24

Maxine's POV

Days turned into weeks, and the relentless training continued. Each session was more grueling than the last. My muscles ached constantly, and my limbs felt like they were on fire. Despite my efforts, I couldn't keep up with the others. I was always lagging, always struggling to lift the heavy weapons and keep up with the intense drills. The warrior who supervised me showed no mercy.

“Faster, Maxine!” he barked. “Do you want to remain a weakling forever?”

I pushed myself harder, but my body simply couldn't handle the strain. Every day I felt weaker, more exhausted. My health was deteriorating, and I knew it. I could feel it in my bones, in the way my vision blurred and my legs wobbled. But I had no choice. If I stopped, I would be punished even more severely.

One afternoon, as I tried to complete yet another impossible drill, my vision went black. I felt my body hit the ground, but I couldn't feel the pain. Everything went numb. The last thing I heard was the warrior shout