Chapter Four:
Screams…
The sound of a body hitting hard ground…
Then a brief silence, followed by the whimper of a child no older than ten.
In the training yard, under the watchful eyes of stern soldiers, the children were subjected to an endless series of physical tests. The iron climbing ropes, crawling races under barbed wires, jumping between metal poles, and enduring harsh blows… none of this was punishment; it was their "daily routine."
In every corner of the facility, there was a scream, a stumble, or a failed attempt to stand again. No one was allowed to quit, and those who fell… were discarded like scraps of junk.
One soldier shouted, kicking the ground beside a sweat-drenched child:
"Keep running, or die right here!"
From this systematic hell, Nir stood watching. His eyes were sharp, and his silence was harsher than any military order. He showed no approval for anyone and made no comments on success, as if everyone was beneath his expectations.
**
"Everyone who finished the initial training, to the arena."
The voice echoed through the loudspeakers, causing the children to stop their drills while four of them moved toward the central ring.
Ellis was one of them.
His fingers trembled, utterly exhausted, his green clothes dusted with dirt and sand turning brown, but he was the first to step into the circle.
[Ellis White's perspective]
I wasn't ready.
When they said "Start," I didn't move.
I only heard heavy footsteps approaching, as if the earth itself shook beneath them.
I looked up and saw him… a beast in the shape of a child.
Tall. Stocky. Narrow eyes filled with the intent to crush.
The boy in front of me could have covered me with his shadow.
He resembled the giants we hear about in bedtime stories.
He charged at me like a raging bull.
I snapped out of my daze at the last moment and dodged his first attack with a quick bend.
The wind that followed his fist, brushing past my head, was enough to tell me that if he hit me… it would be the end.
I felt the danger.
I moved aside. No, I sprinted. My body felt heavier than usual.
My panic was betraying me.
He attacked again, this time with a side punch.
I jumped back and hit a stone, falling to the ground.
I saw his fist falling toward me, and suddenly I rolled to the right… then stood up quickly, gasping.
He barely touched me but already left a small wound on my arm.
"Focus… focus, Ellis!" I screamed inside.
I started studying his moves… slow but relentless. His attacks relied on power and constant pressure.
I was weaker physically but faster… smarter.
He advanced again with a barrage of punches.
I dodged one and got hit by another.
I began to feel I couldn't last long like this.
Then, in a fleeting moment, I dashed left to avoid a strike… changed direction and slipped between his legs.
I found myself behind him, and my eyes spotted a small stone. I grabbed it and threw it back into the air without thinking, then jumped!
I caught him again with my right hand, while my left took the shape of a bow… like a reflex! Fingers tensed as if holding an invisible string.
Then… I remembered.
I don't have a bow.
I froze mid-air for a fraction of a second.
"Shi—"
He turned his body in anger and slapped me like a fly.
I felt my head hit the ground, and an internal echo shattered.
With the last bit of sight I had left, I saw our commander's face change slightly.
Then… nothing.
Silence.
———
"The first round is over,"
"Time: 33 seconds. Victory goes to Coral Wood," shouted one of the soldiers standing near Nir, announcing the round's stats.
Kai stood at the edge of the arena, hands in his pockets, silently watching the remainder of the fight.
He saw Ellis fall motionless, and the big boy roar in triumph.
But Kai didn't move.
He didn't shout or show sorrow.
He just whispered, barely audible:
"Stupid… holding the void in the middle of a fight."
But his eyes stayed fixed on his friend's fallen body.
At that moment, Kai didn't know… Nir was also watching his reaction.
In another arena, amid screams and pounding footsteps… a side fight started to draw the waiting children's attention.
A boy with messy red hair and angry features fought a dark-haired girl with piercing eyes and unnerving steadiness.
The boy was like a storm, attacking nonstop, fists flying, kicks tearing the air.
"Take this!" he shouted, lunging at her.
But she wasn't there.
She appeared behind him.
She kicked his knee. He faltered and dropped to one knee.
She swung her palm to strike his face, but he turned his head at the last second and bit her hand!
"Ahh!!" she screamed and stepped back.
But the fight didn't end there.
She pulled part of her sleeve off to wrap her injured hand, then charged again.
The crowd was split, cheering both sides.
One kid yelled:
"She's the strongest!"
Another replied:
"But look at his eyes! He'll break her!"
The fight was brutal. Uncoordinated but full of instinct.
In the end, the boy tripped trying to dodge a quick punch, fell to the ground, and the girl raised her hand to deliver the final blow… but a short whistle cut the action.
"Stop."
It was Nir's order.
He emerged from the shadows, his steps cold, gaze sharp.
"Enough. I've seen what I need."
"Both of you, out!"
He added no explanation, just turned and left.
The two exchanged a brief glance—not anger, but mutual respect.
…
Suddenly, silence filled the place.
The next name was announced loudly:
"Next… Kai from Sector 9."
Kai lifted his head and pulled his hands out of his pockets.
A calm walk. No excitement, no fear.
His eyes steady… as if he hadn't been watching everything just now.
[Kai's perspective]
"Next… Kai from Sector Nine."
I lifted my head.
Oh… it's my turn then.
I don't know why everyone was excited to fight. They acted like winning meant something big.
But I just… wanted to finish this.
My steps were slow, deliberate.
I felt eyes following me… some curious, some mocking, and only a few… fearful.
I crossed the arena and stopped in the middle.
I was a few centimeters taller than my opponent.
His hands clenched, veins bulging… he was a little scared but ready.
I hadn't even raised my hands yet.
"I won't be easy," he said weakly, as if convincing himself.
I nodded silently.
…
When the whistle blew, I didn't feel nervous.
He moved first.
He ran, shouted, swung his arm in a wide arc.
I dodged without thinking.
It was like my body was ahead of my mind.
Another strike… dodged.
Third… fourth… all useless.
"Stop… stay still, coward!" he shouted, panting.
I looked into his eyes and said nothing.
Then I moved.
One step.
Behind him.
A light kick to the back of the knee made him kneel.
Then a strike aimed at his neck.
He didn't move afterward, not his head.
But his body was frozen.
———
There was no applause. Only silence.
I looked up… at Nir standing above.
He didn't smile… but he was watching.
I turned my back and returned to my place.
It was over.
———
In a corner of the arena, a boy with dark black hair and sharp violet eyes stood still.
He showed no exaggerated reaction. No applause or wide-eyed amazement like the other kids.
His body was tense, hands behind his back, like a soldier standing guard.
But a closer look would reveal something else…
A rare focus, careful observation of Kai's movements, his walk, even the way he left the arena after the fight.
Chris wasn't just impressed… he was analyzing. Learning. Comparing.
There was something in his eyes similar to Nir's—not in appearance, but in that cold, sharp gaze that missed nothing.
Nir himself, standing at the opposite side, glanced at Chris for a moment.
Just a moment… then returned to his usual silence.
———
[Kai's perspective]
"The seventh round is over."
"Time: 16 seconds. Winner: Kai."
I was already stepping down from the ring as the announcer declared the end of my match.
But I felt piercing eyes drilling into me.
I turned my right eye toward someone.
It was the gaze of a child staring directly at me.
I knew him… or rather, I'd seen him from time to time.
Very silent, never spoke to anyone.
What was his name?
He sat far away, leaning against a low wall, silently watching.
I had started losing interest in the fights after Ellis's fall, and Nir's excessive strictness made the atmosphere suffocating.
Most kids fought either out of fear or reckless impulse.
But when the coach's voice boomed from afar announcing:
"Chris versus Basil."
I raised my head.
Chris…?
That silent boy who rarely spoke?
Always sat alone, trained without any coaches' notes or guidance, showing no fatigue or excitement… just a silent machine.
End of Chapter Four Part 1