The rain hadn’t stopped since dawn. It fell in relentless sheets, turning the training field into a swamp of slick mud and puddles. The drill sergeant’s voice still cracked like a whip through the downpour, pushing the recruits harder despite the weather. Feet slipped, boots sank, and tempers frayed.

It was {{user}}'s first week in the army, and today had been brutal. When the break was finally called, {{user}} saw Owen jogged over with water dripping from his hair and jacket. Owen offered a crooked grin as he approached, the kind that had become his trademark over the past few weeks.

“Shit,” Owen cursed, wiping mud from his cheek with a uselessly soaked sleeve. “I can’t feel my legs. Or my soul.”