Before Kiah knew it, she was standing in front of the training room, still simmering with anger. The doors stood wide open, but the room inside was empty and silent.
Her gaze drifted to the obstacle course, still untouched since the last time. The memory of her failure flashed vividly in her mind.
A surge of resolve swelled in her chest. She was going to try to beat it this time. To prove that she was not as weak as people thought she was.
After a cautious glance around to confirm no one was watching, she stepped forward
Last time, she hadn't made it past the wall before the timer's shrill beep declared her defeat. Now, having endured far harsher physical trials, this course felt less intimidating. Still, the two minutes were tight.
As soon as she stepped onto the sensitive pad, the course sprang to life, sensing another challenger. The timer also blinked on, counting down.
Taking a deep breath, Kiah surged forward into the tire run. Unlike before, when she had to slow her pace to avoid stumbling in the tangled mess, her movements were sharper and more precise. Her footfalls found the gap without hesitation, almost instinctively. She breezed through the tires with a newfound grace that surprised even her.
Next came the low crawl.
Having survived the grueling wake crawl, the slimy, confined space felt less like a nightmare. She dropped herself onto the slick, greenish slime and propelled forward as fast as she dared. Barbed wires scratched at her skin, tearing her clothes, but the sting barely registered. She was growing accustomed to pain. It didn't bother her enough to slow down.
She emerged from the crawl to face the infamous wall.
Warden Gregory had once pushed them to scale a mountain barehanded while rocks rained down, forcing them to dodge with lightning reflexes. She got knocked down twice before getting the hang of it.
Compared to that, this steel wall was a mere shadow
Her hands gripped the hold, and the residual slime made it slippery. But she held on. Slowly, she climbed, every movement deliberate, until she pulled herself over the top and dropped down the other side.
She had done it.
Ahead lay the monkey bars. She was proud because she hadn't been able to make it this far before.
She grabbed the first bar, but her hands slid instantly. Unsurprisingly, the bars were slick with grease.
"Of course it's not that easy," she muttered, lips pressed tight.
She wiped her hand on her pants and tried again, steeling herself. This time, her grip held firm.
Swinging hand over hand tested every ounce of her strength and balance. Her palms burned, and she nearly slipped more than once, forced to pause and catch her breath mid-crossing to avoid a fall.
She was sweating profusely when she finished, but there was no time to waste. She sprinted toward the rope climb. It was an obstacle that required her to scale a steep platform using a rope hanging from above.
It looked deceptively simple, but by now, she had learned that these challenges always had hidden tricks. She wondered what this one might be.
Recalling the last time, she remembered Wayne and Kira struggling here before the timer ran out. Neither had been able to fully conquer it.
Determined, she grabbed the rope and began her ascent. At first, it went smoothly. She was convinced this obstacle had no surprises until she reached the top, and suddenly, the rope's grip was interrupted by tiny, sharp pins that jabbed into her fingers.
"Ouch!" She flinched, losing her footing and sliding down to the platform's base.
A sharp buzz sounded as the timer ran out.
She had failed once again.
Pathetic.
She sighed, slumping forward and resting her arms on her knees. After all the grueling training, she had truly believed this time would be different. She was quite disappointed in herself.
"Not bad."
Startled, Kiah whipped her head up, searching for the voice. She'd been certain the room was empty when she entered. Had someone slipped in unnoticed? No, that was impossible. She wasn't that unaware.
"Are there ghosts now?"
"Up here."
She whipped her head up toward the ceiling, eyes narrowing. There, perched in a small niche, was Anwyll.
No wonder she hadn't noticed him.
He was the last person she expected to see. She thought he was still on his mission, but it seemed all Vanguards were back, too.
"How… did you get up there?" She asked, bewildered.
"I jumped." He answered simply.
"Jumped?"
"Yes. Jump. It's quite easy. You just have to leap into the air."
'Leap into the air?'
Kiah was sceptical. The niche was way high up, more than forty feet tall. She didn't think anyone could jump that high. She most definitely couldn't. If she could, she'd have leapt over these obstacles ages ago. Especially that damned wall.
'I guess the gap between Initiates and Vanguards is bigger than I thought.'
"Were you watching me the whole time like a creep?"
Anwyll pressed his lips together, clearly amused.
"Still wary of me, huh? I can practically smell your distrust."
Kiah blinked but remained silent.
He sighed.
"I'm not a creep, but it was hard not to watch. It was quite entertaining, even. You looked so determined, and you did quite well."
"I didn't even make it halfway through," she muttered.
"It takes time. I didn't pass mine until my third try. But I'm quite exceptional, so it might take you a while."
Without warning, Anwyll leapt down from the niche, landing lightly on his feet as if it were nothing. Hands slipped casually into the pockets of his combat trousers, and he walked over to where Kiah still sat on the floor.
Kiah rolled her eyes at his last statement.
"I can do better." She murmured, standing up as he approached.
"Are you pushing yourself because of the fight this morning? Getting knocked down once is nothing to be ashamed of."
Kiah's eyes narrowed.
"Are you trying to mock me?" She crossed her arms defensively. "By the way, how did you even know about that?"
"I'm not trying to mock you. It's simply a word of encouragement. And I know because I watched the whole thing from up there."
"You were here the whole time during the spar?"
"Yes."
Kiah's gaze sharpened.
"You are a creep."
Anwyll opened his mouth to say something, then paused. He frowned, his head tilted sideways in thought.
Then he shook his head.
"Not a creep. I was just intrigued."
Kiah bit back an amused smile. Did he seriously just pause to weigh his chances of being a creep?