Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Florence tied her hair tightly behind her head, entering the training room; the buzz of energy in her group keeping her buoyant. The air in the room was thick with the weight of everyone's focus. The final session before the mission had weight and yet wasn't stifling—in fact, it felt almost electric, filling her with a mix of feelings: anticipation and exhilaration.
Miles was already there, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his knuckles with dramatic flair. "Well, well, look who decided to grace us with her presence," he called, his grin spreading wide as Florence stepped onto the mat.
"I've been here every day this week," Florence shot back, smirking. "Don't act like you've been carrying this team."
Miles clutched his chest as if wounded. "Ouch. Don't hold back, why don't you?"
Ren ever the pragmatist-walked past them with a roll of his eyes. "If the two of you spent half as much energy training as you do arguing, we'd all be unstoppable by now." He readjusted the grip on his practice weapon and cast an appraising eye upon Florence. "Although I got to say, Florence-you're starting to get a little scary, maybe I should be the one watching my back.
Florence lifted an eyebrow, her head canting to one side. "Scary? Do I take that as a compliment?" "You should," Ren said, smirking. "Don't get used to it, though.
With drills called to start, the group plunged into fluid motion, their confidence high. Florence felt herself catching the rhythm so easily. The strikes, the stances, the footsteps—all of it was now instinctive, muscle memory she no longer needed to bother her head about. There was a certain satisfaction in the sound of everything falling into place-as if all those missteps and failures of earlier sessions finally mounted to this. She did miss her desk though.
As they rotated through sparring matches, Florence faced off against Miles. He lunged at her with more force than usual, clearly trying to prove a point. She sidestepped and deflected his strikes, her movements fluid and calculated.
"Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands in surrender after her blade nearly tapped his side. "You've made your point. No need to embarrass me in front of everyone."
"Too late for that," Ren added from the sidelines, and the others burst out laughing.
By the time the session got over, there was bonhomie in the air. Florence turned behind-her teammates, dripping wet with sweat, yet smiling all over—and a feeling of pride just overwhelmed her—they were no longer mere trainees, they were a friends.
After cleaning up, the group decided they needed to be out of the confines of the facility for a while. Pip suggested The Nook, a small café tucked into a quieter corner of the compound, and nobody argued. Florence had been there only once before, but as they stepped inside, she felt how warm and inviting it was. Even though she couldn't afford any of the food there, she was content with just sitting and talking.
