Chapter 1 - Military Recruitment
Two years had passed since the formation of the Licop Alliance. It had been forged for one purpose alone: to seize Payonan City, a land overflowing with gemstones, wealth, and influence. The five cities of Luspe, Igcor, Crispostto, Ord, and Pahano united under one banner of conquest, each hungry to claim Payonan as their own.
For two years, they struck and raided, but Payonan endured. Its walls still stood, its people still resisted. Neighboring cities, bound by trade and greed, lent their aid to keep the mines from falling into enemy hands.
But no one knew how long the city could last.
Dannie Silve, sixteen years old, knew only this: she could no longer remain a bystander.
The army was recruiting again. And this time, she would join.
Not for honor. Not for glory.
For vengeance.
She paused outside the recruitment office, staring at the weathered sign nailed above the archway: "Military Recruitment for the 6th Battalion: Megallo Battalion. Two thousand fresh troops required. Applicants must be aged sixteen and above, in good health, and skilled in weaponry or martial arts. Join the army—defend our motherland."
Her hand clenched at her side. The words weren't a call to serve. They were a reminder of everything she had lost.
Two years ago, when the Licop raiders first breached Payonan's walls, her mother had been among the first to die. Their mansion—once a proud symbol of her father's success—was reduced to smoldering rubble. Dannie still remembered the smoke, the screaming, the taste of ash in her mouth as she searched desperately among the ruins. She never found her mother's body. Only the certainty that she was gone. That night, grief and fury had hollowed her out. She screamed at her father until her throat bled, cursed the king who refused to send aid, and wept alone by the bay until dawn. When her tears finally dried, something inside her hardened. She was no longer the mischievous girl who once laughed with friends, teased rivals, and made light of every day. That girl had burned with the mansion.
What remained was steel.
She took a step toward the office doors—
"W–wait! Dannie!" The voice cut through her thoughts like a blade. She froze. Slowly, she turned. A girl was running toward her, skirts billowing in the breeze, long black hair whipping behind her.
Eleskie Martinez.
Dannie's chest tightened at the sight.
Eleskie had grown more striking in the last two years—her skin pale as porcelain, her gaze sharp yet soft, her presence commanding without effort. She was dressed in a floral pink gown, so out of place against the grim gray of the recruitment center that she seemed almost to glow.
But Dannie's face remained cold.
Eleskie stopped in front of her, out of breath, clutching her side. Her voice trembled when she spoke. "Tell me it's not true. You're… you're really joining the military?"
"Yes." Dannie's reply was flat, final. "I am."
Eleskie's eyes widened. "But why? Dannie, you'll be on the front lines. People die there. Every day. Do you really want to throw your life away?"
Dannie's jaw tightened. "My life was taken from me the night my mother died. Everything since then has been… borrowed time."
Eleskie flinched, pain flickering across her face. "Don't say that. You're still alive. You still have a future—"
"What future?" Dannie snapped, her voice rising. "To live quietly while others suffer? To sit safely behind walls while the Licop Alliance tears families apart? That isn't living, Eleskie."
Eleskie's throat worked, but no words came. She wanted to scream, to beg, to grab Dannie's hands and make her see sense. But the fire in those hazel eyes—once mischievous, now burning with cold resolve—stole her voice.
"Why do you care?" Dannie pressed, her voice lower now, sharper. "What does it matter to you if I go to war?"
Eleskie's lips parted, then closed again. Her heart pounded painfully. She wanted to say, 'Because I care about you. Because I miss the girl who once chased me across the schoolyard, laughing like nothing in the world could hurt her. Because I can't stand the thought of losing you, too' but all she managed was a whisper. "Because… I don't want to see you hurt."
Dannie's expression flickered, just for a moment. The softness was gone as quickly as it came. She turned her back. "You'll have to get used to it," she said quietly.
Eleskie's breath caught, but Dannie was already walking toward the doors.
"Dannie, wait—"
But she didn't.
Inside, five applicants were already in line. Two officers sat at a long table, shuffling through stacks of papers. The air was thick with tension and the murmur of whispered prayers.
Dannie's eyes scanned the line—and froze when she saw a familiar face.
Edcarcy Leoness.
Her old vice leader from the disbanded Chaser Team.
His grin split wide when he spotted her. "Well, well! If it isn't the boss herself! Dannie Silve! I knew you'd show up here sooner or later!"
A few recruits turned, whispering her name. Everyone at the academy knew her reputation—the girl who had trained day and night in weaponry, who trained with the sharpness of a sword and the endurance of steel.
Edcarcy waved her over eagerly. "Come on, best friend! Line up next to me. Just like old times, huh?"
Dannie allowed herself the faintest of smiles. Not warmth, not mischief—just acknowledgment. Edcarcy had been one of the few who stayed by her side after the tragedy, even when she pushed him away.
The line moved slowly, and soon, it was her turn.
She stepped forward, her voice steady. "Good morning, Officer Miron. I, Dannie Silve, request to join the military recruitment and serve as a soldier to protect Payonan City against the Licop Alliance."
The officer looked her over, one brow raised. Then, slowly, he smirked. "That's the spirit. Let's see if your courage matches your words. Fill these forms out, return them when complete. Bring your own weapon if you have one. Otherwise, we'll issue you one. Training begins immediately—consider this your final chance to turn back."
"I won't turn back," Dannie said, her eyes unwavering.
The officer's smirk widened. "We'll see."
She took the papers, her grip firm. Her path was chosen, and there was no returning now.
Behind her, Eleskie stood frozen in the doorway, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.
She had a terrible feeling that this might be the last time she ever saw Dannie as she was.