DEVIL'S advocate

The sun beat down on us as we stood at attention on the training field. Sergeant Ryder paced back and forth in front of us, his eyes scanning our faces.

"Alright, listen up, recruits!" he bellowed. "Your training begins now. You'll be learning combat skills, tactics, and strategies. You'll be pushed to your limits, and you'll be expected to perform at the highest level."

I felt a surge of adrenaline as I glanced at Mike. We were in this together, and we were determined to succeed.

Sergeant Ryder handed out a stack of papers with our training schedule.

"Your first task is to complete the obstacle course," he said, pointing to a challenging-looking course set up on the field. "You'll be timed, and you'll be expected to complete it within the allotted time."

The recruits nodded, and we set off to tackle the obstacle course.

As we ran, climbed, and crawled through the course, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. We were doing this. We were becoming soldiers.

But as I looked around, I noticed that one of the recruits was struggling. It was the same recruit who had caught my attention earlier.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked, as we paused at the top of a steep climb.

The recruit nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered.

I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You can do this," I said, firmly. "We're all in this together. We'll support each other, and we'll get through this."

The recruit nodded, and we continued on, completing the obstacle course with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

As we finished, Sergeant Ryder approached us, a stern expression on his face.

"Alright, recruits," he said. "You've completed the obstacle course. But now, it's time for the real challenge to begin."

He paused, surveying us.

"Your next task is to learn hand-to-hand combat. You'll be paired up with a partner, and you'll learn how to defend yourselves."

I felt a surge of excitement as I glanced at Mike. We were in this together, and we were ready for whatever came next.

Sergeant Ryder began to pair us up, and I was relieved to see that Mike and I were partnered together.

"Alright, listen up!" Sergeant Ryder bellowed. "Hand-to-hand combat is not just about throwing punches and kicks. It's about strategy, technique, and control. You'll need to work together with your partner to take down your opponent."

Mike and I nodded, our eyes locked on each other. We were ready for this.

The training began, and we quickly fell into a rhythm. Mike and I worked seamlessly together, taking down our opponents with ease.

But as we trained, I couldn't help but notice that the recruit who had been struggling earlier was improving rapidly. She was paired with Kael, the brooding loner, and they seemed to be working well together.

I felt a pang of curiosity. What was her story? Why had she been struggling so much earlier?

As the training came to a close, Sergeant Ryder gathered us together once more.

"Alright, recruits," he said. "You've done well today. But remember, this is just the beginning. You'll be facing tougher challenges ahead, and you'll need to work together to succeed."

We nodded, our faces set with determination. We were in this together, and we were ready for whatever came next.As we dismissed, I caught up with the recruit who had been struggling earlier.

"Hey, I'm Levi," I said, with a smile. "What's your name?"

The recruit smiled back, her eyes sparkling with determination.

"I'm Aria," she said. "Nice to meet you, Levi."

I nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie.

"Welcome to the team, Aria," I said. "We're in this together now."

Mike walked up to us, a friendly smile on his face.

"Hey, Levi! Who's your new friend?" he asked, nodding at Aria."Aria, this is Mike," I said, gesturing to my friend. "We're in the same squad."Aria smiled, and Mike grinned back at her.

"Welcome to the team, Aria!" Mike said, clapping her on the back. "We're going to have some fun."

From that moment on, the three of us were inseparable. We did everything together - training, meals, even our downtime.

Aria fit in perfectly with our dynamic, and we quickly learned that she was not only tough and determined but also fiercely loyal and protective of her friends.

As we trained together, we started to develop a system that worked for us. Mike was the strategist, always thinking several steps ahead. Aria was the wild card, always ready to take risks and push the limits. And I was the glue that held us together, always keeping a level head and making sure we worked as a team.

Together, we were unstoppable. We aced every training exercise, and our squad became one of the top-performing teams in the program.

But as we celebrated our successes, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. There were whispers of a mysterious threat lurking in the shadows, something that could put our entire nation at risk.

One night, as we sat in the barracks, Aria leaned in close."Guys, have you heard anything about the threat that's been rumored?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Mike and I exchanged a look, and I nodded."I've heard whispers," I said. "But I don't know what to believe."Aria's eyes sparkled with determination.

"I think we should investigate," she said. "We can't just sit around and wait for something to happen.""...the truth," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I've seen one, and I can tell you, it's not something you'd ever want to encounter."

The cadets leaned in, their eyes wide with excitement and fear.

"What's it like?" one of them asked, his voice trembling.

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about the cadets' eagerness made me want to share my experience.

"It's...indescribable," I said, searching for words. "Imagine a creature that's pure darkness, with eyes that burn like embers. It's fast, agile, and relentless. And when it looks at you, you feel like your soul is being ripped apart."

The cadets gasped, their faces pale.Mike shook his head, his eyes warning me to stop.

"Levi, maybe you shouldn't be sharing this," he said, his voice low.

But I ignored him, caught up in the cadets' enthusiasm."What about its powers?" another cadet asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I don't know," I admitted. "I've seen it manipulate darkness and create illusions, but I don't know the full extent of its powers."

The cadets nodded, their eyes wide with excitement and fear.As we stood there, Sergeant Ryder stormed into the corridor."What's going on here?" he bellowed, his eyes scanning the group.The cadets froze, their eyes wide with fear.Mike stepped forward, trying to take the blame.

"Sergeant Ryder, sir, we were just...uh...discussing our training," he stammered.But Sergeant Ryder was having none of it.

"I Don't allow vigil you should be resting not discuss your training in the corridors at midnight," he growled. "You're all supposed to be in your barracks, getting some rest."The cadets nodded sheepishly, knowing they'd been caught.Sergeant Ryder's eyes narrowed as he looked at me."Levi, I'm particularly disappointed in you," he said. "You're one of the top recruits in your squad. I expect more discipline from you."I felt a surge of shame and regret.

"Yes, sir," I said, my head bowed. "It won't happen again."Sergeant Ryder nodded curtly."See that it doesn't," he said. "Now, all of you, get back to your barracks and get some rest."The cadets quickly scattered, eager to avoid any further trouble.As I turned to leave, Mike caught my arm."Hey, Levi, sorry about that," he whispered. "I know you were just trying to help."I smiled wryly.

"No worries, Mike," I said. "I know I shouldn't have shared that information."Mike nodded."Let's just keep our heads down and focus on our training, okay?" he said.I nodded in agreement.But as we walked back to our barracks, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.It wasn't just the fact that Sergeant Ryder had caught us discussing our training in the corridors at midnight.It was something more.A feeling that something was watching us, waiting for us to let our guard down.I shook my head, trying to clear the thought.But the feeling lingered.