The morning sun spilled across the training field just outside the village. Shin wiped sweat from his brow, lowering his wooden sword after another round. His chest rose and fell, but he was smiling.
Ren, breathing a little heavier but still calm, adjusted his stance.
"You're faster," Shin said between gulps of air. "But I think I'm finally catching up."
Ren gave a faint smile. "You're just swinging harder."
Shin laughed. "It's working, isn't it?"
They clashed again, wooden blades striking with sharp cracks. The sparring wasn't hostile—if anything, it had become their shared rhythm. Every morning, the same ritual. Steel sharpened steel.
Nearby, Ten sat on a log with a furrowed brow, a worn scroll open in her lap and another on standby.
Shin noticed. "You've been glued to those things all week."
"I've decided," she said, looking up. "I'm going to study strategy. For real."
Shin raised an eyebrow. "Strategy?"
Ten nodded. "If we're serious about becoming great generals, we need more than swords. We need to outthink the enemy. I'll handle that part."
Shin blinked. "You sure about this?"
"Positive." Her eyes held fire. "I'll find a place to learn properly. There's a scholar in Kokuhi who teaches old military texts. I've sent a letter."
Ren, leaning against a tree, gave her a small nod. "It suits you."
Ten smiled faintly. "You'll see. One day, you'll be fighting in a real army, and I'll be the one directing the battlefield."
Before they could respond, the sound of galloping hooves cut through the morning quiet.
A dust-covered rider approached, shouting to everyone gathered.
"All men of age! Qin is assembling forces near the Dakan Plains! The Wei army has made its move—any man willing to fight, come to the southern pass before sundown!"
Shin shot to his feet, heart pounding.
"This is it!"
Ten stood too, suddenly serious. "That's not just a battle. It's a real war."
Ren didn't say anything right away. His eyes were locked on the rider as he disappeared down the road.
"I'm going," Shin said, gripping his practice sword tightly.
Ren nodded once. "Me too."
Ten looked at them both. "Then you'd better come back alive."
The wind picked up, scattering the pages of Ten's scroll as the two boys stood facing the horizon, one filled with reckless fire, the other with quiet resolve. The first storm of their new lives had arrived.