The survival test(1)

The ground beneath them rumbled.

Jade barely had time to process what was happening before the floor gave way beneath her feet. The sudden drop sent a rush of adrenaline through her veins as she fell, twisting midair to prepare for impact. She crashed through a canopy of trees, branches slashing at her arms and legs before she landed in a crouch on the damp forest floor.

Silence. Then, the distant crackling of movement.

Jade exhaled, adjusting to her surroundings. The dense forest stretched in every direction, shrouded in mist and layered with shadows.

She exhaled sharply. The test had begun.

They had to make it to the other end of the forest before time ran out. Survive. Endure. Keep moving. Groups were allowed, but it was ultimately every soldier for themselves.

Jade scanned the area, keeping her breathing steady. Then, a flicker of movement caught her eye—a red light, shifting between the trees.

Something clearly not human.

Jade pressed herself against a tree, watching. A small figure stood ahead, gripping a sniper rifle. She recognized her. One of the candidates from earlier. The shy girl.

She looked young—and seemed scared with the way she fidgited.

Jade's mind clicked through the details. The girl had done well in the last round, quietly picking off targets with precise shots. But here? She looked uneasy, scanning the trees with tense shoulders.

Jade was about to move when—

A blur.

Behind the girl, something shifted Silently. Mechanical going straight for the girl.

Jade didn't think. She moved.

Her elbow struck hard against metal as she collided with the machine—a combat drone. It whirred in protest, sparking as it collapsed to the ground.

The girl flinched, stepping back. Her wide, startled eyes locked onto Jade.

"A drone?" she muttered.

Jade straightened, shaking off the impact. "Yeah. You were about to get hit."

The girl swallowed, gripping her weapon tighter.