KAI’S POV

I was standing at the edge of the training field with my arms crossed, watching the trainees form uneven lines.

They all looked so fragile under the silvery glow of the moonlight. They were like glass that hadn’t finished hardening. I knew these trainees were too young and unfit for the job—most of them being teenagers—but they were all we had.

I clenched my jaw, forcing the belittling thought down my throat and away from my head. Weakness wasn’t an option at this moment. ...