse."
I frowned. "Then why do you still want to join the mission tomorrow? You could stay here."
Farren shook his head. "No. I don't want to just hide and wait for death. If this is an exam, then I will try to pass."
I fell silent. There was a strong determination in his words.
•
•
•
Dawn arrived with the sound of a siren in the distance.
Aurel immediately stood up, her face shifting into alert mode. "They're starting their morning patrol. We have to move now."
William nodded, then distributed weapons to those in need. I was given an Energy Pistol—a basic model, but enough for self-defense.
"We divide tasks as planned last night," said Aurel. "William and the diversion team will attack from the west. Meanwhile, the three of us will infiltr the storage facility."
Another participant—the brown-haired girl who was shivering in the corner earlier—stood up trembling. "I-I'll go with the diversion team."
William nodded. "Good. Who else?"
A few people raised their hands. They knew the diversion mission was riskier, but perhaps they felt safer in a larger group.
Aurel checked the watch on her wrist. "We move now."
Outside the bunker, the cold morning air assaulted my skin. A thin mist still shrouded the forest, offering some protection from the enemy's sight.
William signaled, and the diversion team began moving west. Before leaving, he patted my shoulder. "Don't die, Nico."
I nodded. "You either."
Now, it was just me, Aurel, and Farren.
Aurel took the lead. "We'll take a detour. Avoid open areas, and don't make a sound."
We started moving, threading through thick bushes, stepping carefully to leave no trace.
Along the way, Farren looked tense. His breathing was heavy, and his hand occasionally held the bandage on his arm.
"Are you okay?" I whispered.
He nodded quickly. "Just... a little dizzy."
Aurel suddenly stopped, her hand raised as a sign to be quiet.
Ahead of us, about twenty meters away, two Exam soldiers were standing near a large tree. They seemed to be talking, but their voices were too soft to hear.
Aurel signaled to retreat slowly. We turned, trying to find an alternate route.
But suddenly—
Crack!
Farren accidentally stepped on a twig.
The eyes of both soldiers immediately snapped in our direction.
"Participant detected!" one of them shouted.
"RUN!" Aurel pulled my arm.
We ran as fast as we could, dodging the energy shots that sizzled between the trees. Farren staggered but tried to keep up.
"Farren, hurry!" I yelled.
But suddenly—
Bang!
The sound of a shot.
Farren fell forward, blood pouring from his back.
"FARREN!" I turned, wanting to help him.
But Aurel held me back. "He's been shot! We can't do anything!"
Farren rolled over, his face in pain. "G-go...!"
I felt the world spin. This was no longer an exam. This was murder.
Aurel pulled me again. "Nico, we have to go NOW!"
NO!
I... will not... LET HIM DIE!!!
I forcefully ripped my arm from Aurel's grasp and started running quickly towards Farren.
Every step, every breath, every heartbeat I felt, moved so slowly.
Meanwhile, in front of me. Farren lay in pain, his eyes welling with tears. As if he had resigned himself to his fate.
But not me. I will save him!
Time felt normal again. Before the soldier could shoot again. I had already shot them with my Energy Pistol first, hitting their arms and shoulders. And when the time was right, I propped up Farren's body. Aurel followed, she helped me lift Farren.
And the three of us quickly moved away from there.
Breathing heavily, we managed to reach thick bushes sufficient to hide us temporarily. Farren groaned in pain, blood continued to flow from his back, soaking the ground beneath him.
"We have to stop this bleeding!" I shouted, trying to press his wound with my bare hands.
Aurel quickly tore off part of her sleeve and bandaged Farren's wound as fast as possible. "The shot didn't hit any vital organs, but he's lost a lot of blood. We need medical help."
Farren bit his lip, his face pale. "Leave... me... You have to... go..."
"I won't leave you!" I answered firmly.
Aurel sighed, her eyes scanning the area. "We can't go back to the bunker. The storage facility is our only hope now."
"But he won't survive if we have to carry him that far!"
Aurel gritted her teeth, then pulled a small device from her pocket. "William, we need help. Farren's been shot."
A few seconds later, William's voice came from the device. "I'm sending two people your way. Hold on there!"
We waited anxiously, while Farren slowly lost consciousness. I kept pressing on his wound, trying to stop the continuous flow of blood.
Not long after, two members of the diversion team appeared—a tall, tan-skinned man with short black hair, and a woman with a wound on her cheek and shining purple eyes.
"We'll help carry him," the man said, immediately taking over my position.
The woman took out an emergency bandage and injected something into Farren's arm. "This will help him survive until we reach the facility."
Quickly, they lifted Farren and we continued our journey. Aurel led, while I guarded the rear, my Energy Pistol ready in hand.
•
•
•
The storage facility turned out to be an underground building hidden behind the ruins of an old structure. The entrance was perfectly camouflaged and could only be opened with a specific code, which Aurel easily hacked.
Once inside, cold air and the smell of disinfectant assaulted my nose. The room was filled with racks of weapons, medical equipment, and food supplies.
"Put him here!" exclaimed the purple-eyed woman.
Farren was immediately laid on a medical table, and the woman got to work. We were told to wait outside the room.
I collapsed onto a wooden chair, exhausted. My hands were still stained with Farren's blood.
Aurel sat next to me, her face still calm, but her eyes showed fatigue. "You took a big risk back there."
I looked at her. "I couldn't let him die."
She nodded slowly. "That could have gotten you killed."
"But it was the right thing to do."
Aurel was silent for a moment, then gave a small smile. "Maybe that's the reason Nethera Academy chose you," she murmured.
Soon, William appeared from the corridor, his face dirty with a wound on his forehead. "You made it!"
"Thanks to your help," I replied.
William sat across from me. "The diversion team succeeded in drawing most of the troops. But they'll realize it's a trick soon. We have to prepare."
Aurel nodded. "We need a new plan."
A few hours later, Farren was declared stable. The shot hadn't damaged any vital organs, but he needed a long rest.
We gathered in the facility's main room to discuss our next move.
"We can't keep hiding," said William. "This exam won't end until we accomplish something."
"But what is the goal?" I asked. "Just to survive?"
Aurel shook her head. "No. Nethera Academy must have another purpose. They want to see how we react, how we lead, how we make decisions."
"So?"
"So, we have to take the initiative," Aurel answered firmly. "We have to fight back."
.....