The Struggle Begins

As Kenos parted ways with Atrom, he found himself walking toward a group of students gathered around a figure draped in deep red robes. With every step closer, the presence of red became more apparent—on the students' uniforms, on banners fluttering in the early evening breeze, and, most notably, on the imposing figure standing before them.

The man was built like a fortress—broad shoulders, arms thick with muscle, and an expression that was carved from stone. Even the way he stood made him seem immovable, like an unshakable mountain. The students murmured among themselves, and Kenos noticed he was the last to arrive, bringing their total number to ten.

The coach, Jack, scanned them with sharp eyes before speaking.

"Alright, students. You all know what red means. It's the lowest level. That means you'll be working harder than anyone else here." His voice was deep and firm, carrying an air of authority. "Most people who start as red never progress beyond it. They give up. They break. They fail."

Some of the students shifted uncomfortably. Others narrowed their eyes with determination.

"But there's a way forward," Jack continued. "Patience. Endurance. If you can survive the training, you might just make it to green. But I won't lie to you—it will be brutal."

Kenos felt no fear. He already expected this. He had made a promise to himself—to Atrom. He wouldn't be left behind.

"Follow me. I'll show you your dorms," Jack ordered.

As they walked, Kenos found himself observing the coach. The sheer size of the man was intimidating. He moved with a confidence that suggested experience, strength, and an unshakable will. How strong is he? Kenos wondered. He knew their training would be intense, but just how far would this man push them?

Suddenly, a voice broke into his thoughts.

"Yo!"

Kenos turned to see a girl walking beside him. She had shoulder-length brown hair, freckles, and an energetic grin.

"My name's Thris! Nice to meet you! I hope we get along! I come from the city of Eldermere, just past the Silverbrook River. Have you ever been there? It's famous for its fruit markets—oh! You have to try the honeyed peaches if you ever visit! They're so sweet, but not too sweet, you know? Just the right amount! My dad says they're the best in the whole region, but my mom swears by the berry tarts from the baker on Maple Street—oh! That reminds me, did you know that the bakery once caught fire because someone left the oven on overnight? Crazy, right? But don't worry, no one got hurt! Except the bread, obviously. Oh, and speaking of fire, I once saw a fire mage perform at the Harvest Festival! He made a phoenix out of flames, and it flew over the whole crowd! I tried to get close, but my cousin pulled me back—he's so overprotective, seriously, it's like, chill, I can handle a little heat! Anyway, where are you from?"

Kenos barely nodded, already regretting making eye contact.

She kept talking.

"You're kind of quiet, huh? That's okay! I talk enough for both of us! My mom says I could win a competition for talking if that were a thing. Wouldn't that be funny? Just a bunch of people sitting in a circle, talking nonstop until someone gives up? I'd totally win! Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh right, where you're from! Sooo…?"

Kenos sighed internally. This is going to be a long conversation…

Before he could respond, Jack clapped his hands loudly, calling for attention.

"These are your dorms," he said, stopping in front of a small stone building. "Since there are only ten of you, we'll split the dorms by gender—five per room. Training begins at sunrise. I live two doors down if you need anything. And in case you forgot, my name is Jack."

As soon as he left, the students groaned.

"Sunrise? Seriously? That's insane!"

"Man, I didn't come here to wake up early and suffer…"

"You came here to train, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I thought we'd, y'know… ease into it!"

"Hey, guys, relax," one student spoke up. "Remember what the coach said? Patience and endurance. Maybe this is part of the test."

A reluctant silence followed, but the tension eased.

Kenos remained quiet, listening.

"Alright," another student sighed. "Let's get ready for tomorrow."

As the students began heading to their dorms, Thris approached Kenos once more.

"Let's talk more tomorrow, okay?"

Kenos, barely masking his irritation, forced a nod. "Yeah… sure."

As everyone settled into their rooms, Kenos found himself unable to sleep. Instead, he stood on the dorm's small balcony, arms resting against the railing, staring at the darkening sky. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving behind streaks of deep orange and fading purples.

Footsteps approached.

"Aren't you gonna sleep?"

Kenos turned to see one of his dormmates, toothbrush still in his mouth, looking at him curiously.

"Yeah… later," Kenos replied.

The boy nodded. "Don't stress about the training, man. Just do your best."

Kenos didn't answer. He wasn't worried about the training. He was thinking about something else—something he couldn't quite put into words.

His dormmate sighed. "Well, I'm heading in. Don't stay up too late."

Kenos gave a small nod, but his gaze remained on the sky.

Then—

"Psst."

A voice.

Kenos immediately tensed, turning sharply, his body instinctively ready for an attack. But when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw a familiar figure crouched near the dorm wall.

Atrom?

"What are you doing here?" Kenos whispered, confused.

"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" Atrom smirked. "Come down, let's talk for a bit."

Kenos hesitated only a moment before jumping down.

They sat on a low stone wall, the academy grounds quiet around them. The night air was crisp, and the only sounds were the occasional rustle of leaves.

"So that girl just keeps talking, huh?" Atrom laughed.

Kenos sighed. "Yeah… Thris or Thras, or something like that."

Atrom chuckled. "Sounds like you got yourself a talkative one."

"What's your schedule for tomorrow?" Kenos asked.

"Hmm… don't know yet. But it's definitely not at sunrise."

Kenos rolled his eyes. "Lucky."

"Well, not that lucky. The stronger the level, the harsher the training."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

Atrom stretched his arms. "Alright, we should get some sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Yeah."

As Kenos turned to leave, a nearby student, half-asleep, stumbled out of the dorm to use the restroom. He rubbed his eyes, staring at Kenos.

"What the hell… What is he doing at this hour?" He shook his head and disappeared inside.

At sunrise, the students of Group Red stood at attention in the training field. The morning air was cold, the sky still tinged with the colors of dawn. Jack stood before them, arms crossed.

"Alright," he began, his voice like steel. "Your training starts now."

He unrolled a scroll and read the first set of exercises.

"One thousand push-ups. One thousand squats. One thousand sit-ups. And one thousand laps around the entire field."

Silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

Some students looked like they'd been punched in the gut.

"Coach, isn't that a bit much?!"

"No excuses," Jack barked. "Get moving!"

No one dared to argue after that. One by one, they dropped to the ground, beginning their push-ups. Some struggled immediately, while others fought against their trembling muscles.

Kenos gritted his teeth. He had to do this. He had to keep going.

As the morning dragged on, students began dropping like flies. Arms gave out, legs collapsed, breathing became ragged. Jack watched them all with sharp eyes.

"Giving up already?" he called out. "You think this is hard? If you can't endure this, you'll never make it to green!"

Kenos, sweat dripping down his face, forced himself to keep moving. His muscles screamed in protest, his vision blurred at the edges, but he refused to stop.

He wasn't here to fail.

He wasn't here to be weak.

He had made a promise.

And he was going to keep it.

As the sun climbed higher, Kenos pushed forward—one squat at a time, one push-up at a time, one step at a time.

And no matter how much it hurt—

He did not stop.