Budding Friendship

Next morning at 4:30 am sharp, the alarms in the corridors blared loudly, signalling the start of yet another academic day.

Hearing the loud sound, Leo practically forced himself to wake up, however, his mind seemed to be reluctant to cooperate.

Feeling as heavy as lead, Leo's brain resisted restarting, dragging him down into the depths of exhaustion. But with no other choice, he forced himself to power through it, pushing past the sluggish haze of sleep.

—------

(Rodova Military Academy, Physical Training Grounds)

It wasn't until Leo was halfway through the 100 penalty laps—his feet pounding against the dirt alongside the rest of the class—that his brain finally shook off its grogginess.

He hadn't wanted to wake up.

But listening to Mu Shen's colorful morning rant made the ordeal almost worth it.