As Karim hit the ground, Luca covered his face with both hands and muttered, “Oh, fuck me…”

  Following the rules, the opponent stepped back two paces and waited for Karim to get up. Karim stood, spat on the ground, wiped the blood from his mouth, and locked eyes with his opponent. When the guy came at him again with a punch, Karim used the motion against him—he struck the inner side of the opponent’s punching arm hard. The force twisted the limb, dislocating the elbow.

  From what Karim had seen so far, fractures stopped the fight. But what about dislocations? He wasn’t sure.

  The instructor quickly stepped in and examined the boy’s arm. Confirming it wasn’t broken, the teacher gave no further intervention and signaled for the fight to continue.

  The student, writhing in pain, asked, “How the hell am I supposed to fight like this?”

  The instructor’s response hit like a slap:

  “The fight ends not when your arm is broken—but when you’re dead.”

  It wasn’t advice. It wasn’t an insult. It was just the truth. Because when two armies clash, and blood runs like a river, you don’t get to say, “Wait, I dropped my sword.” You either reach for it mid-battle—or you kill the bastard with your bare hands.

  So the fight went on.

  Karim could see the agony in his opponent’s posture. He looked into his eyes and silently whispered, I’m sorry, before landing a brutal kick to the dislocated arm. The kid screamed in pain, trying to stay upright, but Karim sprinted forward, locked his arm around his opponent’s neck, and choked him out. The kid held on for a few seconds before tapping Karim’s arm to signal submission. Karim immediately let go and bowed his head slightly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  Tears filled the boy’s eyes as he joined the other losers. The instructor, without a single word of praise, pointed Karim toward the winners’ side.

  He wasn’t happy. He wasn’t proud. Because he didn’t want to do this. From the moment he hit the ground, this had been his plan all along. He remembered something his mother once told him:"If rules are a house, remove only a brick—not the foundation."

  When Luca’s turn came, his fight was much rougher. He wasn’t one to plan out every move like Karim. Instead, he relied on his physical strengths. He was taller, his reach longer—an advantage he fully intended to exploit.

  His opponent was slightly heavier but not as tall. One solid hit could’ve ended it for Luca.

  As the fight began, Luca launched into a barrage of punches. His size gave him dominance, and he used both psychological and physical pressure to keep his opponent cornered. But the moment his opponent grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him, Luca lost his balance and fell to the ground.

  By the rules, the opponent was supposed to wait. He didn’t.

  Just as Luca was getting up, the guy delivered a hard kick to his face. Strangely, none of the instructors intervened.

  Dazed from the kick, Luca stood up with rage burning in his eyes and charged. He grabbed the other boy by the neck, slammed him to the ground, and began choking him with all his might.

  The instructor watched closely. Luca didn’t stop, even as his opponent passed out in his grip. Only after confirming the boy was no longer responsive did he release him.

  The instructor dragged the unconscious student to the losers’ side, while Luca joined the winners—and Karim.

  Karim, still lost in thought, snapped out of it when Luca lightly tapped his shoulder.

  Karim looked at him and asked, “What happened to your face?”

  Luca let out a sigh and snapped a little. “Seriously? You didn’t watch? Also, how the hell did you keep fighting after dislocating his arm? And what kind of psychopath kicks a dislocated joint?”

  Karim paused before answering calmly, “First of all, it wasn’t broken—just dislocated. And no, I’m not a psychopath. We had to win, remember? I couldn’t afford to hesitate. I’ve been wondering ever since if I did the right thing. Now tell me what the hell happened to your face.”

  Luca scowled. “I don’t know. I fell, and the bastard kicked me before I could stand. Instructors didn’t do shit. So I choked him out.”

  Karim narrowed his eyes. “Wanna go ask why they didn’t stop it?”

  Luca shook his head. “Nah. Doesn’t matter now. We passed.”He paused, then suddenly yelled:“WE FUCKING PASSED! WE FUCKING DID IT, BRO! WE’RE GONNA BE SOLDIERS!”

  As Luca excitedly shook Karim, he suddenly felt nauseous.“STOP IT, I’M GONNA PUKE!” he shouted, pulling himself away.

  Luca burst into laughter. “Alright, alright, I’ll shut up! But come on—admit it, this is fucking amazing!”

  Karim took a deep breath. “Yeah, but we still don’t know what happens next. Let’s wait until we actually have answers—then we’ll celebrate, alright?”

  Luca shrugged, still smiling. “Fine, fine.”

  The next day, Karim and Luca were sitting on the Academy steps, sipping their drinks with the ease of having passed their exam. They knew they’d advanced a level in training, but no one had told them what came next. When they asked their instructors, all they were told was to wait.

  Luca rolled a small stone down the stairs and watched it bounce along.“So... when do you think training actually starts?”

  Karim, eyes fixed on the stone courtyard of the arena, gave a short answer.“No idea.”

  Luca nudged his knee and suddenly grinned.“Hey—let’s train with spears!”

  Karim tilted his head. “What?”

  “I’m saying... spears. Long sticks with sharp ends!”

  Karim corrected without even rolling his eyes.“That’s called a pike.”

  Luca groaned. “You know every damn thing, don’t you?”

  Karim didn’t answer, but Luca kept going.“Think about it—you get to stab your enemy from far away, while still looking them in the eyes.”

  Karim’s expression didn’t change, but he started rubbing his fingers together. Luca noticed something was off.

  “You think... killing someone is anything like beating someone up?”

  Karim’s hands froze. His eyes narrowed, but he still wasn’t looking at Luca.“I don’t know.”

  Luca squinted at him, then suddenly punched him lightly on the leg.“You bastard—you’ve killed someone, haven’t you!?”

  Karim looked up. His voice was flat.“What?”

  Luca gave a teasing grin.“I’ve seen that look before. You’re hiding something.”

  Karim paused, then replied with a simple:“No.”

  Luca folded his arms and tilted his head.“Karim, every time you avoid a question, you start rubbing your hands together and shut down. Don’t lie to me.”

  Karim went silent.

  “Come on, we’re friends. Friends tell each other even their darkest secrets.”

  Karim took a breath, like he was about to speak… then shook his head.“No.”

  Luca frowned. “No what?!”

  Karim’s voice grew quieter. “I don’t even want to remember.”

  Luca opened his mouth to respond, but Karim suddenly stood up and started walking down the steps.

  “Where are you going!?” Luca shouted after him.

  But Karim didn’t answer. He picked up speed and disappeared from sight.

  He slipped into his room and closed the door silently. Taking a deep breath, he tried the calming technique his mother had taught him. Slow, deep breaths.

  But it was useless. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t silence his mind.

  He lay down, pressing his face into the pillow to block out the world.But every time he closed his eyes, the same scene returned. That day… those raiders…

  It felt like he was trapped in the memory, reliving it all.The first battle they fought on the road to the Academy.

  Flashes of torn flesh, sharp screams, and his own blood-soaked hands filled his mind.

  “I did what I had to do,” he whispered to himself.“I couldn’t let my sister die.”

  He repeated it again and again.But the tightness in his chest never went away.

  Just then, the door creaked open slightly.Karim slowly pulled his hand off the pillow and glanced toward the sound.Luca.

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  He walked in with slow, heavy steps. Without a word, he approached Karim and held up a small bottle, giving it a slight shake. Rosewater. Sweet.

  For a moment, he stood there in silence, gently motioning for Karim to take it.Karim, unwilling to argue, took the bottle and sat up in bed. He took a quiet sip.

  Luca finally spoke, a little hesitant."Look… I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just..."He paused, then continued:"I think... as friends, we should know more about each other’s pasts. Don’t you think?"

  Karim took another sip of the rosewater. Its sweet, slightly bitter taste slid down his throat as he turned his eyes to Luca.

  After a few seconds of silence, his voice came out barely above a whisper."Okay."

  There was a short pause. Luca, clearly uncomfortable with the silence, tried to fill it:"You want me to start? Or is there something you’re actually curious about?"

  Karim gave a small nod.

  Luca narrowed his eyes. "Was that a yes?"Another small nod.

  Luca let out a sigh and shook his head."Fucking hell, can you at least say what the fuck you’re nodding at? You’re curled up in a corner like a little girl and I feel like your babysitter."

  Karim replied quietly, “Just talk.”

  Luca smirked slightly and paused for a breath."Alright. You know Bahlor, right? The kingdom, not the beast."

  Karim nodded.

  "That’s where I was born. Lived with my two sisters, mom, and dad. We weren’t rich—hell, we had almost nothing. Then the kingdom got attacked... and mom and dad died."

  Luca’s voice wavered slightly, but he quickly steadied himself.

  "My sisters... well, they became whores. We were better off than before, at least we weren’t starving. But you know, sometimes money doesn’t mean shit. I started helping out with little thefts."

  He glanced at Karim out of the corner of his eye, gauging his reaction.

  "At first I stole a few coin pouches from my sisters. Then five. Then ten. Eventually I stopped stealing from them and started stealing from strangers. Figured that way I could help them more. And I did."

  He paused and swallowed hard."Remember that story I told you? About getting caught trying to steal an apple?"

  Karim took a short breath. "Yeah."

  Luca smirked. "Heh. What I didn’t say is, I’d already nabbed the guy’s coin pouch. Idiot never even noticed. Can you believe that? I was a kid back then."

  He placed his drink on the wooden dresser and swallowed again."I never had friends, Karim."

  That sentence hit Karim like a chill.

  Luca stared at a spot on the wall and continued."We were poor at first. Then... well, after my sisters started working, every kid that wanted to be my friend had a dad or a brother who wanted to fuck them."

  The silence stretched. Luca let out a small laugh—empty, bitter."Funny, isn’t it?"

  "Then one day, I spotted this man."

  Karim listened quietly. Luca smiled faintly and went on."He was carrying this massive axe. His hands were the size of my head. He was talking to someone outside the inn. I could tell he was dangerous, but so what? His coin pouch could feed me for a week. So I did what I always did."

  Luca leaned back a little."Played the starving orphan act. Big eyes, shaky hands. I started guilt-tripping him hard, looking all pitiful."

  A slight grin crept onto his face."It worked. He started feeling bad. Looked like he was about to tell the innkeeper, ‘Whatever he wants, put it on my tab.’ But me? I was already gone."

  Karim raised an eyebrow. Luca rubbed his hands together with satisfaction.

  "But here’s the twist," he said, "When I started talking to him for real, things changed. He told me about a place."

  Karim kept listening.

  "The Academy."

  Luca’s eyes scanned the room for a moment, then turned back to Karim."Big white spiked walls. People like me. Teachers to help. Warm beds. Plenty of food. What more could I want?"

  He went quiet for a beat. The grin faded slightly.

  "My sisters... they found out I was stealing. They stopped giving me money. Eventually, they stopped coming home at all. So with the money I took from that guy, I came here. And now I’m here."

  Luca leaned down and took a sip of his drink. Then, with exaggerated flair, he spread his arms wide and declared,“The one and only, flesh and blood, Luca Delun! How about that?”

  He leaned in toward Karim, squinting.“So, what about you, huh? I mean, your only friend is a guy with nothing to lose, who might get killed by the same bastard he stole from. I know the chances of running into him on the way to the Academy were slim, but... I still don’t feel great about it.”

  Karim frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me all this when we first met?”

  Luca let out a small laugh, though it carried a tinge of sadness.“If a stranger you just got paired with by a teacher told you he was a thief with nothing to lose... do you really think we’d be sitting here right now?”

  Karim paused, then nodded. “Fair.”

  Luca shrugged, then looked at the ground.“Sorry. I don’t know your past, but I’m sure you came here from a better place than I did.”

  Karim narrowed his eyes, still rubbing his fingers together.“I didn’t grow up in a castle, Luca. I’m not some merchant’s son.”

  Luca raised an eyebrow. “Hey, I never said you were.”

  Karim sighed deeply and continued.“I don’t remember much of my childhood. It’s all a blur. What I do know is... our mom’s been training us ever since we could walk.”

  Luca raised his eyebrows. “Wait—what?”

  “Look, I don’t know what she does for a living, but believe me—neither you nor I could beat her in a fight.”

  Luca burst out laughing. “No fucking way—your mom’s a fighter?”

  “No. I mean, have you ever seen a broke fighter scraping together savings just to send their kids to the Academy?”

  “Fair point. What about your dad?”

  Karim shook his head. “Don’t know. Never met him. It was always Uncle William. And he’s no different—he could slam both of us into the dirt without breaking a sweat.”

  Luca squinted with a teasing smirk. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” He leaned back, laughing softly. Then suddenly, he slapped his hands on Karim’s knees and blurted excitedly,“Karim! What if your mom’s a fugitive? Maybe she used to be a warrior and had to run after something went wrong!”

  Karim ignored the excitement. “It’s probably something like that... All I know is, the king took my dad’s head.”

  Luca snapped his fingers, eyes wide. “There it is! They were probably both legendary warriors!”

  Karim sighed, trying not to get swept up in the enthusiasm. But Luca kept going, still full of energy.

  “Maybe they were part of some giant clan, betrayed everyone, and had to run! Or—shit—maybe they practiced dark magic!”

  Karim frowned. “Hey. Stop throwing out wild guesses about my family. And I’m not done talking.”

  Luca puckered his lips, mock offended. “Oh, excuse me. Go on, then.” He leaned back, folding his arms.

  Karim’s face turned serious. He wanted to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He swallowed. Rubbed his hands together. After a long pause, he finally looked down and whispered,“Killing someone… isn’t as satisfying as you think it is, Luca.”

  Luca’s excitement vanished. His voice softened. “Why are you saying that?”

  Karim kept rubbing his fingers but didn’t answer.

  “One day, Mom came home with a pouch full of gold. Gave us a map and told us to head here—to the Academy. Told us if anyone tried to stop us, we should say, ‘I’m the dust of a wanderer.’ We didn’t get it. Normally, if we weren’t home by sundown, she’d lose her shit. And now she was sending us off alone.”

  He paused again. The weight of the memory sank heavily on his shoulders.“When I asked where the money came from… why we had to go… she got so angry I never dared ask again. The next morning, she brought two horses. ‘You need to go. Now.’ That’s all she said. So we did. We traveled a long way. When night fell, I told Junya we should rest at a nearby inn and continue in the morning.”

  Karim’s lips curled into a small, faint smile as he continued...

  “She used to do whatever our mom said. When Mom told us not to stop until we reached our destination, she took it as law,” Karim said with a tired breath. “We argued a bit. It turned into a full-on shouting match.”

  The small smile on his face vanished.

  “Then... those raiders surrounded us. They were wearing armor stripped from dead soldiers, but they didn’t even know how to hold their weapons.”

  Luca blinked, confused. “What do you mean? What couldn’t they do?”

  Karim averted his gaze, fingers rubbing against each other again. His voice was low, barely above a whisper.“They tried to take my sister.”

  Luca’s expression shifted instantly. Gone was the casual tone.

  “I don’t even want to repeat what they said,” Karim muttered. “One of them grabbed me from behind. I broke free. Then their leader—probably trying to provoke me—sent one of his men at me.”

  He clenched his fist slightly, eyes darkening as he relived the memory.“I disarmed him first. Then I cut his throat... with his own blade. I didn’t feel anything. I just wanted it to end.”

  He paused, swallowing hard, trying to push down the knot in his throat.“Then the leader came for me. Beat me up a bit, but... I found an opening. I swung to take his head off... but I was so tired…”

  He looked at the ground.

  “His head... didn’t come off completely. It was hanging by the skin.”

  Silence fell over the room like a heavy fog.

  Luca’s eyes narrowed, his voice softer now.“That’s why... killing isn’t as satisfying as I thought, huh?”

  Karim blinked slowly, staring into the void. Finally, in a voice barely audible, he said:“Yeah.”

  The weight between them silenced everything else. There were no jokes now. No teasing. Just thick, quiet understanding.

  The silence only broke when the door creaked open.

  A staff member peeked in and said quietly, “Dinner time.”

  The two of them exchanged a glance and stood up, walking together toward the mess hall. The room was loud—full of students laughing and chatting—but for the two of them, the world had gone quiet.

  As they sat down, Luca asked cautiously, “Can I ask you one more thing?”

  Karim raised his head, giving a silent look that said: go ahead.

  Luca hesitated before carefully choosing his words.“What happened to your sister? You said you came here together...”

  Karim stared into space for a moment. He twirled his spoon in his hand before finally answering quietly:“She didn’t pass the entrance exam.”

  Luca frowned slightly. “So what happened after that? Is she still here?”

  Karim placed the spoon on his plate.“No. I took her back home. When I told my mom I wanted to stay here…”

  He stopped mid-sentence. Then looked directly at Luca and added in a low voice:“She forced me to stay.”

  Luca opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. The sounds of laughter and clinking plates around them felt distant, hollow.

  A week passed with no word from the instructors. Everyone who passed the test spent their days aimlessly wandering around, looking for ways to kill time. During that time, Karim and Luca explored the Academy grounds, trying to find a spot to call their own. A place they could go back to when they became real soldiers—somewhere their stories would live forever.

  Karim spent most of his time reading the books he borrowed from the library. He learned a lot about the planet they lived on, human biology, and many other subjects. Luca joined him from time to time but mostly filled his days eating, napping, or joining Karim on their quest for a secret spot.

  One evening, while Karim was reading in bed, Luca burst into the room, eyes shining with excitement.

  “I found it!” he shouted, breathless. “I found the perfect place, man!”

  Karim sat up slightly, raising an eyebrow. “Found what?”

  “Our special spot! It’s amazing—you’re gonna love it!” Luca grabbed Karim by the arm and started dragging him out. Karim sighed but didn’t resist.

  Eventually, they arrived at the base of a small hill. Luca stretched his arms wide like he’d just conquered the world.

  “This is it!” he announced with glee. “We’re gonna plant a tree here and tie all our stories to it. So one day, people will know how legendary we were!”

  Karim gave the hill a quick look, then turned to Luca.“Don’t you think you’re overdoing it a little?”

  “Overdoing what?”

  “The whole ‘legendary’ thing... I’m not aiming for fame. I just want to make money, live here, and bring my family.”

  Luca wrinkled his nose in mock offense.“So what, I’m not part of your dreams?”

  Karim shrugged.“You’re already here, aren’t you? What more do you want?”

  Luca raised an eyebrow and leaned closer.“So when you bring your family here, I’m just gonna live with you too?”

  Karim sighed.“If you want, why not?”

  As they climbed the hill, they realized it was bigger than it looked—one of the steepest around the Academy. It was far from most of the residential zones but surprisingly close to the main building, which meant it might eventually be discovered and claimed by others.

  To stop that from happening, they decided to mark it immediately. They found a small flower, planted it, and placed stones around it like a sacred monument.

  Now, it was theirs.