Finally, I made it back—climbing over the wall with my magnificent tarp in tow, sneaking toward my dormitory like a thief in the night. And guess who I found sneaking around?

If you guessed Theo, congratulations. You’re a genius.

I could tell the E-ranks apart by their shields, but the D- and C-ranks? No clue. Wonder why they did that.

For now, I just arched an eyebrow at him.

Theo grinned, looking genuinely excited to see me. I was almost touched by the sentiment. And then some of the new recruits started saluting.

I sighed. Deeply. Before I had to say anything, Zack and Bea went to work, smacking arms down like they were swatting flies.

“He doesn’t like that when he’s alone,” Zack said as he pulled a girl's hand down from her face.

Right there, at that moment, I considered kissing both of them. The beautiful bastards.

Theo, still smirking, tilted his head at me. “Wanna practice with the shield again, Boris?”

“Matter of fact, I do.” I let my gaze drift to the rest of the recruits, who looked about as lost as a flock of blind chickens. It made me snort.

Isaac, as expected, turned away, disgust plain on his face. Bea, on the other hand, studied me with an expression I couldn’t quite place—somewhere between curiosity and fear, like she was looking at a lion.

Theo, impatient as always, clapped his hands. “Well, come on! Let’s go!”

We started moving toward town when I glanced at him. “What time is it?”

“Five A.M. Why?”

“Oh. No reason.”

Except my body was screaming for that extra hour of sleep. Begging. But staying awake felt right—like if I left now, I’d miss something. These people were here every morning when I got back. There had to be a reason for that.

Besides, I was running on four hours anyway. Good enough.

We arrived at the same abandoned house from yesterday, where everyone crowded against the walls to make space for Theo and Zack.

Zack crossed his arms. “Alright, Theo. Show me how fast you can do it. Remember, Lieutenant Michael says we have to be faster than he can raise a pistol.”

Theo started practicing the motion—slowly, methodically.

“Fix your stance,” Zack added, nudging Theo’s foot forward.

I pushed off the wall and wandered into the middle of our messy semicircle, stopping a meter from Theo. Then I mimicked his stance.

Silence.

I glanced around. Everyone was staring at me.

I let it linger for a moment, then grinned wide and threw them the great, the wonderful, mock salute.

“Sir! I wanna know too! Just pretend my skinny ass ain’t here!”

Laughter rippled through the group. Even Isaac gave a reluctant snort.

Zack just shook his head, grinning, and returned to adjusting Theo’s stance. Meanwhile, some of the other shieldmen stepped forward and started copying me instead.

Good. We can all look stupid together.

Five minutes later, Zack straightened up, gave Theo a nod, then turned and handed me his shield.

“What the hell are you going to practice with?” I asked, even as I fumbled to imitate Theo’s shield deployment.

He was doing it so fast I could barely blink. Meanwhile, I couldn't even manage the basic motion—and that was without the weight strapped to my arm.

Zack smirked, puffing his chest out. “I’m the best among the E-ranks at this, so don’t worry. I practice enough.”

“Well, aren’t you a cool kid,” I said dryly, making him laugh as he handed me his shield.

He showed me how to strap it on properly. “When it’s in standby mode, you just undo the two straps, slide the metal up your arm, then tie them tight around your forearm and bicep.” He stepped back, watching me struggle my way through it.

It didn’t seem that bad, actually. Which begged the question—

“Why didn’t you let me do this yesterday?”

Zack shrugged. “There’s a whole bunch of bullshit you have to do beforehand if you’re a shieldman. But that’s the basics if you just want to deploy it.” He smirked. “And since I already did the bullshit, might as well tell you the rest.”

“Fair enough.”

I adjusted my grip, took a deep breath, and activated the shield.

And immediately slammed it straight into my toes.

“Oh, you motherfucker!” I hissed, hopping on one foot as the bastards around me roared with laughter.

Bea sighed, already stepping forward. She just placed her hand on my arm, and just like that, the pain vanished.

I stretched my now-healed foot. “Bea, have I mentioned your power is fantastic? My elbows don’t even sting anymore.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

She just stared at me skeptically, like I still didn't get how her power worked. But, she let it slide after giving me an eye roll.

I turned back to the shield, determined to get it right this time.

I activated it again.

This time, it didn’t even open properly.

I seriously considered throwing the whole thing at Zack like it was somehow his fault. I was just about to rip the damn thing off when one of the shieldmen hesitantly stepped forward.

“Hey, uhm, Boris, sir? If you reach up to your chest instead of your shoulder, I find it helps. Keeps it from hitting your foot.” He hesitated. “Although… it’s slower, so we’re not allowed to use it.”

I gave his suggestion a try.

The shield came out almost sideways—but it deployed. It took about a second longer to cover my whole body, but it did. And more importantly?

No broken toes. Yippee.

“Thanks, man!” I said, clapping his shoulder.

Then I wagged a finger at him. “Also, if you call me ‘sir’ again, I’ll dock your pay.”

“I’m not even getting paid,” he said, pretending to be offended.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. But still, appreciate the tip.” I said, giving him a nod.

He didn’t say anything, but I saw the way he strutted away. The man was practically skipping.

I chuckled and turned to take the shield off—but as I stepped to the side, I caught Bea staring at me.

Not just watching—staring. Like a mouse that had spotted a hawk.

I took that as a sign for a conversation and strolled over, casual as anything.

“You’ve been staring at me like I kicked a puppy. What’s up?”

Bea’s expression barely changed, but something in her stance shifted—more rigid, more deliberate. She’d been thinking about this. Hard.

“You can talk well,” she said finally, her words careful, like she’d rehearsed them a hundred times. “I’ve only been around you a little bit, but I’m already starting to like you. So are the rest.” She nodded toward the group. “Even the B-ranks seem to enjoy having you around, and it’s only been a week.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through them. I glanced around and caught a few hesitant nods, a few stolen glances. They weren’t sure what to make of me yet—but they weren’t against me either.

Bea squared her shoulders, her eyes locked on my forehead—not quite meeting my gaze. “So tell me, murderer,” she said, her voice sharpening, “is this just for show? To get our guards down so you can pick us off one by one at night? Is that why we see you in the mornings? Scouting out how you’ll do it?”

Silence.

Her words cut through the air like a knife, dragging the entire group’s attention with them. I saw hands flex toward weapons, not out of immediate threat—but instinct. Their breathing slowed.

She was scared. But she still said it.

I tilted my head, like I was actually considering it. “You know,” I mused, tapping my chin, “if I were picking you off one by one, you’d probably notice. Subtlety’s not really my thing.”

A few people laughed—nervously. But they laughed.

I straightened, my grin fading as my tone dropped. “You want to know if this is a show? It’s not. I killed those men because they threatened to sell my kids—my girls—into brothels. I won’t apologize for protecting them.”

No one spoke. I let the words settle.

I met Bea’s gaze properly now, making sure she understood. “But if you’re asking if I’m faking it with you lot? No. I’m here because I want to be. Well… mostly because I like Theo.”

That got a few chuckles. The tension cracked, just a little.

I turned back to Bea, my voice gentler now. “You don’t want me here? Fair enough. Just say the word. But if I stick around, I’d like to know it’s because you want me here—not while you’re watching me just because you think I'll hurt someone.”

I stepped back, leaving the choice with her. With them.

For a second, no one moved.

Then Isaac stepped forward, his expression unreadable. His eyes locked onto mine, unwavering. Testing me.

“Are you being honest about why you killed those men?”

I held his gaze. “As honest as I can be.”

A long moment stretched between us.

Isaac didn’t blink. His eyes were sharp, searching—not just for an answer, but for something deeper. He wasn’t the only one.

I could feel the weight of their gazes—the quiet ones in the back, the skeptical ones still deciding if I was worth trusting. Even the ones who had laughed earlier weren’t laughing now. They were waiting.

Then, finally, Isaac gave a small nod.

He stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Isaac.” His grip was steady, not hesitant, not testing—just firm. Decided.

“You’re good with me.”

For a second, the words just hung there.

I clasped his hand, shaking it firmly. “Hi, Isaac. I’m Boris.”

Something in the air shifted. The tension didn’t vanish, but it thinned, cracked open just enough to let something else in.

A few of the others exchanged glances. Some nodded slightly, while others held back, still weighing me, but not so rigid now. Someone in the back muttered something I didn’t catch, and a few of them chuckled—low, uncertain, but real.

It wasn’t much.

But it was a start.

Bea let out a slow breath. Her jaw tightened as she glanced at me, then at the floor.

“No,” she said finally, her voice firm—but something was off.

“I just… don’t trust you.”

Her fingers twitched at her sides, her eyes flicking between my hands and my face—not just watching. Waiting. Bracing. Like she thought I might strike at any moment.

Then it clicked. It wasn't just distrust. She was scared of me.

I exhaled softly, giving her a small nod, slow and deliberate.

“It’s okay,” I said, reassuring, not pressing. “I get it.”

I took a step back, giving her space.

Then I glanced at Theo.

Oh. He saw it too.

His expression flickered, his eternal smile dimming—just slightly. Not anger. Just something quieter. Like he hated that Bea felt this way.

And then he spoke, his voice was steady, warm even.

“Bea… you don’t have to decide anything right now,” Theo said, tilting his head slightly. “But, you know… it wouldn’t hurt to talk to him. Later. Dinner, maybe?”

He kept his tone light, casual—but it wasn’t dismissive.

Bea’s eyes flickered toward me, then back to Theo. Her hesitation warred with something else—reluctance, maybe even frustration at herself.

“…Fine,” she muttered, voice tight. “I’ll find you at dinner.”

Theo beamed. Like a little victory had been won.

Bea, however, wasn’t done. She turned to me, her fear buried again beneath a sharp glare.

“But this doesn’t mean anything yet,” she said. “I’m still watching you.”

A few of the others nodded slightly—not outright approval, but a shift. A crack in the wall.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.” I held up my hands, taking another step back—slow, easy, letting her see I wasn’t a threat.

I turned to the rest, flashing a grin.

“Anyway! Zack, thanks for teaching me about the shield. And you—didn’t catch your name—thanks for the tip. See you all around.”

As I walked away, I could feel their eyes on me—no longer wary, no longer waiting for me to slip.

Just watching. Like they didn't know what to think of me, and by somehow staring at me long enough, they'd find the answer they were looking for.

With that, I headed back to my dorm, hoping to steal at least ten minutes of sleep before the Lieutenant started banging on the bedframe again.