Four.. GREENELAND VANGUARD ACADEMY

VIDEL..

The sound of my phone alarm cut sharply through the quiet.

I jerked awake with a gasp, my heart pounding, my body stiff as though I had been dragged out of a nightmare. For a moment, I did not know where I was. The ceiling above me felt unfamiliar, too high, too clean, too still.

Then reality settled.

I was not in the Walker Estate anymore.

I exhaled slowly and reached for my phone, fumbling it off the bedside table. The alarm was still ringing, relentless, drilling into my head. I turned it off with more force than necessary and let my hand fall back onto the mattress.

Sleep did not return.

With a quiet groan, I sat up and rubbed my face. My hair was a mess, tangled from a restless night. I dragged my fingers through it and glanced at the screen again.

Five a.m.

I had set that alarm when I was still living with Eric. Back then, I woke up early every day to prepare breakfast and make sure everything was perfect before he left the house. I believed that if I tried harder, loved deeper, gave more, then one day he would finally look at me differently.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

All that effort. All that patience. Completely wasted.

Without hesitation, I deleted the alarm.

That part of my life was over.

I stayed seated for a while, watching the sky beyond the curtains slowly shift from black to grey, then to a pale gold. The house remained quiet, peaceful in a way I was still getting used to. By the time I finally stood, the day had properly begun.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

“Yes?” I called.

“Good morning, miss,” the maid said gently. Kara, if I remembered correctly. “Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “I’ll be down shortly.”

She nodded and closed the door.

I went through my routine quickly. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and tied my hair back. I slipped into a simple dress and flat slippers before heading downstairs.

The dining room was already occupied.

Leonard, Alexa, Oliver, and Priscilla sat around the table, already dressed for their day. They looked effortless and composed, people who carried authority without needing to announce it.

Leonard was a renowned doctor, a top tier surgeon.

Alexa was the CEO of a leading fashion house.

Oliver was a cybersecurity genius and the CEO of Greyson Tech.

Priscilla was a formidable corporate lawyer.

A powerful combination. One I was proud to belong to.

“Good morning,” Alexa said first, smiling.

“Morning,” Leonard added.

“Did you sleep well?” Priscilla asked.

“Yes,” I replied automatically, even though that was far from the truth.

Breakfast passed quietly, filled with light conversation. Soon after, they left for work, one after the other. The house fell silent again.

I returned to my room and stayed there until midday.

When the sun climbed higher, I changed into leather pants, a fitted top, and a jacket. I slipped my phone into my pocket and headed downstairs, dialing Leonard’s number.

He answered on the second ring.

“Already missing me?”

I scoffed lightly. “In your dreams.”

He chuckled. “What’s up?”

“I need to borrow one of your cars.”

A brief pause. “You’re going out?”

“Kinda.”

“Go to my room,” he said. “Check the drawer in the nightstand.”

“Thanks, bro.”

I smiled. “Mwah.”

He laughed as the call ended.

Leonard’s room was neat and simple, just like him. I opened the drawer, picked up a set of keys, and headed out.

The Lamborghini purred to life beneath my hands. The gate opened automatically, then closed behind me as I drove out.

The road was smooth, lined with tall trees and quiet streets. The city slowly thinned as I drove farther, replaced by open land and guarded paths.

Then I saw it.

A massive black gate stood ahead, tall and imposing.

Greeneland Vanguard Academy.

The gate recognized the car and opened without delay. I drove in, parked where the staff vehicles were stationed, and stepped out.

The air felt different here. Focused. Disciplined.

Training sounds echoed across the grounds. Footsteps, sharp commands, controlled movements. I stood watching for a moment, memories stirring quietly.

This was where I had trained. Where I had learned to lead.

Back then, it had only been an open field. Children and youths from Goma Island trained here to become warriors. Over time, it evolved into an academy for those strong enough to endure its intensity. The idea had been mine.

“General?”

I turned to see Jeff approaching. His expression was respectful, calm, and alert. The face of someone who never let his guard down.

“Good morning, General,” he said.

I sighed. “Jeff, stop calling me that. Just call me Videl.”

He hesitated for a fraction of a second. “Alright, Miss Videl.”

I sighed again. He had never called me by my name alone. It was as if doing so was forbidden.

“Are you busy?” I asked.

“No.”

“Then walk with me.”

He nodded and fell into step beside me.

We stopped near a wide training field where a group moved in perfect synchronization.

“This is the Senior Division,” Jeff said.

“I can see that.”

They looked serious. Focused.

Watching them stirred something in my chest. It reminded me of my teenage years. Training with nothing but revenge in mind. Wanting to be the strongest, driven by the image of my parents’ deaths.

My expression darkened.

“Jeff,” I said quietly. “Any updates on Goma Island?”

He shook his head. “No change. There’s still no way in or out. Goma Island remains completely sealed.”

I clenched my jaw.

Eight years.

Eight years of searching. Of planning. Of waiting. Wanting to get my hands on the bastard Atticus who killed my parents and rip his head off his body.

Yet there had been no progress.

Was I supposed to keep waiting forever?

“You guys should keep searching,” I said firmly. “There has to be a way. Or we break down the gates.”

Jeff glanced at me. “General, if that were possible, we wouldn’t be here.”

I clenched my fists. Of course I knew.

The gate was built from reinforced composite alloy, sealed with an energy field designed to absorb and neutralize all physical force. Whether by land, air, or sea, entry was impossible.

“Calm down,” Jeff said carefully. “We’ll find a way. Soon.”

I said nothing. I turned my attention back to the training field, watching the fighters move with discipline and precision. Their strikes were sharp. Controlled. Purposeful.

I exhaled slowly, forcing the anger down where it belonged.

Waiting had never been my strength.

“I want to train again,” I said at last.

Jeff looked at me, surprised, then nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements.”

I watched the Senior Division a moment longer.

If I could not reach Goma Island yet, then I would make sure that when the path finally opened, I would be more than ready.

And so would they.