They watched in silence.
Hours passed. Or it could have been less. Time was strange here—a pulse without rhythm, a breath held too long. The Pawns stood behind the glass wall, eyes wide and posture rigid as the Major Pieces moved through drills that defied everything they'd thought human bodies could do.
The Knights vanished and reappeared mid-strike, blades sparking against moving drones.
The Bishops controlled entire patterns of combat from a distance. The girl set walls of flame between corridors, forcing enemies into her traps. The silver-haired boy drew frost into the air with a flick of his fingers, icing weapons and limbs alike before they shattered with a sound like dry glass.
The Queen blurred between them, untouchable.
"Again," said the Drillmaster behind them.
Another scenario loaded.
More dummies. More monsters. More simulations with impossible odds—and yet the Major Pieces adapted like they'd been born for this.
Cael had stopped blinking.
Beside him, Pax was shaking. Lyndra's jaw was clenched hard enough to creak. Ryve whispered something under his breath and earned a sharp glance from the Drillmaster.
No one asked to sit. No one dared.
It wasn't until the lights dimmed and the room fell dark again that they were dismissed. Not with words. Just a hiss of air and the hiss of the exit unlocking. Their feet moved before their minds caught up.
Back to the barracks. Back to the dim white light and the taste of protein rations and the flickering screens.
Cael didn't sleep.
Not even when the lights overhead cycled into their soft blue rhythm that signaled rest.
He lay awake, watching the ceiling. Remembering the way Elara hadn't looked at him.
The next day came without warning.
No drills. No formations.
Instead, a different announcement scrawled across the barracks screen.
TEAM COHESION PHASE INITIATED. ALL PIECES TO REPORT TO SECTOR 4.
Sector 4 was colder than the others. Not in temperature, but in feeling. The training room was a tiered amphitheater with concentric rings of data stations. The Major Pieces were already there when the Pawns arrived, spread across the floor in loose groups. The air vibrated with unspoken tension.
A few Pawns instinctively gathered closer together. Cael stood near Wren and Pax. Lyndra took up a post near one of the pillars. They waited.
The Drillmaster didn't arrive this time. Instead, the Bishops stepped forward.
"We'll be leading this session," said the girl—Sora. Her voice was still and low, like smoke after a fire. "Before we start formation drills, you need to understand what the board really is."
She raised one hand, and a holographic map unfurled in the air above her—an 8x8 grid glowing with layered detail. Some tiles were dull, others shimmered with faint color. The terrain warped in real-time, quadrant borders pulsing.
Dagen gestured toward the upper left. "Each corner is a quadrant. Four total. Each one with its own biome, its own threats. Ember Wastes—heat, fire, shifting magma. Root Labyrinth—dense jungle and sinkholes. Glass Mire—half-flooded ruins crawling with things you won't see until it's too late. And Crown's Hollow—gravity shifts, floating stones, storms."
Sora continued, "Monsters populate specific rows. They're not random. Each tile you step on might trigger movement—yours or theirs. Some are passive until provoked. Others hunt based on sound or heat signatures."
She tapped one of the glowing circles on the map. "And the tiles aren't just ground. They're tools. Like special items. Learn them. This—"
She pointed to a golden-lit circle. "—Amplify tile. It boosts whatever you're using. A strike. A power. You step on it, time it right—you might turn a losing fight."
Another flick of her hand rotated the display. "This one here? Fortify. Damage reduction. Camouflage, if you're lucky. Scan Pulse will show you anything moving nearby."
"Detonation tiles are marked. Usually. You get ten seconds. You don't want to test if the timer's broken," Dagen added, flatly.
Cael's eyes traced the flickering lines. It looked like a puzzle—but one that killed.
Sora's voice dropped. "Each quadrant has a hidden Revitalize Serum. You'll never be told where. If you're lucky, your team finds it. If you're unlucky—"
"You watch the enemy heal right after you break them," Dagen finished.
She pointed again. "The goal of the game is simple. Kill the enemy King. If yours dies, you lose. Everything else is noise."
Dagen glanced at the Pawns. "And you—your job is to move forward. Fight. Learn. Survive. You reach the far end of the board, you earn a chance. Maybe a serum. Maybe a role upgrade. But only if a slot opens."
The grid vanished.
"We'll walk the terrain slowly this round," Sora said. "Watch the tile glow patterns. Learn their rhythm. You see a monster, don't engage unless ordered. You'll know them when you see them."
The terrain began to rise.
The lesson was over.
The real one was just beginning.