Winter bolted awake, a deafening explosion rattling the very foundations of the building.

Her eyes snapped open, and before she could even register what was happening, a violent cough seized her, her lungs burning as thick, acrid gas filled the barracks. Around her, chaos erupted as recruits scrambled from their cots, their panicked shouts a stark contrast to the sudden violence.

“What the hell is going on?!” Winter rasped, clutching at her chest, fighting for air.

The room was a mess of overturned cots, the air thick with smoke. Before she could make sense of the situation, a firm hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her off the cot. She turned sharply to see Ningning, her usually cheerful face contorted with urgency.

“Get up!” Ningning coughed, pulling her towards the door. “We need to get out, now!”

Winter didn't argue, her body moving on instinct, stumbling after Ningning, tripping over discarded belongings as they pushed through the smoke-choked barracks and burst outside. The cool night air hit her like a slap, but the relief was short-lived as the scene outside overwhelmed her senses.

Gunfire echoed in the distance, sporadic and terrifying. Bright flashes lit up the night as more explosions erupted, shaking the ground beneath them. Recruits ran in all directions, some screaming, others shouting orders that Winter couldn't comprehend.

"What the hell is this?!" Winter yelled, her voice barely audible over the pandemonium.

Before Ningning could reply, a group of figures dressed in black, their faces obscured, emerged from the shadows, weapons raised. Winter’s heart plummeted as she watched, a cold fist of fear gripping her chest. Recruits screamed as the figures charged, their boots pounding against the dirt.

Panic surged through Winter, overriding everything else. Without thinking, she turned and bolted in the opposite direction, her legs moving faster than her mind, her only instinct to escape. She didn’t care where she was going - she just had to get away.

“Winter!” Ningning’s voice called out, a desperate cry, but Winter didn’t stop.

Her lungs burned as she ran blindly through the camp, the sound of gunfire growing closer, more terrifying with each step. She ducked behind a stack of large crates, her chest heaving, her body trembling.

“Where are the guards?!” she whispered, her voice a shaky tremor.

Her moment of respite was fleeting. A sharp hand grabbed her by the collar, yanking her from her hiding spot. Winter gasped, struggling as she was dragged backward.

“Let me go!” she screamed, clawing at the attacker’s hand, but he was too strong, his grip like iron.

With a grunt, the man flipped her onto the ground, her back hitting the dirt with a sickening thud. Pain exploded, and a cry escaped her lips, quickly silenced as the man grabbed her again, hauling her up by her collar, his hands treating her as if she were nothing more than a discarded ragdoll.

“Move,” he growled, his voice muffled behind his mask, an inhuman threat.

Winter stumbled, her legs weak beneath her as she was forced forward, her every movement driven by fear. She tried to resist, but the butt of the man’s rifle slammed into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She doubled over, coughing and gasping for air, but the man gave her no time to recover, dragging her onward.

They reached an open area, where several other recruits were already kneeling on the ground, their hands clasped over their heads, more masked figures aiming rifles at them. The sight sent a cold shiver down Winter’s spine, the metallic taste of fear flooding her mouth.

Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, her breathing ragged. Her hands and legs were scraped and bleeding from being dragged across the ground, and her abdomen throbbed where the rifle had struck her. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to regain control of her body.

In the chaotic, strobe-lit scene, her gaze found Ningning. The girl was kneeling among the others, her eyes wide with a fear that mirrored her own. When their eyes met, Ningning gave a small, shaky nod - an unspoken acknowledgment that neither of them had any idea what was happening, but at least they weren’t alone in their terror.

Winter swallowed hard, the taste of fear coating her mouth. For the first time in a long while, she felt utterly powerless.

The icy night air bit at Winter’s exposed skin as she knelt on the cold, hard ground. The camp was eerily quiet now, save for the occasional rustling of the trees in the wind. Her muscles ached from the rough treatment, her stomach a throbbing reminder of the rifle butt. She shifted slightly, trying to find some relief, but the guards’ watchful eyes kept her in place, each one a threat.

Her teeth clenched in anger and frustration. This was insane. This whole place was insane.

The silence was broken by the low rumble of an approaching vehicle. Winter's head snapped up as headlights pierced the darkness, illuminating the kneeling recruits. The vehicle came to a halt, and a woman in uniform stepped out, her posture commanding, her presence suffocating. Behind her followed a man who seemed equally intimidating, but Winter’s attention was fixed on the woman.

Her face was sharp, with a chiseled beauty, her piercing gaze dissecting everyone in her line of sight. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips as she surveyed the group, her eyes calculating and cold.

Her voice cut through the silence like a whip. “Stand up!”

Winter hesitated, her body protesting every movement, but the command was absolute. Slowly, she and the others struggled to their feet, confused murmurs rippling through the group.

“I am Sergeant Yu,” the woman announced, her voice clear and authoritative, each word laced with a subtle threat. “You will address me as Sergeant Yu. Is that clear?”

The recruits, still too stunned and disoriented to react, stood in silence.

“I said, is that clear?” she barked, her voice sharp enough to make even the trees seem to flinch, the command driving away any lingering hesitation.

“Yes, Sergeant Yu!” the group shouted in unison, their voices a mix of fear and compliance, a desperate attempt to blend into the background.

Satisfied, Karina’s smirk widened, her gaze lingering on the fear in their eyes. “Good. Welcome to boot camp. Consider this little… ‘welcome party’ my gift to you. I hope you enjoyed it because there’s plenty more to come.”

Winter’s jaw tightened as Karina’s words sank in, the implications chilling. This woman was insane, she thought, her hatred burning brighter, but her body ached, and her cuts and bruises served as a constant reminder of the cost of defiance.

Karina’s gaze scanned the recruits, her expression both amused and chillingly cold. “Now, listen up. You have one minute to get fully dressed and back here. If you’re late—well, you don’t want to find out what happens. Move!”

The recruits scrambled, Winter among them, sprinting back toward the barracks as fast as their battered bodies could carry them. She didn’t spare Ningning a glance, every ounce of her focus solely on pulling on her uniform and lacing up her boots, the panic a tangible presence in the room.

Barely a minute later, they were back outside, standing in uneven lines under Karina’s watchful gaze, her presence a suffocating weight. Winter adjusted her stance, trying to ignore the sting of her fresh scratches and the cold that seeped into her bones.

Karina’s laughter cut through the group like shards of glass. “Pathetic,” she said, pacing before them, her eyes moving with a calculated cruelty. “From now on, you are nothing but numbers. Individuals don’t exist here. You’re weak, and I’m going to enjoy breaking every single one of you.”

She gestured for them to count off, and one by one, the recruits recited their assigned numbers, their voices trembling with a mix of fear and exhaustion.

“Twelve,” someone muttered beside Winter.

“Thirteen,” Winter bit out, her voice flat, a challenge in her tone despite her battered body.

“Fourteen,” Ningning chirped, her tone unnervingly upbeat given the situation, a strange contrast to the terror in their surroundings.

Karina nodded, her smirk returning, her gaze lingering on Winter for a moment longer than the others. “Good. Now, Numbers 1 through 20, start running. And keep running until I say stop. Let’s see how far you make it before you break.”

Winter’s stomach dropped, but she didn’t dare protest, a cold determination settling in her bones. As the group began to move, her hatred for Karina Yu burned with a renewed intensity. This was hell, and she now knew the devil’s name.