Night settled over the academy like a velvet curtain, casting soft moonlight on the rooftops. Inside the training room, the team sat in a quiet circle, their energy low but spirits high after hours of drills.
Bo Lang was the first to break the silence. "I swear, if this match doesn't get me a meal with real spice, I'm quitting and opening a noodle shop."
Meiqi giggled, tossing a towel at him. "Then we'll all starve."
Rei Han leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed. "Focus. The instructors are watching more than just power now. They're looking for how we lead, how we hold together."
Jin nodded, face half-shadowed by the dim light. "Tomorrow's test isn't about winning alone. It's about whether we trust each other under pressure."
Yooha glanced at him, her voice low. "And if we don't?"
Jin's gaze locked with hers. "Then we lose everything."
A heavy pause filled the room. Yooha looked away, unsettled, heart tight in her chest. Ever since she joined Jin's group, things had shifted — her walls slowly cracking, his voice always reaching through them.
Later that night, Jin walked to the academy's quiet rooftop, a worn leather-bound journal in his hands. He flipped it open, pen in hand, thoughts bleeding into words.
> "My father once told me: power without purpose is dangerous. I still don't know what my purpose is… but this team, this strange bond between us — maybe it's the beginning."
As he closed the book, Bo popped up from the stairwell behind him, arms folded dramatically. "You writing love letters to the moon again, Captain?"
Jin gave him a look. "You followed me?"
"Of course. You're suspicious. Journaling at night like a tragic prince," Bo teased, flopping down beside him.
They sat in comfortable silence. Then Bo whispered, "You think we can win tomorrow?"
Jin looked up at the stars. "We don't have to win. We just can't fall apart."
Unbeknownst to them, Yooha stood at the edge of the hallway, watching them. Her heart felt heavy, her past tugging like chains. She touched the crystal pendant around her neck — a relic from the academy that abandoned her
> "Tomorrow… I'll prove I'm not the same broken girl."
To be continue...