"I don't have answers yet," he said firmly. "No one does. But if the cycle is unstable, then none of us are safe and that means training starts now. Harder, longer, without complaint."

His words hit like stones. The cadets went quiet, glancing between one another, uncertain if they should feel scared or angry.

"Understand this," Baron added, voice steady again. "The academy exists for one purpose - to face what the rest of the world can't. If you're here, you're part of that purpose. You're ...