Vol.4/Chapter 4: Punishment (III)

Luca’s POV

The morning sun hadn’t even fully crept past the treetops, yet the training field was already alive with movement. Sweat-slicked bodies moved through drills, sparring partners grunted and snarled, and the familiar sound of fists meeting wood echoed under the open sky. Theo and I were in the center again—our third straight day of punishment under Chief Rakthu.

Except… it wasn’t punishment anymore. Not entirely.

It had started that way. Harsh, unrelenting, crushing. But now, it was changing—shifting. We were faster now. Sharper. We moved more like hunters than cubs swinging sticks. Our bodies ached, yes, but the motion was becoming fluid. Synchronized. Our movements mirrored each other as we circled Rakthu once more.

He didn’t hold back. Never did. But there was something different in his stance this morning—his massive arms crossed, head slightly tilted. Studying.

“Again,” Rakthu barked, stepping forward.