The next day, the softness of home was gone.
Sirius stood in the training yard at dawn, armor light and simple, a short sword strapped at his side. His white hair caught the pale light of morning, his crimson eyes fixed on the man before him. Cor Leonis stood tall, arms folded across his chest, his expression unreadable as always.
Beside Sirius waited Kael, silent as shadow, his dark eyes scanning the yard. Rhea stood opposite, arms crossed, lips curled in a smirk that suggested she was already enjoying herself.
"This isn't training," Cor said. His voice carried the weight of iron. "Today, you'll see what it means to move in the dark. You'll watch. You'll learn. You'll follow orders. Nothing more."
His gaze swept over the three of them. "If you break formation, if you get sloppy, you'll be left behind. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the three answered, though Sirius' voice came out a touch sharper than he meant.
Cor's eyes lingered on him for a fraction longer before he nodded. "Then let's move."
---
They left Insomnia through a hidden passage near the outer wards. The barrier shimmered faintly above, the crystalline light reflecting off the magitek trams in the distance. Sirius felt the weight of silence pressing in the moment they crossed the threshold.
The world beyond the barrier was darker, emptier. Wind hissed through tall grass, carrying scents of earth and distant smoke. No merchants, no crowds, no laughter—only the wild.
Sirius' heart thudded in his chest, but his steps remained steady.
Kael moved like water, his boots barely whispering against the ground. Rhea kept her head low, eyes darting constantly, hands resting casually near her daggers. Sirius stayed between them, mimicking their silence as best he could.
Cor led them without hesitation, his stride purposeful, never slowing.
---
Hours passed in near silence until Cor raised a hand. The three halted instantly, eyes following his gesture. Ahead, the ruins of an old outpost jutted from the ground. Stone walls half-collapsed, banners long rotted, but the faint shimmer of magitek wiring clung stubbornly to the structure.
Smoke rose faintly from one of the crumbled towers.
"Imperials," Kael muttered under his breath.
Cor's reply was a quiet growl. "Scouting unit. Not more than a dozen. We watch. We listen. We don't engage unless discovered."
Rhea smirked. "Spies spying on spies. Fitting."
Cor shot her a look, and she immediately sobered.
---
They crept closer, weaving through the tall grass. Sirius' pulse quickened as the ruins grew larger. He saw the shapes of soldiers moving in the shadows—Imperials in black armor, helmets glinting faintly.
He forced his breath steady, recalling Cor's words: Don't falter. Breathe. Focus.
The group slipped into a vantage point behind a collapsed wall. From there, they watched. The Imperials moved with rigid discipline, setting up small devices that hummed faintly with magitek power.
"What are they doing?" Sirius whispered.
"Signal relays," Kael murmured. "Scouting ahead of a larger force."
Cor nodded once. "Which means this outpost will see more traffic soon. The Guard will need to know."
He shifted his gaze to them. "What do you see?"
Kael answered first, voice calm. "Patrols move in pairs. One heavy unit near the tower, the rest light infantry."
Rhea tilted her head. "Their left flank is weaker. Less coverage in the ruins."
Cor's eyes turned to Sirius. "And you?"
Sirius forced himself to focus. He studied the way the soldiers moved, their timing, their spacing. His instincts whispered.
"They're tired," he said softly. "The shifts are uneven. They're running on rotation without rest."
Cor's brow lifted slightly. Not approval, not yet, but acknowledgment.
---
For an hour, they watched in silence, memorizing every detail. Then Cor gave a curt gesture. Time to leave.
They pulled back, steps slow and deliberate.
But as they turned toward the wilds, Sirius' foot brushed against loose stone. The faint scrape echoed too loudly in the still air.
An Imperial head snapped toward their hiding place. A shout rang out.
"Movement!"
The silence shattered.
---
"Run," Cor ordered.
The three darted after him, sprinting through the tall grass. Shouts and the thrum of magitek rifles followed. A shot seared past Sirius' shoulder, the heat grazing his cloak.
Rhea veered left, Kael right, weaving to throw off pursuit. Sirius gritted his teeth, legs pumping hard. He clutched his short sword, resisting the urge to draw his katana from the system. Not here. Not now.
"Don't fight!" Cor barked. "Move!"
They fled through the grass, ducking into the broken husk of another ruin. Stone walls rose around them, cutting line of sight.
Kael pressed against the wall, breathing hard but silent. Rhea crouched low, a grin twitching at her lips. "Well. That was exciting."
Sirius' hands shook, but he forced himself calm, steadying his breath.
Cor's gaze cut into him. "Your misstep. Your consequence. Remember it."
Sirius bowed his head, shame burning his chest. "Yes, sir."
But inside, something stirred. Adaptive Resonance. His muscles remembered the stumble, his body already correcting the weight of his steps, the shift of his balance. Next time, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
---
They waited until the Imperials pulled back, their shouts fading into the distance. Only then did Cor lead them out once more, this time further from the ruins.
The sun dipped low by the time they reached the shadow of the city barrier again.
At the gate, Cor turned to them, his expression hard. "You watched. You listened. You learned. That was the point. The Guard will take the report and decide what comes next."
His gaze lingered on each of them in turn. Kael, impassive. Rhea, restless. Sirius, steady but silent.
"You three have much to prove," he said finally. "But today was your first step. Don't waste it."
With that, he strode ahead into the city, his cloak trailing behind him.
---
The three candidates walked back in silence.
Kael finally broke it, his voice low. "Not bad for a first mission."
Rhea smirked, bumping Sirius' shoulder lightly. "Just don't trip us into a fight next time, White Wolf."
Sirius exhaled, the weight of the night pressing heavy, but a flicker of determination burning beneath it.
Not next time, he vowed. Never again.