The next day arrived faster than Kaen expected. His body still felt the pain, his arms and legs hurt, but his heart was restless. He woke up early, washed his face, had breakfast, and stood in the courtyard for a moment.
The morning air was cold. He knew today's training was going to be harder than yesterday's.
But he was prepared for it.
Recruits gathered again in the training courtyard. The sun was still low. Bright orange light glowed in the sky. Some students stretched their arms and legs, some yawned sleepily, and some whispered nervously.
The training tacks were ready, lined with more advanced Aerial gear. The gear looked taller, stronger, and heavier compared to yesterday's basic training gear.
The thrusters were bigger, had bright blue cores, and light reflected as it hit the metal parts.
Kaen stared at them with excitement and fear.
Riku stood beside him.
"You look nervous today," she whispered.
Kaen shook his head " just thinking about something."
"You should relax, Kaen, don't think too much about yesterday," Darren spoke with a smile on his face.
Draxion didn't speak. He just looked at the gear, trying to understand the mechanism behind it, like it was some ancient technology that needed to be decoded.
A loud whistle cut through the air.
Commander Hale walked forward.
"Today is the day most of you will leave the ground," he announced.
"You will be allowed to use this gear only for short bursts. Anyone who loses control will be stopped immediately."
Some students swallowed.
Some smiled in excitement.
Some looked scared.
Commander looked at them his eyes cold.
"Each of you will get only three attempts to short lift off. If you fail, that will be the end of your training."
"No more chances will be given."
Assistants began calling out their name in order.
Some recruits trembled and fell on the ground.
Some struggled with the weight.
Some looked excited as if they were ready for this day.
Kaen waited for his turn. His heart beat faster not from fear, but he felt something strange in his heart. The same warmth from yesterday's practice.
Light glowed under his skin, he tried to cover it. So that no one noticed it.
When the instructor finally called his name. He stepped forward.
His legs are trembling.
The assistant inspected the straps, locked the thruster in place, and adjusted it properly.
"Make sure to stay calm," the assistant warned him.
If the thruster goes out of control don't try to resist it. Allow it to stabilize."
Kaen looked at the assistant and nodded.
His heart started pounding rapidly.
Sweat flowed from his face.
His hands trembled.
His mark pulsed, and he felt a strange feeling like something was awakening inside him.
Commander Hale stood in front of the class.
He ordered the assistant to activate the thruster at low power.
A group of instructors activated the thruster by clicking on the switch at the back of the machine.
WHUUUUUM!!!.
The courtyard was filled with a loud humming sound as the training machine started.
Some students lost their balance.
One boy shouted as he fell forward.
A girl stepped back in fear and bumped into another recruit.
Kaen stood firm.
His jaw tightened.
Inside his body, the mark on his chest reacted again.
It didn't hurt.
It didn't burn.
But it was definitely responding to the machine energy.
Commander Hale walked slowly towards them.
"First attempt: small jump. Bend your knees and push upward. The thrusters will give you lift. Then land gently."
A student from the first row tried.
He jumped.
His body was floating.
His eye widened with shock.
"Yes, I did it."
Other recruits clapped for him.
Another recruit tried, but he jumped and lost his balance and fell on the ground.
Another jumped so high that his body spun upside down in the air. He crashed into a group of students, they screamed.
Hale didn't even blink.
"See, this is what happens when you jump so high."
Students laughed at him.
Then silence.
Finally, it was Kaen's turn.
Riku, Darren, and Draxion watched him closely.
Riku, "Please don't fall."
Darren, "you got these kaen."
Draxion," You can do it."
Fin stood meters away from him. His arms crossed. He was focused and calm. He looked at Kaen curious and competitive.
Kaen took a deep breath.
He bent his knees.
And
Pushed upward.
WHOOOOM!!
The thrusters exploded with far greater force than they should have.
Kaen shot into the air not a short lift, but a full launch.
Everyone looked at him.
His vision blurred.
Wind passes through his ears at high speed.
His body spun sideways.
The wings shifted without control.
"KAEN" someone shouted.
"Press the switch on our back to deactivate it." Another shouted.
He tried everything he could, but the machine didn't slow down, it only gained speed.
His body wasn't floating, it was flying as he lost control.
His boot hit a training pole
CLANG!!
Students gasped.
Kaen spun out of control and almost missed hitting a wall.
The thrusters moved too fast as if they were reacting to his heartbeat.
He tried his best to stabilize it.
But he couldn't.
Suddenly, the thruster speed dropped, and he crashed into the ground.
Dust lifted around him.
He coughed while moving the dust.
Riku, Darren, and Draxion rushed towards him.
"Are you alright, Kaen?"
"Yes!" he nodded his head.
Some students laughed at him.
Fin smiled, not to mock him but in surprise.
"That was fast," he muttered.
Kaen slowly stood, his body hurt but he was fine.
Commander Hale approached him slowly.
"Kaen you are fast... too fast"
Something in your body is disrupting the stabilizer.
Kaen stared at the ground.
He didn't speak.
He couldn't.
His chest mark pulsed again.
His heart felt warm.
Like the mark was responding.
Hale looked at him and said
"Try once again.
But this time try to balance your body weight."
Kaen swallowed, he reset his grip, stood still, and prepared himself.
He jumped.
WHOOOOM!!
Same result.
Too fast.
He again fell on the ground.
Students laughed more loudly now.
"Careful, or he might take off without permission!"
"He is not a rocket, he is a soldier," Darren said with rage in his eyes.
"Try to speak one more bad word about him, and I will break your mouth."
Everybody went silent.
Even Riku couldn't hide a worried expression.
Kaen stood again breathing heavily.
The mark on his chest glowed.
No one saw it.
But Kaen felt it.
The mark wasn't reacting randomly.
It was syncing with his heartbeat.
Commander Hale placed his hand on Kaen's back.
"That's enough for today."
You have the potential to do it. But something inside you is disrupting your balance."
Finally, Kaen stopped moving.
Silence spread across the courtyard.
Some students watched him with pity.
Some with confusion.
Some with fear.
Kaen lowered his head not because he was ashamed, but because he didn't understand what was happening inside his body.
His friends approached.
Riku placed her hand on his arm.
"Don't stress out too much about it. You will get to it.
Just believe in yourself."
Darren nodded, "We all struggled at first."
Draxion tilted his head.
"No. He's not struggling the same way we are."
Kaen looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Draxion spoke, his eyes focused on the thruster.
"Look, the gear is responding to your body while you move."
Kaen froze.
"So it's not you failing," Darren whispered.
"It's reacting to something inside you. Something the rest of us don't have."
Kaen opened his mouth to answer.
But the mark on the chest felt warm again.
As if it was calling him.
Later that night, Kaen sat outside again.
The courtyard was silent.
The sky had fractured, glowing marks.
Kaen placed his hand on the mark.
Knowing what would happen.
The ember pulsed.
A warm spark spread across his body.
And then
The same calm voice echoed in his ear.
Not threatening.
Then he heard the same words.
" You were meant to fly"
Kaen closed his eyes slowly.
Something was waking inside his heart.
He could feel it.
Not normal.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, he didn't know.
But one thing was clear, this wasn't an accident.
It was the beginning of something greater.