He approached the Vanguard headquarters building, the imposing structure standing tall in front of him like a monolith. The guards stationed at the gates didn’t spare him a glance as he moved closer, but as he came near, Andy straightened his back, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m here to join the Vanguard.”

  The soldier at the gate, a burly man in full combat gear, looked at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a look of incredulity, he shook his head and said, “No shit.” He pointed toward a smaller building off to the side. “Wrong building, kid. Try over there.”

  Andy’s heart sank a little, and a flush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks. He hadn’t exactly been expecting a warm welcome, but being told he was in the wrong place stung more than he had expected. The soldier’s tone had been dismissive, even if he hadn’t meant to be unkind. Andy turned, muttering a quiet thanks, and trudged toward the correct building.

  The enormous gates and towering walls of the military district loomed behind him as he walked, feeling a little more self-conscious than before. The Vanguard was everything he had heard it to be—an unyielding machine, a force built on order, discipline, and power. If Andy was going to survive in this world, he needed to find his place in it, and now that he had found the right building, there was no turning back.

  As Andy stepped into the building, the noise of the bustling military district faded behind him, replaced by the hum of fluorescent lights overhead and the distant sounds of soldiers preparing for missions. The air smelled faintly of metal and sweat, a testament to the endless work that went on within the Vanguard’s walls. He moved through the entrance and into a small alcove, where a woman sat behind a desk in a dimly lit room, the walls lined with military equipment and personnel files.

  She wore the dark, intimidating armor of the Vanguard; her posture was rigid, and her eyes scanned the papers with practiced precision. Andy felt a knot form in his stomach as he approached her, but he pushed it down. He had decided. There was no turning back.

  "Second time’s the charm," Andy muttered to himself as he approached her desk.

  "I’m here to join the Vanguard," he said with confidence, though his voice wavered slightly under her unwavering gaze.

  The sergeant at arms didn’t react immediately. She just stared at him for a moment, as though weighing him up. Her eyes flicked to the file in front of her before she glanced up at him again. There was no expression on her face, but there was something in her gaze—something hard, something that spoke of the countless decisions she had seen made, some good, some bad.

  “This is the personal management section,” she said flatly. "You’ll want to speak to the man over there," she added, pointing to a grizzled figure standing across the room.

  Andy followed her gesture and saw the man she was referring to. He was tall, wearing the black armor of a Vanguard soldier, but with more battle scars than usual. His face was hard and weathered, his expression uninviting, as though he had been through enough to stop caring about who came to see him and why. Papers, a few recruits standing around him surrounded him as he stamped documents with mechanical precision.

  The sergeant looked back at Andy. "He’ll square you away," she said, her voice all business, her focus already back on her work. "Go on."

  Andy hesitated for a second, but the urgency in her tone drove him forward. He nodded, took a deep breath, and made his way to the man.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  As he walked across the room, the gravity of his decision weighed on him even more. This was it. This was where he would either begin his new life, or turn away and choose something else. But there was no turning back now.

  As Andy walked towards the grizzled man, the air seemed to thicken with anticipation. His boots made soft thuds against the polished floor, the only sound accompanying his thoughts as he tried to prepare himself for the next step. The hallway felt colder now, despite the warmth of the building, and the distant chatter of soldiers preparing for their missions seemed muffled, almost like an echo from another world.

  The man standing by the desk didn’t acknowledge him as Andy approached. His eyes flicked back and forth with mechanical efficiency, as he was too absorbed in the papers scattered in front of him. His armor, though pristine in some places, had dents and scratches, a testament to countless encounters with the dangers of the city and beyond. The man’s face was older, hard-set, his jawline squared in a way that spoke of years of experience—his eyes gave away nothing.

  When Andy was only a few paces away, the man finally looked up. There was a moment of silence as their gazes met. The man’s sharp, scrutinizing stare seemed to pierce right through him. Andy could feel the weight of it in his chest.

  "So, you’ve finally decided, huh?" The man’s voice was rough, like gravel being ground underfoot, and it sent a shiver down Andy’s spine.

  Andy straightened, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I’m here to join the Vanguard," he said, his voice more confident now.

  The man’s lips twitched into something that resembled a grin, though it didn’t reach his cold eyes. "You’re not the first kid to walk through those doors thinking you’ve got what it takes. But you’re also not the first who’ll walk right back out the same way they came in."

  Andy’s heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t flinch. "I’m serious," he said, his voice steady. "I’m not leaving."

  The man paused, looking at Andy with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. Then he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "What makes you so sure? You think you’re ready for this life? You think you’re ready for the blood, the sweat, the endless war? The Vanguard doesn’t play around, kid. Once you sign up, you’re in. For life."

  Andy’s eyes burned with resolve. "I have little of a choice. My grandfather is here being taken care of. I need to do this for him… and for me."

  The man’s gaze softened slightly, but there was still an edge to his voice when he spoke again. "You think you’re going to find answers in the Vanguard? The world’s a mess, kid, and no amount of armor or weapons will change that. But if you want to stand in the front lines, risking your life for the people who put you there… I can’t stop you. I can only guide you."

  Andy nodded slowly, his mind racing with everything he had learned in the past days. The weight of what he was about to commit to settled more firmly on his shoulders. "I’m ready," he said, his words sounding more like a promise than an answer.

  The man stared at him for a long moment, eyes calculating, then finally gave a small nod of approval. "Alright then. Let’s get you signed up. You’ll go through the physicals, the tests, the paperwork. The whole damn process. But I’ll tell you now, you pass, you walk out of here a Vanguard. But you better be damn sure, kid. There’s no backing out after that."

  Andy felt a surge of adrenaline mixed with a trace of fear. "I’m sure."

  The man finally uncrossed his arms, gesturing toward the small desk behind him. "Take a seat. We’ll get started. Don’t waste my time. And don’t waste your own."

  Andy walked to the desk, his hands shaking slightly, but his determination was unwavering. He sat down and the man slid a stack of papers in front of him. "Fill these out. You’ll need to take a physical first, and then we’ll get you started on your training. After that, the Vanguard’s doors will be open to you, but remember one thing, kid: The Vanguard doesn’t owe you anything. Not loyalty. Not kindness. Nothing."

  Andy picked up the pen and with a steady hand, filled out the papers. As he did, his mind drifted back to Lana, to his grandfather, to the city he had grown up in. This was it. He was about to cross a line he couldn’t come back from. But for the first time in a long while, Andy felt as though he was in control of his own fate.

  "Let’s go," the man said as Andy finished the last form, and they both stood up.

  The next chapter was about to begin.

  Enjoy the new chapter!

  I really had fun writing this one—something about the false bravado, the back-and-forth, and having to talk your way through multiple people just to get where you’re going.