Victor led Marcus down a quiet corridor of the academy, the hum of distant activity echoing softly through the walls. They stopped in front of a large, well-lit room, its door slightly ajar.
The room was enormous, roughly 30 by 30 meters, with a completely padded floor that covered every inch, perfect for training. In one corner, a simple bed with a thin mattress rested neatly against the wall. The space was brightly lit, the light bouncing off the walls and floor, giving it a clean, open feel.
Along one wall, various weapons were neatly arranged and propped up, ready for use. In the far left corner, a small chalkboard and a single desk were set up, as if the room doubled as a classroom for one student at a time.
In the center stood a woman. She had striking orange, curly hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she wore a plain t-shirt tucked into tight black pants that emphasized her robust, athletic 1,80 metres build, like that of a professional wrestler. A noticeable scar ran along her left cheek, adding to the intensity of her presence. Her eyes were a deep brown, serious and sharp, and she looked to be around thirty, as if she was already assessing Marcus with a single glance.
Victor stopped a few steps away from the woman and gestured toward her. "Marcus, this is Kara Veyra. She's a Rank 3 Transformer and will be responsible for your training over the next two weeks." Victor gave a small smile and a nod. "Alright, I'll leave you two to it. Take care, Marcus." With that, he turned and walked out, leaving the door closed behind him
Kara stepped closer and extended her hand. Marcus took it firmly, meeting her gaze without hesitation.
"Welcome to the Intensive Training Room," she said, her voice calm but commanding. "This isn't my first time running a session like this. It's a common practice here—sometimes students arrive late or need to catch up, and they undergo an intensive training to prepare them for what's ahead."
Kara turned her back and began walking toward the wall lined with weapons. Her movements were calm and precise, each step measured.
"The school board has instructed me to get you ready for the exam," she said over her shoulder, her voice firm and unwavering. "We have only two weeks. In that time, we're going to cover everything the other students have done in a month. I believe you already know that this training will be intense and demanding,
When she reached the wall, she stopped and turned to face him. "So," she asked, raising an eyebrow, "which weapon do you use?"
Marcus shrugged casually.
"None, my fists I guess," he replied simply.
Kara's lips curved into a small, approving smile. She turned back toward him and walked over
Suddenly, she squared up in front of him, locking eyes with Marcus. In a calm, steady tone, she said, "We'll start with a sparring session."
As soon as she finished speaking, she delivered a high kick aimed straight at Marcus's head. Instinctively, without thinking, he blocked the kick with his arms. Before he even had time to raise his arms to block, she followed up with a punch to his stomach. With no time to block, Marcus quickly jumped backward, aiming to soften the impact, but the force was such that she still sent him sliding across the padded floor.
Kara's lips curved into a small smile, a sharp contrast to the seriousness she had shown before. "Good reaction time," she said, with a excited tone in his voice.
Kara's smile faded, her gaze sharpening once again. "Come on, Marcus. Get ready. Don't just stand there—focus!."
Marcus nodded and shifted quickly into position,
Kara lunged forward immediately, throwing a left hook aimed at Marcus's head. He instinctively ducked, slipping under her punch, and responded with a sharp uppercut.
Kara quickly stepped back, avoiding the uppercut, and countered with a low kick aimed at his legs. Marcus lifted his leg just in time, blocking her kick with his shin.
He followed with a straight right punch, aiming for her face, but Kara sidestepped skillfully, letting the punch pass harmlessly.
Both of them stepped back, resetting their positions, eyes locked, measuring each other once again.
Marcus charged and threw a sharp punch toward Kara's shoulder. She ducked under it, meeting him with her shoulder to his chest and using the impact to unbalance him.
Kara seized the moment and threw a straight left punch aimed at Marcus's face. Despite his slight imbalance, Marcus shifted his weight quickly, moving to Kara's left. In the same motion, he swept her leg before her foot could fully touch the floor, causing her to lose balance. She fell to the padded floor, rolled rapidly across it, and sprang up from the ground, landing on her feet instantly, eyes locked on him, ready for the next move.
Marcus turned around and saw an opening, so he lunged toward her with a medium-height left kick. Kara stepped back to dodge the kick, appearing momentarily off balance. Sensing the opportunity to finish, Marcus immediately followed with a straight right punch. But Kara, with impeccable timing, dodged the punch, caught his arm, and using his momentum, flipped it over her shoulder, slamming him onto the padded floor.
Marcus hit the padded floor with a thud, the impact jarring but controlled thanks to the mat.
Marcus lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. A grin spread across his face as he let out a breathless laugh.
"Wow… that was incredible," he said.
Kara stepped back without a word, crossing the room with calm, deliberate strides. She reached the small drawer beside the bed, pulled it open, and took out a thick book. Turning back toward Marcus, still lying on the mat, she tossed it at him in a casual arc.
Marcus caught the book against his chest, still lying on the mat. He glanced up at her with a half-smile.
"That stumble of yours… it was fake, wasn't it? A trap."
Kara crossed her arms, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Don't ask questions when you already know the answer."
Marcus lowered his gaze to the book in his hands and read the title on the cover: Survival Guide: Adaptation and Combat in the Field.
"Read it tonight," Kara said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Tomorrow, your real training begins." She pointed toward the door. "Out in the hall, to the left, you'll find a shower and a bathroom. A staff member will bring your dinner here later. You'll be sleeping in the corner bed during the training."
With that, Kara turned and headed for the door. Her footsteps echoed softly against the padded floor as she left the training room.
Out in the hallway, walking with her usual steady stride, she let her thoughts drift back to the sparring session. A small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips.
This kid… he's interesting, she thought.