Rise of the Underdogs: VALIK

XIII

Military-style training wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. I was expecting standardized everything — wake-up calls, drills, meals, lights out — but instead, there were random drills and mock attacks. Things that had me sleeping with a weapon under my bed and mattress, just in case.

Drills were evacuation and teamwork oriented, forcing us to work as one to take down an enemy obviously bigger than we were. Sometimes it was a simulated breach, sometimes it was a timed escape from a locked-down zone. Either way, it was loud, fast, and exhausting.

Mock attacks were performed by other training camps breaking into ours, and we retaliated in kind. One night, alarms blared and we were scrambling through snow in half gear, trying to defend the perimeter while Blaze barked orders from the command tower. The adrenaline didn’t wear off for hours.

Chores were a rotation of places cleaned every day by random teams. One day I was scrubbing floors in the mess hall, the next I was hauling laundry with a guy who didn’t speak a word of English but still managed to make me laugh with exaggerated eye rolls and dramatic sighs.

Then came wilderness training.

We were dropped deep into the Russian forest with nothing but a compass, a knife, and a small pack of supplies. No GPS. No backup. Just cold air, thick trees, and the sound of wolves howling in the distance — not ours.

The snow was knee-deep in places, and the wind cut through layers like it had a personal vendetta. We had to build shelters from branches and snow, start fires with flint, and ration food like we were prepping for war. Blaze didn’t check in. He just watched from a distance, letting the forest do the teaching.

One night, we were tasked with tracking a target through the woods — a senior trainee who’d been given a head start. We moved in silence, using scent and instinct, crawling through underbrush and wading through icy streams. My fingers went numb, but Ehno kept me moving, kept me sharp.

Another day, we had to cross a frozen ravine using only rope and teamwork. One guy slipped, and we caught him mid-fall, arms burning, rope biting into our palms. No one spoke after that — we just moved faster.

It wasn’t just training. It was survival. And every day, I felt a little less like the broken kid who’d arrived and a little more like someone who could survive anything.

Admittedly, I faceplanted more times than enough, but I learned. My body took on a more lean look, but I had muscles. My speed and strength were up by a lot, too. I had managed to bring my temper under control in a few short months. School had not been as easy, but I got through it the best way I could — late nights, quiet frustration, and a lot of caffeine.

I was in the mess hall, chowing on the ultra healthy food they fed us — grilled meat, steamed veggies, and some kind of grain that tasted like cardboard — when Ehno perked up.

‘Goddess says that we have another chance.’

‘Really?’ I asked, cutting into my medium rare steak, the juices pooling on the plate.

He danced in response, his body moving in time with the beat of drums only he could hear. ‘She gave us a gift of gifts! A second chance!’

“Earth to Valik,” Samara, the first Vampire who ever talked to me when I arrived, giggled, waving her hand in front of me. Her tray clattered as she sat down across from me. “You look like your wolf was having a deep convo. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just learned I may have a second chance Mate,” I answered, still trying to wrap my head around it.

She broke open a packet of blood, pouring it into a tin chalice like it was morning coffee. “That’s good, isn’t it?”

“It’s amazing,” Peiter stated, sliding into the seat beside me. He was another one of my teammates — quiet, observant, but always listening. “Our sweet ickle Vallie-Wallie got himself a second chance Mate – a rarity in this world of ours.”

Samara snorted into her chalice, nearly spilling blood on her tray. “Vallie-Wallie? That’s what we’re going with?”

Peiter shrugged, grinning. “It’s affectionate. Don’t ruin the moment.”

“It’s fine, Sam. His jokes are just minor versions of dad jokes,” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. I nodded, feeling something shift in my chest. For the first time in a long time, it didn’t hurt.

Yes, before anyone asks, we were talking in Russian. Not English.

“Dad jokes?” Peiter raised a silver brow, pausing mid-bite. “What the hell?”

Samara caught on instantly, her eyes narrowing playfully as she leaned forward. “His dad went for milk.”

Peiter blinked, clearly trying to process it. “Wait—”

“Ah, so that’s why he doesn’t know about that,” I breathed out sarcastically, stabbing a piece of steak and popping it into my mouth like punctuation.

Samara snorted again, and Peiter just shook his head, muttering something about cultural betrayal. The mess hall buzzed around us, but for once, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Later that evening, I was called to the headquarters. Making my way there, I thought of all the ways I had grown over the last twelve months — the bruises, the breakthroughs, the nights I thought I wouldn’t make it and the mornings I did anyway.

Raising my hand, I knocked once — three taps in rapid succession.

“Enter!”

Stepping into the dimly lit War Room, I waited to be addressed. The room smelled faintly of leather and old paper, the walls lined with maps and tactical reports. My arms hung loose, clasped at the wrists behind my back with my feet braced a foot apart.

“Cadet Pierce, you’ve shown remarkable growth over the last year,” Blaze said finally, his voice steady and low.

“Thank you, Sir,” I answered.

“Have there been any issues not reported previously or developments I should be aware of?” he pressed on, eyes scanning me like he already knew the answer.

I swallowed tightly, squaring my shoulders. “Sir, no, Sir. I did recently find out from Ehno, my wolf, that I have a second chance waiting back home.”

Blaze nodded slowly, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then his eyes softened, pride shining in their depths. “Valik, I’m impressed. So much so that I’ve decided to send you home tomorrow. All badges and rewards you’ve earned while in my care will be available for you to take with you. You have until six tomorrow evening to say whatever farewells you need and gather your gear.”

I didn’t speak right away. I just nodded, feeling the weight of the moment settle in my chest. I was going home — not as the broken kid who left, but as someone new.