-Vaughn Blackmore:
Ryland showed up later than the others, not in a way that drew attention on purpose, but in a way that still managed to shift the entire atmosphere the moment he crossed into the training ground.
The camp was already awake by then. The usual morning noise was there—boots grinding into dirt, instructors shouting short commands, trainees half-stretching, half-talking, all of them slowly forming into something resembling order. It was the kind of noise that filled the space without anyone really listening to it.
And then Ryland walked in.
No announcement. No pause. No hesitation.
Just him, stepping onto the field as he belonged there more than the rest of us combined.
A few people noticed immediately. It wasn't obvious at first—just small reactions. A head turns too quickly. Someone stops mid-sentence. A trainee forgetting what they were doing with their hands for a second too long. Then, just as fast, everyone tried to pretend they hadn't reacted at all.
