The iron gates of the B.A.M. compound loomed before me like the jaws of a beast. Soldiers lined the walls, rifles across their chests, faces carved from stone. My heart pounded, not from fear—but from the rush of finally standing where I had dreamed of being for years.
I stepped down from the transport wagon, my boots sinking into the gravel. My father's warning echoed in my mind—"Once you step onto B.A.M. soil, you are no longer mine. You are his."
I swallowed hard, but I didn't falter.
A line of recruits stood nearby, some trembling, some already trying to look fierce. They stared at me, whispering, recognizing me as the son of the Minister of Transportation.
I didn't care. Here, my father's name meant nothing. I wanted to be judged as myself.
Then I saw him—General Soren Vask.
He stood in the courtyard, towering, broad-shouldered, his black uniform sharp against the morning sun. His presence was heavy, the kind that made men straighten their backs without realizing it. His gaze swept over us like a blade.
"You stand on Blackwood soil now," he thundered, voice carrying across the ground. "From this moment, you have no family but the Empire. No name but the one we give you. No purpose but the will of the King."
The recruits stiffened. Some nodded. Others lowered their heads. I clenched my fists, my chest swelling with pride.
Soren's eyes paused on me. For a second, I thought I saw recognition—like he already knew who I was, why I was here.
He stepped closer, boots striking the ground with authority.
"You," he said, pointing at me. "What drives you here?"
I straightened my shoulders and answered without hesitation:
"My will to serve the Empire. To serve the King."
He studied me, unblinking. Then, slowly, a thin smile touched his lips.
"We'll see if your will survives the fire."
The recruits were ordered to line up. Whistles blew. The gates clanged shut behind us. I glanced back once, at the world I was leaving behind.
No roads. No bridges. No inheritance.
Just the path forward—into the heart of Blackwood's army.
And I swore to myself: I will rise. Even if it kills me.
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