The Gathering
The morning sky over Eldoria was clear, but in the training grounds, tension thickened the air. Hundreds of trainees stood in orderly rows, their squad numbers stitched onto their cloaks. The sound of boots shuffling on dirt, anxious whispers, and pounding hearts filled the silence before Head Instructor Veyra appeared.
She stepped onto the raised platform, her cloak swaying with authority. Her sharp eyes scanned the sea of faces.
"Today… begins the Squad Selection Exam. Your first trial will test your mind. A warrior who knows nothing… is already dead."
A shiver ran through the crowd. Kaen swallowed hard, glancing at Riku, Fin, Daren, and Lyra beside him. They all carried the same unease.
The Walk to the Exam Hall
Under the supervision of instructors, the trainees were marched out of the training ground and toward a massive stone building at the academy's edge. The inside resembled a hall of judgment — long wooden benches, high ceilings, and torches that burned with a steady crackle.
On each bench lay a thick wooden log polished flat on one side, and beside it, a sharp stone tool to carve answers. The setting itself was intimidating — primitive yet brutal.
Veyra's voice echoed:
"There will be ten questions. Each one harder than the last. You will carve your answers onto the wooden surface. If you are caught cheating… you will be eliminated immediately. Remember: this is as much a test of will as it is of knowledge."
A heavy pause. Then the sharp sound of a whistle split the air.
The Exam Begins
Thin wooden slates with the exam questions were passed down each row. Students craned their necks, eyes widening. Kaen's heart skipped a beat as he read the first one:
"What is the most dangerous weapon against a dinosaur, and why?"
Kaen blinked. His mind spun. He remembered fragments of the lectures — was it spears tipped with hardened stone? Or fire, used in the old wars? His hands trembled as he gripped the sharp stone, beginning to carve.
Around him, reactions varied:
Some students wrote quickly, confident and steady.
Others froze, sweat dripping as they stared blankly at their wooden logs.
One boy muttered under his breath, peeking sideways at his neighbor's log.
Progressive Difficulty
The questions only grew harder:
"Which poison is most effective in stunning dinosaurs, and how long does it last?"
"List the primary categories of dinosaurs known to Eldoria, and identify their key features."
"What are the weaknesses of fast predators compared to armored ones?"
"If isolated, how would you survive three days in the wilderness against a roaming beast?"
Kaen's eyes widened with each question. "How are we supposed to know all this…?" he thought, panic bubbling in his chest.
Riku bit her lip, furiously carving lines into her log, her determination sharper than the stone in her hand. Fin's brow dripped with sweat as he muttered, "This is insane… they're asking us things even hunters can't answer."
Daren clenched his fists, his injured leg shaking under the bench, but he forced himself to focus. Lyra, cold as ever, wrote swiftly, her calm composure unnerving the others.
Cheating & Consequences
Halfway through, Kaen noticed a boy at the far bench subtly leaning sideways, trying to copy answers. His hands shook as he traced the carved words of the student beside him.
But before he could even finish, Veyra's sharp voice thundered:
"You there."
The hall froze. Veyra strode forward like a shadow descending. With one swift motion, she slammed her hand against the boy's desk. The wooden log cracked.
"Out."
The boy paled, stammering, "P-please, I just—"
"OUT!"
Two guards dragged him away. The room fell into pin-drop silence, fear tightening around every trainee's chest. Kaen's heart pounded louder. He realized — even desperation wasn't allowed.
The Final Questions
The last few questions were brutal, the kind designed to break minds. Kaen's hands ached from carving answers into the wood. His log was messy, uneven, but full. Sweat ran down his temples. His jaw ached from how hard he was clenching it.
Beside him, Riku's fingers bled slightly from pressing the sharp stone too hard, but she didn't stop. Fin looked like he might faint but kept scratching words onto the surface. Daren groaned quietly in frustration but pressed on. Lyra… remained eerily calm, her log already filled neatly.
The whistle blew again.
"Time. Put down your stones."
Every trainee froze, breathing heavy. Logs were collected by the instructors. The sound of scraping wood and boots against stone echoed across the hall.
Veyra's eyes scanned the room, lingering on the exhausted faces, the broken expressions.
"This was but the first step. Many of you will not pass. But those who did… have proven they are not fools rushing into battle, but soldiers who can think and survive."
Kaen leaned back, chest heaving. His arms ached, but in his heart, a fire burned. He didn't know if he passed. But he knew one thing: he had fought with everything he had.
As the trainees filed out, Kaen whispered under his breath, clenching his fist:
"I won't stop here. No matter how hard it gets… I'll keep moving forward."
The camera lingers on his determined eyes before fading to black.