The courtyard of the training camp buzzed quietly with activity, but one presence stood apart from it all—Torrin.
Since Nikks' departure, he had changed.
The brashness, the arrogance, the constant need to prove himself—all of it was gone. In its place stood vigilance, discipline, and relentless focus. He trained harder than ever, running longer, striking faster, refining every movement until exhaustion became routine. For a time, he tried to court Jane, but she met him with nothing but cold indifference.
Eventually, he stopped trying.
Torrin spoke to no one. He looked at no one. Every ounce of his energy was poured into perfecting himself. He wanted to surpass him—the man who had taken the woman he loved.
The instructors noticed.
They were surprised. Then impressed. Then quietly approving.
Sandy, meanwhile, was driven by a different fire.
Nikks' early awakening and sudden departure weighed heavily on him, pushing him beyond his limits. He ran with added weight by choice, pushed himself harder during drills, and spent countless hours practicing with his daggers. His strikes grew sharper, faster, more precise. Instructors observed his progress with interest, noting that his dedication rivaled even the strongest of the elites.
Jane, on the other hand, remained cheerful as ever.
She laughed easily, joked with others, and carried herself with warmth. Nikks had finally asked her out before leaving, and that had made her incredibly happy. Yet the fact that he left so soon—after only one date—still stung.
Torrin had pursued her for months after Nikks' departure, but she never once returned his gaze. She loved only one man, and that man was far away, at the Eastern Headquarters.
She waited for him.
Time passed.
Ten months had gone by since Nikks graduated. The cadets had entered their final year at the camp, and nearly all of the elite trainees had awakened.
All except Sandy.
The pressure of being the last weighed on him constantly, gnawing at his resolve.
As the year drew to a close, the camp began preparations for the final examination—the outdoor trials.
In less than a week, the cadets would leave the safety of the zone and enter the relatively calmer wilderness beyond. Under instructor supervision, they would hunt monsters, navigate hostile terrain, and be evaluated for their final ranks.
This was more than a test.
It was a rite of passage—the culmination of years of discipline and training, the moment that marked the end of their time at the camp.
Sandy tightened his grip around his daggers and glanced toward the distant horizon.
The final week loomed ahead, pressure mounting with every passing day. Around him, others trained with unyielding focus, fully immersed in their own battles.
Sandy felt the weight of the challenge before him.
But there was no fear.
Only resolve.
He would awaken. He would meet the standard. And when the time came, he would step into the outdoor trials ready to prove himself.
The final days at the camp had begun.
Every step.
Every strike.
Every breath—mattered.