FOUR

"Oh god! Help me! I can't swim!" I shouted while wagging in the water. I didn't know what to move first. Is it my hand or my foot?

I never had any interest in learning to swim. Am I going to die here?

I'll admit that I'm afraid of the pool or the beach. I don't know if I have had a traumatic experience of that matter since I was a child, because I feel really scared when I see any body of water. For others, they relax by the sea. Not me. I feel like the water will pull me down. It will swallow me whole and I will die instantly. That's what I thought.

"Help me! Oh my God!" I even waved my hand and leg. A little water starts to enter my mouth when I try to shout or speak.

Apart from the panic attack I feel, I am also irritated with the people around me. Because instead of helping me to prevent me from drowning, they just stared at me. I thought soldiers took an oath to save the people? What are they doing to me now? Do they think I'm not a citizen? Am I not human in their eyes? So they're not helping me? What?!

"Ack-" I swallowed water. The water in the pool has also entered my nose. Is this where my life will end? As I wanted to escape from my parents, I would die here. They will never see me again. My eyes slowly closed. My consciousness is taking over. I feel hopeless. Even if I don't want to die. So be it.

"Try to stand up. Anyone can swim there, even a dwarf, Orenciana" said a voice that brought me back to my consciousness.

When I heard that, my eyes widened and I stood up straight. I washed my face to get rid of the water. My mind became clear. Only then did I realize that the water was only up to my waist! I'm still at the edge of the pool, not even in the middle where the deep part is. Oh god! How embarrassing! I wish I could be swallowed by the earth now!

"See? You won't drown. Get up, the training is about to start. Don't let your stupidity show up here in the camp. I don't tolerate that kind of behavior", he said.

I turned to the one who spoke to me like that. No one has dared to call me stupid. Only just now! I wanted to shout at who said that to me but I only saw his back. He is leaving where I am.

I was even more annoyed because Commander Apollo was the rude one who told me that! Does he have no heart? Does he not know the feelings of the person he is talking to, that he has hurt their feelings?

I hit the water hard because I felt so mad at him.He even beat me with bad behavior. I must be the only heartless one between us.

"He's annoying! He doesn't have a heart for others!" I said annoyingly. I was still beating the water. I didn't care if someone got hit by what I was doing or if they looked at me weirdly. Again, I don't care about them.

"Beau, that's enough. Let's go, training has begun." Said Pocholo, who approached me. He even extended his hand to help me get out of the water. I didn't complain anymore. I grabbed his hand and didn't think twice about pulling myself up.

Fuming with annoyance, I went up. I still can't forget what Commander Apollo said to me. How rude, right? He is not a gentleman. He was even considered to be the commander of the camp, but he didn't help me.

"You should get used to it at camp, Beau. It's really like this here. You should have a strong heart. No matter what words are thrown at you, you should not be emotional. Because if you use your feelings here, you will be the loser"

"Did I want to be here, Cholo? I wanted to leave here last night. But they are the ones stopping me and they are threatening me with my signed waiver and application form! I don't want to be here! I'm not for this". I even rolled my eyes upwards.

"There is nothing you can do but finish the six months of training at the camp."

"Six months?! Are you kidding me? Will there be any trainees alive after six months? For sure, the camp is wide because that's where they bury the trainees who have died."

Pocholo just laughed at what I said. Is there something funny? What's funny about death? What if it is true that the dying trainees are buried in the wide ground in the camp?

"Next time, look where you're going" said a female voice from behind me. I looked at her. Cluelessly.

I don't know if she is really a woman. Her hair is clean cut like a man's. And there are mini muscles in her arms.

Only then did I realize that she was really a woman, because I looked at her chest. She has boobs! Oh god! Why does she look more manly than Pocholo? Pocholo, who looks like a church sacristan because of his very soft facial features. What is happening in the world? Am I so busy with myself that I don't know if people's appearance has changed or not nowadays?

Pocholo elbowed me when he saw the expression on my face. I looked shocked. Who wouldn't be surprised? She is a woman but she looks like a man! My God!

Pocholo elbowed me again when I still didn't move from staring at the woman.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"Sorry Rhodora. Beau will be careful next time", Pocholo apologized to the woman. My eyebrows arched because of what I heard. Why is he apologizing? It's not our fault. As far as I know, she bumped into me so I fell over the edge of the pool.

"Next time too, don't bump into people. And I won't apologize to you. I've never apologized to others. I think you don't deserve my apology"

"Beau" Pocholo scolded me. He even pulled me away from the woman. She was left speechless by what I said. She thought I would back off. She doesn't know me yet.

"Don't drag me! Besides, why are you apologizing to her? She should be the one apologizing to me!" I shouted.I removed his hand that was clinging to my arm. No one touches me without my permission. Gosh!

"Rhodora is known as a terror woman in the camp besides commander Apollo. When she doesn't like you. She will torture you to death. Until you surrender. " Pocholo told me.

"She was the first one to come across me. So she should be the one to say sorry"

"Beau, it's different here in the camp, unlike on the outside."

"Whatever" was all I said as I left him to follow my fellow trainees. I hope I survive their training today. I really hate water. It's better if it's a shower area or a bathtub where I can control the depth and be sure that the water won't swallow me.

'Please, pray for me. I don't want to die ugly or look like a fish when buried' I said to my mind.