They were still sore from training when they finally sat down to eat. Nobody looked comfortable. Bowls were set down, bread torn apart, the kind of silence that wasn't awkward yet-just tired.
Mordred was the one who broke it.
"That spar earlier," he said, glancing toward Rain, "I didn't know you were that strong."
Stephen snorted and leaned back. "Mordred, stop trying to flex. You say that to everyone."
"That's not true. "Mordred said. "You said it yesterday." Stephen said with the same tone.
"Yeah, but i meant it more today." Mordred
Someone sat down at the end of the table while they were still arguing. Elara set her bowl down and looked between them.
"If you're going to argue," she said calmly, " do it when we're not exhausted."
Mordred laughed. "See? She agrees with me."
"That's not what i-".Elara said as she ignored them and started eating.
Stephen smiled a little. " She definitely didn't agree with you."
A moment later, three more trainees ended up at the same table. "Mind if we sit here?"
Stephen shook his head. "No, go ahead."
"I'm Mira." she said. "Looks like we're in the same units. These two beside me are Lin and Kai. It's nice to meet you." Kai lifted a hand in a small wave and Lin just nodded once.
Mordred frowned. "You three already know each other?"
"Yeah, we grew up together." Mira said.
Stephen let out a quiet laugh. "That's nice to hear, not a lot of people know each other here." "Yeah." Lin awkwardly said it.
They ate for a bit after that, the conversation drifting without direction, until Kai glanced toward Elara, hesitating.
"So," he said, a little unsure, " earlier.. when you were talking about weapons."
Elara looked up." You're talking about resonance?"
"Yeah. That."
Mira tilted her head. "You already know about it?"
"A little," Elara said. "We learned the basics earlier."
"From who?" Kai asked.
Stephen answered without thinking. "Captain Theron."
Mira blinked. "Oh, Him."
"He's not scary," Mordred said immediately. "He's just... disappointed all the time."
"What about the demon stuff?" Kai asks again politely.
"There are different kinds." Rain finally spoke.
Mira nodded. " Well...we heard that much."
Elara then continued, "Lesser demons don't think, they attack when they see you on sight. Higher demons tend to adapt fast. Greater ones don't stay down unless you hit the right place. And the noble demons... Well, he didn't explain those."
"We ran into a higher demon once." Lin said. As the whole table went quiet.
Rain looked at him with curiosity. "Really? How was it? Did you guys beat it?"
All three of them shrugged.
"Not really." Mira answered. "We were just a support. Our Unit handled most of it."
"And...so what happened?" Mordred asked.
There was a brief pause. They exchanged a look, something tight passing between them- fear mixed with something heavier.
"Only our captain and the three of us made it out alive," Lin said, frowning. "After that, the higher ups transferred us here."
No one had the nerve to speak after that.
The whistle sounded before anyone was finished. Chairs scraped back. Bowls were pushed aside. The room emptied in a way that suggested everyone had learned the same lesson: move when told, or be late alone.
Rain stepped outside with the others, bell warm against his side. His arms felt tired enough that he noticed every movement.
Theron was waiting near the exit. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't wave. He just looked at them as they came out.
"Eighth Unit," he said. "With me." Theron turned and started walking without saying a single word.
He led them past the main yard, down a side path along the outer wall. The ground here wasn't kept the same way. No smooth dirt. No clear space. Just uneven earth, scattered stone, and shallow dips that caught your foot if you weren't paying attention.
They stopped in a section Rain hadn't seen before. It didn't look abandoned-just unused. Old stone posts marked the edges. The space felt tighter, harder to move through without thinking.
Theron faced them.
"Some of you have felt Resonance and most of you haven't." he said.
"That doesn't mean anything yet," he added. 'Resonance isn't something you turn on. If you try to force it, it won't happen. If you panic, it will break."
Zedric drowned slightly. "So how do we train it?"
"You don't," Theron said. "Not directly."
A few had confused looks.
"All we're doing today," he continued, "is keeping you steady long enough that it has a chance to show up. If it doesn't, that's fine. This isn't a test."
That seems to ease something in the air.
He pointed across the shape. "You're going to move from here to there," he said. "Slow. Pay attention to your footing, your grip and your breathing. If you lose control, stop and fix it."
They started awkwardly without asking any questions.
The ground makes it worse. Kai stepped too fast and had to catch themselves. Stephen hesitated and broke the spacing. Rain felt his grip tighten, then loosen, unsure where to settle. They tried again.
Rain noticed it the third time. His breathing lining up with his steps. The weight in his arms stopping its constant shift. The bell at his side didn't ring or glow, but the warmth steadied, like it had found a place to sit.
Lieutenant Kael stopped at the edge of the space, eyes already assessing the ground, the lack of formation, the way they were standing close instead of straight.
"Captain," he said.
Theron turned. "Lieutenant."
Kael's voice stays flat. "Orders just came in."
The group straightened on instinct.
"Eighth Unit," Lieutenant Kael said. " Prepare to deploy."
Mordred blinked. "Deploy? Already?"
"You move within the hour," Kael continued. "Get your equipment."
Theron looked at them, his voice steady.
"This is no longer training," he said. "Remember what you felt. Don't chase it. Don't lose it." No one jokes after that.
Far from the yard, in a room untouched by dust or wear, a figure stood beside a wide table, gloved hands resting flat against its surface.
"They're early," the voice said calmly.
"And if they're not ready?" someone asked.
The figure smiled faintly . "Then they'll learn fast."
A pause.
"Send the Eighth Unit."