At precisely five in the morning, the sharp sound of a horn pierced through the mist as usual, instantly bringing the camp to life. Cain had grown accustomed to this routine. He opened his eyes five minutes before the horn sounded, swiftly getting up to fold his bedding. Inside the barracks, others also began to stir, some still bleary-eyed, while others were already energetically putting on their training gear.
"Morning—Tario, stop wearing your clothes inside out," Rodi said, throwing a towel at him.
"This isn't inside out; it's a unique design by the elves!" Tario retorted stubbornly, but he still blushed as he rearranged his clothes.
Ze was already fully dressed, standing at the door with a water bottle. He still spoke little, but recently he would nod in greeting and occasionally point out Tario's mistakes. This was a significant improvement for everyone.
After a morning run around the camp twice, they moved on to strength training: rope climbing, weight lifting, wood pushing, and squats, with a daily rotation of exercises. The natural facilities provided by the elves became part of the training—like climbing giant vine nets, crossing water obstacles, and running through forests with tangled roots.
"I swear, these aren't designed for humans; they're for monkeys!" Tario complained as he crawled out of the mud.
Aina, however, moved nimbly, jumping over gaps between the tree roots, turning back with a smile, "Looks like I'm more like a monkey?"
"You're more like a warrior goddess trained by the elves," Tario muttered under his breath.
She paused for a moment, her ears turning red, but pretended not to hear and continued forward.
Days flowed by in sweat and mud. Lunchtime was always the most relaxing time, with the squad gathering to eat and chat.
"If we win again today, I'll treat you all to juice," Cain said.
"Can I get the sweet fruit mixed with propolis?" Rodi's eyes lit up.
"I think you want a sugar overdose," Aina teased.
Such laughter and the day-to-day training brought everyone closer together.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and the days at the training camp seemed etched in stone, each mark recording sweat and growth. Mornings always began with the sharp sound of the horn, and before the sun climbed over the camp ridge, the training ground was already filled with running and commands.
"One, two—one, two—!"
Tario panted as he chased after Cain, his steps slightly unsteady.
"You're not human... how many servings of breakfast did you have?!"
Cain turned back with a grin, "Four servings. But you've only been chasing me for half a lap and you're already out of breath, can you keep up?"
Aina overtook them from the side, gracefully vaulting over a barrier wall, tossing back, "You two argue every day and still manage to compete over who's slower, impressive."
Ze, on the other hand, did not join in the banter, quietly completing his training. But unlike when he first arrived, he no longer kept to himself. When Rodi slipped on the high wall, he was the first to reach out and pull him up; when the squad argued endlessly during group tasks, it was his single sentence that clarified the direction.
Cain noticed that although Ze was silent, he had subtly become another core member.
In daily life, the time after training became gentler. Some would wash clothes by the stream at the edge of the field, while others lay on the grass in small groups, stargazing. The atmosphere was less like a military camp and more like a group of young people growing up in the same small town.
Cain and Ze gradually developed a silent understanding. They didn't need many words; a glance was enough to know the other's intention. During one training session, when the squad simulated a breakout, Cain was blocked by the "enemy," and Ze quickly supported him from the flank, repelling the opponent. The brief moment they stood back-to-back, catching their breath, felt like a real battlefield experience.
Aina and Tario's interactions also grew more ambiguous. Although they often bickered, after each training session, they would go together to fetch water and clean equipment.
"If you damage the gun again, I won't help you apply for new parts," Aina scolded.
"That's why I need you, technical soldier, you're awesome," Tario grinned.
Rodi privately told Cain, "They'll end up together eventually."
Cain shrugged, "Wanna bet on it?"
One evening, Cain and Ze sat by the campfire.
"You've changed," Cain said.
Ze looked up, "How so?"
"You've started looking us in the eyes when you speak."
Ze chuckled softly, not denying it.
In these three months, everyone had changed. Rodi no longer complained about the harsh training and even took the initiative to guide new recruits. Aina grew more calm and composed, and Tario learned to switch between joking and being serious. Cain learned to trust his teammates, and Ze... finally found a group he could lower his guard with.
But this calm was merely the calm before the storm.
One night, a barely perceptible strange light flashed across the distant sky. It was silent, without any tremor, but in Ze's perception, that pulse tore through something.
"Did you guys feel that?" Rodi frowned, pointing to a spot in the night sky.
At first, everyone thought it was just a meteor, until the twisted light appeared more frequently, even triggering faint alarms on the camp's instruments. Ze's expression changed, and he quietly stood up, gazing into the distance.
The instructor quickly sealed off the information, but Ze quietly told Cain:
"That's not a meteor; it's... a spatial rift."
Cain was startled, "How do you know?"
Ze didn't respond, simply turning to enter the armory to check his equipment.
The news didn't stay hidden for long. The next morning, a shocking briefing appeared in the command center: a village on the northeastern border had been attacked, suspected to be by hostile life forms from an unknown passage.
And that village was the hometown of squad member Rodi.
"No... it can't be..." Rodi's hands trembled, his eyes unfocused.
"They don't have any defenses there... they're all farmers... my parents..." He could barely speak.
The air grew silent, and the squad's atmosphere suddenly shifted.
"My family... they're still there. I have to go back; I can't just do nothing." Rodi lowered his head, clenching his fists, his voice trembling.
"Rodi, calm down first, we'll figure something out together," Aina held his arm, her voice gentle yet firm.
"But the military hasn't issued any action orders yet, and acting on our own now would be against regulations," Tario reminded in a low voice, though his tone couldn't hide his own unease.
"I can't care about that... if you won't help me, I'll go alone tonight."
That night, Rodi didn't sleep.
He quietly put on his gear, picked up his pack, moving cautiously so as not to wake his comrades in the barracks. He knew it was against the rules, but he couldn't wait. He couldn't bear doing nothing, just sitting there imagining whether his family was still alive.
When he reached the edge of the camp, he stopped at the exit.
In the moonlight, Cain, Aina, Tario, and Ze were all standing there.
"How did you..."
"How could we not know what you're going to do?" Cain stood with his sword on his back, arms crossed.
Tario grinned, lowering his backpack from his shoulder, "You move pretty quietly, but you forgot how loud you snore."
Aina handed him a ration and a water bottle, "We packed our bags a long time ago. Since you won't wait, we'll go with you."
"You... you guys..." Rodi choked up, tears almost welling up in his eyes.
"Don't say thank you; we're a team, we're partners," Cain patted his shoulder.
Ze said nothing, simply slinging Rodi's sword bag over his own shoulder, a silent promise.
Under the moonlight, the shadows of the five stretched long, turning their backs on the brightly lit camp as they stepped into the unknown night.