The cool breeze brushed against Tucker’s face as he sat down on the wooden bench while leaning against the metal frame. He had countless thoughts filling his head. Thoughts that didn’t matter and thoughts that tore at his very conscience. He closed his eyes, trying to piece everything he learned together. They had solved the equipment problem, and training was underway, but they needed more experienced watchmen to lead.

  That was something Luka was currently working on, but even if they recruited their comrades, it didn’t mean that everything would smoothly fall into place. There was a certain dynamic within the militia that came into play today—one that united them when they needed it the most. Thinking back to it, Tucker felt like something was off. Maybe he was approaching the problem wrong, and they should have some of the more talented militiamen take on the leadership mantle.

  Tucker opened his eyes and gazed at the moon. On nights like these, he would be on missions with Alex, but now he was stuck here in the fortress city doing God knows what. There was some lingering distaste for the situation, but after saving Adira and seeing how well she adapted to the life of a scholar, he couldn’t complain. Besides, it wasn’t like the entire situation was that bad. Other than the problems with the militia, Tucker had deepened his understanding of spirits and reached a greater depth of knowledge that wouldn’t have been possible.

  When Blaire used his spirit magic, he gave form to his spells. Manifesting shards of ice and increasing their power. Yet for wind contractors like Tucker, it was different. The essence of his spells was based on flow and control. The act of strumming when he manifested the bow empowered his attacks and provided control. Tightening and compressing the essence into thin needles allowed a practical use but severely lacked firepower. There had to be another way to increase his strength. He just hadn’t figured it out yet.

  Was spirit magic similar to standard magic that required logic and calculations? Or was it similar to musical instruments and the string theory? The more Tucker thought about it, the more his head started to hurt.

  Tucker buried his face with his hands. “Ha… I wish things were easier.” He exhaled while absentmindedly leaning back against the bench. His mind was lost in a labyrinth of thoughts until a voice pulled him back.

  “You and me both, buddy.” Luka plopped down beside Tucker, catching him by surprise. “What? You didn’t realize I was there? Damn, you must be deep in thought or washed up.”

  “Maybe a bit of both.” Tucker chuckled and lifted his head. “So, how did it go? Did you manage to recruit the others?”

  “Only the old man, the other two have their own set of problems. One is depressed, and the other is pissed.” Luka fanned his hand beside his face. “And before you ask if there’s anything I can do, I would rather not. I have trouble dealing with both of those situations, and usually I make them worse.”

  “Really? Is the great Luka backing down from a challenge? I thought you were the social butterfly of the group.”

  “Alright pal, the only one that has an ego like that is you, and I may be social, but I can also read the mood.” Luka leaned over with a subtle stillness. “Those two have something heavy on their shoulders, and I’m in no place to step in.”

  Tucker’s gaze flickered over Luka’s face. It had been a while since they were deployed here, but since the last time they drank at the bar, his friend had gotten skinnier. It wasn’t noticeable at first, but now that he took a closer look, it was as clear as day. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m always available.”

  “Bleh, cut that out.” Luka cracked a smile and slapped Tucker’s shoulder. “I’m doing just fine, though that old man is giving me one hell of a headache.”

  “Do you need someone to take over?”

  “Nah, it’s not like the old man is causing problems. He just can’t remember things well.”

  The moment Tucker heard this, he furrowed his brows. If the knight slayer couldn’t lead, he would have to be paired with another watchman, leaving only three to lead the three hundred men. A hundred each wasn’t a good enough amount. It would make it far too difficult to give them specialized training, and there would be some oversight and lack of care.

  “My bad. I guess I didn’t bring the best news.” Luka leaned back with his hands behind his head. “Well, other than that, how’s the militia doing?”

  “It was better than expected. Honestly I didn’t have much expectations but now I think we have something we can work with.”

  “Then does that mean we’re going to move on with the next step?”

  “Yeah, they’ve eaten well enough and could still move after the first training set. It’s best we proceed with the next regimine.”

  “Damn… those unlucky bastards.” Luka glanced up as a shadow loomed over him. He stared at Tucker’s outstretched hand and scoffed with a grin. “Me too?”

  “Wouldn’t be a team effort without you.” Tucker pulled Luka from the bench as his friend grabbed on. The moon shone brightly above the sky, illuminating their path. There was only one goal tonight, and with the darkness encroaching on the fortress, they had to make use of whatever time they had.

  .

  .

  .

  Liam, Nemo, and Jones all sat down in their respective beds. For the militia, their living quarters were one large rectangular room that take majority of the building. Their wooden bunk beds with soft cotton blankets were all evenly spaced throughout the area and after a long days work. All of them were relaxing in their quarters, sprawled out on their beds with their muscles aching all over.

  The morning training had beaten the living daylights out of them, but afterwards it was calm and peaceful. Yet for some reason, Liam felt like something was wrong. His sixth sense was kicking up and his friends were also on the same page. Their aura had fully replenished, and a sense of dread was creeping up his spine.

  “This… this can’t be the end, right?” Liam asked.

  “They said that we would have the rest of the day off, so I kind of want to believe them…” Jones replied.

  “Fat chance you dunce. This could all be a ploy, a trap to lower our guards.” Nemo’s shoulders fell forward as he rested his elbows on his thighs. “Those watchmen are bastards, I tell you.”

  “They’re good people, and besides, you stayed for their training; you could have just left.” Liam fell back onto his bed and sighed. “I’m just hoping to get a good night’s sleep. I can’t even imagine what we’re gonna go through in the morning.”

  Nemo furrowed his brows, the corner of his lips dropping as far as possible. “Good people? They gave us an ultimatum that was either we fucked off and die or we stay and live!”

  “Right, but that was with good intentions,” Liam added.

  “Good intentions?!” Nemo shook his head and held back the urge to backhand his friends. “You two can worship them all you want, but I didn't sign up for this shit.”

  “Ah whatever, just go to sleep you downer.” Jones threw the blanket over himself and turned away from them while closing his eyes. “Don’t wake me till sunrise.”

  "This jerk..." Nemo grumbled and soon disappeared from Liam's sight atop the bunk bed.

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  The sound of the wooden boards creaking entered Liam’s ears, and soon Nemo’s mumbled curses as his friend fell back on the top bunk. There were some concerns as to why the watchmen were personally training them, but it didn’t matter. They were trying to keep them alive, and if that was their purpose, then he had no reason to complain. Liam took a deep breath and felt the fatigue in his body slowly pull his consciousness away. Drifting off into a deep slumber as an unfamiliar smell entered his nose.

  The smell was acrid and dry, carrying a mix of warmth and earthiness that Liam hadn’t experienced in years. A sudden dryness soon followed it in his throat, causing an uncomfortable sensation and soon, something clicked in Liam's mind. His eyes immediately shot open. His senses were screaming at him, but all he could see was a thick grey cloud akin to mist filling their quarters. Liam’s eyes darted to the other bunk beds. Some were barely waking up, but most were still asleep.

  He screamed at the top of his lungs with all his might. “Fire!”

  His voice erupted through the room, instantly waking Nemo as he fell from the top of the bunk onto the warm wooden floors like a loud bang. Jones rolled off to the side and woke up the adjacent bunk bed. The air felt suffocating, but Liam calmed his racing heart. They needed to evacuate the building, and the fire hadn’t spread to their room—not yet, at least, which meant that they could still leave through the main entrance.

  “Wake up the others and follow me!” Liam shouted at Jones and Nemo, who quickly sprang to action. With hurried steps, he moved towards the front door. Through the smoke, while banging on the doors of the other militiamen. One by one, the doors were opening, and they were all moving towards the exit. Yet no matter how far Liam went, he couldn’t see any signs of fire. For this much smoke to be in the barracks meant that there was a large fire somewhere within their compound. That or some scourching heat, but no matter where he went, there wasn’t a single trace.

  Something’s wrong.

  That thought entered his head, but he didn’t have time to think about what was happening. They needed to get out of the building, and with every ounce of strength in his body. He barged through the main doors and out towards the courtyard, but right before he could step further. Something struck his guts and nearly caused him to vomit on the spot. He fell to his knees, and as the other militiamen exited the building, they were met with the same fate.

  What was happening?

  Liam looked up and saw the watchmen standing over them. Calmly observing the situation as more and more militiamen fell to the ground. The others behind them had fallen back, colliding with the rest of the militia rushing out to leave. Screams were the only things he could hear, and then a deafening silence as his comrades were physically subdued one after another.

  Why? Why were they doing this?

  The young militiaman stared at Tucker, who stood several meters before him with his hands behind his back. The other watchmen were by his side, including one he hadn’t seen before: an old man who stood upright with a sharp glare in his eyes. The chaos that had taken over the barracks was quickly dissipated, with the watchmen taking control, and now they were all on the ground. Knees in the dirt and hands held in the air. They all watched as Captain Welford stepped forward with disappointment in his eyes.

  “You fucking bastards!” Nemo gritted his teeth and glared at the watchmen. “How can you fucking start a fire in the barracks! Are you insane!”

  “Insane? No, this is part of your training. If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for having such a poor response.” Tucker’s chilling voice made Nemo fume with rage. Yet many of the other militiamen kept their heads down and were silent. “You should be ashamed that something like this was enough to break your spirits.”

  “We’ve never even dealt with something like this before!” Nemo protested. “It’s unfair for you to even do this without telling us, and then you have the audacity to say it’s our fault!”

  “Unfair?” Tucker scoffed with a forced grin and glared at Nemo with a hint of disbelief.

  How could they be so naive?

  That thought plagued Tucker’s mind as he clenched his fists, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He and the other watchmen carefully controlled the smoke for the drill. If needed, the militia would have quick access to the medical supplies and detoxification potions on the side. Everything was carefully planned on their end, but the issue here was that there wasn't a single ounce of caution or forethought from the militiamen. He thought back to his comrades who had lost their lives in their missions, how their dreams and wishes were extinguished in an instant so that others could carry on their legacy. They never complained about how unfair their life was, and did their best to do something greater. Seeing how the militia reacted caused something in Tucker’s mind to snap.

  He furiously shouted at the top of his lungs. “You call this unfair, yet you don’t even realize the severity of what just happened! You think the enemy would care about what’s fair? If this were an enemy attack, then three hundred men had just died for nothing!” Each word was seething with anger and struck true. Even Nemo couldn’t muster any words. “You don’t have the right to tell me it’s unfair when none of you came out armed with your weapons! What kind of soldiers don’t bring something—anything with them when they’re ambushed!”

  “We didn’t know we were getting ambushed… we thought it was just a fire—”

  Before Liam could say another word, Tucker’s piercing gaze fell on him. He couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence under their captain’s furious presence.

  “Just a fire?” Tucker repeated the sentence, each word falling heavy on their shoulders. “Did you guys forget where you are? You’re at one of the nation’s bastions. The fortress city of the Everheart Kingdom. Home to thirty thousand soldiers and ten thousand non-combatants. The very first line of defense for our home against the Empire, and you thought it was just a fire?”

  The words that came out of Tucker’s mouth dug into his heart. Liam knew where they were. He knew what was at stake, but had grown complacent.

  “And you, what’s your name?” Tucker pointed at Nemo.

  “It’s… Nemo, sir.”

  “You said that I had the audacity to blame you? Are you fucking stupid?” Tucker raised his voice and pointed at the line of militia at the very front of the group. “If this wasn’t an exercise, then your brothers who broke out of the building first to secure a fucking exit for you would’ve been dead on the floor!”

  Nemo bit his lips and kept his head down, unable to meet his captain’s gaze. “There was no other way out—”

  “No other way out? No other way out!” The captain slammed his fist through one of the logs stacked beside him, taking the men aback. Blood gushed out as the splinters dug into the side of his hand. The militia watched the crimson liquid splatter on the floor as Tucker pointed at Eric, who was standing to the side. “Tell me, what would you do?”

  “I would have found another way out,” Eric replied.

  “Exactly. You would find another way.” Tucker took a deep breath and faced the militiamen. “It doesn’t matter how horrible the situation is as long as you keep fighting. If there’s no other way out, then you make one. I don’t care how, whether you break the windows or tear down a wall brick by fucking brick. It’s only hopeless once you give up.”

  Tucker looked at his men. “You’re being trained by the best, not because you got lucky, but because you have the potential to live up to our standards. Those bastards in their high castle didn’t think you were worth it, and by making these excuses. By complaining about this cruel and unfair world instead of doing something only proves them right.”

  Silence filled the area as the men kept their heads down.

  “But if you want to prove them wrong, then you need to change. You need to do something for yourself and keep moving forward. It’s the only way to live a life you won’t regret.” Tucker gestured at the logs. “If you don’t think you have what it takes, then leave, but if you leave now. You aren’t just quitting on yourself, but your brothers here. Those who want to see this through to the end, stand in front of this log.”

  A moment of stillness took over the militia. The watchmen stood there and waited, but none of them dared to move. It was only until Tucker’s eyes fell on Liam that the young man flinched. Tucker knew that the men before him burned with a passion that most didn’t have. The urge to strive for greatness. But if they didn’t have the confidence to step forward, then there was nothing he could do.

  Yet in that dreadful silence, the most unexpected figure stepped forward.

  “I don’t like you one fucking bit but if we do follow through with this training. Will we really be better than before?” Nemo asked.

  “You wouldn’t even have to ask that question,” Tucker replied.

  Nemo nodded and glanced over at Liam and Jones. He then stepped in front of the log and wrapped his arms underneath it. The log was two meters long and so wide that Nemo could barely reach the other side. He bent his knees and lifted with all his might, but hardly managed to move it.

  Tucker nodded with a satisfied smile and then turned towards the militiamen. “What’ll it be?”

  The question caused an avalanche of emotions to fill their hearts, but soon another took a step forward. Standing beside Nemo while holding the log from underneath. Then another and another, until there was no more room left. Together they hoisted the building material and followed Eric to their designated spot.

  One by one, they were all moving to the logs with a few still hesitating, but that was something Tucker couldn’t change. There were only two main aspects they focused on in order to get through this training. One was to instill confidence in themselves, and the other was to build a sense of unity within the unit. What they lacked would be made up by their comrades. It was the only way for them to survive. Once everything was distributed and sorted, roughly twenty soldiers remained out of the three hundred. This number was still within acceptable limits, and with Eric leading the rest of the militia in their training, everything was slowly falling into place.

  Yet... Tucker couldn't help but stand there and look down at his bleeding hand. The torn skin and streaks of red soaking into the ground. They were lifting the logs, not smoothly but together, and one day that just might make the difference between a funeral and a flame. And maybe, just maybe, Tucker could live with that.