And that unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
The next morning, the same blaring horn from the previous day shattered the silence.
Kaius was already awake. Already prepared.
By the time he stepped out into the hallway, his uniform pristine and his expression calm, he was the first one outside.
The commander stood at the end of the corridor, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
For a moment, there was silence. Then…
A single eyebrow lifted.
“Good job, Prince Kaius.” The commander’s voice carried through the hall, slow and deliberate. “One point on the board for you.”
A murmur rippled from the recruits still emerging from their rooms.
“Wait… what?” one of them exclaimed. “You’re giving points for something as mundane as being early?”
The commander turned, his expression darke
