The recruits assembled in the courtyard the next day, most of them exhausted and frightened. The courtyard had held seven hundred children from Bial, but now only three hundred remained.
What weighed most heavily on their hearts was the fate of those who didn't make it. Did they return to Bial? Did they return at all? They thought about it for a few hours at most—then forgot. Exhaustion and fear do that.
Their grim, angry faces turned to Boja, who stood before them once again, saying, "You made it. You completed the first training… you proved that no matter how tired or sleep-deprived you are, you can defend Frata for as long as it takes when danger arrives."
Mika, weary-faced, muttered, "Spare us your speeches. We're not in the mood, as you can see."
Even Ayk, usually so quick to reprimand Mika, was too drained to bother this time.
Arlo didn't think about the four hundred children who were gone, nor Tariya, but only Inini's gaze. He had disappointed her again. He left her friend on the ground… He'd failed again. And once more, it was Elir who changed how Inini looked at him. He would never forgive that man—never.
If looks could kill, Elir's head—he was standing beside Nier in the front row—would have burst into flames. But Elir was looking at Nier. Is Nier still thinking about the four hundred names in the cloth bag under his bed?
Boja walked among the thinned ranks until he stopped in front of Nier, saying, "But battle isn't just about fighting tired and sleep-deprived. A soldier must also endure pain."
He pulled a knife from his pocket and plunged it into Nier's abdomen.
A sharp agony flooded Nier's entire body. He clutched his stomach with one hand, vision blurring, mind reeling. A familiar, frightened voice pulled him back—Elir was screaming his name.
"Niiiiiir!"
He saw Elir lunge for Boja, but before Elir could reach him, Nier grabbed Elir's arm with his left hand, his right hand still pressed against the bleeding wound. Elir's face twisted in horror—teeth clenched, eyes dark, fixed on Nier and his bloodstained abdomen.
Nier said in a weak voice, "God, you're always so hasty… I'm sure the commander doesn't want to kill me."
Boja watched them intently. Nier glanced at him and continued, "Calm down, Elir… this is just another training, right, Commander Boja?"
Elir never took his gaze off Nier, but Boja could sense the fiery hatred directed at him. Even without looking at Elir, he felt its heat.
All around, soldiers with Black Wings on their chests appeared. The new recruits panicked; some began to cry like children, pleading with the soldiers.
Boja said, "The people of Frata believe the offspring of Lights are terrifying monsters with spiked wings, fangs, huge bodies… that they can heal themselves with the power of Light."
One by one, the soldiers stabbed the new recruits in the stomach. Elir took a blade himself, dark red blood soaking his clothes. Yet he neither moved nor flinched—his eyes remained on Nier.
Boja continued, "But I know you cannot heal your wounds. Your weak bodies are already scarred. This is no different from the battlefield—you'll have to fight with mortal wounds and defeat the enemy. If you survive this…"
Before he could finish, more of the frail-bodied recruits collapsed from blood loss.
"…you will prevail on the battlefield!"
Arlo wrapped strips of his own clothing around Inini's wound and his own. He cried out in terror, "You're bleeding a lot! What is this?! We might die here!"
Boja said, "Complete this training, overcome every obstacle, and then you'll receive treatment in the infirmary. If you don't finish…" His eyes darkened as his voice deepened. "…then you can die and rot here. We have no need for rotten flesh on the battlefield!"
Arlo tied a strip around Inini's torso. "Are you okay?"
Inini nearly fainted, but he caught her. She whispered, "I can't…"
Tears welled in Arlo's eyes. "It's okay. I'm with you… I'm with you."
Elsewhere, Seeta wobbled, clutching her stomach. She was close to losing consciousness too. But she planted her feet, sweat pouring down her forehead, staring at the blood dripping onto the ground. Every sound blurred into a dull ringing, her eyes fought not to close. A voice drew near, and she struggled to identify the figure.
It was the narrow-eyed, long-haired boy. She's seen him before… who is he? Where am I? Her vision flickered between him and the world around her. She was just here a moment ago, right?
Her knees buckled, but Mika caught her. He let out a shaky laugh. "Hey, hey… you okay? Or did you just want a hug?" His body was cold. Despite the indifferent look on his face, he was sweating and pale. He trembled from exhaustion, but somehow, leaning on him felt comforting.
She looked at him weakly. "Can I sleep now, Mom?"
Mika's heart sank. This girl… A grimace twisted his features as he held her hands. "Come on… let's go together."
Seeta pulled free and staggered forward on her own. "No… I can go alone."
Mika followed close behind, with Ayk beside him.
Elir tore a strip of his shirt to wrap around Nier's abdomen, yelling—his face full of rage, teeth clenched. "Let's go!"
Nier pressed the bandage, leaning on Elir's arm. "Let's go."
They ran. Everyone moved on, their weakened bodies pressed to the limit. It was standard army training—running, leaping obstacles, climbing walls, crawling under wires—but now with serious, bleeding wounds.
Blood soon covered the training ground, and the cries of the fallen echoed in the heat as hours passed. Inini and Arlo reached the finish and collapsed. Nearby lay others who managed to survive, including Nier, who was already asleep from sheer exhaustion, his face calm.
Inini gazed at his peaceful expression. She wished she could rest like that, feel even a moment of relief with her body on the cold ground. If I close my eyes now, I might never open them again. Yet she tried, letting her lids droop.
Just before sleep overtook her, she saw someone moving among those who hadn't finished, taking something from their pockets. A thief? A ghost? It was that young man with the ugly scar—the one from Azar's basement she always feared. He always seemed surrounded by fallen bodies. So it doesn't matter. Nothing strange here.
Now, I'll close my eyes.