In the still, quiet night, footsteps jolted Andy awake. The bunk-room was dark, the only light coming from the slivers of moonlight that snuck in through the windows. At first, he thought he was still dreaming. But the footsteps grew louder, and Andy’s heart rate quickened as he realized it was real.

  The door to the barracks creaked open, and several figures in sleek, black armor entered the room. They were Squires—those who had successfully passed further in the brutal training, just further along the path than him. They wore their Vanguard armor with ease, the dark metal plates gleaming even in the low light. The armor Andy could only dream of wearing himself.

  “Get up, maggots!” one of them barked. “The procedure’s tomorrow. But tonight? Suit fitting. We’ll make sure you get your gear.”

  Andy sat up slowly, wiping sleep from his eyes. His muscles were sore from the last round of drills, but the excitement of what was coming made the pain bearable. He wasn’t sure why, but the thought of wearing that armor, something he had been waiting for since he first joined, made him feel a sense of anticipation.

  Jorin and Tobin, who had been sleeping on either side of him, stirred as well, both groggy but clearly waking at the mention of the fitting. Jorin grinned at Andy, his eyes gleaming with that familiar spark of competition.

  “Finally, huh?” Jorin said with a low chuckle. “Can’t wait to see how you handle it.”

  Tobin, always quieter, nodded with a smile. “You’re going to do fine, Andy. You’ve earned this.”

  The three of them quickly got dressed and followed the Squires down the narrow hallways. The air was cool, the faint sound of distant murmurs echoing off the walls as they moved past. Andy couldn’t help but notice the soft hum of their voices, like an undercurrent of nervousness, even from the seasoned initiates. They had all been through this before, but it wasn’t the procedure you could just shrug off.

  They stopped outside a large warehouse, its doors heavy and steel-plated. The space beyond was dimly lit, the flicker of fluorescent lights casting long shadows on the floor. The cold, sterile smell of the place hit Andy’s nose, and his stomach fluttered. This was it—the next step.

  “Inside,” one of the Squires ordered.

  As they entered the warehouse, Andy’s heart pounded in his chest. The sound of their boots echoed on the hard concrete floor as they made their way into the center. The air was thick with the smell of oil and machinery. In front of them stood racks of armor—sleek, deadly, and shiny.

  The lead squire, a tall, broad-shouldered man, motioned for them to stand in a line. “Strip down,” he ordered, “underwear only. We need accurate measurements before we start. And don’t think of complaining. If you want the armor, you’ve got to follow orders.”

  Andy hesitated for only a moment before beginning to strip down to his underwear. He wasn’t embarrassed; the training, the conditioning, had molded him into something different. His body had changed in the months since he joined the Vanguard. The muscle was thick and tightly packed, his frame now far from the lean form it had once been. Months of hard work and consistent nutrition had transformed him into someone who wasn’t just strong, but built for survival.

  Jorin and Tobin had already stripped down, their frames much like Andy’s now—muscular and honed. They exchanged a few words, chuckling as they waited their turn, but Andy could see the glint of anticipation in their eyes, too. They were all in this together, pushing toward the same goal.

  As Andy stood there, waiting for the others, he caught the eyes of one of a female Squire across from him. She was in full armor, the plating sleek and sharp against the dim light, but her gaze lingered on him. Andy felt the weight of her stare, and for a moment, a flicker of recognition passed through him. He knew her, though he couldn’t place where from.

  Then it clicked. Her.

  It was the woman he had met when he first encountered Commander Voss. She had been there, the one that tried to stop him before that fateful meeting. Andy had noticed her presence, her stature—there was something about the way she held herself, confident and calculating. And now here she was, staring at him like she was trying to figure him out.

  He held her gaze, his eyes steady. For a split second, he could have sworn she looked surprised, like his boldness had surprised her. Her eyes quickly flicked away, and she cleared her throat, returning her attention to the task at hand. But Andy didn’t look away. The tension in the room shifted, and he could feel it.

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  The others in the room went about their business, some joking nervously, others stiff as they waited for the fitting to begin. Andy didn’t feel the awkwardness he might have had a few months ago. He was different now—more confident in himself, in his body, in what he had become.

  Soon, the fitting began. The Initiates measured each recruit for their armor, adjusting and calibrating the systems to fit their exact specifications. The armor wasn’t just a shell; it was a part of them now. A second skin, designed to enhance their abilities and protect them in the most dangerous environments.

  As the fitting progressed, Andy couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was happening. The woman—the Squire he’d recognized—kept stealing glances at him. Every time their eyes met, there was something more in her stare. Something that went beyond curiosity. And when she finally moved to take his measurements, her hands were surprisingly gentle, despite the hard armor plating she wore.

  Andy could see that there was more to her than just the armor. There was a depth in her gaze, a hidden intensity that made him wonder just who she was beyond the ranks of the Vanguard.

  The fitting took longer than expected. As the last piece of armor clicked into place, Andy could feel the weight of it settle across his body. The surrounding initiates struggled, their movements stiff and labored. One by one, they tried to shift or even stand, but the armor was too heavy, too restrictive.

  The metal plates of the Vanguard armor, while formidable in battle, were nearly impossible to move in without the cybernetic enchantments. The enchanted augmentations, which enhanced strength and provided fluid motion, were key to making the armor function properly. Without them, it was nothing more than an immovable shell.

  But Andy—he could move.

  As the weight of the armor settled on him, Andy felt something different. A strange, almost electrifying sensation surged through him. It was as though the suit was connecting with him, almost like it was alive. The bonding was immediate—like a pulse racing through his veins, syncing with his heartbeat. His mind shifted, the world around him coming into sharp, vivid clarity.

  He flexed his fingers, and to his surprise, the heavy armor responded with a fluid motion. He raised his arms, then twisted his torso, testing the limits of the suit. It wasn’t perfect—he could feel its weight, the dense metal pressing against him. But he could move. And with ease.

  Jorin and Tobin exchanged glances, both of them clearly impressed as Andy moved effortlessly in the heavy Vanguard armor. Tobin grinned. “Nice, man. That’s something.”

  “How are you moving?” Jorin said, eyes wide with both surprise and admiration.

  “How the hell is he doing that?” one of the Squires muttered under their breath.

  Another Squire, his voice laced with disbelief, stepped forward. “You—you’re not supposed to do that. How are you moving like that? No one can move in the armor without the enchantments.”

  “Yeah,” another added, a frown knitting across his face. “Did you get the cybernetic enchantment already or something? That’s the only way you should be able to move like that.”

  Andy gave them a bemused smile, shaking his head. “Nope. No enchantments yet.”

  The room fell silent for a moment, the Initiates exchanging confused and incredulous glances. It was a long-standing prank that the classes played on the new Initiates—forcing them to wear the overly heavy armor without the enchantments to see them struggle. It was a rite of passage, a way of showing just how difficult the true initiation would be. The weight of the armor was so extreme without the enchantments that many couldn’t even walk, let alone move with the grace necessary to wield it in combat. But here was Andy, gliding around with ease.

  “Impossible,” one of the Squires muttered, his eyes narrowing as he watched Andy’s movements.

  Andy took a few steps toward them, moving with confidence and an almost graceful fluidity, making the armor appear as light as air. He tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

  With a simple shrug, Andy removed the armor, the plates and pieces coming off easily as he walked through the process with ease. The other initiates watched in stunned silence, their mouths hanging open. How could someone move like that in armor so heavy, and how could they take it off so effortlessly?

  Once fully disarmed, Andy looked up at the stunned faces around him. “Thanks for the prank, guys. But I’ve got a big day tomorrow,” he said casually, stretching his arms above his head as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

  He paused for a moment, his eyes catching the gaze of the female Squire—the one who had been staring at him earlier. She hadn’t moved or said a word, her helmeted face fixed on him. Her expression was unreadable, but Andy could sense her gaze, even through the metallic visor.

  He gave her a slight nod. “Catch you later,” he said with a smirk before turning and walking toward the exit.

  As he walked out of the warehouse, the silence from the Initiates behind him was palpable. The heavy, nearly impossible-to-move armor lay forgotten behind him, a symbol of his effortless triumph over their prank.

  But as Andy left, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman—the one who had watched him most closely—was still thinking about him, her eyes following his every step. He wondered if there was more to this than just the armor, more to her unspoken interest.

  But that was a thought for another time. Right now, he had a big day ahead of him, and he needed rest.

  As he closed the door behind him, he heard the Initiates finally start talking again. Their words faded into the background as he made his way back to his bunk.

  Tomorrow would bring more challenges. But for now, he could rest easy, knowing that his first true test in the Vanguard had just begun. And he was ready for whatever came next.