Shadow Bonds

Chapter 1

Luna

Luna wiped the sweat from her brow, her sharp eyes scanning the towering gates of Velathyr Military Academy. The Iron-clad doors loomed ahead, their size a testament to the fortress's impenetrability. Behind her, a diminished crowd of battered cadets trudged forward, their faces pale with exhaustion. Out of the hundreds who begun the journey, only three-fifths remained. For Luna, it was a grim but predictable outcome, she'd calculated the odds the moment they set out.

Approaching the gates, a grizzled officer in full military regalia waited with a ledger and an appraising gaze. "State your name," he barked, his voice cutting through the heavy air.

Luna hesitated for a friction of a second, disliking the weight of formality. She shoved her irritation aside. "Luna Arren," she replied evenly, her voice devoid of unnecessary flourish. The officer gave her curt nod and scribbled her name down without ceremony.

Behind her, a guy stepped forward. He held himself with the confidence of someone used to command, though his piercing gray eyes hinted at a sharper edge beneath his polished demeanour. Alric Thorne," he announced, and Luna caught the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

The officer sized him up and recognition sizzled in his eyes before jotting his name down without a word. "Move along," he instructed and with that, the cadets were ushered into the academy's main yard.

The yard was vast, lined with training grounds, barracks and sparring arenas. The air buzzed with tension as surviving cadets assembled in tight clusters. A younger officer, clad in a fitted black uniform, stepped onto a raised platform and began explaining the next steps.

"You've proven you can survive the journey here. Congratulations. But that was only just the beginning. In the coming days, you will be tested-physically, mentally and strategically. These Trials will determine your initial squad placement, from which promotions and demotions will follow. Weakness will not be tolerated."

Luna rolled her eyes slightly but masked it with a subtle shift of weight. She already anticipated what would come next: simplistic tests designed to weed out those who got lucky during the trek. For someone like her, who thrived on strategy and intellect, this phase of the process felt beneath her. But Luna had long ago resigned herself to the fact that bureaucracy was inherently inefficient.

The first Test was brutal in its simplicity: a race across the courtyard while carrying weighted packs. Cadets sprinted in staggered groups, their breath coming in ragged gasps as the heat bore down on them. Luna, though wiry and not particularly athletic, compensated with pacing and efficient movements. She finished in the upper middle of the pack-enough to standing out but not so low as to draw scrutiny.

Alric, in contrast, excelled. He finished near the front, his strides measured and powerful. When he caught Luna glancing in his direction, he gave her a smug, knowing look.

"Show off," she muttered under her breath.

The second test was a series of sparring matches. Cadets were paired of randomly and the results were recorded. Luna found herself facing a burly opponent whose size far exceeded hers. She avoided direct confrontation, relying instead on quick footwork and opportunistic strikes. When she finally wore him down and landed a well-placed kick that sent her opponent sprawling, she received a smattering applause.

Alric observed her from across the yard, his sharp eyes narrowing in thought.

"She's better than she looks," he muttered to himself.

The final test of the day was a mental exercise: a simple strategy puzzle meant to assess problem-solving under pressure. The cadets were placed in small groups and given a battlefield scenario to resolve. Luna's group was floundering, their ideas disjointed and chaotic. Luna sighed, her fingers drumming impatiently against the table before she finally intervened.

"Enough," she said firmly, taking charge. She quickly laid out a plan that accounted for terrain, troop morale and enemy positioning. The instructor raised an eyebrow as her team presented the solution, nodding approvingly.

By the end of the tests, the cadets were visibly drained. They were led to the barracks, where they would hear of their squad assignments the following morning. Luna collapsed onto a cot, staring at the ceiling with a mixture of relief and irritation.

"This place already feels like too much work," she muttered to no one in particular.

A voice from the bunk across from her replied, "And yet, here we are."

She glanced over to see a blond girl smiling at her.

"Don't get comfortable," she said. "The real tests haven't even started."

Luna rolled her eyes, but a small smile played at her lips.