Comrades

A vast expanse unfolded before Kaiden's gaze as he walked along the simple and familiar white corridor. It was a huge area filled with about forty to fifty students in the center of the structure. Looking further, a massive grandstand encircled the central space, also filled with people.

There were significantly more than in the center, maybe 300 or nearly 500, he thought. Above them stretched a colossal dome, resembling a stadium but with a closed covering.

"Come here,"

Kaiden heard from a distant person amid the chatter. It was someone in uniform like the others but slightly older, with a serious and stern expression. Running his fingers through his medium-length hair, he sighed and said,

"You need to come here and then keep going,"

pointing in the direction to his left. Playing with his hair again, he added,

"Are you going to move, or do you want to grow roots?"

With lowered eyes, Kaiden continued in the indicated direction and took his standing position.

Unaware, he, along with others who passed, had to wait in this place with those who had also succeeded. Suddenly, after a brief silence, all eyes focused on the previously empty podium, and a young man with a deep and memorable voice spoke.

"You, the young ones who bravely took on the duty to serve our homeland, you who have proven bravery to gain glory and power, you who have surpassed all obstacles and now stand triumphantly here. You will have the honor of fighting against evil with us for the next three years."

As everyone stood straight and still, facing the non-existent sky, the young man kept his arms stiff behind his back. Kaiden, influenced by the others, stood taller and stiffer than before.

"You will exterminate the beasts, the cryptids, and banish them into nothingness. Honor the losses of your comrades by spilling the blood of these demons. Become one of us!"

With these words, the young man with black hair turned and disappeared into the distance.

"Was that it?"

Kaiden wondered, scratching his head.

Shortly after the speech, several voices, some louder nearby and some fainter in the distance, emerged. One, however, was more familiar than the others. Running his fingers through his dark brown hair and looking down, he sighed again.

Eyes now staring into empty space, he looked around.

"Where's the damn file Rose sent me?" he muttered to himself.

Seemingly finding it, he opened his mouth and called out names.

"Zack Minton, Ren Lee, Mark Newman, Mary Angel, Elly Minton, and Kaiden Lain,"

he repeated multiple times with an increasingly annoyed tone. More people gathered around him.

As several groups of five to six people were formed, this one was complete. However, Kaiden seemed tense, once again with arms stretched behind his back.

"Why do I have to be in a group with those two?"

Not saying it out loud, he wasn't willing to accept being in a group with the silver-haired and red-headed individuals. A weathered look from the redhead, possibly under the control of his apparent sister, didn't make him back down.

But the biggest problem was Mary; she could have killed him at any moment. While forming an alliance within the group with her could be advantageous, what if there was a twist, and the groups had to fight each other?

Kaiden couldn't follow any thread anymore, becoming even more tense, when suddenly he was shouted at.

"Kaiden Lain! How many times do I have to call your name!" Clenching his fist, he held back and only looked down, disdainful, commenting that the current generation had no manners.

Everyone in the group was briefly startled and looked at him, their glances speaking volumes, but the tension vanished as the sergeant regained his footing and walked away.

They all followed him, leaving Kaiden standing there for a moment until he caught up.

In a quick walkthrough, the sergeant covered only the essentials. Despite the facility being several hectares large, he showed only the necessary locations:

the training area, where theory classes would be held, and their living quarters.

"If you want more information, read this brochure; it has a map with all the locations,"

he said, leaving it in front of their living quarters with only the most essential information. They didn't even know his name. Even Mary, who always maintained a calm and cold gaze, looked at him differently, but that too disappeared as they entered a slightly larger room.

Without hesitation, Zack, the redhead, jumped onto the top bunk.

To his surprise, a uniform comprising pants, a top, and shoes lay ready.

However, these were not entirely black like the sergeant's but rather a dark gray, without stars, but with his name on the chest. As everyone looked at these uniforms on the beds, a problem arose.

"How are we supposed to change now?"

Marry, the only other girl, asked. The one who had the same question couldn't provide an answer. There were only six beds and one bathroom.

Mark suggested that the girls could change in the bathroom while the guys changed in the room. Ren added that they could reverse it if they didn't mind.

Elly then asked Marry if they wanted to change in the bathroom, to which she shrugged and said,

"Why not?"

Now that the girls are gone, Ren said,

"We can talk a bit among ourselves,"

as they heard the door close.

"I'm Ren, and I like sushi,"

he said, fingers at his mouth, mentioning that he doesn't like watermelon.

Mark, somewhat spaced out, added that he doesn't like soccer but does enjoy running.

Zack, grinning, said,

"So, we have an athlete and a food lover."

For his part, he likes people with discipline, persistence, and ambition.

"But what I don't like are people who get everything handed to them, haven't achieved anything for themselves, and think they're better because of it,"

he said, looking at Kaiden more sternly than before.

Mark whispered to Ren that it was a good start.

After Zack's taunt, Kaiden continued,

"I'm Kaiden. What I like is my brother, and what I hate is people like Zack."

Without hesitation, Zack explosively jumped up, advancing towards Kaiden with lightning speed, giving him no reaction time.

Punch after punch followed until Zack was tackled by Ren and Mark.

Blood on his fists, he easily pushed them away. Kaiden had no help but himself. Trying to generate wind, he aimed the airstream at Zack's eyes.

However, in that exact moment, long tentacles seemed to grasp Zack.

Ren held Zack with these, preventing him from moving an inch. The door, hastily opening, made Elly erupt in anger.

"Zack, Maximilian Minton, how many times have I told you to keep yourself in check!"

With what seemed like fiery hands, she slapped him, rendering him incapacitated.

Kaiden, with a few bruises on his face and bleeding from the lip and nose, was shocked.

Not because Zack had beaten him up, but because he remembered that he had forgotten his liquid crystals in the waiting area.