The days were passing swiftly, and with each one, the training was growing more intense.
Fighting drills, shooting practice, and endless physical exercises had left the cadets worn out — their bodies aching, their minds frayed.
That night, Bella stood on her favourite spot — the rooftop. The cool night air brushed past her skin as she gazed at the moon, a silent companion in her solitude. The campus lay mostly quiet beneath her, bathed in pale silver light.
Suddenly, something caught her eye.
A faint movement in the far training ground — a shadow, quick and fleeting.
She squinted into the darkness, trying to focus, but the lack of light made it hard to distinguish anything clearly. "Who would be out there at this hour? A patrolling officer, maybe," she thought to herself, tilting her head slightly.
Then, another shadow appeared beside the first one — moving, shifting. For a second, it seemed like the two figures were interacting, perhaps even arguing. But the moonlight was dim, and the night veiled everything in uncertainty. Nothing was clear.
"Probably just the officers," she reassured herself. Letting out a soft breath, Bella turned away and quietly descended the stairs, heading back to her room.
The next day, after lectures had ended, Bella found herself walking over to Officer Matthew.
"Cadet Bella, is something the matter? Do you need to ask something?" Officer Matthew's voice was calm but attentive.
Bella offered a small smile and nodded.
"Let's go to my office," he said, gesturing for her to follow.
Inside, he settled into his chair and motioned for her to sit as well. "Go ahead," he prompted. "What is it, Cadet Bella?"
She hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
"There's that vacant ground behind the dorms… the one usually used to hang laundry?" she began, her tone cautious. "Do officers or sergeants patrol that area at night too?"
Matthew gave a slight nod. "Yes, sometimes they do. Why do you ask?"
Bella shifted slightly in her seat. "I was on the rooftop last night… just for some fresh air. From up there, I saw two shadows in that area. It looked like they were… talking. Or maybe arguing. I couldn't tell exactly."
Matthew raised an eyebrow. "What kind of shadows? Did you recognize anything specific?"
She shook her head. "No, it was too dark. Just… two figures. Moving like they were having some kind of disagreement."
"It could've been a couple of cadets sneaking out," Matthew offered.
"Maybe," Bella replied quietly, her expression unreadable.
But a flicker of doubt still lingered in her mind.
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Bella and Ellena were walking together from the cafeteria; they headed toward the lecture hall for their theory class. The soft murmur of cadets around them and the occasional rustle of wind in the trees made for a calm backdrop.
Bella glanced sideways at Ellena and spoke in a thoughtful tone, "Maybe Officer Matthew was right. Those shadows last night… they could've been cadets."
Ellena nodded, her expression casual. "Could be. That makes the most sense."
Bella gave a small, unsure nod. "Hmm… yeah, maybe."
Ellena narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at her friend. "Now don't tell me you're planning to go there again tonight to check."
Bella grinned, "How did you know?"
Ellena let out a soft laugh. "Come on, I know you well enough."
They were still laughing and talking when they reached near the lecture hall — and just then, they ran into Officer Ethan.
"Good morning, Officer Ethan," Ellena greeted politely.
"Good morning," he replied with a slight nod, his sharp eyes shifting toward Bella. He gestured toward her hand. "No more pain, right?"
Bella glanced at her hand, "No, it's fine now."
Ethan gave a short nod.