Very good."
Shu's voice cuts through the room as the last shadow construct dissolves into smoke. He steps forward from the darkness, hands clasped behind his back, posture straight, eyes sharp.
"That," he says evenly, "is what cooperation looks like."
The air feels lighter. Not relaxed, just… less tense.
"You have two days remaining," Shu continues. "Two days to refine your control. Your emotions must remain restrained. Fear is a weakness. Indulgence is worse." His gaze lingers on each of us, stopping on me just a fraction longer than the others. "If either takes hold, your dragon will not hesitate to exploit it."
For a brief moment, something almost unreadable passes across his face. Not warmth. Not pride.
Approval.
William leans slightly toward Cameron and mutters, "Was that… a smile?"
Cameron snorts under his breath. "Don't get used to it."
Jordan hears anyway. She rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything.
Shu raises a hand and the room quiets instantly.
"Your growth has been significant," he says. "Your coordination, timing, and reaction speed have improved. Individually, you are dangerous. Together, you are effective. But do not mistake progress for readiness."
A pause.
"After these two days, you will be deployed."
The word lands heavy.
Maya is the first to speak. "Deployed how?"
"Live response," Shu answers. "The system monitors shadow activity across the city. When a breach occurs, you respond. You defend. You eliminate the threat."
Jordan exhales slowly. "So no simulations."
"No," Shu says. "No safety net."
Silence.
"You will move unseen," he continues. "No witnesses. No names. No hesitation. If your identities are exposed, you endanger yourselves and everyone connected to you."
"Yes, Sensei," we say together.
"Training resumes tomorrow. Noon. Do not be late."
Without another word, Shu turns and disappears into the shadows of the dojo, as if the darkness itself accepts him.
For a moment, none of us speak.
"So," Cameron says carefully, trying to sound upbeat, "we actually didn't die. That's a win, right?"
A weak chuckle escapes him. No one joins in.
Jordan looks at me.
Not with anger this time. Not with challenge.
Assessment.
I notice it. Meet her gaze. Neither of us looks away.
Maya sighs quietly. "This was inevitable."
"I think we can do this," I say. "If we keep working together."
Jordan scoffs. "That depends."
"On what?" I ask.
"On whether you can actually lead," she says bluntly. "Or if Shu just handed you the position and hoped we'd deal with it."
Cameron stiffens. "Jordan—"
"No," I say, holding up a hand. "Let her finish."
Jordan crosses her arms. "You were the first one recruited. The first one told the truth. The first one trusted with everything. Don't tell me that doesn't matter."
"She's not wrong," I admit quietly. "I was first."
Maya steps between us slightly. "And that doesn't automatically make him unfit."
Jordan's jaw tightens.
"Look," I say, taking a breath, "we're going on a real mission. No practice. No reset. If you think I'm going to mess this up…"
I meet her eyes again.
"Then you lead the first mission."
Cameron's eyes widen. "That is a terrible idea."
Maya shakes her head. "William—"
"No," I repeat. "If Jordan wants the responsibility, she can have it. If she succeeds, I'll accept it. No arguments."
Jordan studies me for a long moment.
Then she smiles.
"Deal," she says. "And when I prove you wrong, don't complain."
Cameron groans. "We are so dead."
Maya doesn't laugh.
She just watches us both, her expression unreadable.
"I hope," she says quietly, "that pride doesn't kill us before the shadows try."
It's been three days since that last training session.
Three days of nonstop drills. Refining our abilities. Learning our limits. Learning how close we are to breaking them.
And still, the tension hasn't faded.
If anything, it's worse.
The first mission hangs over all of us like a blade. No one says it out loud, but we're all thinking the same thing. We might fail. We might freeze. We might die.
What makes it worse is the fracture in the team. Especially between me and Jordan.
She's leading the first mission.
Which means right now, there is no real leader at all.
"Line up," Shu commands.
His voice cuts clean through the room.
We obey immediately, forming up in the center of the dojo.
"Today is your final sparring session before deployment," he continues. "Two versus two."
Maya raises a hand. "Teams?"
"You and William," Shu says, turning slightly. "Against Jordan and Cameron."
Cameron cracks a grin. "About time."
Jordan doesn't smile. She just looks at me. Focused. Sharp.
"This is not a competition," Shu says flatly. "This is an evaluation. I will count down. On one, you engage."
The room goes quiet.
"Three."
I exhale.
"Two."
My grip tightens around my sword.
"One."
"Engage."
Everything explodes into motion.
Maya moves first, flowing toward Cameron like water spilling downhill. She sweeps low, forcing him to retreat, expecting him to rush in like he used to.
But Cameron doesn't rush.
He presses.
A constant barrage of lightning-fast strikes. No pause. No overextension.
Maya dodges, smooth and controlled, waiting for the opening she's seen a dozen times before.
But Cameron is waiting for that.
She counters.
He vanishes.
A crack of thunder behind her and his elbow slams into her back, electricity flaring on impact.
Maya hits the floor hard.
"I've learned," Cameron says quietly.
My stomach drops.
Two against one.
Jordan steps forward, kunai glinting.
"Oh, you're done," she says.
I meet her eyes. "You're not the one ending this."
Cameron lunges in.
I sweep his leg, pivot, and drag fire across the floor in a burning arc, forcing him back.
Jordan doesn't hesitate.
She comes at me fast. Faster than before.
Steel flashes. The ground shakes under her steps.
I dodge once. Twice.
The third strike catches my cheek.
Blood.
"First blood," she says, smiling.
Something in me snaps tight.
I breathe in.
Fire condenses along my blade, heat screaming down my arm. I drive forward, forcing Cameron back with a blazing slash, then kick him hard in the chest.
He skids across the floor.
Now it's just us.
We lock eyes.
Silence.
Then we collide.
Strike for strike. No space. No mercy.
Steel and stone. Fire and earth.
Her kunai bite in fast combinations. My sword answers with burning arcs. The dojo floor cracks. Sparks scatter. The air warps with heat.
We don't slow.
We don't think.
We just fight.
Our dragons bleed through.
The ground trembles violently beneath Jordan's feet, her aura spiraling, wild and furious.
My flames surge brighter, hotter, uncontrolled.
This isn't sparring anymore.
This is rage.
This is instinct.
This is killing intent.
"Oh no," Shu says sharply.
We both commit at the same time.
A final strike.
And then—
Impact.
The world flips.
I slam into the floor, breath knocked from my lungs.
Jordan crashes beside me.
Shu stands between us, one hand extended, the other clenched tight.
"Enough," he says, voice cold with fury. "Control yourselves."
My hands shake.
My vision burns orange.
I look at Jordan.
Her confidence is gone. Her face is pale. Her hands tremble just like mine.
We weren't trying to win.
We were trying to end each other.
"That ends sparring," Shu says. "You will still deploy. But hear this clearly."
He looks at each of us.
"If you lose yourselves out there, you will not get a second chance. You will die."
The alarms blare.
"Shadow activity detected. Docks district. Warehouse 105. Redwood Boat Hardware."
The mission.
Now.
We collect our weapons in silence.
No jokes. No arguments.
As we head out, Jordan and I glance at each other one last time.
No words.
Just understanding.
And regret.