Training began the next morning.
And it was hell.
Alex showed no mercy.
Before dawn, Emrys ran until his lungs burned.
After that came combat—real combat. No holding back.
Broken skin. Bruises. Blood on concrete.
"Again," Alex would say.
"Stand up."
"Don't think. Move."
When Emrys collapsed, Alex dragged him back up.
When his fists shook, Alex struck harder.
There were days Emrys couldn't lift his arms.
Nights he fell asleep on the floor, still wearing blood-stained clothes.
And yet—
He didn't stop.
Week after week, his body hardened.
His movements sharpened.
Pain became familiar.
Then meaningless.
Somewhere along the way, the boy disappeared.
In his place stood something else.
Two years passed.
Emrys stood alone, staring at his reflection.
Taller.
Sharper.
Calmer.
The hatred in his eyes hadn't vanished—
It had been forged into focus.
The path ahead was no longer a question.
The war was waiting.
And this time—
He was ready.
Suddenly, Alex threw something at him.
"Here. Catch."
Emrys barely managed to grab it.
"…What's this supposed to be?" he asked.
Alex crossed his arms. "The mask. Jhin asked me to give it to you once you were ready."
Emrys looked down at it.
A pitch-black mask, covering both the eyes and mouth.
Its design allowed the top and bottom parts to separate slightly, giving it an eerie, inhuman look.
"You may be tall for your age," Alex continued, "but you still have the face of a child. Cover it up before we enter the military base."
Emrys turned the mask in his hands.
"…Don't you like it?" Alex asked.
"No," Emrys replied quietly. Then he lifted his head, his eyes burning with determination.
"It's perfect."
Alex smirked. "Good. Get ready. We leave in one hour. Pack your things."
That hour passed quickly.
Emrys packed everything he owned.
It didn't take long.
When he was done, he stood at the warehouse door, ready to leave. Before stepping outside, he paused and looked back.
Memories flooded in.
The times he collapsed from exhaustion.
The endless training.
The pain.
And—Jhin.
The day he left.
For a brief moment, his chest tightened.
Then he turned away.
"…I really hate this place."
And without looking back again, Emrys stepped forward to the path with no returning .
On the way to the military base where Emrys would be stationed, Alex filled him in on everything he needed to know beforehand.
"First rule," Alex said, eyes fixed on the road. "Do not take off your mask. We may have faked your personal information, but we can't fake how you look. If anyone asks, you're twenty-one years old. Got it?"
Emrys nodded in agreement.
"Good. Second rule—don't kill your allies."
"…That's a rule?" Emrys muttered.
"And third…" Alex hesitated. "Uh… have fun, I guess? I don't know. I kinda forgot what Jhin told me."
Emrys stared at him, unimpressed. What a hopeless fool.
"Any questions?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Emrys replied. "What's my name?"
Alex glanced at him, confused. "I don't know. You never told me."
"No," Emrys said slowly. "My official name. The one you signed me up with."
"Oh. You don't have one."
"…What?"
"How did you even sign me up then?" Emrys snapped.
Alex shrugged. "Buddy, it's war. The army needs every man they can get."
"…Then what do I say when they ask me?"
"Nothing," Alex replied calmly. "Just prove your skills. If you're useful enough, they won't care about your name."
Emrys searched Alex's face, trying to see if he was joking.
He wasn't.
"…Ha. Okay," Emrys said at last. "I'll just be myself then."
Alex's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "No. Don't."
Emrys tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because you're an arrogant punk," Alex shot back. "I can already see how many fights you're gonna start with that attitude."
"It's not that serious," Emrys replied. "I can behave when necessary."
"Yes—when necessary," Alex yelled. "But you won't, will you?"
Emrys ground his teeth, a faint grin forming beneath the mask.
"Who knows. We'll see when we get there."
Alex sighed and looked back to the road.
I don't know who his commander will be, he thought.
But… good luck, buddy. Good luck.