SKY
I stood in front of the commanding officer, back straight and chin up, refusing to let any hint of weakness show. The dull ache in my side was a constant reminder of the shot I had taken, but I wasn’t about to let it stop me. Not here. Not now. The rest of the cadets were watching, their judgment hanging over me like a dark cloud. I could feel their eyes boring into me, expecting me to crack, to give in.
But I wasn’t going anywhere. I had come too far to let them see me falter.
Sergeant Reyes, the commanding officer, stood with his arms crossed, towering over me like some kind of immovable force. He was everything you’d expect from a man in his position—broad-shouldered, solid as a mountain, with a voice that could bring a room to silence with a single word. He looked down at me, hi
