The bell rang three times.
That meant assembly.
Kael reached the central yard with the others, breath still uneven from the morning drills. Fighters gathered in rows, boots aligned, weapons at their sides. No one spoke.
Master Rhen stood at the front.
Beside him were three others Kael didn't see often.
That alone told him this wasn't routine.
Rhen raised a hand. "Listen."
The yard quieted completely.
"From today onward," Rhen said, "training and patrols will follow full military order."
A few heads lifted.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
Rhen continued. "Some of you have trained here for years without understanding how the force truly works. That ends now."
He stepped aside.
An older man with gray at his temples moved forward. His armor was heavier than Rhen's, marked with a single dark stripe across the chest.
"This is Commander Halvek," Rhen said. "He oversees all island defense."
Halvek's voice was calm but carried easily.
"The island's force is simple," he said. "If you can understand it, you can follow it. If you follow it, you survive."
He raised one finger.
"First level: Watchers."
A few younger trainees shifted.
"Watchers guard the walls," Halvek said. "They don't fight monsters directly. They observe, warn, and report. If they fail, everyone pays."
He raised a second finger.
"Second level: Shields."
Kael recognized the term.
"Shields protect the shore," Halvek continued. "They hold the line when monsters approach. They don't chase. They don't pursue. They stand and buy time."
A third finger.
"Third level: Strikers."
A murmur ran through the yard.
"Strikers engage directly," Halvek said. "They attack weak points. They move fast. They die first if they make mistakes."
Kael felt Tavian shift beside him.
Fourth finger.
"Fourth level: Wardens."
Silence.
"Wardens lead squads," Halvek said. "They decide who advances and who retreats. Their mistakes cost lives."
He lowered his hand.
"Above them are Commanders. Few. Experienced. Trusted."
His eyes swept the yard.
"Above Commanders," he said, "is the Council."
No one moved.
"The Council decides why we fight," Halvek finished. "We decide how."
Rhen stepped forward again.
"You will now be assigned."
A sharp breath moved through the lines.
Assignments came fast.
Names were called. Positions given. No arguments allowed.
"Lyra — Shield Unit, Western Shore."
Lyra acknowledged calmly.
"Tavian — Watcher Support, Records and Signal."
Tavian blinked. "What?"
Rhen cut him off. "You see patterns others miss. Use that."
Tavian nodded slowly. "Yes, sir."
Kael waited.
"Kael — Striker Reserve."
The yard stirred.
Reserve.
Not frontline.
Not watcher.
Something in between.
Rhen met Kael's eyes. "You move where pressure builds. You don't act alone. You follow orders."
Kael bowed his head. "Understood."
They were given an hour.
No rest.
Just repositioning.
Kael followed his assigned Warden, a broad woman named Sera, toward the southern path.
She walked fast.
"Listen," she said without looking back. "Striker Reserve means you plug holes. Someone falls, you step in. Someone freezes, you move."
Kael nodded.
"Ask questions later," Sera continued. "Out there, hesitation kills."
They reached a narrow overlook above the water.
Below them, waves crashed against jagged rock.
"Watchers report from above," Sera said. "Shields hold here." She pointed to reinforced platforms. "Strikers hit when something breaks through."
Kael studied the layout.
Simple.
Efficient.
Deadly.
The horn sounded again.
Short.
Urgent.
"Contact!" a Watcher shouted from above.
Movement erupted instantly.
Shields moved into position. Strikers readied weapons. Commands flew sharp and fast.
Kael stayed still.
Reserve meant wait.
A dark shape surfaced near the rocks.
Then another.
"Two," someone called.
"Hold," Sera ordered.
The creatures rose together.
Smaller than before. Faster.
"Shields engage!"
The Shields moved as one, blades glowing faintly as they struck together. The monsters recoiled, but didn't retreat.
"One slipping through!" a Watcher yelled.
"Reserve!" Sera barked.
Kael moved.
He ran downhill, boots slipping on wet stone. He reached the lower platform just as a creature lunged past the Shields.
Kael struck.
Steel met armor.
The impact numbed his arms.
The creature turned on him instantly.
Kael sidestepped and struck again, aiming where plates overlapped.
The blade bit shallow—but enough.
The creature staggered.
A Shield finished it with a heavy downward strike.
"Good," Sera called. "Back."
Kael retreated immediately.
No chase.
No glory.
The remaining creature withdrew moments later.
The sea calmed.
Orders followed.
"Reset positions."
"Check injuries."
"Watchers report."
The system worked.
Kael felt it.
Not strong.
Not impressive.
But effective.
Later, Tavian found him near the signal post.
"So," Tavian said, "I get to count things while you stab them."
"You like counting," Kael replied.
"I like surviving."
Lyra joined them, removing her helmet. "This makes sense," she said. "Why didn't we do this earlier?"
Kael looked toward the council hall in the distance.
"Because then people would start asking why," he said.
That night, Kael stood on the wall, watching the sea.
The hierarchy echoed in his head.
Watcher.
Shield.
Striker.
Warden.
Commander.
Council.
Simple.
Clear.
And still not enough.
Something out there was testing them.
Learning.
And now the island was learning back.
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.
If this was the beginning of order, then chaos was coming next.
And when it did—
He intended to be ready.