𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗬 | 𝙅. 𝙆𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙄𝙉

𝐨𝐧𝐞

I. Fucking. Hate. It. Here.

For the past hour or two, all the new cadets to the 104th Cadet Corps were all standing in the square, all awaiting our turns for my favorite bald-headed freak to scream different obscenities at us. I respected Shadis for his clever insults to the different kids, but I also detested him for keeping us out here for so long.

The hot sun burned down on us, and I was sure that huge pit stains were lining my armpits now. Sweat beaded at my hairline, making me wipe it away every few minutes when it crept towards my eyes. If we aren't dismissed in the next five minutes I might just quit altogether.

"Ah, look who we have here," Sadis said, immediately grabbing the attention of the two kids from Trost beside me. The ash-brown-haired kid picked himself off the ground from where Shadis just head-butted him, while the boy with freckles fisted his hands behind his back, trying to hide the shakiness that wracked them.

"Hello, Shadis, miss me?" I question with a playful smirk, grabbing even more attention from my new comrades. I ignored their questioning glances.

"No, not at all, you little shit, I'm still mad that-"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr.Shadis, we have an audience you know," I whisper out, nodding to the many people watching our conversation. I met some of their eyes, winking at the skinny little blue-eyed blond boy who gave me a nervous smile in reply.

Shadis immediately stood up straight again, his threatening face growing further away from my calm one. He brushed down his uniform, sticking his nose up in the air in an authoritative way.

"God, I wished your uncle would've said no to you coming," he muttered under his breath, walking away from me without so much as a goodbye. I just continue to display my Cheshire-cat grin at the agitated man, my eyes dancing in amusement.

After a few minutes, Shadis goes back up onto a small podium, his loud voice echoing through the training grounds.

"Listen here, brats, 'cus I'm only going to say this once! In six months, soldiers from all the regiments are going to come and oversee training! They are all going to watch and see who has the potential to rise up in their ranks later on! So try not to suck when the time comes, or you'll be running laps till you drop dead!" He surveys us again, his face screwed up when he sees my smirking one, then yells out again. "That is all!"

We all disperse, heading towards the mess hall for dinner.

After picking up a tray of dinner, a bowl of soup, and bread, I look for a place to sit.

"Oi," I say, coming up to a kid with a short buzz cut, making him look bald. "Can I sit here?"

The kid looks up to me, nodding with unfazed eyes until they open wide at my presence.

"Hey, you're the one Shadis was talking to!"

"That I am," I chuckle out, immediately chowing down on my food. With a roll of bread still half stuffed in my mouth, I hold out my hand to him.

"Y/n Zacharius."

"Connie Springer." I shake his hand, going back to eating my food right after.

"Wait... 'Zacharius'? As in Miche Zacharius?!" I gave Connie a leveled look at his rising voice that made a number of heads turn towards us. "Sorry," he mumbles out, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, he's my uncle," I say casually, taking a sip of water. "Are you going to eat that?" I ask, pointing to his untouched bread roll. Seeing my still starved look and hungry eyes Connie just nudges it over towards me without hesitation.