Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter 30

It had been a week since the cadets had returned to the academy and today was yet another day.  The sun barely kissed the horizon when the group found themselves standing on the training field, dressed in fatigues and ready to dive back into the grind.

Colonel Mathur's presence was unmistakable—his commanding voice carried across the mist-laden grounds, sharp and precise, waking up even the sleepiest cadet.

After three rigorous hours of training, the cadets were walking back to the room.
The morning routine was relentless—three hours of physical drills, target practice, and tactical maneuvers. But with every passing day, their scores improved, and the group grew more synchronized. By the time they were dismissed, sweat soaked their backs, but a sense of camaraderie and accomplishment accompanied their exhaustion.

As they trudged back to their dorms, Ayan and Arjun broke into playful bickering, shoving each other as they argued over who had the fastest reflexes. Meera and Arya followed close behind, laughing as they struggled to keep up with the boys' energetic pace.

"I swear, they have too much energy for this early," Meera muttered, shaking her head in amusement.

Arya nudged her with a grin. "Tell me about it."

The four of them had settled into a rhythm over the past week. Training was tough, but the bond between them had only grown stronger. They had also kept in touch with Rahul, Rohit, and the others, exchanging updates between drills. The distance never felt too far with the familiar voices always just a call away.

As they walked, Bakshi's voice called out from behind them. "Meera, Arya! You still need to submit your mission reports with the ICT!"

Both girls groaned simultaneously, exchanging exasperated glances.

"You couldn't find anything better to do, Bakshi?" Arya mock-glared at him.

"Paperwork is character-building," Bakshi quipped, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Character-building, my foot," Meera shot back. "You just enjoy our misery."

Ayan and Arjun burst out laughing, and Bakshi joined in, clearly pleased with himself.

Their banter echoed across the field as the group continued their walk back to the dorms.

As they neared the dorms, Arya gave Meera a nudge. "Alright, partner, let's get this over with. The sooner we finish, the sooner we're free."

Meera groaned one last time but nodded. "Fine. "

As they settled into a small corner of the dormitory, they got engrossed in paperwork barely noticing anything else.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment until Meera's phone buzzed.

Rahul's name flashed on the screen. "It's Rahul," Meera murmured, answering the call. Arya glad about the distraction, just slumped against Meera groaning.

"Hey, what's up?" Meera greeted, a smile sneaking into her voice.

Rahul chuckled on the other end. "Sounds like someone's exhausted. What's the story this time?"

"Ugh, paperwork," Meera groaned. "The bane of our existence. Why do they even make us do this?"

Arya, still leaning on her, added with mock misery, "We risk our lives, and this is the thanks we get—endless reports."

Rahul's laughter echoed through the speaker. "I knew you two were allergic to anything that involves forms."

"We are professionals," Meera shot back with playful indignation. "It's just... not our favorite thing."