Week 1, Day 7 – End of the First Week
The first seven days had passed. The camp looked completely different from the first day. Between the palisade and the river there were now solid paths. The orcs were still dumping gravel and sand. Larger stones lay between them, stabilizing the ground. At the main intersections, simple wooden signs hung with arrows.
Squad Seven had been given its own small area by the river. We built a fire pit with a ring of stones, set up three pole beds, and stretched a tarp that kept out the rain. Mirae added sliding hooks to the posts so we could hang bags and tools. Rafi marked two narrow paths to the river and to the palisade with small piles of stones, so nobody would walk the wrong way in the dark.
The Lumen-Moth idea worked. A few dwarves had made thin, light-colored strings. Scouts stretched them at a good height over the most important paths. In the evening, a chain of those creatures settled on them and formed an even line of light. The guards no longer needed open fire along the walkways. It wasn't beautiful in an artistic way. It was simply useful. You could see where you were walking.
To be honest, I already felt pretty integrated into this camp. I even got a small wooden hut assigned just to me, and from that point on I slept there. Next to it, on our request, huts for Cealith, Daisuke, Amina, Nikita, and Carmen were also being built. But those would still take a bit of time.
On the morning of the seventh day, I helped at the water station because Jonas and Rafi felt sick and we were too few to go hunting. Thank God I wasn't alone there. Amina had been helping with distributing water and food. She organized the times and order. Each group got fixed slots. In the mornings, the builders came first, then the hunters, then the scouts, and last the remaining teams. In the evenings, the order was reversed so the night shifts wouldn't eat too late. It was always clear which hour you had to be somewhere. Not strict military drill, but organized.
Two dwarves worked on the filter. A human passed the jars along. A group of orcs lifted clay buckets onto carts. Amina stood beside a board, speaking calmly and pointing to the times she had written down with charcoal.
A fight started when two men from a later group tried to push ahead. The older one already held a wooden cup. The younger one stood behind him, trying to grab a jar too.
"We're on duty soon," the younger one said loudly. "Give me the damn water already."
Amina stayed calm. "Hey, hey ,first tell me which unit you two are from."
"We need to get to east-side security," the younger one said. "I don't have time for this shit."
I stepped in. "Just tell us your unit number."
He ignored me. He shoved me out of the way and grabbed a jar of water. A few people waiting in line cheered. I even heard some giggling further back. He was probably popular here.
The guy had medium-length black curly hair. He was a head taller than me and pretty muscular. He wore wide black jeans and a tight black shirt that showed off every muscle. I guessed he was around twenty.
He was definitely a girl magnet, and the way he acted told me he'd been one his whole life. Someone who never knew what it felt like to be embarrassed or put down. Next to me, Amina was looking at him with those romantic eyes. By romantic, I mean she looked at his left eye, then his right, then his lips. One after another.
Hard to tell if it was on purpose or just her nature.
I would die to be looked at like that by a girl.
But the truth was: standing next to him, I looked weak ,like some nobody.
It reminded me of Brad.
No. I can't let myself get humbled like that again. Not like with Brad. This time I have to at least say something back. Aleks, don't be a pussy.
"It goes faster if everyone sticks to their schedule," I said. "If you take the food now, the next group ,who actually should get it ,will miss out. Just tell me which unit you're with."
An orc in the line stepped in. "They belong to Hunter Unit One. They need to be on the east side. They're late."
Amina nodded. "East section shouldn't start in ten more minutes. There are still two groups before you. But we could move you forward ,if the two groups would agree."
I turned to the group currently waiting. "You're the kitchen team. Can you handle eating five minutes later if we let these two go now?"
The woman from the kitchen looked at her list. "Alright."
I nodded to Amina to signal they could move ahead.
I heard a "Better be" from the younger guy of Hunter Unit One.
In the afternoon, I went to the lake where Squad Seven was now gathered. Daisuke joined us. I noticed he and Rafi had become good friends. Daisuke told me they had the same taste in women. He carried a notebook under his arm. He had joined the construction team and wanted to "show an idea," as he called it. Since he joined construction, he brought us "ideas" all the time. Now he told me not only about the attractive girls he "scouted" in the camp but also some of his ideas for future construction projects.
He knelt in the sand and drew lines and squares.
"I sketched a trench plan," Daisuke said. "Not deep, not wide, but as a first line. One meter deep, one meter wide in front of the palisade, with simple spikes facing forward. At the corners the trenches get wider so you can turn there. I know it's not good yet, but I wanted to bring something."
Rafi looked at the sketch calmly. "The idea is fine. One meter isn't enough everywhere. In wet soil they slide. We need at least half a meter more depth in the low spots. The spikes only work if they sit firm. We need hardwood. First we mark the route, then construction joins in."
Daisuke nodded quickly and wrote everything down. "Thanks. I'll take this to our foreman. I wanted your opinion first. Hey Rafi, Aleks, let us do something together ,like let's scout some girls from the shelter."
"I can't today," I said. I actually planned to train a bit at the shooting ranges. I couldn't handle firearms at all. And I'm not the type to walk up to girls. I'm too introverted. I'd just make things awkward.
"Oh come on," Daisuke said. "Since day one you haven't come with us even once."
He looked at Rafi, waiting for his answer.
"I'm in," Rafi said.
Daisuke lit up, stood up immediately, helped Rafi to his feet, and told me, "Swear you'll come with us tomorrow."
"I swear," I said.
If I keep rejecting him, I'll lose him as a friend. I should be grateful he even wants to hang out with me. But I don't want to feel weak and useless in six months if we get attacked.
On my way to the shooting range, I noticed a lot of people there ,mostly girls. Among them I also saw Rafi and Daisuke. He was talking to Carmen.
I walked toward them with a spear in my hand.
There's no way I'm going to train here in front of everyone. Especially not in front of Carmen. I'd embarrass myself completely. I should just go into the forest and practice where nobody sees me before they notice me here.
"Hey Aleks!" I heard someone call. Carmen was waving at me, Daisuke and Rafi beside her.
Shit. They saw me.
I walked over to them.
"You picked a bad time to train," Rafi said with a small smile.
"Yeah, I see that," I said. "Why are there so many people here?"
"Unit 1 of the hunting division is training here right now. Antoine is with them. A lot of girls gathered to watch him train. Girls here are completely obsessed with that guy," Rafi said.
"That motherfucker steals all the women from me," Daisuke said, his voice annoyed. "Aleks… When I saw so many beautiful girls with Rafi in one place, I thought for a second I was in heaven. And then I find out they're all drooling over one guy. And like ,he doesn't even look that good…"
I couldn't stop my mouth from tightening, and a small but awkward smile appeared on Rafi's face too. Carmen stood next to us, stunned by what Daisuke had just said.
Daisuke turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting Carmen's.
"Hey Carmen, angel, what are you even doing here?" His left eyebrow lifted. "Are you here because of this Antoine?"
"No," she said, her voice as gentle as always. She brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Amina and some of her new friends dragged me here because Amina was fangirling over him."
"Wait what?" Amina saw him earlier already?" Daisuke cut her off.
"Due let her finish first, Daisuke," Rafi said.
Carmen nodded. "Um, yes, to answer you… Amina actually saw this Antoine earlier and completely fangirled over him. And when I came with her and her friends, they ran straight into the crowd. I lost them and ended up here by accident." Her eyes met mine. "But thank God I ran into you guys."
"Oh stop… you're making me all shy now," Daisuke said, waving his hand dramatically.
Rafi grinned briefly, then turned to me.
"Weren't you planning to train, Aleks? You said earlier you really needed to practice shooting today."
I didn't answer right away. My eyes drifted past the shooting range, across all the people. Everywhere stood groups of girls and guys, crowded together. Laughter, whispering, curious glances toward the front.
My stomach tightened.
Shit. That's way too many people. Absolutely not. Hell no.
"Hello? Get a grip, Aleks," Rafi said, nudging me with his elbow. "You're holding a spear and you look like someone walking to their execution."
"Yeah… I don't know," I muttered. "Maybe I'll go later, when fewer people are around."
"Later," Daisuke repeated dramatically. "Since we got here, you're later for everything. You wanted to practice hunting, you wanted to meet people with us. 'Later' is your second name."
I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off.
"Rafi, help me out," he said, and suddenly his hand landed on my shoulder. "The boy said by himself today that he wants to train. So he's gonna train now."
"No, seriously, I—"
Rafi was already holding my other shoulder. "You wanted this, Aleks," he said calmly. "We're just taking you where you planned to go anyway."
Before I could really react, they pushed me forward together. Ahead of us was a crowd of people, girls, hunters, a couple of orcs, and a few curious dwarves. Everyone stared toward the shooting range. Most of them didn't even notice that I'd been trying to slip away.
"People, make some room," Daisuke said with a grin. "New guy coming through. Let the boy pass, he wants to train."
A few turned around annoyed, others laughed, and some actually made a little gap. Rafi and Daisuke used every gap without mercy. I felt like a package being delivered to the front. Every time I tried to stop, a hand pushed me forward again.
"Just a little to the side," Rafi said. "We're not taking anything from anyone, he's just moving up."
More and more faces turned toward us. I heard random comments, none clear, because my heartbeat was pounding too loudly in my ears. My neck burned with heat. My fingers squeezed the spear so hard they hurt.
"Can't I just go later—" I tried again.
"Later is over," Daisuke said. "Trust me, once you've been in front once, it's easier next time."
Yeah. Or I'll embarrass myself in front of half the camp and never show my face here again.
Then suddenly, we were at the very front. The last row of people opened, and I stood right at the edge of the shooting range. Not even five meters away, the hunters of Unit One were firing. The bark targets were covered with arrows, many right in the center.
In front of us stood three men. I didn't recognize two of them, but the one in the middle stood out instantly. At first, I only saw him from behind: broad shoulders, a tight black shirt, and those black, slightly curly strands that fell just to his neck. His stance was relaxed, but he looked like someone who knew people were watching him.
The guy looked like someone who naturally belonged in the spotlight.
Something about the way he stood felt strangely familiar.
He drew the string, exhaled, and released. The arrow hit almost exactly in the center of the target. The girls behind us clapped quietly, some giggled, others called his name. In front of us I could feel it—the crowd's mood leaning forward, that typical hype feeling when everyone knows: this guy is better than almost everyone else.
He turned slightly to the side to place a new arrow.
And in that moment I saw his face.
I froze.
Shit. Of course. Of course it's him.
The younger guy from the water station.
The one who shoved me aside.
The one who looked through me like I was a rock on the ground.
"See?" Daisuke whispered to me. "If you train here, you'll get better automatically. Pressure is good."
I didn't answer. My throat felt dry.
Carmen stood next to us, smiling—that warm, honest smile that somehow calmed me while also making me even more nervous.
"You made it all the way to the front," she said softly. "That's already more than I would dare to do."
Yeah. Except I didn't walk here by myself.
I looked at the crowd. So many eyes. So many faces. If I stand there and shoot now, everyone will see it. If I drop something, everyone will see it. If I stand wrong, everyone will see it.
Screw this. I'm leaving.
I turned around, pushing past Rafi and Daisuke, trying to squeeze my way back through the crowd. My heart was racing, my head pounding. I just wanted to get away before somebody—
"Hey."
The voice came from ahead, clear and sharp, with a hint of amusement. I stopped, even though every part of me wanted to keep walking.
"You, with the spear," the same voice said. "You were up front just a second ago."
The crowd opened up again a little, almost on its own. As if everyone sensed that something interesting was about to happen. I turned around slowly.
Antoine was only a few steps away, looking straight at me. His black, curly hair was slightly sweaty, but he still looked like he'd walked out of some kind of advertisement. His muscles showed under his tight shirt. He looked completely sure of himself, not even a bit nervous. Next to him stood two hunters from Squad One, both wearing small grins.
"You've got a spear in your hand and you're trying to walk away?" he asked. His voice sounded amused. "You don't want to train with us?"
A few people laughed quietly. Not loud, but enough for me to hear it.
I glanced at the spear in my hand, then at the shooting range, then at the crowd behind me. So many faces. I looked for Rafi and Daisuke. They were standing off to the side, both looking surprised. Rafi's brow was slightly furrowed, and Daisuke looked like he was one second away from yelling, Just do it.
I found Amina next. She stood further back with her new friends. They all had their heads raised, watching the scene. Amina looked at Antoine first, then her eyes moved to me. Her expression was hard to read—somewhere between interest and concern.
Then I searched for Carmen. She was closer than I thought. Her eyes were locked on me. No laughing, no mocking. Just that serious watching, like she wanted to see what I would do next.
Aleks, pull yourself together. If you embarrass yourself now, everyone will remember. Not just today, but for the whole six months. And probably even after that. Everything has gone so well this week. Don't mess it up—but don't run away like before either.
My heart beat faster. My chest felt too tight.
The people became quieter. The murmuring faded. Suddenly only a few sounds remained: the crackling of a far-off fire, the clinking of arrows in a quiver, the soft snort of a Grivar somewhere behind the rows.
"Come on," Antoine said. "Since you're already up here, you can show us what you've got."
In that moment he leaned toward one of his teammates and whispered something. It was half quiet, but I was close enough to hear it.
"That's the bastard from the water station," he muttered. "The one with the big mouth. Because of him I showed up late."
My stomach twisted even harder. The other hunter from Squad One widened his eyes for a second and looked at me, surprised.
"That's him?" he said a little louder. "The small one?"
He laughed. It wasn't a cruel laugh, more like the kind of laugh people make when something doesn't add up. But it still hurt.
Antoine straightened up again. His expression changed. It wasn't that relaxed, confident smile he had shown the girls earlier. It was tighter, sharper. A kind of smile that moved downward, the way people look at insects.
"Are you assigned to the hunter squad too?" he asked, and this time there was no neutral curiosity in his tone. It sounded dismissive. Like he already knew the answer and just wanted to hear me say it myself.
I wanted to say something smart. Something like, "Yeah, and?" or "Why do you care?" or anything that wouldn't make me sound like an idiot. But my throat felt blocked. My tongue felt heavy. No sound came out.
So I just nodded.
His friend next to him stared at me, then his expression twisted into a wide grin.
"What?" he said, laughing. "He's really a hunter?"
The laughter spread. Not to everyone, but enough people laughed that it sounded like a small circle around me. A few girls giggled quietly, others just looked around, unsure. Nobody stepped in. Why would they? It was just a small moment. Just a few sentences.
My heart started beating even faster. My hands suddenly felt too heavy for the spear. I didn't know what to do with my arms. Hold them tight? Keep them loose? Lean the spear down? I only noticed that my fingers had begun to shake.
For a moment, everything in front of me blurred. The faces, the trees, the targets, the shooting lanes. It felt like I had seen this scene before. Schoolyard. A circle of people. One guy talking big. Me somewhere in the middle with a red face and thoughts moving too fast. The same pattern again. Me as the target again.
Not again. Please not again.
Antoine tilted his head slightly. "So, which unit are you from, kid?" he asked. "Since you're a hunter and all."
People looked straight at me. I felt every expectation on my skin. If I said nothing, it would be bad. If I said something wrong, it would also be bad. There was no good outcome, only different kinds of embarrassment.
"Seven," I finally managed to say. My voice sounded thin. "Unit Seven."
It was just one word. But it felt like I had just spoken a judgment over myself.
Antoine and his friend looked at each other. In the next moment they burst into loud laughter. Antoine even put his hand on his colleague's shoulder, as if he had just heard the best joke of the day.
"That explains a lot," he said between laughs. "Of course Seven."
Some people in the crowd laughed along. Not everyone, but enough for it to hurt. It wasn't cruel, brutal laughter, but that light, dismissive kind—the kind that says: Oh, that makes sense. That guy.
My stomach turned. Not in an overdramatic way, but in a real, physical way. My gut tightened, my knees felt soft. I felt my gaze drop for a moment. Then I forced myself to look up again.
For a second, all the faces in front of me blurred. I searched for Carmen. Her silhouette stood out in the crowd. She didn't look like she was laughing. Her face was serious, her forehead slightly furrowed. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
I glanced at Rafi. He definitely didn't look happy. Daisuke had his mouth half open, like he was about to say something, but he stopped himself. Maybe he didn't know how far he could push things here.
Antoine eventually stopped laughing. The smile stayed, but it changed. It wasn't a spontaneous grin anymore—it was intentional. His eyes stayed on me. Clear. Direct. Looking down at me.
"You know what," he said calmly. "If you're really Unit Seven and you show up here with a spear, then we can have a little fun."
He took a step toward me. The distance between us shrank. He didn't look tense at all. More like he was about to suggest a game.
"Let's have a little duel. Okay?"