The final obstacle stood tall before them: the Wall of Resolve.
A towering wooden wall, nearly twelve feet high, rough and splintered with time. There were no ropes, no ladders—just brute strength, agility, and instinct. They had to scale it, with nothing but each other, or their own resolve.
Some boosted one another, others struggled alone.
Eleonor stared at it, her breath shallow, arms already shaking from the trials they'd been through. Her boots were caked with mud, and the soreness in her legs screamed at her to stop. But she didn't.
She ran forward.
Halfway up, she gripped a narrow wooden notch, pulling herself up inch by inch. Her fingers were slipping, body trembling.
Then suddenly—her foot missed the edge.
She gasped, her body falling backward.
Wind rushed past her ears as she braced for the hard landing—
—but she didn't hit the ground.
Strong arms caught her mid-fall. She blinked, stunned, face inches away from Elijah Martini, who looked down at her with the same unreadable, distant expression he always wore.
But this time, his eyes lingered .He didn't say anything. Neither did she.Her heart raced—not from fear anymore, but something else. The air between them shifted. Heavy. Charged.
"You good?" he finally asked, his voice low, and he look really bored.
Eleonor could barely nod, suddenly aware of the heat between them despite the cold morning wind. He slowly let her down, his hands lingering a second longer than necessary.
From a distance, hidden behind the shade of the command tower, Captain Levi Arcanghel stood with arms crossed, his sharp eyes quietly tracking the scene. He didn't speak. Didn't move.
But he saw everything.
His gaze lingered on Elijah, then Eleonor. A small breath escaped him—like a warning, or a secret kept.
"Back up," Elijah said quietly, snapping her attention back. "I'll boost you this time."
She nodded silently. He crouched down, lacing his fingers together. She stepped onto his hands, and with a grunt, he lifted her. She scrambled up, gritting her teeth, and this time—she reached the top.
She looked down. Elijah had already started climbing on his own. Strong. Silent. Efficient.
She sat on the top for a second, catching her breath—before glancing out at the field bathed in the faint golden hue of the rising sun. A breeze brushed past her face.
She didn't know if it was the height, the adrenaline, or the memory of that moment in his arms—but her heart wasn't calm anymore.
And below, Levi turned away from the shadows, his eyes narrowing. The drill was over.
But something else had begun.
The dining hall buzzed with weary movement. Tin plates clattered, boots dragged, and shoulders slumped onto wooden tables. Everyone was exhausted, their bodies aching from the full-course drill—but the smell of warm broth and bread was a small mercy.
Eleonor sat with Naomi and Eleora at one of the long tables. They didn't speak much. They were too tired to. Until a sharp, clear voice echoed through the hall.
"Attention, trainees," Hera Sawyer's voice cut through the din like a knife. The murmurs died down, spoons paused mid-air. She stood at the front with a clipboard in hand, her posture straight as an iron rod.
"As of today, you will all be assigned into official teams, effective immediately. These teams will be your family for the next three years. You will live together, train together, succeed—or fail—together."
Murmurs rippled across the room.
"Each team will have a designated leader, selected based on our observations and evaluations during this morning's drill, past performance records, and overall leadership potential."
Hera scanned the room.
"When I call your team leader's name, proceed to them. Leaders, stand as your names are called."
She took a breath.
"Abigail Moser."
A tall girl with cropped blonde hair stood up, her stance firm and focused. Her steely eyes scanned the room like a seasoned commander.
"Eleora Wolfhart."
Eleora's eyes widened. "Ha?"
Naomi nudged her, grinning.
"Go on Eleora," Naomi urged her to go in fro.t.
Still stunned, Eleora stood up slowly, earning some curious glances.
"Naomi Steiner."
"Wha—me?!" she whispered in shock, looking at Eleonor who gave her a small smile.
Naomi stood up a bit awkwardly, raising a hand with a sheepish grin.
"Asher Lozano." A serious-looking guy with a buzz cut rose from a nearby table. Calm and intimidating.
"Addie Sapphirus." Addie stood confidently, flipping her braid. "Of course," she whispered to Eleonor before joining the other leaders.
Hera called a few more names—Tomas Velren, Mika Ryes...
"And the rest of you," Hera continued, "find your leaders. Each team consists of ten trainees. Your team list will be posted outside the dining hall. Once you finish your meal, find your leader and proceed to your respective cabins."
She gave one last look to the group.
"You are no longer just trainees. You are teams. And only teams that work as one will survive what's ahead."
With that, she turned, clipboard in hand, and exited with the other officers.
She became part of Addie Sapphirus' team, along side with Leonardo Desai and Hilda Priestly.
"I'm Suzy Adamos, from Elarae District."
"Giselle Furi,from Sestisi District."
"Lorraine Luna,from Viloxal Village."
"Armani Rossi,from Sestisa District."
"Leonardo Desai,Idela Village."
"Gye Alastair,taga- Akarki District."
"Marcel Alphelion, Zacus Village."
" Hilda Priestley, Elarae District "
"And you are?" Addie asked Elijah, who simply stared blankly into the distance with a poker face.
"Elijah Martini," he introduced himself shortly.
"Oh, Elijah. Are you uncomfortable with us?" Addie asked.
"Definitely," the young man answered, surprising them—but they chose to ignore it.
The guts of this guy.
Leonardo just sat there, quietly observing everyone. Calculating their personalities, their weaknesses, strengths, traumas—everything his mind could possibly scrutinize.
This team was made up of different kinds of people: outsiders, slackers, a gay guy, a beauty, and someone with dead eyes. Very interesting.
Leonardo's thoughts ran wild as his teammates got to know each other, and a devilish smirk formed on his lips.