At last, the two grueling months of training were over.
Many initiates shed tears of happiness at the end of Dr. Helen's final lecture. The journey had not been easy. They had bled, sweated, and collapsed from exhaustion. Bones had snapped, and muscles had taken, but they kept going.
So when General Denvil stood before them the next afternoon, offering congratulations for their achievement, their smiles stretched across their faces, not even when he launched into one of his drawn-out speeches.
Over the weeks, people had found direction. Some realized they weren't cut out to be a field soldier for the rebels, while others preferred the other sectors of the organization.
Ten initiates transferred into other divisions like the medical corps, tech and logistics, and even the clean-up division.
But Kiah and her little group remained. She'd chosen this path for one reason. It was the fastest and most direct way to grow stronger and achieve her goal.
"... you all have shown great progress in the last two months…"
Kiah zoned back into the speech.
Behind Denvil was a screen lit up with names and stats. Kiah scanned the list and found hers in the middle. She'd climbed up from seventy-five.
The general's voice rose with conviction.
"From today onward, you will be assigned missions. Your role in curbing the filth in Duskworn begins now, and we are one step closer to restoring our home to its former glory…'
Kiah zoned back out. His uplifting words didn't work on her, anyway.
When the ceremony finally ended, the first person she looked for was Eden. After all, Eden was part of the reason she'd come this far this fast. She owed her quite a bit.
They left the bustle of the assembly quietly. They didn't talk and walked through the corridor silently. They took the elevator to the surface, a rare trip after so long inside.
It was Kiah's first time stepping outside in weeks. The only occasion she came out was during her physical exercises.
Stepping into the afternoon sun, her lungs pulled in the fresh air instinctively, and for once, it wasn't saturated in dust, soot, or poisonous gas like in the tests in the wastelands. It was fresh.
The area surrounding the base was quiet, devoid of people or activity. Empty buildings stretched for blocks in every direction, their crumbling facades a testament to years of neglect.
Kiah had learned why.
This zone had once been overrun with degenerates, forcing residents to flee. Even now, most believed it remained dangerous and abandoned. But in reality, the rebels had swept in, cleared the infestation, and built an entire underground city beneath the ruins.
The old fear of the place kept outsiders away.
Eden led her through the silent streets, and together they climbed to the rooftop of one of the taller buildings. There, they sat side by side, letting the cool air brush over their faces.
From this height, the Wall was visible in the far distance, but Kiah tried not to think much about it.
"So what comes next?" she asked.
"Your mission," Eden replied simply.
"I heard many don't make it back from those."
"Yeah, they don't. But I'm confident you'll be fine. They don't assign difficult missions to Initiates, and you will be paired with someone ranked higher for now. Besides, you are not as weak as before. You might not die."
Kiah smiled faintly at Eden's praise, even though it didn't sound like one. She had spent enough time with the girl to know that she had a weird way of conveying her thoughts. But she meant no harm.
Eden went on.
"There are many insurgencies of degenerates all across Duskworn. That's why your training was a little rushed. You'll likely be sent to handle one of those."
Kiah almost gulped. The idea of facing another degenerate made her stomach twist, but deep down, she also wanted to test how much stronger she'd grown. And what better way to do that than to face the enemy once more?
"Do we get to pick our teams?"
"No. The higher-ups are in charge of that. Most of you will probably be paired with Vanguards."
"What about you and the other wardens?"
Eden sighed.
"We have more pressing matters to attend to. More people have been disappearing lately. Ella is still missing. Now that one of ours has been openly abducted, the higher-ups are not at rest. You should be careful, too."
Kiah didn't reply, but she understood perfectly. Humans were far worse than degenerates. They were more unpredictable and ultimately more dangerous.
Wherever her mission took her, she'd have to watch every direction for danger, and she shouldn't easily trust anybody.
Kiah sighed. This was a lot.
The two fell into silence, simply enjoying the warmth of the sun. They had to savor this moment because the days ahead, maybe even weeks, would be chaotic and perilous. There wouldn't be time to relax again for a long while.
When they returned to the base, before parting ways, Kiah asked Eden for a favor.
"Eden, can you do me a favor?"
Eden frowned.
"What?"
"I want you to say hi to some people for me."
Eden's eyes narrowed while Kiah smiled, as she led them to the cafeteria where she knew the other members of her small squad would be waiting.