Location: Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science
Date and Time: October 25, 2558 – 0430 Hours
The air was cold and unforgiving as we assembled in the darkness before dawn, the faint glow of the academy's lights barely illuminating the edges of the training grounds. Today was different. We all knew it the moment the instructors had roused us from our bunks in the dead of night, their voices clipped and harsh.
No one knew exactly what was coming, but we could feel it. The pressure in the air, the heaviness of the moment. Today wasn't just another day of training. It was a test—one of the biggest we'd faced since arriving at the academy. The kind of test that could break you.
I stood in formation with the others, our breaths visible in the cold morning air, each of us steeling ourselves for whatever came next. The ranks had thinned even more in the past few weeks. Now, only about 450 of us remained from the original 750. By the end of today, that number would be even smaller.
"Listen up, Spartans," the lead instructor shouted, his voice carrying across the training grounds like a whip. "Today, you will face your most grueling test yet. We're going to push you beyond anything you've experienced so far. And by the end of it, some of you won't make it."
There was no reaction from the recruits—no one flinched, no one spoke. We had heard these warnings before. But today, they carried extra weight. Everyone knew what was at stake.
"Prepare yourselves," the instructor continued. "Because this will be a fight for survival."
The command was given, and we moved in unison, marching toward the obstacle course that loomed ahead of us. But this time, the course was different. The instructors had changed it, altered it to make it even more dangerous, more punishing. I could see the jagged steel walls and barbed wire, the pits filled with mud and debris, the ropes that stretched high into the air like a test of endurance.
As we approached the course, I exchanged a quick glance with Hale, who was standing next to me, his face set in a grim expression. We both knew this was going to be brutal, but we were ready. We had to be.
The first part of the test was a long-distance endurance run. We were given full gear—armor, packs, and weapons—and told to run. No time limit. No breaks. Just run until they told us to stop. The terrain was harsh, rocky, and uneven, designed to trip you up, to wear you down. The weight of the gear pressed down on me with every step, but I forced myself to keep going, matching my pace with the others.
After what felt like hours, we reached the first obstacle. A steep, jagged wall of metal that stretched up into the sky, its surface slick with morning dew. One by one, we began to climb. My hands gripped the cold steel, my arms straining as I pulled myself up. The muscles in my shoulders burned, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
By the time I reached the top and hauled myself over, my breath was ragged, but I kept moving. There was no time to rest. No time to recover. The next obstacle was already looming ahead—a pit of mud and debris, barbed wire stretched low over the surface, daring us to crawl through it.
The mud sucked at my arms and legs as I crawled forward, the barbed wire cutting close to my back. Every inch felt like a battle, but I pushed through, my mind focused on the goal ahead. Behind me, I could hear others struggling, their grunts and curses carried on the wind.
"Come on, Kowalski," Hale called out from somewhere behind me. "Don't slow down!"
I gritted my teeth, pulling myself out of the mud pit and back onto solid ground. My entire body ached, my muscles screaming in protest, but there was no time to feel it. I had to keep going.
The obstacles continued, each one more punishing than the last. Rope climbs, steep inclines, balance beams that wobbled underfoot, and walls that seemed to grow taller with each step. By the time we reached the final challenge—a brutal endurance course through a rocky ravine—I could barely feel my legs.
The ravine was narrow, the rocks jagged and sharp. We were forced to move quickly, ducking and weaving through the narrow passage as the instructors shouted at us to keep up the pace. My lungs burned with every breath, my legs threatening to give out beneath me, but I forced myself to keep moving.
Beside me, Hale was breathing hard, but he hadn't slowed down. His face was a mask of determination, and I knew that neither of us was going to quit. We'd come too far for that.
As we neared the end of the ravine, the final obstacle came into view—a sheer cliff that rose high above us, the final test of strength and endurance. There was no way to avoid it. We had to climb. One by one, we began to ascend the cliff face, our hands gripping the rough rock as we pulled ourselves up, inch by inch.
My arms trembled with the effort, but I kept going, my mind focused on the top. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, but I pushed through it. I had to.
By the time I reached the top, I was drenched in sweat, my chest heaving as I pulled myself over the edge and collapsed onto the ground. Hale was right behind me, his face pale with exhaustion, but he made it.
We both lay there for a moment, catching our breath, before the instructors approached.
"You've made it this far," the lead instructor said, his voice cold and impassive. "But this is only the beginning. The hardest part is still ahead. If you want to be a Spartan, you'll need to dig deeper. You'll need to push yourself further than you ever thought possible."
I stared up at the sky, the weight of his words pressing down on me. The test wasn't over. We had passed this challenge, but there would be more. There was always more.
But I wasn't going to quit. Not now. Not ever.
As the day came to a close, we gathered in the barracks, too exhausted to speak. The training was wearing us down, but those of us who remained were becoming stronger, more resilient. The weak had already been weeded out. Now, it was just us—the ones who refused to give up.
As I lay on my bunk, staring up at the ceiling, I thought about Emily, about Lina and Eli. They were my reason for pushing through this. They were the reason I was still here.
I would become a Spartan for them. No matter how hard it got, no matter how much pain I had to endure, I would make it through.