The recruits sat in their assigned seats, the hum of the hovering train vibrating faintly beneath them. With a hiss of pressurized air, the doors closed, and the train jolted softly as it began to rise into the sky. Ethan sat by the window, watching as the dormitory grounds disappeared beneath them, replaced by sprawling fields and distant mountain ranges. The sight was both awe-inspiring and disorienting. He hadn’t left the training grounds since arriving months ago, and now, he was headed to the outskirts of Hellfire, Region 13’s expansive territory.
A low murmur filled the air as the recruits settled in. The train’s sleek interior was lined with softly glowing blue runes that pulsed in rhythm with the train’s energy. Each team had been given their own section of a carriage, divided into boys’ and girls’ quarters by a retractable curtain. Ethan’s team had chosen the middle seats, giving them a bit of privacy while still being close to the central walkway.
Yara leaned against the window frame on her side of the carriage, her pistol holstered at her hip and her sword resting against the seat. She glanced over at Zane, who was fiddling with the bolts of his crossbow. “You sure you’re not going to break that thing before we even get there?” she teased.
“This?” Zane grinned, holding up the crossbow. “It’s solid. Besides, I’m just tweaking it. You’ll thank me when I’m sniping corrupted creatures off your back.”
Elara, sitting beside Yara, smirked. “Let’s just hope you don’t accidentally shoot one of us instead.”
“Hey, that was one time!” Zane protested, earning a round of chuckles from the group.
Meanwhile, Herbie was sprawled across two seats, snoring softly. A small pile of crumbs littered his chest from the snacks he’d devoured earlier. Iris, seated across from him, shook her head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “How does he sleep so easily? We’re about to head into a life-or-death situation, and he’s over there drooling.”
“It’s a talent,” Ethan said with a grin. “But he’ll be ready when it counts. He always is.”
Yin Xue, sitting calmly at the far end of the carriage, sipped from a cup of tea she’d brought along. She seemed unfazed by the lively atmosphere, her serene presence grounding the team. “Nerves manifest differently for everyone. For Herbie, it’s sleep. For others, it’s endless chatter,” she said, her gaze briefly flicking to Zane.
“Hey, I’m just keeping things light,” Zane replied defensively. “We’re about to spend 13 hours on this train. Might as well enjoy the ride.”
As the train picked up speed, Ethan turned his attention to the window. The landscape blurred into a mix of green and brown as they left the heart of Region 13. Occasionally, they passed small villages or outposts, their lights twinkling like stars against the vast expanse of grasslands. In the distance, the towering spires of Infernia—the capital of Hellfire—glimmered faintly before vanishing from view.
“Hard to believe we’re finally leaving the dorm grounds,” Ethan mused. “Feels like we’ve been training forever.”
“And now we’re being thrown into the deep end,” Iris said, her tone thoughtful. “It’s exciting, but it’s also a bit… daunting.”
“We’ll be fine,” Yara said confidently. “We’ve trained harder than anyone. Those prairie monsters won’t know what hit them.”
As the hours stretched on, the recruits found ways to pass the time. Herbie eventually woke up and was immediately subjected to Zane’s relentless teasing about his snoring. Yara, true to form, disappeared for long stretches, reappearing with random items she’d “borrowed” from other carriages, including a colorful scarf that she dramatically draped around her shoulders.
“Where do you even find this stuff?” Elara asked, half-amused, half-annoyed.
Yara winked. “A magician never reveals her secrets.”
Ethan, meanwhile, spent much of his time observing the team dynamics. It was comforting to see them in good spirits, despite the uncertainty of what lay ahead. He also took note of the other recruits in the neighboring carriages, some of whom looked tense and others who were laughing and joking like they were on a school trip.
At one point, a supervisor came by to distribute boxed meals. The food was simple but satisfying: grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and a small loaf of bread. Ethan ate in silence, savoring the meal as he gazed out the window. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting long shadows across the landscape.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Iris said, sitting beside him.
Ethan nodded. “Yeah. It’s hard to imagine we’ll be fighting for our lives in less than a day.”
Iris smiled faintly. “That’s why we’ve trained so hard. We’re ready for this.”
As night fell, the train’s interior lights dimmed, creating a cozy ambiance. The team settled into their respective corners, some chatting quietly while others began to doze off. Ethan, feeling the pull of exhaustion, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
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When he opened them again, he was back in the crimson dreamscape. The ashen-white sphere hovered before him, its surface marred by deep cracks. This time, he found he could move freely, his body responding to his will. He drifted closer to the sphere, reaching out a tentative hand to touch it. The cracks seemed to pulse under his fingers, radiating a faint warmth.
Just as he felt something shift, a sudden jolt pulled him back to reality. He woke with a start to find Herbie shaking him. “Wake up, Ethan. We’re here.”
Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Ethan looked out the window. The train had come to a stop at a small outpost surrounded by grassy plains. The faint glow of lanterns illuminated the area, and the hum of the train’s engines began to fade.
“This is it,” Ethan thought, a mix of excitement and apprehension coursing through him. Gathering his belongings, he followed Herbie and the rest of the team as they prepared to disembark.
The moment Ethan and his team stepped off the train, they were greeted by a cool breeze carrying the earthy scent of grasslands. The outpost stretched before them, a modest yet functional setup built to withstand both nature and the occasional corrupted creature. Rows of wooden and stone barracks surrounded a central plaza, where a flag bearing the emblem of Region 13—a fiery inferno encased in a silver shield—flapped in the wind. Soldiers moved about in an orderly fashion, their armor glinting under the lanterns hanging from poles that dotted the area.
As the recruits began to gather, a group of veteran soldiers approached, their expressions stern yet slightly amused. One of them, a tall man with a bald head that gleamed under the moonlight and a jagged scar running across his cheek, stepped forward. He carried an air of authority, his weathered armor clinking softly with each step. Without preamble, he gestured at the recruits’ weapons. “Hand ‘em over,” he said gruffly.
Ethan’s team exchanged confused glances. Yara frowned, her hand instinctively moving to the hilt of her sword. “Wait, what?” she asked, her tone incredulous. “Why?”
The bald man smirked, his scar pulling at the corner of his mouth. “These training weapons of yours? Useless out here. They’re fine for sparring in the dorm grounds, but against the real thing? They’ll snap like twigs. Don’t worry, you’ll get proper, environment-suited weapons tomorrow. If you still feel nostalgic, you can take your toys back after training.”
Zane looked skeptical, holding his crossbow a little tighter. “And what makes you think those weapons are better?”
A veteran woman with short-cropped hair and a muscular build stepped up beside the man, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Because we’ve been out here long enough to know what works and what doesn’t,” she said. “Now stop whining and hand them over. Unless, of course, you’d rather take your chances with a broken blade or a bowstring that snaps mid-battle?”
Grumbling under their breaths, the recruits began to relinquish their weapons. Ethan hesitated for a moment, his hand lingering on his polearm before finally handing it over. The veteran woman took it with a nod, her expression softening slightly. “Good choice. Now, follow me. I’ll show you to your barracks.”
As they followed her through the outpost, Ethan took in his surroundings. The barracks were arranged in neat rows, each one marked with a number. Beyond them, he could see a tall watchtower, its silhouette stark against the night sky. Soldiers patrolled the perimeter, their movements precise and disciplined. The entire outpost radiated a sense of order and readiness.
“Where are our mentors?” Iris asked, her voice breaking the quiet. She walked beside the veteran woman, her bow no longer slung over her shoulder.
“They’re meeting with the commander,” the woman replied. “Going over the schedule for the next fifteen days. You’ll see them soon enough.”
Herbie, walking a few steps behind, chuckled nervously. “You know, in the novels I’ve read, these kinds of competitions always have something go wrong. Sabotage, betrayals, maybe even a secret plot by some shadowy organization.” He gulped and forced a laugh. “Good thing that’s just fiction, right?”
The veteran woman let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing in the cool night air. “Relax, kid. The evil gods don’t care about recruits like you. They’re too busy worrying about the nine-skill awakeners to bother with us mortals.”
Herbie didn’t look entirely reassured, but he managed a weak smile. Ethan shook his head with a small grin, amused by his friend’s overactive imagination.
When they reached the barracks, the woman stopped in front of two buildings. “Girls in this one,” she said, pointing to the left. “Boys in the one next door. Twelve recruits to a barrack. Get some rest; you’ll need it. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
The team exchanged brief goodnights as the girls headed into their barrack. Ethan followed Herbie, Zane, and the other boys into theirs. Inside, the barrack was simple but functional, with six bunk beds lined up against the walls and a central table surrounded by wooden stools. Nine other boys were already there, their chatter filling the room.
One of the boys, a tall recruit with dark hair and sharp features, looked up as they entered. “New arrivals,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “Welcome to the madhouse.”
“Thanks,” Ethan replied, offering a small smile. “I’m Ethan. This is Herbie, Zane, and Yin Xue.”
The boy nodded. “I’m Marcus. That’s Finn, Rohan, and the rest of the gang,” he said, gesturing to the other boys. “Hope you don’t snore too loud. We’ve already got a symphony going on in here.”
Herbie laughed. “No promises.”
As the group settled in, the veteran woman gave them a final nod before leaving. Ethan chose a bottom bunk near the corner and began tidying up his space. He stowed his duffel bag under the bed and smoothed out the blanket, his movements methodical. Herbie, meanwhile, threw himself onto a top bunk with a dramatic sigh. “Finally, a bed that’s not in a moving train.”
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. But as he sat on his bunk and glanced around the room, his thoughts began to drift. The excitement of the journey, the odd encounter with the veterans, and the looming challenge of the recruit exchange all swirled in his mind.
Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed when the chatter in the room began to die down, the recruits settling into their beds. The quiet hum of the outpost’s activity outside was the only sound as Ethan leaned back against the wall, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.