Morning came quietly, the air cool and damp after a night of heavy rain. The faint rays of sunlight slipped through the gym windows, painting silver streaks across the wooden floor.
Inside, the boys lay scattered around their sleeping bags some snoring softly, others staring blankly at the ceiling, their bodies still aching from the previous day's reforge drills. The once energetic camp now felt like a forge that had burned all night hot, merciless, and silent.
Yuuto sat up first, rubbing his shoulder. His body screamed for rest, but his mind wouldn't stop replaying yesterday's training. "Steel must be heated, beaten, and reshaped…" Hikari's words echoed in his head. He could still feel that heat the burn of being pushed to his absolute limit.
