The soft chime of a message notification broke the silence.
Ethan stirred. His eyes blinked open, adjusting to the dim light in the room.
"Is it morning already?" he muttered.
Above him, the ceiling displayed a projection of the sky. It was still dark, with scattered stars twinkling faintly across a deep blue canvas. A soft violet hue lined the horizon, hinting at a dawn that hadn't arrived yet.
He turned to look at the time on the screen. It was 0400.
He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
He then saw the message.
=====
[REMINDER]
Subject: Ethan Cole
Status: Vanguard Candidate – Provisional
Report to: Arena V-13 (Vanguard Training Ground)
Time: 0430
Instructor: Assigned upon arrival
Note: Full gear required. Be prepared.
=====
Ethan let out a quiet breath. He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, rolling his shoulders to loosen the stiffness in his body. He felt a little heavy, probably from everything that had happened yesterday.
