Jacob stood before the crowd of anxious, wide-eyed Awakened.
His expression was stoic—calm, unreadable.
The hardened face of someone who had seen war and didn't flinch.
It was a striking contrast to the shaken commander Caleb had witnessed back at the academy, who had looked one breath away from snapping.
Beside him stood Anita.
Her complexion had returned to normal since the incident, but the nervous energy clung to her like perfume.
She stayed half a step behind Jacob, clutching a tablet to her chest as if it were a shield.
Jacob's voice cut through the silence, firm and without emotion.
"Today, we're heading to the primary recruit training realm: The Demiurge."
The recruits didn't look surprised—this wasn't new information. They had all been briefed long before now. This was just protocol, a formality.
