The shrill blast of the morning whistle echoed through the dormitory like a thunderclap—but Rivet was already awake.
For the first time since arriving at the training camp, he didn't feel like a bag of broken bones. The muscle pain that had haunted him since day one was gone. There was still some tightness in his shoulders, but nothing compared to before.
He sat up slowly, stretching his arms, cracking his neck.
So this is what recovery feels like.
Keshav yawned loudly across the bunk. "Why do you look so happy? Did they cancel training or something?"
"Nope," Rivet smirked. "I'm just ready for it."
Early Morning – Running Session
The crisp air bit against Rivet's face as the cadets lined up on the field, mist still rising off the wet grass. Instructor Ranjeet Singh, as always, stood with a clipboard and an expression that looked carved out of stone.
"Five laps. Consistent pace. Don't try to be heroes."
The whistle blew.
Rivet took off—not like a rocket, but steady and focused. His legs moved with rhythm, breath controlled, heart light. He stayed near the middle of the pack at first, then slowly began to inch ahead.
By the fourth lap, he was running neck and neck with Keshav. Arnav was still ahead—his stamina unmatched—but for the first time, Rivet didn't feel like dead weight dragging behind.
He crossed the finish a few seconds ahead of Keshav, chest rising with clean breaths.
Keshav looked at him, surprised. "Okay… now I'm scared."
Rivet laughed. "Just a good day."
From a distance, Ranjeet Singh glanced at the stopwatch, then at Rivet. No comment. Just a quiet tick in his notes.
Mid-Morning – Physical Training and Routine Drills
The morning continued with strength conditioning—push-ups, tire flipping, crawling drills under netting. Rivet wasn't the fastest. He wasn't the strongest. But he kept up. And more importantly, he didn't fall behind.
Arnav remained sharp and serious. Keshav cracked jokes between sets. Rivet, though, moved with quiet focus, something inside him driving each repetition.
No instructors shouted at him today.
And that alone felt like a win.
Afternoon – Weapons Introduction Session
Later, the cadets were herded into the indoor weapons bay. Rows of disassembled rifles lined the benches, each part neatly labeled.
Colonel Vikrant stood at the front.
"You won't touch a live rifle for at least two weeks," he began. "But if you can't name every part of it blindfolded, you don't deserve to hold one anyway."
The session was purely theoretical—an overview of rifle anatomy, cleaning basics, safety protocols. While some cadets zoned out, Rivet leaned forward, eyes locked, absorbing every detail. There was something sacred in the way the parts fit together. Precise. Purposeful.
At one point, he raised his hand and asked, "Sir, what's the difference between the Mark-3 and Mark-4 barrel lengths?"
Colonel Vikrant paused. A faint smirk touched his lips.
"Not bad. Save that curiosity. You'll need it."
It was a small moment—but Rivet felt it. A ripple in the water.
Evening – Tactical Lecture and Cadet Journals
The last lecture of the day covered field positioning, signal basics, and formation behavior. Rivet took notes, still alert despite the long day. His attention drifted once or twice—but compared to his first day, this was a transformation.
After lights out, cadets were handed their blank journals.
Rivet sat on his bunk, pen in hand, the page staring back at him.
Day 3.
Body feels better. Mind feels clearer.
I'm not good at this yet—but I'm not scared anymore.
He hesitated, then added one last line:
Today, I didn't feel like an outsider.
Night – Campfire Reflections
The cool night air settled over the training camp. A small fire crackled behind the dormitories where cadets gathered loosely—some talking, some just enjoying the warmth.
They began sharing why they joined. Not formally. Just… casually.
Keshav's story came with laughter and pain—about his brother who never came home. Arnav spoke bitterly about expectations and being the second son nobody cared about.
When Rivet's turn came, he kept it simple.
"I didn't come here to follow anyone. I came to find out what's in me… and maybe what's missing."
Silence followed. No jokes. Just nods.
Keshav handed him the last sip of the flask. "Whatever it is, bhai… you're finding it fast."
Rivet looked up at the stars.
He wasn't dreaming anymore.
But he was waking up to something real.
[End of Chapter 24]