The morning after the snobs had their fun in the dining hall, Captain Lorne gathered the entire intermediate year in the main training yard for what he called "practical integration." The sun was barely up, and the grass was still wet with dew that soaked through my boots. About forty of us stood in loose ranks while the captain paced in front of us, his scarred face set in that permanent scowl that made you wonder how many demons he had actually killed.
"Most of you think Aether is about flashing pretty lights and making rocks glow," he growled. "Wrong. Aether is about not dying when some bastard tries to put a sword through your gut. Today we pair off. Scholarship students with House affiliates. No holding back on control, but if I see anyone trying to cripple their partner, I will personally make sure you scrub latrines until graduation."
A ripple went through the group. Harlan and his two buddies exchanged grins like they had just won a prize. Mira ended up paired with one of the quieter noble girls who at least looked nervous instead of smug. Kael got stuck with a stocky kid who kept cracking his knuckles and muttering about "janitor trash."
I drew Harlan.
Of course I did.
He sauntered over, rolling his shoulders like this was some kind of game. "Voss, right? The farm twin. Try not to embarrass yourself too badly. My father says commoners break easy."
I kept my face neutral and dropped into the basic stance Captain Lorne had drilled into us yesterday. Feet shoulder width, core steady, Aether circulating slow and even. "Let's just get this over with."
The captain shouted "Begin!" and the yard exploded into controlled chaos.
Harlan came in fast, faster than I expected. He had clearly trained with tutors. His palm strike carried a sharp thread of Aether that stung when it connected with my forearm block. Pain flared up my arm, but I held the circulation steady and countered with a low sweep aimed at his knee.
He jumped back, laughing. "Not bad for a dirt eater. But you telegraph everything."
We traded blows for a minute, nothing fancy, just testing each other. He was smoother, more refined. I was heavier, used to real labor. Every time he landed a clean hit, he made sure to smirk or say something under his breath.
"Slow. Clumsy. Is this what they teach on the farm? How to shovel shit?"
Sweat was already running down my back. I could feel my Aether responding better than it ever had back home, the secret night practices paying off in small ways. But I kept it reined in. Not too strong. Not yet. Just enough to make it look like I was trying hard and barely keeping up.
Across the yard, Mira was holding her own, blocking more than she attacked but staying calm. Kael's partner was pressing him hard, landing solid hits that made Kael grunt. The janitor tunic was already dirty again, but Kael never lost that focused look. He absorbed the punishment and kept moving, learning on the fly.
Harlan feinted high and drove a knee toward my ribs. I twisted at the last second and caught his leg, shoving him off balance with a burst of Aether I made look accidental. He stumbled but recovered quick, eyes narrowing.
"Lucky," he spat. "Pure dumb farm luck."
Captain Lorne was circling, correcting form here and there, but he let the mismatches play out. When he finally called time, most of us were breathing hard. Harlan had a split lip from one of my elbows that I had "slipped" on. I had a nice bruise forming on my ribs. Fair trade.
As we broke for water, Harlan wiped his mouth and stepped close enough that only I could hear. "You got lucky today, Voss. But keep pushing your luck and you will learn what happens when real bloodlines decide commoners need reminding of their place."
I took a long drink from my waterskin and met his eyes. "I am here to learn. Not make enemies. But if you keep coming at me, I will not just stand there."
He laughed like I had told a joke and walked off to rejoin his friends. They clapped him on the back and shot dirty looks my way.
Mira found me a minute later, wiping sweat from her forehead. "That looked rough. You okay?"
"Yeah. Harlan talks more than he hits. You?"
She shrugged. "The girl I got was all technique and no power. Kept apologizing every time she landed something. Weird."
We both glanced over at Kael. He was sitting on a bench, rolling his shoulder where a solid hit had landed. No complaints, just steady breathing while he worked the stiffness out.
I walked over and dropped down beside him. "You took some shots."
Kael nodded. "Learned a lot. Their form is cleaner. But they hesitate when it gets real. Like they have never been in a real scrap."
"Bandits the other day were real enough," I said.
He gave a small smile. "Exactly."
Mira joined us, and the three of us sat there catching our breath while the noble groups laughed and bragged louder than necessary. Harlan's voice carried across the yard as he recounted how he had "toyed" with the farm boy.
Part of me burned to walk over and show him what real practice looked like. I had years of secret training and memories from a whole other world. I could probably drop him in under thirty seconds if I let loose.
But that would be stupid. Too fast. Too visible. The story had its own momentum, and Kael was the center whether he wanted it or not. My job was to build beside him, not steal the spotlight too early. Partial wins. Steady climb.
Still, the resentment sat heavy in my chest. These snobs had everything handed to them and still acted like the world owed them more. Back on the farm, Eren was probably splitting wood right now, happy as a pig in mud, while I was here eating insults for breakfast.
Captain Lorne called us back for the next drill before I could spiral too far.
As we stood up, Kael muttered quietly, almost to himself, "They laugh now. But strength is not given. It is taken."
I looked at him sideways. That quiet fury again. The kind that the original novel turned into something unstoppable.
Mira overheard and nudged me with her elbow. "You two are going to get us in trouble with that look."
I forced a grin. "Nah. Just thinking about tomorrow's drills."
Inside, though, the fire was building. Let the snobs enjoy their little hierarchy for now.
I would keep grinding. Keep watching. Keep learning every weakness they showed.
Because one day, when the real shit hit the Ashen Frontier or whatever bigger mess this world had coming, those same snobs would be the first ones looking for someone stronger to hide behind.
And I planned to be ready.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of more drills, theory lectures on Aether pathways, and the usual sideways comments in the halls. By evening I was exhausted in the best way, muscles sore and core humming from constant use.
Lying on my narrow dorm bed that night, staring at the wooden ceiling while snores filled the room, I let myself smile in the dark.
Eren would hate this. He would call it walking straight into the grinder.
Maybe he was right.
But damn if it did not feel alive.