As the finish line drew closer, Duke felt his heart pounding in his chest, not just from exhaustion but from excitement. The cold wind whipped against his face, and his legs screamed in protest, but he refused to slow down. Kairoz was right behind him, his expression as unreadable as ever, his movements calculated and precise. Darius and Varian weren't far behind either, both pushing their limits to keep up. The final stretch was just ahead—a steep incline that would test every ounce of strength they had left. Gritting his teeth, Duke adjusted the stone on his back and leaned forward, determination blazing in his eyes. "Almost there…" he muttered, ignoring the burning in his muscles as he surged ahead, ready to claim victory.
Kairoz and Duke matched each other stride for stride, their breaths heavy but controlled as they pushed toward the finish line. Darius and Varian trailed close behind, refusing to give in. But then—THUD. THUD. THUD.
The ground trembled beneath them as a massive figure charged forward like an unstoppable beast. A hulking man, carrying the largest stone of them all, barreled ahead with terrifying speed. His muscles bulged, his steps thunderous, and within seconds, he overtook both Darius and Varian with ease.
Duke's eyes widened. No way…
Kairoz, usually unshaken, flicked his gaze toward the monstrous competitor. The brute didn't slow down. He powered past them like they were standing still, his overwhelming strength and endurance on full display.
In a matter of moments, he crossed the finish line first, leaving Duke and Kairoz stunned in his wake.
Duke gritted his teeth and forced himself forward, crossing just behind the brute. Kairoz followed a second later, his calm mask barely hiding his irritation. Varian and Darius stumbled in next, both panting, their egos bruised.
Silence hung in the air for a moment before Duke exhaled sharply. "Okay… who the hell was that guy?"
"The first to cross the line was Drex!" a soldier announced, watching the massive man come to a stop. "Followed by Duke in second, and Kairoz in third."
A murmur ran through the observing soldiers. "All three of them carried the heaviest stones," one muttered. "They'll be getting the highest marks for this."
Kairoz stood still, staring at the scene with a rare look of disbelief. I came third? He replayed the race in his mind, struggling to accept the outcome. He had expected Duke to be a challenge, but Drex? The sheer brute force and speed the man possessed was absurd.
Duke, still catching his breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead. His legs felt like they were on fire, but he couldn't help but grin.
"That was nice," came a deep, rumbling voice.
Duke turned to see Drex towering over him, arms crossed, a smirk on his face.
"You did great too," Drex said, nodding in approval. "You almost beat me."
Duke let out a breathless chuckle. "Yeah, almost."
"You did great too, Kairoz," Duke said, flashing a grin.
"Tch." Kairoz clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned away, clearly not in the mood for conversation.
Duke watched him walk off and shrugged. "Yeah, he's not taking it well," he muttered.
Nearby, Varian stood with his arms crossed, frustration evident on his face. "How could a noble like me end up in fourth place?" he grumbled. But then, to everyone's surprise, his frown suddenly vanished, replaced by a wide grin. He threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha! I never thought a training school would be this interesting!"
Darius, who had just caught his breath, nudged Kairoz. "Hey, you got third. How is that even possible?"
"Hey, keep quiet," Kairoz snapped, still irritated. He exhaled sharply before adding, "They were better than me, that's all."
After a while, more recruits started crossing the finish line—some barely making it, while others collapsed before even reaching it. The harsh training had pushed them to their limits.
Jack finally made it across, stumbling slightly as he reached the group. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he placed his hands on his knees, gasping for air. "Hey... Duke... you got first place, right?" he asked between gasps for air.
"Hey, hey, take it easy," Duke said with a chuckle. "I actually got second."
Jack furrowed his brows, still trying to catch his breath. "Then Kairoz must've taken first, right?"
Duke shook his head. "Nope. He came in third. This guy was the first to cross." He gestured toward Drex.
"Yo," Drex said casually, raising a hand in greeting.
Jack's eyes widened as he looked up at the towering figure. "He's freaking huge, man," he muttered, still trying to catch his breath.
"Uff… uff… finally, we made it Touka ," Samaira panted, nearly collapsing as she stumbled across the finish line.
"Yeah…" Touka barely managed to whisper before her legs gave out. She dropped to her knees, the weight of the stone finally too much to bear. "Finally…" she breathed, exhaustion washing over her.
"Hey, are you two alright?" Duke asked, his brows furrowed in concern as he approached.
Touka flinched at his voice. Her pulse quickened, and her fingers tightened around her sleeve. She could feel the heat rising to her face beneath the mask. Stay calm. Breathe.
"I'm alright, but my friend here is not," Samaira replied, still catching her breath.
Touka swallowed hard, her throat dry. Damn it, why is he here? She kept her gaze averted, trying to shrink into herself. If she spoke too much, Duke might recognize her voice. The mask distorted it slightly, but it wasn't foolproof.
"N-no... I'm alright," she stammered, her voice a little too uneven. She winced internally. That was terrible.
Samaira's eyes narrowed. "Hey, what's wrong with your voice?" she asked, concern flickering in her expression.
"She needs help," Samaira insisted, turning to Duke. "You—carry her to the camp!"
"S-Sure," Duke stammered, stepping forward.
But before he could reach her, Touka shot to her feet with almost panicked urgency, waving her hands. "I'm fine!" she blurted out, a little too loudly. Her forced smile twitched, and she took a cautious step back, keeping her head low.
Jack jogged over, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Hey, Duke, what's going on?"
"I thought they needed help," Duke said, glancing between Touka and Samaira, still perplexed.
Samaira crossed her arms, eyeing Touka with suspicion. "You're really weird, you know that? A moment ago, you were practically dying, and now you're standing like nothing happened."
Touka exhaled slowly, steadying herself. Just play it off.
"We don't need help," Samaira added, turning back to Duke with a small smile. "But thanks for asking."
Jack grinned and threw an arm around Duke's shoulder. "Hey, let's go! There's a bonfire and food waiting for us!"
Duke chuckled, shaking his head at Jack's excitement before turning toward Touka and Samaira. "You two should join us. It'll be fun."
Samaira stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh. "Oh, absolutely! I need food, and I'm not passing up a warm fire. Let's go, Touka!"
Touka hesitated for a moment before nodding, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah... sure."
With that, the group made their way toward the camp, the golden glow of the bonfire flickering in the distance, promising warmth and much-needed rest.
As they walked toward the camp, Duke couldn't shake the feeling that her voice sounded familiar. It was muffled by the mask, making it hard to be certain, but something about it nagged at him. He glanced at her as they walked, his mind trying to place it.
Before long, they reached the bonfire, where soldiers sat around in small groups, their faces illuminated by the warm flickering flames. The air smelled of roasted meat, and the soft crackling of burning wood mixed with the low murmur of conversation. Some soldiers were handing out food to the exhausted recruits, while others simply sat back, letting the warmth ease their aching muscles.
Duke stretched his arms and sighed, feeling the exhaustion settle in. He turned to the others. "Let's introduce ourselves."
Samaira grinned, her energy still surprisingly high despite the grueling day. "Sure, why not? I'm Samaira, from the western part of the country."
She turned to Duke with an expectant look. "And you?"
Duke noted her enthusiastic nature and replied, "I'm Duke, from Tyaga Village."
"I'm Jack, also from Tyaga Village," Jack added, plopping down near the fire with a satisfied sigh.
Samaira's eyes lit up. "So, you two are friends?"
"Yup," Duke and Jack answered at the same time.
Duke then turned his gaze toward Touka, who had been quiet the entire time. The firelight flickered in her darkened eyes as she hesitated for a split second before answering.
"I—I am Touka Howards from Timberline," she said, her voice steady but subdued.
Duke's eyes lingered on her. Something about the way she said it... the slight pause…
"That's great. We just passed through there," he said casually. Then, his tone shifted slightly, his expression darkening. "It was sad for us to be there, though. Two soldiers were killed by a masked gang."
The fire crackled, filling the momentary silence. Duke's gaze remained fixed on her, watching for any reaction.
Touka lowered her head slightly, her fingers tightening around her sleeve. "Oh… I heard about that," she said softly. She made a sad face as she continued, "I was in Bastionspire at the time." Her eyes met his, steady and unwavering.
"You're talking about the white-haired masked girl and her gang?" Samaira asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yup, we even faced her," Jack said, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth.
Samaira's eyes widened. "What?! Really? How do you know it was her?"
"We were witnesses," Duke said, his voice taking on a sharper edge. He stared into the fire, his jaw tightening slightly. "I saw two soldiers get killed right in front of me." His fingers curled into a fist as he spoke. "I can't forget it… their masks, their voices…"
His gaze flicked toward Touka again, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Touka fought to keep her expression neutral, but she could feel her heartbeat hammering against her ribs.
"Their voices… so you must have seen them up close," she said, keeping her tone calm.
Duke nodded slowly, exhaling. His eyes remained locked onto her as he added, "Their voices were a bit blurry, but I still can't forget their words—especially the white-haired masked girl."
As he said, his gaze lingered on Touka for a second too long. The flames danced in his eyes, reflecting his unshaken memory of that night.
Touka swallowed, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her cloak beneath the table. Stay calm. Stay in control.
The warm glow of the fire did little to chase away the cold weight in her chest.