Chapter 17
SKY
The tension in the air was thick as the commander strode across the training grounds, his boots crunching against the gravel. We were all gathered in neat rows, standing at attention after the last few days of brutal tests. The sun was already high, casting sharp shadows that stretched across the field like the silent promise of what was to come.
Sergeant Reyes, his face as hard as the steel badges on his uniform, stopped in front of us. His eyes flicked over each of us in turn, as if weighing our worth in the few seconds he spent looking. We were all exhausted, mentally and physically, but standing here, waiting for the next step, there was still a flicker of pride beneath the fatigue.
“You’ve passed the tests,” he began, his voice a low rumble that commanded silenc
