Jim stood before them, hands behind his back.
The morning air was cold. Still.
"Listen carefully," he said.
No one moved.
"This exercise determines where you belong in this Order."
A pause.
His gaze swept across them.
"The Silver Knights."
A few straightened slightly.
"The Seekers."
Confusion flickered across some faces.
"The Alchemists."
A different kind of unease.
Then—
"Or nowhere."
Silence dropped like a weight.
"You will either prove useful…"
A step forward.
"…or you will be discarded."
A whisper broke out.
"What does that mean—?"
"Discarded…?"
"Are they serious—?"
Jim didn't raise his voice.
Didn't need to.
"Out there," he said, gesturing toward the open training grounds beyond, "is your first test."
The gates creaked open slowly.
Beyond them—
Rough terrain.
Uneven ground.
Wooden structures.
Ropes.
Obstacles stretching far into the distance.
Some of the recruits swallowed hard.
Jim looked at them one last time.
No sympathy.
No encouragement.
Just truth.
"Run."
Shock rippled through the group.
Confusion spread like a sickness.
"What does that even mean—?"
"Are we supposed to—?"
"Wait—"
One boy moved.
Then ran.
Straight toward the field beyond the gates.
Another hesitated—
Then followed.
Then another.
Momentum took hold.
Panic turned into motion.
Feet pounded against the dirt as more recruits broke into a run, some stumbling as they tried to keep up.
Catherine didn't move at first.
She watched.
Measured.
Then—
She stepped forward.
And ran.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
Behind her, the rest scrambled to follow—some still confused, some calling out, others frozen for just a second too long before fear dragged them forward.
The gates loomed ahead.
Wide open.
Waiting.
Beyond them—
The training ground stretched out like a trial.
Uneven earth.
Rough terrain.
Wooden structures rising at sharp angles.
Ropes swaying slightly in the morning wind.
Narrow paths.
Drops.
Obstacles that didn't look designed to teach—
But to break.
A girl tripped just past the entrance, hitting the ground hard.
No one stopped.
Someone shoved past her.
Another nearly fell trying to avoid her.
The run had already stopped being organized.
It was survival.
Catherine's pace didn't change.
Her eyes moved quickly, taking everything in—
Distances.
Openings.
Weak points.
She adjusted her path without slowing.
Ahead, a narrow beam stretched over a shallow pit.
Two recruits rushed it at once—
One slipped.
Fell hard.
A cry tore through the air.
Catherine didn't look down.
Didn't hesitate.
She leapt—
Landed clean—
And kept moving.
Behind them, at the edge of the field—
Jim watched.
Arms behind his back.
Unmoving.
Observing.
Counting.
No orders.
No help.
Just watching who would rise…
And who would fall.
The finish point came into view.
A marked line carved into the dirt.
Five recruits were already closing in.
Catherine pushed forward, breath steady, steps precise. The distance shrank fast—
Almost there.
Then—
BANG.
The world snapped sideways.
Something hard slammed into the side of her head.
Her vision shattered into white.
The ground rushed up—
—and she hit it.
Hard.
For a second, there was nothing.
Just ringing.
Just light.
Just… nothing.
Then it came back in fragments.
Blurred shapes.
Shadows moving.
Feet.
Running past her.
Catherine blinked, forcing her eyes to focus.
And she saw him.
Standing just ahead—
A boy.
Broad-shouldered. Taller. Solid.
A grin stretched across his face.
Satisfied.
Like he had just done something right.
Their eyes met.
Catherine's vision swam.
Her head throbbed violently, the impact still echoing through her skull.
He had used his arm—his upper arm—to drive straight into her.
Cheap.
Effective.
Intentional.
She pushed against the ground.
Tried to stand—
Her arms trembled.
The world tilted.
Before she could steady herself—
More recruits came.
Fast.
Too fast.
A body slammed into her shoulder.
Another shoved past her.
Boots kicked up dirt in her face.
Someone stepped on her hand—
She didn't even feel it fully.
Just pressure.
Just motion.
Just chaos.
They were rushing.
Climbing over each other.
Fighting for position.
For survival.
Catherine stayed down for half a second longer—
Not because she wanted to.
Because her body refused.
Her vision blurred again.
The ringing came back.
Louder.
Her jaw clenched.
Hard.
Then—
She forced herself up.
One knee.
Then the other.
Unsteady.
But rising.
Her eyes locked forward—
On the line.
On him.
The grin was gone now.
He had already moved on.
Catherine steadied her breath.
Pain pulsed through her head.
But it didn't matter.
Nothing mattered.
Not the hit.
Not the others.
Not the chaos.
Only one thing did.
Finish.
She leaned forward—
And ran again.
The world refused to steady.
Catherine staggered forward, each step uneven, her balance threatening to give way beneath her.
Her vision still blurred at the edges.
Her head throbbed with every heartbeat.
But she moved.
Slow.
Unsteady.
Still moving.
Ahead—
The line had already been crossed.
Recruits lay scattered across the ground, some flat on their backs, chests rising and falling as they fought for air. Others sat up, laughing weakly, relief written all over their faces.
A few even celebrated.
They had made it.
It was over.
Or so they thought.
Then—
Someone noticed her.
"…she's still going."
Heads turned.
One by one.
The murmurs faded.
Silence crept in.
Catherine walked forward, her steps dragging slightly now, her body struggling to keep up with her will.
Dirt clung to her skin.
Blood traced faintly down the side of her face.
Her breathing was uneven—
—but she didn't stop.
To them, it didn't make sense.
She had already lost.
Everyone here had crossed.
What was left to prove?
But Catherine didn't see it that way.
Didn't think of it that way.
She didn't care if this was a competition.
Didn't care about placement.
All she knew was—
They made it.
So why couldn't she?
Her jaw tightened.
I refuse to fail.
Another step.
Then another.
Her legs felt heavier now.
Her vision dipped—
She almost fell—
But caught herself.
Kept going.
Closer.
Closer—
Then—
She crossed the line.
No celebration.
No relief.
Just a quiet, final step.
And stillness.
For a moment, no one spoke.
They just watched her.
Trying to understand.
Trying to make sense of something that didn't fit.
Jim stood at the edge of the field, eyes fixed on her.
Not impressed.
Not surprised.
Just… observing.
Measuring.
Catherine stood there, breathing hard, her body swaying slightly as she fought to remain upright.
She didn't look at anyone.
Didn't acknowledge the stares.
Didn't care.
She had finished.
That was enough.