CHAPTER 2 ‒ The Training Begins

At Kurul’s command, the older sorceress raised her staff, and the barrier vanished. The soldiers stepped closer, pointing the tips of their spears at us. A broad-built man stepped forward.

"You will be divided into groups. Anyone who resists will be punished."

Panic spread through the crowd. Now that the barrier was gone, many believed they could simply escape. Some began to run, trying to slip past the soldiers. But as soon as they approached, spear tips lowered to meet them. They halted instantly, stumbling backward ‒ some falling to the ground, the sharp blades just millimeters from their faces. Their courage vanished. 

At a command, the soldiers took a step forward. Everyone who had tried to flee now stumbled back into the circle. There was no escape. The choice was clear: comply or be impaled.

The soldiers then began taking people one by one, grouping them together. The broad-built man, who seemed to be the commander, barked orders and directed the troops.

"You! Move it. You’re assigned to this group."

One of the soldiers grabbed my arm and pulled me along. Still weak and shaken by shock, I stumbled after him, struggling to keep up. Cold metal clinked against my skin as he dragged me forward. I stared at my wrist, where a silver bracelet hung ‒ it didn’t belong to me. I didn’t recognize it. But as I looked at it, a strange sensation rushed through my body. Warmth. Pain. Familiarity?

Suddenly, I felt a touch on my shoulder. I tore myself free and looked around, but no one was there. Only fear and shouted commands filled the space.

"Hey, what the hell?"

The soldier who had just held me in a firm grip stepped closer and struck me across the back. I gasped in pain. He seized my wrist again and yanked me forward. I followed mindlessly, trying to recall that strange feeling from before.

"Let me go!"

Behind us, the red-haired woman from earlier screamed. She yanked her arm back as if the soldier’s touch had burned her. Her eyes ‒ wide, pure panic.

"Don’t touch me!"

"Come on! Resistance won’t be tolerated."

His face was stern, but she saw pity in his eyes.

"Wait, wait... Arrgghh!!!"

A scream rang out from the other side of the room.

"That’s what you get for resisting!"

The soldier drove his spear into the man’s leg. A bloodcurdling scream tore through the hall. Blood splattered onto the stone floor as the blade sank deep into flesh. The man convulsed, his fingers clawing at the spear shaft ‒ futilely.
Then the soldier yanked it back with a sharp jerk. A wet, ripping sound. A deep, rattling breath.
I felt the tension in my legs. I felt the urge to help, but fear held me back.

The man collapsed. Blood seeped from his gaping wound, painting dark patterns on the stone floor. His breath came in ragged gasps, his gaze empty.

Everyone around took a step back. A woman let out a sharp gasp, stumbled backward, and fell. Her hands trembled as she stared at the blood-soaked man.

He tried to crawl away, to escape, but the soldier was faster and kicked him in the side. A dull thud followed by a choking gasp filled the air. The soldier grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away.

"If anyone else resists... now you know the consequences!"

Silence. No one moved. Even the other soldiers still stared at the scene.The two disappeared into the crowd.

The woman who had protested earlier held out her arm to the soldier.

"Go on," she said firmly. "Before I change my mind."

The soldier grabbed her by the wrist and led her out of the crowd. She obeyed.

By now, I was also no longer among the mass of people and had been assigned to the edge of a group. There were already several others there. At the edge of our group stood the tall man from earlier, silently observing everything.

The woman who had just protested was led over to our group by a soldier. Our eyes met, and I saw the fear in hers. When the soldier let go of her, he glanced at our group.

"Looks like there are already twenty of you in this group. Good. Move along, and don’t try anything stupid."

We set off, following the soldier. Two more soldiers trailed at the rear, making sure no one got the foolish idea to run. As we walked through the corridor, I noticed the incline. We were deep below ground.

When I looked more closely at the walls, I saw scratches and bloodstains. I didn’t want to know where they had come from ‒ but I could guess.

"Hey, you."

The tall man stepped closer, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"What’s your name?"

The question felt strange to me.

"I... I don’t know." My thoughts were an empty void.

The man nodded slowly. His gaze flickered, as if a puzzle piece had just fallen into place in his mind.

"Then I’m really not the only one. Then... this isn’t some sick joke."

He tried to grin, but it vanished before it could fully form.

"I don’t know about you, but I’m not dying here."

His voice was quiet, but his eyes burned with determination.

"Do you have a plan?"

"No idea. But I’m not waiting around to be slaughtered like cattle."

I wanted to laugh ‒ right in the middle of this nightmare. But his look told me he meant it.I was surprised, and yet, I couldn’t take him seriously. I clenched my fists, and anger rose inside me.

"Did you not see what happened? Do you want a spear in your leg too? I don’t want any of this either."

My gaze drifted to the silver bracelet on my wrist.

"I think there’s a place I need to return to. And I can’t do that if I’m dead."

I looked the tall man in the eyes and tried to hold his gaze.

"Alright. I’ll go along with your mindset for now. I don’t even know if I have a place to return to. So for now, the best option is probably to play along."

This time, a faint smile appeared on his face ‒ one that carried something entirely out of place here.

Hope.

"No more chatter and move."

One of the guards must have heard us and stepped toward us with his boot. We exchanged no further words and continued walking in silence.

At the end of the corridor, weak sunlight fell upon us. The fresh air blew toward us. Once outside, we emerged into an inner courtyard. It was a small, beautiful garden surrounded by columns. The garden was under the open sky, but we moved beneath the roof at the sides. As we were led forward, I occasionally saw people peering out from behind the stone columns, watching us. But as soon as I looked in their direction, their faces vanished again.

When we passed through another corridor, two people came toward us, wearing clothing typically worn by servants. As they passed us, it was clear how much they tried to ignore us. The tension on their faces was evident.

We reached the end of the corridor, and the soldier who had been leading us stopped. We stood before a training area, which was surrounded by a high wall.

"As you have already heard, everything has been prepared for your training to begin. It is meant to educate you and awaken your magic. This may happen through hard training or a near-death experience... it will be revealed what will be the case for you."

"Don’t give the newcomers any hope."

A large man in rough leather armor with a thick, long beard approached us.

"The way you say it, it sounds as if everyone has a chance to survive. Haha!"

The man broke into laughter, and his beard shook.

"Look at them. Some might not drop dead right away." His gaze fell on the also tall man beside me.

"But others..." His gaze wandered through the crowd before it landed on me. A cruel grin spread across his face.

"Others will be lying in their own blood today."

A murmur went through the group. Fear rose. I could hear my own heartbeat loudly in my ears. The tall man’s gaze remained fixed on me, and his grin grew.