The morning sun bled through the small window of the barracks, hitting Kale directly in the eyes. He groaned, trying to roll over, but his body immediately screamed in protest. Every muscle felt like it had been replaced with rusted, heavy iron.

  "Damn..." Kale hissed, gritting his teeth. "I think I crossed my limits yesterday. I feel like I can’t even move."

  He lay staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. He remembered the grueling 25km run and the way Nymeria had looked at him. How did I manage to run like that? he wondered. One moment I was dying, and the next, something just... flashed in my memory. It felt like I suddenly knew exactly what to do. But it was different than the time in the store. In the store, my body acted automatically on its own. Yesterday, I was the one in control.

  "YO! BIG BRO! YOU’RE ALIVE!"

  A voice like a cannon blast shattered the silence. Kale winced as Izuna practically kicked the door open. He stood there with a blindingly bright smile, giving a massive "thumbs-up" to himself.

  "I am now," Kale muttered, his voice raspy. "Barely."

  "Haha! That’s the spirit!" Izuna marched into the room, leaning against the doorframe with far too much energy for someone who had also been tortured by Nymeria the day before. "Lady Nymeria said you’ve got four days of free time to recover. She probably thinks you'll die if she pushes you today. So, what’s the plan, Big Bro? Want to go to the hospital for a check-up? Or should we just roam around the city to pass the time?"

  Kale looked at Izuna’s relaxed posture and remembered something. A small, mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  "Don't you need to be running?" Kale asked innocently. "Didn’t Lady Nymeria give you extra laps as a punishment for talking too much yesterday?"

  Izuna’s thumb froze in mid-air. It was as if an invisible arrow had just pierced his chest. He clutched his heart, his face turning pale as he staggered back.

  "GAH! Why would you stab me like that?!" Izuna screamed, his energetic persona crumbling for a second. "I already finished them! I ran until my legs felt like noodles! I’m a professional, Kale! A professional!"

  Kale chuckled, the sound making his sore ribs ache. "Sure you are. If being a professional means being a professional loudmouth."

  "Hey! My voice is my greatest weapon!" Izuna snapped back, quickly recovering and giving another thumbs-up. "But seriously, let’s get out of here. If we stay in the barracks, Nymeria might find us and decide four days is too much rest. she considers 'sleeping' a sign of weakness."

  Kale sighed, slowly pushing himself into a sitting position. The pain was sharp, but the thought of being stuck in a room with Izuna’s yelling was worse.

  "You’re right," Kale said, swinging his legs over the bed. "We should roam around. I need to clear my mind... and I want to get to know this place better."

  "Now you're talking!" Izuna cheered, grabbing Kale’s arm to help him up—nearly pulling Kale’s shoulder out of its socket in his excitement. "I know the best spots! And besides, I need to get to know you better. If we’re going to be the legendary duo of Unit 0600, I need to know your favorite food, your secrets, and if you have a crush on the Captain!"

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "I don't have a crush on our Captain! She's a monster who tried to kill me in my first day!" Kale shouted, his face reddening.

  "That's exactly what someone with a crush would say!" Izuna laughed, dodging a pillow Kale threw at him.

  As they walked out of the barracks into the cool morning air, Kale felt a strange sense of peace. He was still weak, and the mystery of his past life was a heavy shadow, but for the first time, he felt like he had a real friend in this new world.                "So, tell me, Big Bro... why did you join the Special Forces?" Izuna asked as they made their way down the creaking wooden staircase of the barracks.

  Kale sighed, his gaze fixed on his boots. "I joined because I had no other choice left. I have a purpose I need to fulfill, but other than that? There wasn't much for me out there.".

  "Oh, I see!" Izuna’s energy didn't waver. "What about me, you ask? Well, I’ve been here since I was twelve years old! I joined because I want to be the strongest soldier alive. I want to protect every innocent soul from the eyes of evil!" He clutched both his hands together, his eyes shining with a localized brilliance. "My dream is to become a 5-Star General!".

  Kale blinked, surprised by the raw ambition. "Wow. That’s a massive dream you've got there."

  "Hmph! I know, right?" Izuna said, rubbing his nose with a grin. "Don’t you want to become a General too, Kale?"

  "Actually, no," Kale replied honestly. "I’m not really interested in the ranks.".

  They reached the bottom of the stairs, but the peaceful morning was shattered instantly. Halare came sprinting toward them from across the floor, her face pale and her breath coming in jagged gasps.

  "Izuna! Did you hear the news?" she cried out, her voice trembling with worry.

  Izuna stopped, his playful grin vanishing. "What news, Big Sis Halare?"

  Kale watched her, his own heart beginning to race. Halare was doubled over, clutching her knees as she tried to catch her breath from the exhaustion of running.

  "It’s about your cousin..." a calm, cold voice drifted down from above.

  They looked up to see Aderiel leaning against the wall of the upper landing, his arms folded across his chest. He looked down at them with a somber expression. "It’s about Captain Larva."

  Izuna’s face hardened. "You mean my brother? Larva Leyo? What about him?".

  "He’s in the hospital," Halare choked out.

  The words hit Izuna like a physical blow. The color drained from his face as he took a step back. "What? But... how?"

  Aderiel spoke again, his voice steady but grim. "We don't have all the details yet. But the investigation reports say the Captain of Squad 0880 had an encounter with a 'Silver Hair' and the Dark List last night during a mission in the Indevena Valley. No one knows exactly what happened in those woods, but it’s clear there was a massive battle.".

  "But my brother is so strong!" Izuna shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. "It’s impossible! No one could put him in a hospital! I don’t believe it!".

  "Izuna, you need to come with us," Halare said, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "We’re going to visit him. His condition... it isn't good. He was wounded very badly.".

  "Which hospital?" Izuna demanded, his eyes wide with fear.

  "He’s at the Indevena Valley Hospital. His injuries were too severe to move him any further," Halare explained.

  "Where is Izume?" Izuna asked, looking around frantically for his sister..

  "She’s already gone with Captain Nymeria," Halare replied. "They went out to investigate the battlefield and find out what actually happened to Captain Leyo and his crew.".

  Suddenly, the air in the room grew heavy. Vice-Captain Nesha stepped into the hall, her presence commanding and sharp.

  "If you're finished talking, you should be heading out now to assist Captain Nymeria and the others," Nesha ordered in a voice of pure iron..

  "Yes, Ma'am!" Halare and Izuna replied in unison, snapping to attention..

  "As for Aderiel and me, we will stay and handle things here at the barracks," Nesha added, her gaze brooks no argument.

  Izuna and Halare turned and rushed toward the exit. Halfway there, Izuna suddenly skidded to a halt and looked back at Kale, who was standing frozen by the stairs.

  "Aren’t you coming, Kale?"

  Kale looked down at his hands—hands that still felt the phantom weight of a sword he didn't own. "I... I don't think so. I wouldn't be much use out there.".

  But Izuna wasn't taking no for an answer. He reached back, grabbed Kale’s hand with a firm grip, and practically hauled him toward the door.

  "Don't talk like that! You're part of this unit now!" Izuna barked, his worry turning into a fierce determination. "Let's go!"