The barracks were silent under the pre-dawn sky. A few muffled snores echoed faintly, but Rivet was already awake. His eyes opened not to the shrill sound of a whistle, but to the lingering memory of burning muscles and Colonel Vikrant's cold, commanding voice from the day before.
He glanced at the clock—4:50 AM.
Five minutes later, he was dressed and standing in the chilly morning air of the training ground.
His legs still ached from yesterday's punishment. Every step reminded him of the fatigue still sitting deep in his bones. But something in him pushed past it. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was the fear of falling behind.
By 5:15, cadets began trickling out one by one. Keshav jogged up beside him, nodding.
"You're on time today?"
Rivet smirked. "Well, I slept on time too."
05:30 AM – Stretching & Warm-up
As they bent and twisted through stretches, Rivet's eyes scanned the large group. Dozens of unfamiliar faces surrounded him—candidates from all across the country.
"Who are all these people? Where did they come from?" Rivet muttered.
Keshav replied, "Some cleared national entrance exams like NDA. A few came through military school recommendations. And then there are guys like us—picked during inter-school tournaments like Shaurya."
Rivet nodded slowly. "How many from our school?"
"Twelve," Keshav said. "You, me, Arnav, Shrishti, Anaya… and most of the final round participants."
Rivet paused, uneasy. One name was missing.
"What about Veer? Why didn't he come?"
Keshav shrugged. "No idea. Maybe he chose not to. His name was on the final list."
Rivet looked away, his jaw clenched. "Why, bhai? You were the most deserving of all of us."
06:00 AM – Morning Run
The whistle blew sharp and clear. The cadets surged forward like arrows let loose.
Rivet started off steady, but halfway through, his legs gave in. The pain from the day before erupted in his calves. His breathing became labored. He slowed down.
Keshav passed him with effortless rhythm.
Behind him, surprisingly, Arnav was running strong, his posture sharp and pace stable.
Rivet's eyes widened. Arnav? Seriously?
Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself harder. One more step. Another. Just a bit more—
Twist. Slip. Crash.
His foot gave out. He hit the ground hard.
Keshav and Arnav rushed to him.
"Rivet! You okay?"
Rivet winced, then nodded. "Yeah... just testing gravity."
They chuckled in relief.
He stood up, ankle throbbing, and continued the run—limping, slow, but refusing to stop.
07:00 AM – Colonel's Announcement
All cadets stood in formation, faces flushed, breath unsteady.
Colonel Vikrant paced in front of them, hands behind his back.
"Yesterday was a wake-up call. Today, you feel the real sting. But let me tell you—this... is just the warm-up."
Gasps spread across the group.
"The real training begins now. Which is why... you'll no longer be trained directly under me. Meet your new instructor—Subedar Ranjeet Singh."
A stout man with a thick mustache stepped forward. He saluted with sharp discipline. Every inch of him screamed 'army.'
But the moment the Colonel walked away, his serious mask slipped.
He looked at the cadets with a smirk and said,
"Don't worry, kids. I bark louder than I bite!"
A wave of nervous laughter rippled across the squad.
08:00 AM – Breakfast Break
In the mess hall, cadets refueled. Boiled eggs, poha, bananas, and milk. The chatter was minimal—everyone focused on recharging. Rivet sat with Keshav and Shrishti.
"Today feels heavier already," Shrishti muttered.
"It is," Keshav replied. "And it's just the beginning."
08:30 AM – Weapons Training: Level 2
Training returned to serious mode. But not under Ranjeet—this session was conducted by Warrant Officer Kripal Singh, a tall, intimidating instructor with decades of combat experience.
"This is INSAS. Yesterday, we named its parts. Today, we dismantle, clean, and reassemble it. If a single screw goes missing... you'll be running with your rifle over your head for a kilometer."
Ranjeet watched silently from the corner, arms folded.
The next hour passed in intense focus. Rivet struggled at first. His hands trembled slightly, and the parts kept slipping. Warrant Officer Kripal loomed over him, but Ranjeet suddenly appeared and whispered with a grin,
"Beta, this isn't LEGO. The enemy doesn't wait while you put your toy back together."
Rivet smiled through the panic—and nailed the assembly on the next try.
10:00 AM – Strategy Lecture: Level 2
No more introductions. No hand-holding.
The instructor turned on a digital projector that displayed a simulated battlefield.
"You're commanders now. Plan an ambush. Use terrain. Use elevation. Use logic."
Rivet, Shrishti, and Arnav were grouped together. Their strategy failed within minutes.
"Good," the instructor said. "Better to fail here than when bullets are real."
11:00 AM – First Aid Practical
A chaotic room. Alarms blared, lights flickered. Dummies moved unpredictably.
"Simulated battlefield," the medic barked. "Your patient won't lie still in real life!"
Cadets scrambled to dress wounds and apply bandages.
Rivet's hands were steady. His wrap was secure, quick, and clean. One of the better scores in the batch.
12:30 PM – Lunch
Simple rice, dal, and vegetables. No one wasted time. Plates were cleared in minutes. The only sound—clinking spoons and heavy breathing.
"Every meal here feels like pitstop in a war," Arnav muttered.
01:30 PM – Drills, Formations & Field Tasks
Afternoon heat beat down on their helmets. They practiced crawling through wires, jumping trenches, team formations, and mock-rescue drills. These sessions were fully handled by Subedar Ranjeet, who had now shifted into his stricter tone.
"No talking. Only commands. Only movement."
But occasionally, his sarcasm returned.
When one cadet tripped during marching, he shouted,
"Are you joining the army or a dance show, beta?"
Everyone chuckled—except the cadet.
05:00 PM – Sports Hour
The only breathing space in the day.
Rivet sat out boxing—his ankle still sore. He watched Keshav score two goals in football, cheered by his teammates. Even Arnav assisted once.
The camp was slowly turning into a family. A harsh, painful, chaotic one—but a family nonetheless.
07:00 PM – Dinner
Hot chapatis, paneer curry, and fruit. Despite their exhaustion, the cadets looked slightly more at ease.
"Ranjeet sir isn't that bad," someone muttered.
Another added, "He's strict but funny. Better than Colonel Doom."
08:00 PM – Roll Call & Meditation
Night fell. Subedar Ranjeet stood at the front, arms crossed.
"Close your eyes. Breathe in... imagine you're not tired. Breathe out... realize you're still alive."
Laughter, then silence.
As the lights dimmed and the room settled into silence, Rivet lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His muscles ached, his mind was heavy—but a strange calm washed over him.
"It's been days…" he thought suddenly.
"I haven't seen those strange dreams in a while."
The flickering flame. The echoing voice. The shadowed ruins.
Gone.
A small part of him felt relieved. But another part… felt like the silence was just the calm before a deeper storm.
"Whatever it was... it'll return. I can feel it."
With that final thought, Rivet turned to his side, let the weight of the day pull him into sleep, and drifted into a night that—for now—was still and dreamless.
[End of Chapter 23]