Day Three – The Infiltration]

  The forest was deathly silent as the first hints of dawn crept over the horizon. A dense mist clung to the ground, twisting through the trees like ghostly fingers, muffling every sound. James and his team were crouched low behind a thick cluster of bushes, eyes fixed on their target—the rogue awakened’s camp.

  This was it.

  The other cadet teams were out there too, waiting for the right moment to strike, but hesitation meant failure. If they weren’t fast enough, another team would beat them to it.

  James inhaled deeply, steadying his nerves. Their mission: steal the rogue awakened’s rations.

  It wasn’t about proving strength—this was about precision, planning, and execution. A real test of skill.

  From their vantage point, they could see the camp’s inhabitants beginning to stir. The two guards patrolling the perimeter trudged back toward the camp, their shifts over. The others were just waking, emerging from their tents with groggy movements.

  Then, a sound carried through the still morning air—laughter.

  James froze, signaling the team to stay low as voices echoed from the camp.

  The rogue awakened were talking.

  They were gathered near a crude fire pit, some sitting on logs, others stretching out their limbs.

  One of them, a burly man with short-cropped hair, chuckled as he stretched his arms. “Man, I’ll never get tired of this strength.” He clenched a fist, the veins along his arm pulsing faintly with energy waves. “Feels like I could snap a tree in half without even trying.”

  A younger rogue, perhaps in his early twenties, smirked. “You? A tree? I watched Torin break a boulder in two with his bare hands last week.”

  Torin, a broad-shouldered man with scars tracing down his arms, let out a deep chuckle. “Boulder was weak,” he said simply. “Wasn’t even trying.”

  The others laughed, a few shaking their heads.

  A woman with short red hair and sharp eyes leaned forward, smirking. “And yet, even with all this power, we’re still hiding in the woods like bandits.”

  Torin shrugged. “Better than being leashed by the AUN. Out here, we make our own rules.”

  The burly man nodded in agreement, flexing his arms. “They say even the weakest awakened is stronger than a top-tier athlete. I believe it. Back before I awakened, I ran track—trained for years. But all it took was one awakening, and I left my entire team in the dust.” He smirked, shaking his head. “All that effort, wasted. Should’ve just been born like this.”

  The young rogue scoffed. “Don’t tell me you miss being normal.”

  The burly man snorted. “Hell no. I love this power.”

  James’ jaw tightened as he listened.

  These weren’t ordinary criminals. They were people who had tasted strength and abandoned everything for it.

  James motioned for his team to move. Now was the time.

  [The Infiltration]

  They moved like shadows.

  Every step was slow, controlled. No sudden movements. No sound. The rogue awakened were distracted, talking amongst themselves. It was the perfect moment.

  The supply tent was their target.

  A smaller structure, reinforced but not as heavily guarded as the central tent. From what they had observed, it contained rations, medicine, and basic supplies. If they could get in and take what they needed before the rogue awakened noticed, they’d complete their mission without conflict.

  James led the way, pressing himself low against the side of the nearest tent. The canvas barely moved as he slipped past, his breath slow and steady.

  Sophia was next, her agility allowing her to step lightly over a patch of dried leaves without making a sound.

  Jonathan followed, eyes flicking between the rogue awakened and the tents, his grip tight around his axe.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Amanda and Sam brought up the rear, each watching for any sign of movement from the enemy.

  They reached the supply tent.

  James slowly lifted the flap, peering inside. Stacks of crates lined the space, marked with symbols indicating food rations. Perfect.

  James slipped inside, followed by Amanda and Jonathan. They worked quickly, opening crates and stuffing ration packs into their bags.

  Sam and Sophia remained outside, keeping watch.

  The voices from the fire pit continued—the rogue awakened were still distracted.

  Everything was going smoothly.

  Then—a sound.

  James’ breath caught. He froze, listening.

  A rogue awakened had stood up from the fire pit, stretching. His gaze lazily swept across the camp—then stopped.

  James followed his line of sight.

  The man was looking directly at Sam.

  James’ heart pounded. Had he seen them?

  Sam reacted fast, pretending to yawn and stretch, mimicking the rogue’s earlier movements. His expression remained neutral, as if he had always been there.

  The rogue frowned slightly but didn’t move closer.

  James waited, every second stretching painfully long.

  Then, the rogue turned back to his group.

  James exhaled silently. Too close.

  Amanda finished packing the last of the rations. “We’re done,” she whispered.

  James nodded. They had what they needed. Now, they had to leave.

  Moving with the same careful precision, they retraced their steps, slipping past the tents, avoiding every dry leaf, every unstable patch of ground.

  The moment they reached the treeline, they broke into a silent sprint.

  They didn’t stop running until the rogue awakened’s camp was far behind them.

  Only when they reached the safety of the hills did James finally allow himself to breathe.

  Amanda grinned, holding up a ration pack. “Mission accomplished.”

  James looked toward the distant horizon.

  They had succeeded.

  But they weren’t the only ones out here.

  Somewhere, the other cadet teams were making their own moves. And soon, when the final test came, they would see who among them was truly the best.

  [Lucas Mohammed’s Plan – The Hunt Within]

  The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light barely piercing through the dense canopy above. Lucas Mohammed crouched low, his sharp eyes watching the distant shadows where James and his team had disappeared into the forest. His breath was steady, his mind sharp. The mission wasn’t over—not for him.

  Not yet.

  Behind him, his team moved with practiced silence, their bodies tense with anticipation. They had followed James’ group from the moment they left the rogue awakened’s camp, keeping their distance, watching, waiting.

  And now, it was time to strike.

  Lucas smirked. Stealing from rogue awakened? That was one thing. But outplaying another team? That was the real challenge.

  “Are you sure about this?” Ethan, his second-in-command, whispered. He was lean, quick, and sharper than most cadets, but hesitation flickered in his eyes. “We could just finish the mission and return.”

  Lucas shot him a glance. “And let James and his little squad act like they’re the best? No. We take what they stole, and we get full credit. Besides,” he added, his smirk widening, “if they’re smart, they’ll have extra supplies. Meaning we get more than just rations.”

  A third member of the team, Jared, let out a low chuckle. “Survival of the fittest, huh?”

  Lucas nodded. “Exactly.”

  The Plan Was Simple:

  1. Wait for James’ team to settle in for the night. They’d be exhausted after sneaking into the enemy camp.

  2. Hit fast, hit hard. No wasted time, no unnecessary fights.

  3. Take everything and disappear. If James’ team couldn’t protect their loot, they didn’t deserve it.

  “We move now,” Lucas whispered.

  [Tracking the Prey]

  Moving with calculated precision, Lucas and his team stalked through the trees, keeping downwind to avoid detection. They had been following James’ group for over an hour, watching from the shadows.

  Then they saw it—a faint glow in the distance.

  James’ team had set up a low-light camp, using glow sticks instead of a fire to avoid detection. Smart.

  But not smart enough.

  Lucas signaled his team to halt. Time to observe.

  From their position behind thick underbrush, they could see James and his group sitting in a tight circle, whispering among themselves. The stolen rations were placed near the center, packed neatly into bags.

  Lucas narrowed his eyes, analyzing their defensive setup.

  - James sat at the edge, closest to where Lucas’ team was hidden.

  - Amanda and Jonathan were positioned near the rations, likely acting as guards.

  - Sophia and Sam were slightly away from the group, keeping watch.

  “They’re tired,” Lucas murmured. “They think they’re safe. That’s their mistake.”

  Jared grinned. “How do we do this?”

  Lucas’ smirk widened. “We divide and conquer.”

  [The Ambush]

  Lucas and his team moved into position, spreading out silently. Their target: the rations.

  Lucas signaled for Jared and Ethan to flank left, circling around to distract Sophia and Sam. Meanwhile, Lucas and a fourth teammate, Miles, would strike from the right, aiming directly for the supplies.

  Lucas took a deep breath.

  Then—they moved.

  Jared and Ethan made the first move, snapping a twig as they slipped through the bushes.

  Sophia’s head snapped up. “Did you hear that?”

  Sam tensed, gripping his longsword. “Yeah. Someone’s out there.”

  Lucas smirked. Perfect.

  While Sophia and Sam moved toward the noise, Lucas and Miles lunged forward.

  Their movements were swift, precise, and deadly silent—Lucas grabbed two bags of rations, slinging them over his shoulder. Miles grabbed another.

  For a moment, it seemed like they had succeeded.

  Then—

  James moved.

  Lucas barely saw it.

  One second, James had been resting. The next, he was on his feet, his blade flashing in the dim light.

  Too fast.

  Lucas cursed, dropping low as James’ sword slashed just above his head.

  “Thieves,” Sam hissed, his eyes burning with realization.

  Lucas grinned. “Hey, man. You snooze, you lose.”

  Then—chaos erupted.

  Jonathan lunged at Miles, forcing him to drop the rations. Amanda drew her daggers, her stance sharp and ready.

  Sophia and Sam, realizing the distraction, rushed back toward the camp.

  Lucas clicked his tongue. Damn. They were reacting too quickly.

  This wasn’t going to be a clean robbery anymore.

  “Fall back!” Lucas snapped.

  His team retreated into the shadows, vanishing into the trees.

  They had only managed to steal one bag, but that was enough.

  As they disappeared into the darkness, Lucas could hear James cursing under his breath.

  Lucas grinned. This wasn’t over.