Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Myla’s POV

I don’t belong here?

The words kept ringing in my head, pushing past the pain and playing over and over.

Echoing. Repeating. Settling deep in a place I didn’t know how to reach—let alone ignore.

For a second, I couldn’t move.

I just hung there with my chest rising and falling too fast and my entire body still burning from the strain of everything I had just failed to do.

But then, a strange spark lit up in me.

Who was he to tell me whether I belonged or not?

I immediately looked away, shifting the blame quickly.

Afterall, if I had stronger bones or faster muscles, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have to hear that.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I forced my breathing to steady.

But no. That wasn’t true. I did belong here. I had to.

I wasn’t going to let one sentence—his sentence—decide that for me.

So I straightened, ignoring the ache in my legs, ignoring the heaviness in my arms, and moved. Again and again.

The drills hadn’t stopped, and neither did I.

Even when my body begged me to, even when every step felt worse than the last.

“Again!” A voice called, a voice I didn't know till now, but I still didn’t look to see who.

I just followed everything around me. I ran when I had to, jumped when I had to, climbed when I had to, I just kept going.

Then at some point, it stopped being about doing it right. It became about just… doing it, proving him wrong.

So I reached the wall again, slamming my hands roughly against the surface as I pushed myself up.

I was too slow again as my foot slipped, but I just about caught myself, dragging myself over before dropping down harder than before.

Pain shot through my legs. I ignored it and moved to the next item we did on repeat.

I took a step, then another, trying to balance myself.

I nearly fell, but kept going.

“Hey—slow down,” Kyle’s voice came from somewhere behind me, but I didn’t answer. Neither did I stop.

I swung up immediately, wrapping my hands around the bar and tightening my grip as I pulled.

But I barely moved an inch. My arms trembled violently as I gritted my teeth and tried again.

And again.

And again.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Kyle said, closer now.

“No,” I snapped with my voice sharper than I intended.

I pulled again and my muscles screamed while my grip kept slipping. But I didn't stop.

I tried again and again till my grip loosened and I dropped down. Kyle caught me but I immediately pushed away from him and reached for the bar again.

“I said stop,” he said firmly but I didn't.

“No.”

This time, it came out strained, desperate, frustrated. Just as I felt.

I jumped, grabbing the bar again, forcing my body upward—

It didn’t move.

Not the way I wanted, not enough.

My arms shook harder and my vision blurred slightly.

Still, I tried.

Again. And again. Then falling hard on my back again.

I pushed myself up and reached to jump again, but a hand caught my wrist firmly, pulling me back before I could jump again.

“Myla,” Kyle said and I turned to him immediately.

“What?” I snapped.

He frowned slightly with his grip not loosening. “We’re done.”

“What?” I blinked with my chest still heaving and my mind slow to catch up to anything.

Kyle tilted his head slightly. “Training. It’s over.”

I stared at him. Then around, and only then did I see it.

Everyone had stopped. Some were stretching now and some were talking in groups.

And the rest? They were watching us.

Watching Me.

Heat rushed to my face so fast it almost burned.

My stomach twisted.

I hadn’t even noticed. I had just… kept going all on my own.

Trying and failing. Over and over again, and they had seen it. All of it.

I pulled my wrist free quickly, looking away. “I knew that.”

Kyle didn’t call me out on the lie. He just sighed softly. “Come on.”

But I was already stepping back.

“I’ll catch up,” I muttered.

He hesitated a bit, then nodded once and let me go.

I didn’t wait, I didn’t look back. I just walked straight off the modern field, ignoring the way it felt like eyes were still on me.

Ignoring the weight in my chest that had nothing to do with exhaustion anymore.

The room was quieter when I stepped inside. I let the door close behind me as I exhaled slowly.

Finally, I was alone. Not on my own, but at least… less watched.

I took the time to look around the room, hadn't done so since I got here.

The room assigned to me was way larger than I actually expected.

It was wide enough to hold multiple beds, spaced evenly apart. Bags were already placed near each one, marking out territories in an unspoken way.

What caught my attention most, though was the layout.

It has separate sections, separate bathrooms.

I moved towards my bed, recognizing my bag immediately. Dropping beside it, I rubbed my arms slowly, feeling the lingering ache settle deeper.

This was my space. I belong here.

I grabbed a change of clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.

The water helped as it didn't just wash away the sweat, the dust and some of the frustration.

When I stepped out, got dressed after drying up, my body felt lighter.

But my mind didn’t.

I walked back to my bed and sat down slowly, staring ahead without really seeing anything.

Derek’s voice replayed again.

Then you don’t belong here.

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my damp hair.

“I’m not leaving,” I muttered under my breath.

Even if this place breaks me, even if I wasn’t ready. I would be, I had to be.

Time passed without doing much and I didn’t track how much.

I just sat there, thinking. Until—

“Myla?”

I looked up and Kyle was standing near the doorway, slightly out of breath like he had come looking for me.

“You didn’t come for breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.”

That wasn’t true. But I didn’t care.

He frowned. “You should eat.”

“I said I’m fine.”

A pause. Then softer, “You won’t be if you keep skipping meals.”

“I’ll survive.”

Kyle studied me for a moment.

Then nodded slowly. “Alright. But there are classes later. Don’t miss those too.”

“I won’t.”

He hesitated, like he wanted to say more.

But he walked away anyway.

The room fell quiet again and I leaned back slightly with my gaze drifting towards the window.

Light filtered in softly as people moved outside, small figures to me as I paid attention to nothing.

Then I turned to the window and that's when I spotted the lady that took the card for me.

She stood there, watching me and I left my eyes on her.

She didn't move, I don't even think she blinked. I made to sit up but that seemed to kick her back to reality as she cleared herself, lowered her gaze and walked off fast.

I stared at her leaving, then back to where she was. Something about her seemed off.

The large time stuff on the wall in the room read that I had just about 30 minutes to class.

I immediately sat up to prepare, but realized immediately that I had been wearing the same clothes since yesterday.

I came with nothing and literally had nothing to change into.

I looked down at what I was wearing and well, it wasn't something I wanted to be seen in.

I sat up but wasn't sure what I would do—

“Here,” a voice said from the door and I turned immediately to find the woman that took my card the other day, the one I was just staring at through the window.

She was holding out a bag to me.

“I noticed you came with nothing and earlier, saw you in the same clothes as earlier, so I got you a few pairs,” she explained.

I hesitated as I wasn't sure if it was right getting it from her.

“I'm not your enemy,” she said out of nowhere and I nodded, reaching for it.

I looked down at the bag now in my hand, pulling it open to stare through everything.

There were pairs of trousers, at least five, at least ten shirts and a good number of official wears too.

“Thank y—” I tried to say as I looked up but froze as I did.