Chapter Eight: Training?

"UP, UP, UP, RISE AND SHINE EVERYBODY!"

The chorus of groans were a clear reflection of how everyone in the field felt right about now, and for once, I almost felt like I could forget I wasn't part of this clan. The faces of strangers bound together and relatable when I saw my own feelings reflected back in them. We all stood, somber in rows as the light barely breached the chilly skies.

I watched as a bird landed on a tree branch, its little beak just now beginning to chirp.

It was so early. We had beaten them to their songs of dawn.

I frowned.

Fatigue was heavy in my bones, and I felt brittle and tired despite my young age. I tried hard not to let a yawn escape me, my body begging me to go back to sleep.

Getting to sleep had been hard, especially in my new cabin. All I had been able to think about was Elijah. I couldn’t help but wonder where he was and worry if Morax had even kept his word. My mind had played tricks on