Drago: The Beginning Of Darkness

The island had been cruel, but its survivors even more so. After one month of backbreaking training, the once-large group of fifty children had dwindled to seven. Five boys and two girls. Their faces were hardened, their bodies battered, and their spirits teetering between defiance and collapse. The first month had been nothing short of torture—running 100 kilometers daily around the treacherous terrain of the island, dodging rocks, roots, and the occasional predator. Many had collapsed, unable to rise again.

Now, as the sun set behind jagged cliffs, the seven sat in a circle on the rocky shoreline. Waves crashed in the distance, their rhythmic roar a backdrop to the silence that hung between them. Finally, one of the boys, his face streaked with mud and his grin somehow still intact, broke the tension.

"Alright, so we're not dead yet. That's a start," he said, stretching his arms. "Should we introduce ourselves, or are we just going to keep pretending we're not stuck with each other?"

Safal, leaning back against a boulder with his arms crossed, smirked. "Why not? Might as well know who I'm outrunning. Name's Safal. I don't have much of a story, but I'm here to win."

The boy next to him, Ram, laughed. "Win what? A prize for most stubborn? I'm Ram, and unlike this guy, I don't pretend to enjoy this hell. I just survive it."

A girl with sharp eyes and a short, practical haircut scoffed. "Survive? You were the first one to trip on Day Two. Name's Kavya, and let me make one thing clear: I'm the brains here. You boys can handle the brawn."

"Brains won't help you when a wolf's chasing you," muttered a large boy with broad shoulders and a jagged scar across his cheek. His voice was low and rough, matching his imposing frame. "I'm Arjun. I'm here to make sure none of you slow me down."

"Bold talk for someone who nearly fainted on the first hill," teased the other girl. Her long, dark hair was tied back in a messy braid, and a playful glint danced in her eyes. "I'm Meera. Someone's gotta keep this group from falling apart, and I guess that's me."

The sixth member, a wiry boy with pale skin and an ever-present scowl, finally spoke. "Dev. I don't talk much. Just here to get stronger."

The final boy, lanky but with an unshakable calmness, nodded slightly. "I'm Vinay. I don't have much to say, but I'll pull my weight."

Their introductions were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps. Varun, their trainer, emerged from the shadows, his piercing gaze scanning the group. He looked more beast than man, with his weathered face and muscled frame.

"Good. You're still alive," he said gruffly. "The first month was to break you. The second month? That's to build you."

Ram groaned. "Build us into what? Corpses?"

Varun ignored the comment. "Starting tomorrow, you'll run tied together in pairs."

The group stared at him in disbelief.

"Tied?" Kavya asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

Varun nodded. "You'll learn to match your pace with your partner's. If they're faster, you'll have to keep up. If they're slower, you'll have to drag them. And since there are seven of you, one will always run alone. That person will cover the gap left by the pairs."

Meera threw up her hands. "Great. As if running wasn't bad enough."

Varun's expression darkened. "This isn't just running. It's survival. In the real world, you might have to carry an injured ally through enemy territory. Or worse. The strong protect the weak, or they die together."

The next day, the training began. Safal was paired with Meera, whose shorter legs struggled to keep up with his long strides. "Slow down, mountain boy!" she huffed. "Not all of us have tree trunks for legs."

"And here I thought you were the one keeping up morale," Safal shot back, grinning despite the strain.

Kavya and Ram were paired, leading to constant bickering. "You're dragging me down!" Kavya snapped.

"Maybe if you stopped yelling, we'd move faster!" Ram retorted.

Meanwhile, Arjun and Vinay moved with surprising synchronization, their silence proving to be an advantage. Dev, the unlucky odd one out, ran alone, his quiet determination earning a begrudging nod from Varun.

The second week brought a new challenge. As the group ran through the dense forest, a low growl stopped them in their tracks. From the shadows, a pack of wolves emerged, their eyes gleaming with hunger.

"Wolves," Varun said, his voice calm but firm. "Form a circle. Protect each other."

The seven trainees scrambled into position, their exhaustion forgotten in the face of this new threat. The wolves circled them, testing their defenses with darting movements and sharp barks.

"This is bad," Ram whispered.

"No kidding," Kavya shot back, clutching a makeshift spear.

"Everyone!" Varun barked. "Show me how strong you all had became!"

Safal's eyes locked onto the largest wolf, its scarred face and massive frame marking it as the leader. Without hesitation, he charged. The alpha lunged, its jaws snapping inches from his face. Safal dodged, his sharpened stick striking the beast's side.

The battle was chaotic. Meera and Kavya defended the group's center, their sharp wits and quicker reflexes keeping the smaller wolves at bay. Arjun and Vinay used their brute strength to hold the front line, while Dev darted in and out, delivering quick strikes. Ram, despite his earlier complaints, fought with surprising ferocity.

Safal's fight with the alpha reached its climax. The beast lunged again, but this time, Safal didn't dodge. Instead, he stepped into the attack, driving a sharp stone into the wolf's heart. The alpha collapsed, its blood soaking the ground and Safal's trembling hands.

The remaining wolves hesitated, then fled into the forest, their leader defeated.

As the adrenaline faded, the group stared at Safal. He stood over the alpha's body, his chest heaving, his face and clothes drenched in blood.

"Well," Meera said, breaking the silence. "If anyone needed proof that Safal's a lunatic, there it is."

Safal managed a weak grin. "You're welcome."

Varun approached, his expression unreadable. "Good work," he said simply. "You've proven you can fight. Now prove you can survive."

The group began the slow trek back to camp, their bodies aching but their spirits burning brighter than ever. They had faced death and come out stronger. Together, they were becoming something more than survivors.

They were becoming warriors.