The Rookie

As I stepped out of the meeting room, I was greeted by the familiar face of my classmate. He looked at me with a mix of awe and envy, and before I knew it, he had pulled me into a tight embrace.

"I can't believe you actually did it," he said, smiling.

"It wasn't an easy decision," I replied. "But it's one I have to make."

My classmate pulled back, looking at me with admiration.

"So, what's the next step?" he asked.

I thought for a moment before answering,

"Training, lots of training." I said.

Just as we were talking, a towering and imposing figure approached us. He was the leader of my classmate's squad, a man known for his fierce determination and unwavering courage. He had a scar running down his left cheek, a reminder of a past battle. His eyes were cold and hard, but there was a hint of warmth in his voice as he spoke.

"Welcome to the resistance, rookie," he said, extending his hand.

"I'm Captain Marcus, and I'll be in charge of your training." he continued

"You have a lot to learn, but I have faith that you will be a valuable asset to our team."

I could feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, but also a sense of pride and excitement. I knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but with the support of my teammates and the belief in our cause, I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

"So, what's next?" I asked.

"First, you'll be given a more detailed briefing on the current situation, and then we'll get you started on your training. It won't be easy tho, but with hard work and determination, I know you'll be a valuable asset to our team." he replied.

"And remember," he added, his voice serious.

"You're not just fighting for yourself, you're fighting for the freedom of our people. The stakes are high, but so is the reward. Are you ready for this?"

I met his gaze head-on, feeling a sense of determination and purpose wash over me.

"Yes," I said firmly. "I am ready for this."

Captain Marcus gave a curt nod, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Good. Let's get started then."

He turned and began to lead the way, my classmate following closely behind. I fell into step beside them, my heart pounding with excitement and nerves.

This was it. The start of my journey as a member of the resistance.

As I followed Captain Marcus and my classmate through the corridors of the resistance base, my nerves began to build.

We turned a corner and entered a large room filled with 150 new recruits, all of them staring at us with a mix of excitement and fear.

The Captain stepped in front of the new recruits, his presence commanding attention.

"Welcome, all of you," he sneered. "I am Captain Marcus, and I will be in charge of your training. But let me be clear, only the strongest, the most ruthless, will be joining my squad on the battlefield. The rest of you will be nothing but cannon fodder."

The room erupted in chaos as the new recruits began to shout and protest.

"This is unfair! We all want to fight!" they cried.

But the Captain was unmoved.

"This is war," he said, his voice cold and hard.

"We can't afford to have weak links. Only the strong will survive. Only the ones who are willing to do whatever it takes, to kill without hesitation, will make it through my training."

"But I assure you, with hard work and determination, any one of you has the potential to become one of the elite. That's if you're willing to sacrifice everything, to become a fighter."

The room fell silent, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over me.

The road ahead would be brutal and unforgiving, but I knew I had to be strong if I wanted to make it to the battlefield.

The Captain continued,

"We will be dividing you into two groups, each group made up of 75 individuals. You will be training for 5 weeks, and on the 6th week, the two groups will face off against each other in smaller groups. Those who are eliminated will not move on to the next stage.

Do you understand?"

The room shouted in unison, "Yess sir!" but in their eyes, I could see a mix of fear and determination.

The Captain's voice boomed throughout the room, his words sending shivers down the spines of the new recruits.

"This is not a game. This is not a hobby. This is war. And in war, there are no second chances. You will be pushed to your limits, and then beyond. Only the strong will survive. Only the best of the best will join my squad on the battlefield."

As he spoke, the tension in the room was palpable, the new recruits shifting uneasily in their seats.

My classmate stepped forward, carrying a large box. He placed it next to the Captain and opened the lid, revealing a pile of slips of paper.

"Each of you will come forward and draw a name," the captain said.

One by one, the new recruits stepped forward, their hands shaking as they reached into the box. I held my breath as I reached in, my heart racing as I pulled out a slip of paper. I unfolded it, my eyes scanning the name written there.

The captain waited until everyone had drawn a name before speaking again.

"The name of your trainer is on that slip of paper," he said with authority. "My name is Marcus, and...oh, I see we have a late arrival."

The door to the room suddenly opened, and a new man walked in. Though he was thin and frail in appearance, there was a strong presence and air of determination in the way he carried himself. He strode into the room with confidence, his eyes scanning the group of new recruits.

The room was filled with murmurs as the new recruits recognized him, a few of them whispering his name in awe.

"If you have my name, follow me," he said, his voice deep and menacing.

One of the new recruits shouted out, "And your name is?"

The man didn't hesitate. "Caesar," he said, and with that, the new recruits began to follow him out of the room, unsure of what lay ahead but determined to succeed.

As the recruits who had drawn the name Caesar began to filter out of the room, I found myself standing among a group of about 75 individuals who had all drawn the name, Marcus. Captain Marcus turned to face us, a grim look on his face.

He stepped forward, his eyes scanning the group of us who had drawn his name.

"Welcome to hell," he said, his voice cold and hard. "For the next 5 weeks, you will be living in a state of constant misery and pain. You will be pushed to your limits and beyond. Only the strongest will survive."

He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.

"But I assure you, with hard work and determination, any one of you has the potential to become one of the elite."

With that, he signalled to my classmate, who stepped forward carrying a second box.

"Each of you will now draw a number," he said, as he opened the lid. One by one, we stepped forward and drew a number from the box. I felt a sense of dread wash over me as I realized that these numbers would determine our fate for the next 5 weeks. I held my breath as I reached into the box, my heart was pounding as I unfolded mine, my eyes scanning the number written there. I had drawn the number 6.

The Captain waited until everyone had drawn a number before speaking again.

"You will be living in these numbers for the next 5 weeks," he said, his voice cold and hard. "They will determine your training schedule, your living arrangements, and your chances of survival."

Captain Marcus then gestured to a group of 6 individuals who were standing at the back of the room. They were all clad in black combat gear, and their eyes were cold and hard.

"These are the elite members of my squad," he said.

"One of them will be your squad leader, and you will be training under them. Training will start early tomorrow, but for now, you are free to explore the base and meet your group members. Get to know each other, as you will be living and fighting together for the next 5 weeks."

With that, the 6 elite members stepped forward, and the recruits began to filter out of the room, following their designated squad leader to their living arrangements.

I was determined to find my group members, so I started asking around for anyone who had drawn the number 6.

As I was making my way through the base, I spotted one of the elite squad members holding a sign with the number 6 on it.

Three people were already standing with her, so I approached them and introduced myself.

They were friendly and seemed eager to get to know me.

As we were talking, three more people came to join our group.

Two of them were arrogant and demanding, but I tried to ignore their attitude and focus on getting to know my new teammates.

As we continued to talk and get to know each other, the elite squad member who was holding the sign with the number 6 on it, turned to us and asked "So, what do you all want to do now?

Do you want to explore the base or head back and get some rest?"

Without hesitation, we all shouted, "Let's explore!" She let out a small giggle and said "Alright then, march forward!" with a playful and light-hearted tone.

As we made our way through the base, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and excitement at the sights and sounds around me. The base was bustling with activity, and I could see other members of the resistance training and preparing for battle. The energy was palpable, and I could feel a sense of purpose and determination emanating from everyone.

As we walked through the different sections of the base, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and excitement at the thought of being a part of this elite squad and fighting for our cause.

As we continued to explore the base, we stumbled upon a large armoury, filled with all kinds of weapons and equipment. I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the thought of using these tools in battle. My teammates and I exchanged excited glances as we walked through the armoury, taking in all the sights and sounds.

As we continued our exploration, we came across a training ground where we saw some of the other resistance members practising their combat skills. I couldn't help but feel a sense of envy as I watched them, knowing that I too would soon be training and fighting alongside them.

As we walked through the base, I couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie and trust growing between my group members and me. We had all been brought together by a common cause and shared a sense of purpose.

I knew that we were going to be living and fighting together for the next 5 weeks, so it was important for us to establish a sense of camaraderie and trust.

As we continued to explore the base, our squad leader turned to us and said, "Alright team, it's getting late and we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We should head back to our living arrangements and get some rest."

We reluctantly agreed and began to make our way back. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment that our exploration had come to an end.

As we made our way back, my squad members and I continued to chat and get to know each other. We were all eager to learn more about each other and our backgrounds.

Once we arrived at our living quarters, we all settled in and started getting to know each other. We shared stories and experiences, bonding over our shared passion for the resistance cause. I was excited to be a part of such a dedicated and passionate group of individuals.

As we settled into our bunks for the night, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the training and challenges that lay ahead. I knew that with the support of my teammates and the belief in our cause.

The next day, we woke up early and headed to the training ground. As we began training, we were divided into groups of six. I was in group six with five other individuals.

The first person to introduce himself was. Eirlys. a quiet and reserved man who seemed to have a wealth of knowledge and experience. He shared stories of his time fighting on the front lines and his passion for the resistance cause was evident in his words.

Next was Niamh, a fierce and determined woman who joined the resistance to fight for her family and her country. She shared her experiences of growing up in a war-torn country and how that had driven her to join the resistance.

The third was Xavien, a charismatic and outgoing man who had joined the resistance to make a difference and bring about change in his country. He had a way of making everyone feel at ease and his positivity was contagious.

Last were two individuals, Vestera and Darian.

After that, our squad leader, Krystallea, stepped forward and addressed us.

"Listen up," she said, her voice commanding and serious.

"At the end of this week, you will be taking an exam.

It will test everything you've learned over the past few days and determine whether or not you are ready to move on to the next stage of training."

Krystallea went on to explain the different events that would be part of the exam, such as strength, power, endurance, agility, core strength, and cardiovascular strength.

"All events must be completed under 50 minutes," She added and then stated

" Don't worry, you'll have multiple chances to retake the exams. But, unless you pass them, you won't be able to move on to the next stage of training."

She paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in before concluding, "Got that?"

We all shouted in unison, "Yes, madam!"

As we all gathered for our weekly exam, nerves were running high. We had been pushing ourselves to the limit during training, with long hours, intense physical exercises, and hardly any sleep for the past few days. But we were determined to pass this test.

As we went through each event, the weight of failure was heavy on our shoulders. We knew that this exam would determine whether or not we were ready to move on to the next stage of training and become true soldiers.

When the final event was over, we all waited anxiously for the results. When Squad Leader Krystallea approached us with a look of pride on her face, we knew we had done it.

"I am proud to say that all of you have passed the first week's exam," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "You've shown great determination and resilience in the face of adversity. You've proven that you have what it takes to be soldiers."

We all let out a collective sigh of relief, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over us. We had done it! We had passed the first week's exam and were ready to move on to the next stage of training.

"Now that you've passed the first exam, you'll move on to the next stage of training," Krystallea informed us, her tone becoming more serious.

"This stage will focus on the fundamentals of soldiering, core army values, army traditions and ethics, and what it means to be a soldier. It will also test your mental and physical strength as well as your ability to adapt to stressful situations.

The following week will be even more challenging, as you'll be trained in self-discipline, teamwork, combat skills, night training, hand-to-hand combat, and weapons training. You'll be pushed to your limits, both physically and mentally, and you'll be faced with situations that will test your ability to survive.

Are you ready for what lies ahead?"

We all shouted in unison, "Yes, we are!"

"But let me be clear," Krystallea continued, her voice growing more grave. "This next stage of training will not be easy. It will push you to your limits, both physically and mentally. You will be tested in ways you never thought possible. You will be pushed to the brink of collapse, and you will question whether or not you can continue. But remember, you're not just fighting for yourselves, you're fighting for the freedom of our people. The stakes are high, and so is the cost."

She paused, looking each of us in the eye, her gaze intense and unwavering. "You will have to make sacrifices, and you will have to be willing to give everything you have. But if you are willing to pay that price, if you are willing to suffer and sacrifice, then you will become true soldiers. You will become the ones who will lead our people out of misery."

We all stood there, staring at her in silence, feeling a mix of fear, determination and resolve. We knew that what she said was true, and we knew that the next stage of training would be gruelling, but we were ready for it. We were ready to pay the price, to suffer and sacrifice, to become true soldiers, to fight for our freedom and the freedom of our people.

As we left the meeting room, we all looked at each other with a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. We had been through a lot together, and we knew that we could rely on each other. We were a team, and together, we could accomplish anything.