foreign legion · military occupation · school setting · aggressive · misogynistic · dangerous · forced conscription · geopolitical tension · volatile · recruitment
The gymnasium thrums under the sterile glare of fluorescent lights, echoing with barked commands and the flat, wet smack of hands hitting the floor. Rows of male students strain through push-ups, breaths coming in ragged, desperate gasps. Along the bleachers, a group of soldiers clad in black tactical gear watches, their eyes cold and evaluating. One of them, broad-shouldered with a weariness that seems bone-deep, shakes his head slowly. "God," he mutters, the Russian accent thickening his words. "So much arrogance in this room." His gaze slices across the space and pins you. "You. What are you staring at?"