Evan's eyes snapped open.
The image clung to him for a moment longer than it should have. Arin stood at a distance, small hand raised, waiting with quiet patience. Behind him, the scene stretched into something else. Faces from Earth stood alongside him, friends, professors, people who should never have been there, all of them looking at him the same way. Waiting. Smiling. Telling him without words to come back soon. The moment held, suspended between places that should never meet. Then it broke.
He pulled in a sharp breath and sat up, his chest rising too quickly as the room came into focus around him. The ceiling above. The dim light through the window. The stillness. His hands tightened briefly against the bedding before easing. The feeling lingered in his chest, heavier than a passing dream, settling deeper before slowly loosening its hold.
He stayed there for a moment, letting his breathing settle into something steadier. The tightness in his chest eased with each slow inhale, each controlled exhale. His gaze shifted toward the window, the faint light outside suggesting the hour without needing confirmation. After a few seconds, he focused inward and brought up his status.
Time - 05:02 AM
The clarity helped. It was early. Enough time.
Evan swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, the faint ache from the previous evening surfacing as soon as his weight settled. His legs carried a dull heaviness, his shoulders tighter than they had been before sleep. He stretched slowly, arms lifting overhead before rolling his shoulders through a controlled motion. The stiffness responded gradually, easing just enough for him to move without strain. He reached for a glass of water next, taking a steady drink as he let the last traces of the dream fade from his thoughts.
The image didn't fully fade. It lingered at the edge of his awareness, quieter now, but still present.
He set the glass aside and moved toward the washroom, splashing cool water over his face. The sensation cleared the last of the lingering haze from his mind. He ran a hand through his hair, then stood for a moment, letting the quiet settle around him before turning the shower on. The water ran hot, steam rising as the room warmed. When he stepped under it, the heat worked through the stiffness in his muscles, easing the tightness in his legs and shoulders from the previous day's training.
By the time he stepped out, his body felt more responsive, the earlier heaviness reduced to a manageable ache. He dressed quickly in the clothes laid out for him, adjusting them with practiced ease. The room was still quiet when he stepped out into the corridor, the early hour leaving the hall less active than it had been the day before. Evan made his way down and out of the building, the cool morning air meeting him as he stepped into the waking town.
Evan stepped out into the courtyard and paused for a moment, the cool air brushing against his face. A faint thought crossed his mind as he glanced back toward the building. The meals served there had been consistent and well-prepared. Breakfast would likely be the same. Warm, filling, ready without effort. He checked the time again and let the thought pass. It would not be ready yet, and waiting would cost him the margin he had set for himself. He turned and continued toward the street.
For a moment, the memory surfaced again, faces waiting, unchanged.
He didn't slow. The thought passed with the same steady pace as his steps.
The town felt different at this hour. Movement was quieter, more spaced out, yet purposeful. A few individuals crossed the streets carrying tools or small packs, their pace steady as they headed toward work. Others moved in the opposite direction, their posture slightly looser, fatigue visible in the way they walked. A pair of workers passed him, speaking in low voices, their clothes marked with the dust of a long shift. Farther ahead, a stall owner adjusted a canopy while another arranged supplies with practiced efficiency, preparing for the flow that would build as the morning advanced.
Evan followed the familiar route, his pace steady as the streets opened toward the arena district once more. The scale of the place felt different in the early light. The large screens stood quiet for now, their surfaces dark, while the outer ring of stalls showed only partial activity. A few had opened early, their owners already at work, preparing ingredients or setting up their spaces before the rush began.
As he drew closer, he recognized one of the stalls already in operation. The wide iron pan, the controlled heat, the steady movements behind the counter. Rovan was there, working through the preparation with the same focus as before. A small number of people stood nearby, fewer than the previous day, their presence scattered rather than gathered. Evan adjusted his path slightly and approached.
Rovan glanced up as Evan approached, recognition settling quickly. "Early," he said, already reaching for a bowl. His movements did not slow, hands working through the preparation with practiced ease as he portioned out a serving from the pan.
"Had to be," Evan replied. "Thought I'd stop by before heading out." His gaze shifted briefly to the setup around the stall, noticing the reduced number of customers compared to the previous day. "You're here again," he added. "I thought you might rest after working late last night. Do you usually handle this alone?"
Rovan gave a short breath through his nose, something between a laugh and acknowledgment. "Wasn't planning to be," he said, turning the contents of the pan with a quick motion. "My brother's down with a fever. Usually we split shifts. Yesterday I covered late. Today I start early." He slid the bowl forward and tapped the panel beside it. "Goes on like that until he's back on his feet."
Evan brought up his interface and authorized the payment, then took the bowl with both hands. The heat rose through the ceramic, steady and comforting in the cool morning air. Inside, strips of meat had been seared until their edges darkened slightly, the surface carrying a thin glaze that caught the light. They rested over a bed of coarse grain, each piece separate yet coated with the juices from the pan. Slivers of roasted root vegetables were mixed through it, their color deeper from the heat, with a light dusting of crushed herbs that gave off a sharp, fresh scent. When he took the first bite, the flavor came through in layers. The meat was firm with a slight crisp at the edges, the grain absorbed the richness beneath it, and the vegetables added a faint sweetness that balanced the heavier taste.
He ate while standing near the stall, his attention drifting between the food and the quiet activity around them. Rovan worked without pause, moving between preparation and serving with a steady pace that came from long practice. A few more people arrived as Evan ate, their presence filling the space gradually. One of them exchanged a brief greeting with Rovan before placing an order, the familiarity in the exchange suggesting this routine was common at this hour. Evan finished the last of the bowl and set it aside, the warmth from the meal spreading through him as he prepared to continue on.
Evan wiped his hands and gave Rovan a brief nod. "Hope your brother recovers soon."
Rovan inclined his head, already turning back to the pan. "He will. Just needs a day or two." His attention shifted to the next order, hands moving with the same practiced precision.
Evan stepped away from the stall and back into the open street. The light had grown stronger, casting longer lines across the ground as the town moved further into the morning. He adjusted his pace and followed the route toward the training district, the earlier heaviness in his legs still present but easier to carry after the warmth of the meal.
By the time the training district came into view, the weight of the dream had settled into something distant, present but no longer in control.
The path led him back through the quieter streets near the training district, where the day had already begun in a more focused way. A few groups were outside, working through early drills in open spaces before heading inside. Footsteps marked the ground in repeated patterns, instructors moving among them with short, precise corrections. The air carried a faint mix of exertion and morning chill, the two blending into something that felt purposeful rather than hurried.
As Evan approached the hall, he noticed the entrance already open. The interior light spilled outward across the ground, and movement could be seen inside, fewer people than the previous day but enough to fill the space with activity. He stepped in without hesitation, his attention shifting forward as he crossed the threshold once more.
Just inside the entrance, the space opened into the same courtyard he had seen the day before, the training floor spread wide with early groups already at work. The morning light reached across the ground, catching on the worn sections where footwork had been repeated countless times. A handful of trainees moved through their drills, fewer than before, leaving more space between each group. The sounds carried clearly here, steps landing, quiet instructions, the controlled impact of practice.
Beyond the courtyard, the rest of the facility revealed itself more fully. Sections of the building extended inward, separated by solid walls and wide doorways that led into different training areas. Through one open passage, Evan caught sight of a longer hall lined with equipment. Another doorway revealed a deeper space, the floor marked differently, likely used for separate forms of training. The structure stretched farther than it had appeared from outside, each section arranged with a specific purpose in mind.
Evan moved further in, his gaze shifting briefly toward the far side of the courtyard where Valor stood. The older man was already present, positioned near the edge of the training floor with the same composed stance as before. A few trainees were scattered nearby, going through their own early routines, though the space remained open compared to the previous day. The light from the high openings in the structure cast long angles across the ground, marking the hour without needing to be spoken.
Valor's attention settled on him as he approached. His eyes moved once over Evan's posture, taking in the way he carried himself after the previous day's training. "On time," he said. His voice carried easily across the space. "Good. We start now. Evaluation first."
Valor turned and gestured toward an open passage leading deeper into the facility. "This way."