The field was massive, about the size of a football stadium, and just a short seven-minute walk from the dorms. Ethan stood there, hands clasped behind his back, staring straight ahead like he was some disciplined soldier in a movie. The sky was still cloaked in pre-dawn darkness, but the faintest hints of sunlight were starting to streak the horizon. It wasn’t quite 5 AM yet, but everything around him felt like it was already coming alive.

Honestly, Ethan wasn’t as miserable as he thought he’d be. Sure, waking up at the crack of dawn wasn’t exactly his dream scenario, but he hadn’t slept much anyway. The night had been a restless jumble of excitement and nerves that left him wide-eyed, so by the time his alarm went off, he was already sitting on the edge of the bed. It was like the universe was saying, "Welcome to a brand-new chapter, kid," and he couldn’t help but get swept up in it. He got ready faster than expected, headed out early, and soaked in the quiet stillness of the morning as he made his way to the field.

The walk had been... nice, actually. A couple of old, shadowy buildings stood along the path, their outlines just barely visible in the dim light. The air was cool but not freezing, with a light breeze that carried the faint smell of earth. As he walked, the streetlights flickered off one by one, surrendering to the soft glow of the waking sun. It was peaceful, almost surreal, but that peace evaporated the second he stepped onto the field.

Now, standing in formation, Ethan was a different person. Gone was the casual guy who’d been cracking sarcastic comments in his dorm. Here, he looked sharper, more composed—like he was ready to face whatever insane challenges this place had lined up for him. Behind him, though, Herbie was being... well, Herbie.

“Man, you wouldn’t believe how many people are crammed into those dorms!” Herbie’s voice was full of energy, way too energetic for this ungodly hour. “I was just walking around, saying hi, you know, being friendly—and guess who I ran into? Gabriel! Yeah, the Gabriel!”

Ethan didn’t move a muscle. He just stared straight ahead, tuning out most of Herbie’s chatter. But Herbie didn’t need an audience. “I swear, I walked right into him! And you know what he did? He gave me this big, fake smile. Like, the kind that says, ‘If you annoy me one more time, I’m gonna make you regret it.’ Man, I still get chills thinking about it.”

Ethan blinked slowly, suppressing a sigh. Herbie was one of those people who could hold an entire conversation with himself. Not a bad guy, but definitely someone who didn’t know when to stop talking. Ethan just nodded faintly, letting Herbie’s words flow around him like background noise.

At exactly 5:10 AM, a deafening sonic boom erupted across the field, jolting everyone to attention. The ground trembled for a split second before a shimmering bluish barrier shot up around the field, stretching high into the sky. The recruits froze, whispering nervously and glancing around like cornered animals. Ethan squinted at the barrier, his mind racing. Was this some kind of protective field? A cage? A warning?

Before anyone could voice their questions, a sharp, commanding voice sliced through the noise. “QUIET!”

The single word hit like a shockwave, silencing the entire field instantly. An invisible ripple of energy spread out, sending a faint chill down Ethan’s spine. He straightened instinctively, his back stiff as a rod, and turned his attention to the stage at the far end of the field.

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Gabriel stood there, radiating authority as he strode to the center of the stage. Seven other supervisors flanked him, each one carrying themselves with the same air of deadly competence. Gabriel raised his hand, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. “Those who aren’t here yet,” he said, his tone cold and unforgiving, “will spend the next month cleaning the cafeteria. On top of that, they’ll lose their monthly allowance. We’re being generous today. But starting tomorrow, if you’re late, you can pack up and reincarnate. No second chances.”

Ethan kept his face neutral, but inwardly, he was impressed. Gabriel wasn’t messing around.

“Now,” Gabriel continued, “let me introduce the rest of the supervisors.” He gestured to the seven figures behind him. One by one, they stepped forward, giving their names and roles. Each introduction was brief and to the point—no fluff, no unnecessary details. Combat, strategy, field operations, logistics—it seemed like each supervisor had their own specialty. And from the way they carried themselves, it was clear they weren’t here to babysit anyone.

Once the intros were done, Gabriel turned back to the recruits. “We’ll be calling your names now to assign you to your official supervisors. The people who showed you around yesterday? Forget them. From now on, these are the ones you report to. Understood?”

A ripple of quiet nods spread through the crowd. The tension was palpable.

The roll call began, names echoing across the field one by one. Ethan listened intently, his heart thudding a little faster with each passing second. He didn’t know why he was nervous, but he was.

Then, Herbie’s full name boomed through the air: “Hermes Evripidis Konstantinos Theodoropoulos.”

Herbie visibly flinched, his face turning a shade darker as some recruits stifled laughs. He grimaced, muttering something under his breath as he stepped forward. Gabriel didn’t even blink, simply assigning him to his team with a curt nod.

Next came Ethan’s turn. “Ethan Eryndor.”

Ethan took a step forward, his expression calm but his mind racing. Gabriel glanced at him briefly before saying, “You’re with me as well.”

And just like that, Ethan was officially part of Gabriel’s team. He glanced sideways at Herbie, whose nervous grin had faded into something closer to dread. It was clear that reality was sinking in for him.

Gabriel continued, addressing the whole group. “Each supervisor is responsible for multiple teams. A team consists of seven recruits. This batch has 119 recruits total, split across teams under various supervisors. Expect to spend most of your time training with your team. Rely on them. Trust them. Because if you don’t, you won’t make it far.”

Herbie let out a quiet groan, already looking like he regretted signing up for this. Ethan, meanwhile, scanned the faces of his new teammates. Four girls and three boys, all looking just as nervous and uncertain as he felt. This was it. His squad.

Gabriel gestured toward the group. “Introduce yourselves. Starting now.”

One by one, the recruits spoke up.

“I’m Iris,” said the first girl, her confident tone making it clear she wasn’t here to mess around.

“Zane,” the first boy added with a smirk that bordered on cockiness.

The next girl stepped forward hesitantly. “Elara”, her voice as delicate as her name.

Then came the last girl, who carried herself with a calm, commanding presence. “Yin Xue,” she said simply.

Finally, the last figure stepped forward. A middle-aged woman who somehow exuded both warmth and mystery at the same time. Her introduction was simple. “Yara.”