The sun rose over the training ground like a lazy torch, gilding the edges of the parade field in gold. The air carried the leftover energy from yesterday’s games laughter, pride, and faint whispers about who had impressed whom.
The schedule pinned on the notice board read: Morning Trust Relay – All Units.
No medals this time, no rankings. Just “team bonding,” as Sergeant Kale had described it. The phrase had earned groans from nearly every cadet on the field.
By eight, the grounds were alive with noise cadets shouting, whistling, bumping shoulders. Someone had dragged out an old speaker from storage, blaring music that made the place feel more like a carnival than a regimented camp.
Leah stood with Natasha and a few others, tying her shoelaces tighter. Her mood had softened since the
