"First lap down," someone called.
They didn't have time to celebrate.
By the second lap, Eleonor's arms were going numb. Her lungs begged for air. She was a few steps behind Naomi and Eleora now, lips pale. Aria kept up, but her pace was uneven.
"Should've trained for this," Aria puffed. "I thought this was gonna be like... personality development camp or something."
Eleonor managed a grin, despite the sweat trickling down her brow. "You signed up for the wrong war."
Just then, Addie appeared beside them, strangely cheerful.It was Addie's third lap already.
"I brought mint leaves in my pocket," she said brightly. "Want one? Helps with the airways."
Eleonor blinked. "You're jogging with mint leaves?"
"Don't ask questions, Eleonor. Just open your hand." Addie dropped one onto her palm and popped one in her own mouth like candy.
They were all laughing—gasping, laughing, coughing—as they entered the third and final lap.
The field looked endless now.
One by one, some trainees slowed to a walk. Some collapsed. Others cried quietly while still running. Eleonor kept her eyes on the ground, counting steps, trying not to think. But the pressure rises when she saw most of the trainee already finished the run.
Her legs screamed. It was numb and paindul, yet she pushed herself. In silence. Boots slamming into the ground in synchronized rhythm. Eleonor gritted her teeth, feeling her body give everything it had left.
Finally, they crossed the marked line. The end of the third lap.
Sinalubong siya nila Naomi at Eleora na parang hindi man lang sila napagod. They are sweating but still looks fresh and radiant.
"We survived," Naomi wheezed.
"For now," Eleonor muttered, eyes drifting toward the obstacle course ahead. Her heart beats even faster with the sight kn front of her.
The worst had only just begun.
The world was quiet again—if only for a moment.
Most of them were already tired and exhausted, they can only lay down the slightly wet grass---from the moist of the fog. The fact that they were only given a small bamboo container of water per team is even more frustrating. All of them are thirsty, some are dizzy and some don't want to continue anymore.
The water sure is not enough of the ten members yet, they did everything for all of them to take a sip---vanishing the thirst.
The only companion they have is the soothing colors of the sky---the sun slowly rising from the horizon. It is comforting, a glimmer of hope and bond.
"Tired already?," they snapped when Sergeant Shun appeared.
"Yes,sir," they all answered in unison.
"That's only three laps, you can do more lf than," Seargent Shun answered and once again scan the faces kf everyone.
"Jogging, napagod ka na agad," another man scoffed. Mocking the other person.
Eleonor sat with her legs stretched out, her elbows propped behind her. Her lungs were still recovering from the early morning torture, but the cold air brushing against her damp skin felt almost like a reward. Beside her, Aria flopped onto the grass like a lifeless doll.
She was amaze seeing Naomi, Eleora and Addie being great at this. They don't look tired at all.
While she soaked in sweat, they still looked fresh with only little sweat on their face.
"I think I left my soual at the field," she whispered.
"Don't worry, Eleonor. It's here, I picked it up for you,"Naomi jokingly hand Eleonor his palm as if her 'diwa' was there. They all laughed.
"You jogged with mint leaves," Naomi pointed out. "What kind of sorcery is that?"
Addie grinned. "Mint and prayer. It's a family recipe."
Naomi sat up, groaning. "You know, for a place that promises trauma, this isn't so bad when you're surrounded by cool people."
"Yeah," Eleonor agreed, glancing at each of them. "I thought I'd be totally alone here. But you guys... make it bearable."
Aria smiled, brushing sweat from her forehead. "We suffer together, we survive together."
Eleonor looked at the looming wooden frames and ropes in the distance. She wasn't ready—but somehow, knowing these people were with her, made it feel less terrifying.
"Whatever comes next," she said softly, "we'll just take it one breath at a time."
And with that, they leaned into the grass, sharing a rare silence not of pressure or pain—but of understanding, and growing camaraderie.
The break ended faster than anyone wanted.
A sharp whistle pierced the air, followed by Sergeant Shun's booming voice, "Back on your feet! Formation! Now!" Seargent Shun, yelled in command and it was followed immediately even with their legs shaking.
Groans filled the field as the trainees slowly scrambled to their feet, muscles aching and legs wobbling. The officers waited near the start of the obstacle course, looking far too comfortable for people who probably didn't run a single lap.
The course loomed ahead—rope climbs, mud pits, log hurdles, crawling trenches, and wooden walls. It looked like a battlefield designed to break them before training even started.
"Pass through each station. You fail one, you start over. No skipping," Hera announced, arms crossed. "Your performance is being observed."
Eleonor swallowed hard, exchanging nervous glances with Naomi before they all began to move.
At the first station—a rope net climb—Eleonor gripped the rope and hoisted herself up. Her arms trembled, but she climbed steadily. She was almost halfway when someone much faster sped up beside her. The ropes shook with force.
She grimaced because the woman deliberately shook the ropes to throw him off balance and make him let go.
"Better keep up, " a cold, sharp voice said beside her.
Eleonor blinked and turned to the girl climbing past her with ease. Her brown hair was tied tightly back, her arms visibly defined under the rolled sleeves of her uniform. Masasabing sanay na sanay ito sa kanyang ginagawa.
"I'm not here to babysit anyone falling behind."
Eleonor's brows furrowed. "I wasn't asking you to."
The girl scoffed and pulled herself up faster, reaching the top in seconds and disappearing over the other side.
Eleonor made it over, panting slightly, and trudged through the next few stations—the crawling trench, the hurdle walls, the log bridge. She was keeping up. Barely.
But there she was again. The same girl. Waiting at the balance beams like she owned the place.
"Hilda Priestly," she said flatly, not even looking at her.
"Since you're slow and a drag, I figured, I need to know fhe name of those who are slow-moving slug, to avoid them to be my team mate,"
Eleonor bit the inside of her cheek, choosing not to answer.
"Nothing to say? That's good. Quiet ones break faster. Easier to replace."
Eleonor stepped onto the beam. "I'm not here to compete with you," she muttered, trying to stay calm. "I'm just here to survive."
Hilda smirked, arms crossed. "Then try not to embarrass yourself while you do."
Eleonor's foot almost slipped—but she caught herself, pushing forward without another word. She could hear Hilda's quiet snort behind her.
She didn't know why the girl picked on her, or what her deal was—but Eleonor knew one thing,
She wasn't going to let anyone break her.
Especially not Hilda Priestly.
The next obstacle loomed ahead—suspended logs.
Several thick logs hung horizontally by ropes, swaying slightly with the morning wind. Trainees were to cross them one by one, balancing from one to another without falling. Beneath was a shallow pit filled with muddy water. Slipping meant a full reset.
Eleonor took a moment to breathe, her hands still scraped from the crawl trench. The line moved slowly, and she used that moment to study how the others crossed. Most trainees wobbled, arms flailing. Some made it. Others fell, cursing and groaning as they climbed out of the mud.
"Shift your weight to your toes. Keep your arms out—shoulders level with your hips," a calm voice spoke beside her.
She turned and saw a boy with dark, unruly curls, sharp hazel eyes, and a composed air standing just behind her. His uniform was perfectly worn, not a stain or wrinkle in sight. He had an observing gaze—like someone who had already solved the obstacle in his head ten times over.
"Leonardo Desai," he said without offering a hand. Just a subtle nod. His gazed focused on the trainee, walking on the suspended logs. Examining their moves and tactics, judging their downfall and their frustrations.
"Eleonor Celeste," she replied, a little caught off guard by his quiet presence.
"You hesitate too much," he added, glancing at her boots. "Overthink this one and you'll fall. It's more about rhythm than strength."
"I'm not really used to walking on floating logs," she said with a breathless laugh, unsure if he was teasing her or not. He seems nice but, he makes her uncomfortable.
But Leonardo didn't laugh. He simply stepped forward, his turn up. With calm precision, he moved across the suspended logs—his feet steady, body balanced, every step deliberate. He looked like he belonged there, as if he'd done this a thousand times. Not a single sway or falter.
At the end, he hopped down and glanced back at her. "Your turn." he smirked.
Eleonor bit her lip, then stepped onto the first log. She tried to remember what he said—toes, balance, rhythm.
Her first step was shaky, but she adjusted. She didn't look down. She counted her steps. She listened to the breeze and her heartbeat.
She made it across.
Leonardo was waiting near the next station, watching others fail or succeed with the same unreadable expression.
"That wasn't bad," he said when she reached him. "You learn fast."
"Or I just hate falling," she replied, finally cracking a small smile.
He didn't return the smile, but she caught the slight raise of his brow—approval, maybe.
As she turned to face the next challenge, she noticed Hilda already ahead, vaulting over a wall like a storm. Eleonor exhaled, bracing herself.
Strong enemies, mysterious allies.
This training was starting to feel like more than just drills.
It was a test of who you really were.