Zephyrion was up and dressed before the bang.

He stood straight beside the yawning Lumi as the door to his room was slammed open.

"GET ON YOUR FEET, CADET! GE—"

The soldier blinked, staring at the fully dressed duo. He hesitated, clearly unsure of how to proceed, before clearing his throat.

"...Get a move on! Courtyard, now!"

Zephyrion straightened and fisted his chest. Lumi blinked rapidly, then hurriedly did the same, stealing a quick glance at him to make sure she had gotten it right.

They both left the room, moving through the corridors.

The sound of doors being slammed open echoed all around. Many cadets, still clearly drunk from last night’s party, were dragged out of their rooms. Some scrambled to their feet, only to stumble and fall back down. Zephyrion caught sight of more than a few puking their guts out across the ground.

Yet the soldiers were merciless. Their smiles from yesterday were gone. They kicked, barked, and forced the cadets to move.

He and Lumi were the first to reach the courtyard.

It was freshly past 3 a.m., the area lit only by the glowing lights across the yard. The soldiers were already standing at attention on the platform. Ingrid’s cold gaze flickered to him. She stared for a second before turning away.

Expressionless, he also paid her no heed and took his position where the tier one cadets had been asked to gather.

Not long after, other cadets began filing into the courtyard.

The Calderalth youths were the first to arrive. Though many looked displeased at being forced awake, they were otherwise fine. Tobias, Fiona, Kaelion and Kaiden nodded to him.

The same couldn’t be said for the others.

Vaelor, Nedra, and Lucien arrived with bloodshot eyes. Only Kaelith seemed fine. He avoided Zephyrion’s gaze.

Draven was the most pitiful. His large frame swayed as he staggered into the courtyard, still clearly drunk.

Soon the courtyard was filled. Many struggled to stand straight, hunched over, swaying, looking utterly miserable.

Yet Ingrid’s gaze remained cold as she stepped forward.

"You will follow your respective instructors for training. Any cadet who fails to finish will lose twenty Temper Points. I don’t have to remind you what happens when you hit zero."

Many of the cadets paled. Zephyrion could imagine why. Initial Temper Points had been awarded based on how quickly they finished the run. He’d arrived fourth and yet only had forty. Lumi had thirty. Most had twenty or below.

They were already far from their ideal state. Whatever training they underwent, losing twenty points was enough to send most of them home.

Yet Ingrid merely stepped back.

"Dismissed."

"Move! Move, you slag!"

Moments later, Zephyrion, along with the other tier one cadets, was led out through the grand gates of the fortress.

There was a sharp hum in the air. A scrambler, Zephyrion realized. At this point, practically every inch of the academy must have been fitted with one.

The air was cold, biting. Every breath turned into a cloud of white mist. He adjusted his pace, conserving his strength.

They started with a light jog, the instructor leading the way. Zephyrion observed him.

He was slightly shorter than him, but bulkier. His hair was cut so low it almost looked shaved. Clean-shaven too, a far cry from practically every Ferran he’d met.

He hadn’t spoken a single word to them.

He just ran.

Lumi was close behind him, with the other Calderalth youths not far behind. With the scrambler activated, the tier one cadets were already in a worse state. They swayed like running corpses.

Far behind came the other instructors with their cadets. The tier two and tier three groups. Different paces based on their respective tiers. Another reason they’d been separated, he realized.

They cut across the plain, continuing into the forest.

Then the instructor increased his pace.

It was so sudden he had already covered several meters before any of them even realized. Zephyrion kicked off the ground and accelerated. Lumi kept up with him while Kaelion, Kaiden, Tobias, and Fiona struggled. The other tier one cadets quickly fell farther behind.

Five kilometers. Ten. Twenty. They just kept running. He caught sight of the mountain peak from the corner of his eye and realized their route.

’We’re circling the mountain.’

They continued for several more kilometers before bursting into another vast grassland. There, Zephyrion sighted an imposing fortress in the far distance.

’I see.’

This wasn’t a mere run. They were being shown the layout of the other fortresses. He caught sight of other cadets running in the far distance.

Another region.

Zephyrion tried to tell which, but unfortunately they were too far away.

Then the instructor increased his speed.

More invested in the run now, Zephyrion accelerated, making sure he didn’t lose sight of him. They entered a dark forest lined with towering trees and, after several kilometers, crested a hill.

Below, another fortress lay.

They didn’t stop. They kept moving until they reached the foot of another high hill. Perched atop it was yet another fortress.

The four houses. Four fortresses.

By then, they’d been running for more than three hours. Lumi was still the closest to him, though she remained several meters behind. The other Calderalth youths were much farther back. He could barely make out the city lord descendants in the distance. The other tier one cadets had vanished completely, left behind.

Yet the instructor increased his pace once again.

Again, Zephyrion accelerated.

By now, his body was covered in sweat despite the cold. He felt the strain, his limbs growing heavier, yet it wasn’t nearly enough to make him collapse. He pushed through it, maintaining his pace. Soon, they reached the top of a small cliff.

Below, water raged.

A vast river stretched before him, so wide he could barely make out the silhouette of a mountain in the distance.

The instructor stopped at the edge, then finally turned. His eyes narrowed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face at Zephyrion’s presence.

Then he simply turned away and jumped, diving into the river.

Zephyrion watched with a raised brow as he began swimming.

He turned, making sure the others saw him, then dived in as well.