The courtyard of the training camp buzzed quietly with activity, but one presence cut through it all: Torrin.
Since Nikks' departure, he had changed. The brashness, the arrogance, the constant need to prove himself—it was gone. In its place was vigilance, discipline, and relentless focus. He trained harder than ever, running longer, striking faster, and refining every movement. He tried his best to court Jane in the meanwhile. But she gave him the cold shoulder. And then he stopped pestering her.
Torrin didn't speak to anyone, didn't look at anyone, and channeled all his energy into perfecting himself. He wanted to surpass him. The guy who took his woman away.
The instructors noticed. Surprised, impressed, approving.
Sandy, meanwhile, found himself driven by a different fire. Nikks' early awakening and departure weighed on him, pushing him to exceed his limits. He voluntarily ran with added weight, pushed himself harder during drills, and spent hours practicing with his daggers. His strikes became sharper, faster, more precise. Instructors watched his progress with interest, noting that his dedication rivaled even the best of the elites.
Jane on the other hand was as cheerful as always. She laughed and joked around. Nikks finally asked her out. That made her incredibly happy. But the fact that he left after their first date stung her.
Torrin had been chasing her months after Nikks left but she didn't look at him. She only loved one guy and that man was in the distant eastern headquarters. She was eagerly looking forward to meeting him again.
Time had passed—ten months since Nikks had graduated. The students were in their final year at the camp, and almost all of the elites had awakened. Sandy remained the exception. The pressure of being the last to awaken gnawed at him.
And as the year came to an end, the camp prepared for the final examination: the outdoor trials. In less than a week, the cadets would leave the safety of the zone for the relatively calmer wilderness outside. Under instructor supervision, they would hunt monsters, navigate the wilds, and be evaluated for their final ranks. This was more than a test—it was a rite of passage, the culmination of years of discipline and training, the ceremony that would mark the end of their time at the camp.
Sandy tightened his grip on his daggers, glancing briefly at the horizon. The final week loomed, the pressure mounting with every passing day. He could see others in the distance, focused, unyielding, fully immersed in thier own training. Sandy felt the weight of the challenge before him—but instead of fear, he felt resolve. He would awaken. He would meet the standards. And when the time came, he would step into the outdoor trial ready to prove himself.
The last days at the camp had begun. Every step, every strike, every breath mattered now.