It had been a month since the academy became my new world.

I hadn’t gone back to my apartment once.

Not even to check on the place.

Between the relentless training schedule and the mental exhaustion, I barely had time to breathe, let alone think about my old life.

Besides, I didn’t want to.

I’d locked up the apartment before moving to the dorms, and even though I still paid rent on the place, it felt like a relic of a time I wasn’t ready to revisit yet.

I’d spoken to the landlord a few weeks back, making sure everything was squared away.

“Well, Mori-san”

He said.

“Your apartment will be safe. Just let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks”

I replied, trying to sound casual.

The truth was, I didn’t want to think about that place.

I couldn’t.

The academy was demanding enough as it was.

When I wasn’t running drills or getting my body slammed through another obstacle course, I was trying to wrap my head around endless lectures on law enforcement protocols, legal statutes, and crowd control.

Every week, the academy pushed us harder, mentally and physically.

The exhaustion was starting to feel like a permanent state, not just a temporary side effect of training.

But despite it all, I had to admit—it felt good.

I wasn’t just surviving; I was actually pushing past limits I hadn’t even known I had.

Every day I stayed here, it felt like I was moving forward.

On the rare occasions I managed to find time to make calls, I checked in with the people who still tethered me to my old life.

Sasaki, ever the rock, had been his usual calm self during our conversations.

He seemed to have this sixth sense about when I needed a pep talk and when I just needed someone to listen.

“Everything ok, Keisuke? I heard that your assigned officer is Katayama”

He’d asked a few days ago, his voice steady.

“Yeah, I'm ok. Yes he is. Even after all he does to us he is a good man.”

I joked, but there was truth to it.

“Good"

He replied, his tone light.

"He was my instructor too. I remember those days... Under him you'll do well."

"I get it."

“And you know what they say—if it doesn’t kill you…”

“It makes you wish it did?”

I finished, earning a chuckle from Sasaki.

“Something like that.”

Hana had been less amused by my updates, her concern palpable every time I called.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Keisuke?”

She’d asked more than once, her voice tight with worry.

“I’m fine, Hana. Really.”

“I just… I don’t want you pushing yourself too hard, I've been in the academy too, I know what they do to you.”

She’d murmured, and I could hear the unsaid words.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“I know”

I’d replied softly.

“But this is what I need to do.”

She’d sighed but didn’t push further.

She understood, even if she didn’t like it.

Aiko, on the other hand, had been surprisingly supportive.

Our calls had grown more frequent, and while they were still brief, there was something comforting in the familiarity of her voice.

We talked about everything and nothing—sometimes about Kento, sometimes about the academy, and sometimes just about life in general.

“How's the academy?”

She’d asked once, her tone lighter than usual.

“It's a good place after all.”

I’d replied, laughing despite myself.

“Well, don’t get too comfortable. I still expect you to take me out to that restaurant we missed.”

“After this, I’ll take you anywhere you want”

I promised.

There was a pause, then a soft chuckle from her end.

“Deal.”

Today was another test day, but this time it wasn’t about how fast I could run or how many pull-ups I could do.

No, this time it was about what was happening between my ears.

Officer Katayama had announced it during morning line-up—mental endurance tests, puzzles, and logic scenarios.

“Let’s see if your brains can keep up with your bodies"

He said with a wry smile, as if he knew this would be just as torturous as any physical drill.

As we gathered in the classroom, Ishikawa and Matsuoka flanked me on either side.

Over the past month, the three of us had fallen into an easy camaraderie, laughing through the pain of training, cracking jokes when things got too serious.

Matsuoka, quiet and focused, had a dry wit that always caught me off guard, while Ishikawa was the type of guy who could make a joke out of anything—even when it probably wasn’t appropriate.

“This is where I shine, boys”

Ishikawa announced as we settled into our seats, his grin wide.

“Mental challenges are my bread and butter.”

“You mean ‘mental breakdowns'”

Matsuoka muttered, not even bothering to look up from the desk as he spoke.

I stifled a laugh.

“I don’t know, Ishii. I’ve seen your work under pressure. Pretty sure you got lost in that last maze challenge.”

“I wasn’t lost. I was exploring alternative routes”

Ishikawa shot back, crossing his arms.

“Strategic thinking, Mori. Learn it.”

“Sure, sure.”

I shook my head.

“Let’s see how ‘strategic’ you are when we get started.”

Katayama strode into the room, clipboard in hand, his presence commanding as always.

“Alright, recruits. Today’s session is about problem-solving under stress. Each of you will be paired off to solve a series of puzzles and scenarios designed to test your logic, reasoning, and teamwork. The faster you solve them, the better. If you screw up, there’ll be consequences.”

“What kind of consequences?”

Ishikawa whispered to me, sounding more nervous now than confident.

“Probably running,”

I whispered back.

“Of course it’s running”

He muttered, looking defeated already.

"It's always about the running!"

We were split into pairs, and unsurprisingly, I ended up with Matsuoka while Ishikawa got stuck with another recruit, Takeda, who looked just as thrilled as he did.

Our first task was a classic logic puzzle—a room with several levers, each one triggering different outcomes.

Some would open doors, others would lock them, and a few would activate traps.

The goal was to figure out the right sequence to get out without triggering the wrong switches.

It reminded me of the time before my incident...

At the time i used to play a lot of MMORPG's that had a similar layout.

In the physical tests i couldn't have done nothing.

But my mind based on videogames could have been helpful this time.

“Alright, genius”

Matsuoka said, glancing at the puzzle in front of us.

“Where do we start?”

I studied it for a moment, then i answered.

“Pull the one on the left first.”

“Why?”

He asked, reaching for it.

“Because if I’m wrong, at least we’ll know early.”

“You inspire so much confidence”

He deadpanned, but he pulled the lever anyway.

Nothing happened.

“That’s a good sign, right?”

“Sure”

I said, but I could say he was not convinced.

“Try the second one.”

We went through the sequence cautiously, avoiding the traps while trying to unlock the right doors.

I could hear Ishikawa muttering curses from across the room, his patience clearly wearing thin with Takeda, who seemed more interested in staring at the puzzle than actually solving it.

“Come on, Takeda! Pull the lever! It’s not going to explode—well, it might, but we won’t know unless you pull it!”

“You pull it!”

“Are you kidding me right now?!”

Matsuoka and I exchanged a glance, both of us trying not to laugh as we worked through our own puzzle.

After what felt like an eternity of trial and error, we finally cracked the sequence and unlocked the last door.

“Not bad”

Matsuoka said as we finished, his tone neutral but with the faintest hint of satisfaction.

“We make a good team”

I replied, giving him a nod.

Across the room, Ishikawa threw up his hands in frustration.

“I swear, if I have to pull one more lever that does nothing, I’m gonna—”

A loud click echoed through the room as their final door swung open, cutting off his rant mid-sentence.

Ishikawa blinked, then grinned.

“See? Told you I had it under control.”

Takeda just shook his head.

“That was luck, and you know it.”

“Luck is a form of strategy, my friend.”

When the tests finally ended, we gathered in front of Katayama, waiting for the inevitable critique.

“You did better than I expected”

He said, his voice gruff but not unkind.

“Some of you even showed signs of intelligence today.”

Ishikawa elbowed me, whispering.

“That’s us. He’s talking about us.”

“I doubt it”

I whispered back, smirking.

Katayama continued, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

“But don’t get too comfortable. Tomorrow’s training will make today look like a warm-up.”

With that, he dismissed us, leaving us to groan and stretch our sore limbs as we made our way back to the dorms.

As we walked, Ishikawa rubbed his temples dramatically.

“If tomorrow’s worse than today, I’m not sure my brain can handle it.”

“Your brain?”

Matsuoka asked dryly.

“I didn’t realize you were using it.”

Ishikawa clutched his chest in mock offense.

“I’ll have you know, my strategic genius is—”

“Nonexistent?”

I offered, cutting him off.

He gave me a sidelong look.

“You wound me, Mori. Truly.”

But despite the teasing, there was a camaraderie in our exhaustion, a shared sense of accomplishment in having made it through another day.

Another month.

Before we could even notice, it was already Christmas.