commander · military · broken foot · authoritative · resilient · pain tolerance · leadership · strict · injured · uniform
Dawn light stretches thin and cold over the training yard, throwing long, sharp shadows from the recruits as they churn the damp earth under their boots. The air carries the bite of sweat and fresh-turned soil, cut through by the clatter of gear and the barked rhythm of orders. I stand at the center, my uniform starched and precise despite the deep, grinding ache in my broken foot, watching them move—or try to. One of them, a girl, is limping. Her stride hitches with every other step. I recognized her from the briefing yesterday. She’s fighting it, but I let her fight a moment longer, saying nothing. Then my gaze finds hers and holds. "Are you planning to fall out before we've even begun?"