Chapitre 18: "Training part 1"
After the day's introduction to the Cadet Corps, the recruits were dismissed to their quarters for the evening. The barracks were modest, rows of bunks stretching out across the room. Each cadet had their own space, though it was cramped. Aiden tossed his small pack onto the lower bunk, glancing up at the empty top one. It didn't take long for the cadets to shuffle in, filling the room with the low hum of murmured conversations and the rustling of clothes.
Moments later, another recruit approached. "Looks like I'm stuck with the top bunk," he said with a chuckle, hoisting his own bag up onto the bed. "Hope you don't snore."
Aiden glanced up and smiled. "I'll try not to," he said, leaning back against his bunk. "You?"
The recruit laughed lightly. "No promises." He sat on the edge of the top bunk and extended his hand. "Name's Udo, by the way."
"Aiden," he replied, shaking Udo's hand. The exchange felt simple but genuine.
Udo stayed perched on the edge of his bunk, swinging his legs lightly. "So... where are you from?" he asked casually.
Aiden hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to say. "A place far from here," he finally answered, not wanting to get into the details.
Udo nodded, seeming to pick up on the reluctance. "Same here. Weird, isn't it? Being thrown into all this with a bunch of strangers?"
Aiden looked up at Udo again and nodded. "Yeah. But I guess we'll all get used to it. Or we won't," he added with a slight grin.
The conversation continued to flow naturally after that, neither of them pushing too hard for personal details. Instead, they stuck to light topics—what they thought about the training so far, the instructors, and what they expected in the coming days. Udo was more talkative, but Aiden found himself slowly opening up as well. It was clear that Udo was trying to make connections, and though Aiden couldn't help but be guarded, it didn't hurt to have someone friendly nearby.
---
Across the camp, the female recruits had been assigned their own quarters. Elena dropped her bag onto the lower bunk with a sigh, rubbing her arms to stave off the chill in the air. Above her, the bed creaked as her bunkmate, silently settled into the top bunk.
Elena looked up and offered a smile, though she didn't seem to notice at first. After a moment of awkward silence, Elena spoke up. "So, I guess we're bunkmates now." Her tone was friendly, trying to break the ice.
She turned slightly, looking down from her perch. "Yeah," she replied quietly, her voice soft but not unfriendly.
Elena shifted a bit, leaning back against her bunk. "I'm Elena, by the way," she said, glancing up at her, again. "Where are you from?"
"Zofia," came the response, as the girl shifted to sit on the edge of her bunk, feet dangling just above Elena's head. "Not really from anywhere, I guess." She seemed hesitant, as if the question had brought up something she preferred to avoid.
"Yeah, I get that," Elena replied with understanding. "This place is... different. I didn't expect to end up here."
There was a pause before Zofia nodded. "It's not what I imagined, either."
The conversation stayed light after that. They talked about the upcoming training, mostly guessing what challenges the instructors might throw at them. Elena's energy was soft but steady, while Zofia remained reserved, giving short answers but still engaging enough to keep the conversation going. As the night wore on, the tension between the two faded, replaced by a quiet understanding. They didn't need to say much to feel a sense of camaraderie beginning to form.
---
The First Day of Training
The next morning, the loud blare of the horn shattered the stillness of the barracks. Aiden jerked awake, groggy and disoriented, while Udo groaned from the top bunk. "This is it," Udo mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he clambered down. "First day."
Aiden stretched, shaking the sleep from his limbs. "Yeah. Hope you're ready for this."
The two of them quickly threw on their uniforms, exchanging a few tired jokes about how awful they both looked before filing outside with the other recruits. The air was cold, and their breath formed small clouds in front of their faces as they lined up in the training grounds.
The day started with physical conditioning—running, lots of it. The instructors barked at them to keep moving, to push through the burn in their legs and the cold in their lungs. Aiden kept a steady pace, while Udo, clearly struggling, managed to keep up just behind him.
"You good?" Aiden asked between breaths as they rounded another corner.
Udo nodded, panting heavily. "Barely," he gasped, managing a grin. "But I'll make it."
After what felt like an eternity, the run finally ended, and the recruits were given a brief moment to catch their breath. Aiden collapsed onto the ground, wiping sweat from his brow, while Udo slumped next to him. "This is brutal," Udo muttered, half-laughing despite his exhaustion.
Aiden chuckled, though it came out strained. "And it's only the beginning."
The break didn't last long. Soon enough, they were ushered toward the ODM training. The recruits, many still shaky from the run, strapped into their gear and were given a crash course in its operation. The first few tries were clumsy—Udo nearly crashed into a tree, much to Aiden's amusement—but by the end of the session, most had started to get the hang of it.
Across the training grounds, Elena and Zofia had paired up for the ODM practice. Elena watched as Zofia, though quiet, moved with precision, quickly mastering the movements. "You're pretty good at this," Elena remarked as she adjusted her own gear.
Zofia shrugged, her face focused but calm. "It's just practice," she said simply, but there was something about the way she spoke that suggested there was more to it than that.
Elena didn't press further. She liked Zofia's quiet confidence, even if she didn't say much. They worked in comfortable silence, only occasionally exchanging a word or two as they practiced, growing more comfortable with each other's presence.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone