Chapter 130Joe's POV
The forest was heavy with sweat, blood, and the metallic tang of exhaustion. The drills were over, or at least, that's what they called them. To me, it didn't feel like training. It felt like we were actually fighting war right now.
A war without banners. A war without mercy.
Men lay groaning against the thick roots of ancient trees, their chests rising and falling like bellows, each breath a fight. The healers rushed in, dragging the injured to the makeshift tents at the edge of the woods. They'd live, but their punishment was worse than death.
Those who faltered, those too weak to last the drills, would now be the fodder. Disposable pawns to take the enemy's first strike while the stronger warriors, those like me, would be positioned at strategic points. I should've felt pride in that. Instead, I felt hollow.
The drills hadn't been excruciating because of the difficulty. No. They'd been unbearable because of her.
Lily.
