The Weight Of Expectation

The dust had barely settled from their breakthrough with the Lion's Roar Formation, yet Klaus knew there was no time to celebrate. Success in training meant nothing unless they could execute it under real combat conditions. And more than that, their growing reputation within White Lion was attracting attention—the kind of attention that could be either an opportunity or a problem.

It was mid-morning when Klaus was once again summoned by Captain Kalix. The summons itself was not unusual—ever since Team 55's performance had started improving, Kalix had taken a more vested interest in their progress. But the tone of the messenger's voice was different this time.

Klaus made his way to Kalix's office, where the captain sat behind his massive desk, flipping through a series of reports. His sharp eyes met Klaus's as soon as he entered.