Chapter 1
Colin sighed as he collapsed onto his bed, feeling the strain from hours of drills settle into his muscles. Across the room, Tyree was beaming, tapping away at his phone, probably texting Olivia.
“I’ll never find love like you and Olivia,” Colin muttered.
Tyree looked up, his face bright with excitement. “Don’t say that, man!” His optimism never seemed to falter, no matter what.
Colin didn’t respond right away. He just rolled onto his side and pulled a graphic novel from his bedside table. He tried to lose himself in the pages, but Tyree’s occasional chuckles—undoubtedly from Olivia’s texts—were like a constant reminder of his own loneliness.
Despite their close friendship, Colin and Tyree couldn’t have been more different. Tyree came from a stable, picture-perfect family. His father was a decorated Army general, and Tyree was practically groomed to follow in his footsteps. Meanwhile, Colin’s path to the academy had been anything but traditional. After his father’s death, a string of bad decisions had landed him here. The social worker had called it a “chance for growth.” Colin knew better. It was just another way to keep him from spiraling further.
He closed his eyes, trying to block out Tyree’s contentment. Before long, the exhaustion took over, and he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Colin woke up to an empty room. The clock blinked 11:34 a.m.—he’d slept longer than he intended. Tyree was gone, probably off with Olivia. That meant the dorm was his for now, and with a mountain of homework staring him down, he figured he’d better get started.
But before he could, a sharp knock interrupted him. Colin opened the door to see Corporal Jenkins standing there with his chest puffed out like he had something important to say.
“Private Hitchcock,” Jenkins barked, his voice carrying that forced, overdone authority Colin had learned to ignore.
Colin raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You’ll address me as Corporal,” Jenkins snapped.
Colin said nothing. There was no point in arguing with Jenkins.
“Commander Arredondo has requested your presence. Urgently.”
Colin still didn’t move.
“That means now, Private,” Jenkins added, voice thick with irritation.
With an eye-roll, Colin grabbed his jacket and followed Jenkins down the hallway. As usual, he kept his mouth shut, not interested in small talk. Jenkins might’ve thought himself important, but Colin knew better. When they reached the Commander’s office, Jenkins’ posture straightened even more as he barked out, “Commander, I’ve brought Private Hitchcock as requested.”
“Thank you, Private,” Arredondo replied, dismissing Jenkins without bothering to correct his rank.
Jenkins deflated a little and shuffled out, leaving Colin alone with the Commander.
“He needs to be taken down a few pegs,” Arredondo remarked, a knowing smile crossing his face.
Despite his usual disregard for authority, Colin had a soft spot for Commander Arredondo. The man had a way of balancing discipline with understanding, something Colin rarely found in anyone else.
“Where’s Tyree?” Arredondo asked casually.
“Off with Olivia, I think,” Colin said.
The Commander chuckled. “He must’ve gotten his romantic side from his mother. His father was never like that.”
Colin offered a small smile but didn’t add to the conversation.
“I’ve got good news and bad news for you,” Arredondo said, leaning back in his chair. “Which do you want first?”
Colin shrugged. “Bad, I guess.”
“I’m assigning you to organize the basement storage room. It’s a mess down there, and I want you to sort it out. Tyree will help.”
Colin was stunned. He’d never been given any assignment, let alone one with responsibility. The job itself wasn’t glamorous, but the chance to prove himself was a rare opportunity.
“What’s the good news?” Colin asked.
Arredondo smiled. “Do a good job, and you’ll move up in rank.”
Colin blinked. That was unexpected. “Sounds good. Anything else?”
The Commander’s grin widened. “Hope you’re not afraid of mice.”

As Colin returned to the dorm, a strange sense of pride filled him. The assignment wasn’t glamorous, but it was a start. Finally, someone trusted him with something. He couldn’t wait to see Tyree’s face when he told him.
But as soon as Colin stepped into the room, he saw Tyree sitting on his bed, eyes red and puffy.
“Tye? You okay?”
Tyree wiped at his face, his voice shaky. “Olivia… she broke up with me.”
Colin felt a twinge of satisfaction, but he quickly buried it. Tyree needed a friend right now, not someone to gloat. Colin sat down next to him, unsure how to comfort him. After a long pause, he finally asked, “What happened?”
“She didn’t really give a reason. Just said it was over,” Tyree replied, staring at the floor.
Colin awkwardly patted Tyree’s shoulder. It wasn’t much, but Tyree seemed to appreciate the gesture.
“So… what’s this news you were gonna tell me?” Tyree asked, trying to change the subject.
“Well, Arredondo gave me an assignment,” Colin said.
Tyree raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips despite his heartache. “No way. Congrats! What is it?”
“We’re cleaning out the storage room tonight,” Colin replied with a chuckle.
Tyree groaned and fell back onto his bed. “Wait, what do you mean ‘we’?”
“Commander said you’re my second-in-command for this one,” Colin teased.
Tyree let out an exaggerated sigh but smiled. “Guess I can’t say no to that.”
Colin grinned. “Rest up, we head out at 0100.”
With a wink, Colin switched off the lights, leaving the room in darkness.