𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 11

Night fell upon the training grounds, shrouding the weary students in darkness. The air was thick with tension and disappointment, their failed attempt to leave home still fresh in their minds. The weight of their shattered hopes bore heavily on their shoulders, leaving them feeling broken and frustrated.

As the training commenced, the students braced themselves for what lay ahead. However, what awaited them surpassed any previous expectations. The intensity of the training had been amplified, pushing them to their physical and emotional limits. The platoon leader, driven by his own frustrations, unleashed his harshness upon them without restraint.

Each command was barked with a ferocity that pierced through the silence of the night. The students, physically and mentally exhausted, struggled to keep up with the demanding drills and exercises. Fatigue mingled with tears, staining their faces as a constant reminder of their hardships.

The platoon leader, driven by a mixture of anger and disappointment, pushed the students to their breaking points. His words were laced with cruelty, aiming to strip away their resilience and break their spirits.

Yeon-hwa felt a sinking feeling in her chest. The intensity of the training was far beyond anything they had previously experienced, and she knew that the night would hold even greater challenges.

Tears welled up in Yeon-hwa's eyes as she watched her classmates endure the relentless drills and the platoon leader's harsh words. She saw their bodies tremble with exhaustion and their spirits waver under the weight of their frustrations.

Yet, despite her own despair, a fire ignited within Yeon-hwa's heart. She refused to let the darkness consume her completely. At that moment, she realized that her decision to stay and face the trials head-on was not only for herself but also for the sake of the ones who had passed.

Yeon-hwa and her classmates stood on the training grounds, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and their spirits crushed by the platoon leader's relentless harshness. The atmosphere was heavy with despair, and the once vibrant bonds between the students had deteriorated into a cold silence.

As the training session intensified, Yu-jeong, unable to bear the weight of the pain any longer, crumbled before the platoon leader. Her tears fell uncontrollably as she dropped to her knees, her voice choked with desperation. She pleaded with the platoon leader, begging him to let them go, to release them from the suffocating grip of their torment.

Yeon-hwa watched the scene unfold, her heart aching for her classmates. The tears stung in the platoon leader's eyes, a flicker of empathy momentarily surfacing. But his rigid demeanor remained unchanged, and he refused to let even a hint of compassion show. The weight of his responsibilities as their leader kept him from granting their release, no matter how much he may have wanted to.

Finally, as the training reached a breaking point, the platoon leader relented and allowed the students to take a short break. They gathered in a corner of the training grounds, seeking solace in their shared exhaustion. Yeon-hwa chose to sit apart from the others, feeling the weight of their anger and disappointment.

Her classmates, their bodies bruised and their spirits broken, directed their frustration towards Yeon-hwa. They saw her as the one who had disrupted their plan to go home, the one who refused to join them in seeking escape from their torment. Their anger radiated through their glances, their whispered conversations filled with resentment.

Yeon-hwa felt the weight of their gaze upon her, the weight of their collective disappointment. Their unity had shattered, and she was at the center of their fractured bond. She couldn't bring herself to meet their eyes, understanding the extent of their anger and their need for a target to blame.