June 28th, 2032 | Resistance Training | 9 Days Remain

The next morning at 5:48, Kiera walked to the training ground with bloodshot eyes and the enthusiasm of a dying dog.

"I should've just rolled the dice; death is a blessing compared to waking up this early." She complained bitterly.

"You think you're joking, but you'll definitely feel that way before the end of our first training day." Kaze grinned from behind her, making her eyes widen.

However, she didn't look back in protest. "Isn't avoiding death the point of this torturous training?"

"Precisely." He smiled, "That's why I'll only take you to the brink of death."

She turned to him with horror in her eyes. "You're being serious, aren't you?"

"Of course." Kaze grinned maliciously, "You'll be horrified to learn how honest I am."

Kiera swallowed nervously. "Can't you take it easy on me, chief? For practical reasons,

I mean. If you nuke my enthusiasm, I'll turn into a Debbie Drowner, and Depressing Debbies are notoriously useless, you know?"