It was the group's last night at the camp.
The soldiers handed out a few supplies to help them on the road, and the cold night air felt calm, almost peaceful. A large bonfire burned at the center of the camp, the only real source of light cutting through the darkness.
Music was played nearby. Soldiers laughed, danced, and played gas, completely lost in the mont. The atmosphere was warm and lively so much so that, for a brief mont, I forgot we were surrounded by danger. For once, everything felt… normal.
I stood a short distance away, watching it all. Above us, the night sky was breathtaking. With no light pollution, the stars were sharp and clear—countless points of light scattered across the darkness like diamonds. I found myself thinking about the future, about what I should do next.
That was when Clentine ca up behind .
"Hey… can I sit here?" She asked softly.
I glanced back at her. Seeing her able to walk again made sothing in my chest loosen. I nodded quietly and turned my gaze back into the sky.
"The sky is beautiful, isn't it?" She spoke.
I nodded again. She sat beside , and we watched the stars together in silence.
"Tomorrow morning, we're leaving," she said after a while. There was a hint of embarrassnt in her voice. "Are you… going to miss ?"
"Yes," I answered flatly, not wanting to get sentintal.
She hesitated, then held sothing out toward .
"Here. This is for you."
It was a simple wooden necklace, nothing fancy. A small cat was drawn into a piece of wood.
"Why are you giving this?" I asked, confused.
She lowered her head, staring toward the distant bonfire. After a mont, she spoke.
"It's a birthday gift," she said quietly. "I know you recently turned fifteen, so I wanted to give you sothing. I made it myself. You can also think of it as a parting gift… so you won't forget ."
"Why a cat?" I asked, turning it in my fingers.
"It's not just a cat," she said. "It's a Maneki-neko. In Japan, people believe it brings good luck. So if you wear it… maybe it'll protect you."
I couldn't help but smile. The logic was kind of silly—but her heart was in the right place.
"Thank you," I said. "I really appreciate it."
I put the necklace around my neck. Her eyes widened, and her smile grew brighter.
"Max… you look amazing."
"Thanks," I replied.
After that, we talked about nothing important. Just small, aningless things. But it was fun. I didn't even notice how much ti had passed.
Later, Lee and the others stopped by to congratulate on my birthday. I didn't even know the exact date myself, but hearing soone celebrate it made unexpectedly happy. I thanked them all.
That night, I went back to the training area and trained alone for hours.
Morning ca too quickly.
The group prepared to leave for Savannah. One by one, they ca to my tent to say goodbye.
"Max," Lee said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I hope we et again."
Kenny stepped forward next, looking at for a mont before speaking.
"Kid," he said, serious as ever. "If we find the boat, I'll wait two days for you. Can't promise more than that."
I nodded.
The others said their goodbyes too, until only Clentine was left. Her eyes were glossy. She stepped forward and hugged tightly.
"Be safe," she whispered, embarrassed. "And… don't forget ."
The others teased her a little, but they were smiling.
"Thank you, everyone," I said sincerely. "I'll et you in Savannah. Have a safe journey."
As they headed out of the camp, I waved goodbye. A few soldiers waved back alongside .
When they were gone, the camp felt quieter. Emptier.
For a mont, loneliness crept in, but I pushed it aside.
Right now, there was only one thing that mattered.
Training.
I headed back to the training area and started exercising before Amir arrived. The night before, I'd finished reading the entire Muay Thai manual, and I was already practicing the techniques I'd learned, mixing in elents from other martial arts like kickboxing.
Amir approached while I was training.
"Good," he said, watching closely. "You're not slacking off. Rember—practice is everything. The more you do it, the better you'll be in the future. Now co on. Let's train."
He got ready to spar.
"Aren't you going to ask questions about Muay Thai?" I asked.
"What's the point, kid?" he replied. "You've probably morized the whole damn manual already. Honestly… sotis I wonder if you're even real. The way you learn is terrifying. In just two days, you kept up with one of my best soldiers—soone who's trained for years."
He stared at , still in disbelief.
I nodded quietly, pretending not to feel proud.
"Stop pretending to be humble," he snorted. "Let's get to work."
We began sparring.
What fascinated most was how few mistakes I made while executing techniques I'd only learned from books. The more martial arts I learned, the easier it beca to understand new ones. Each style reinforced the others, and with experience, Muay Thai started to feel natural.
Amir could only stare in shock.
You'd think he'd be used to it by now, but apparently not.
After a few hours, he finally called a stop.
"Alright," he said. "You can keep training martial arts in your spare ti. If you've got questions, ask later. For now, we're moving on."
He handed a pistol.
"Gun training."
He went over firearm safety first, which I already knew then moved on to tactics: clearing rooms, watching angles, and identifying threats. It was exciting to learn. He explained different weapons, their strengths and weaknesses, and why you'd choose one over another.
We trained until night fell.
Eventually, Amir returned to his tent to rest. I stayed behind.
I didn't need much sleep anymore.
So while the camp grew quiet, I kept training, reading, practicing, and refining my movents, almost the entire night.
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