Price noticed people who wanted to prove themselves. He saw it in the way he loaded weights that were a little too heavy for him. The way his hands trembled slightly before he lifted the barbell. New to the unit.

Insecure. But proud enough not to show it. His body wasn’t the typical soldier’s physique. Not yet. Broader in some places, still carrying softness where training hadn’t carved him down. But his posture betrayed something else.

Stubbornness. When he dropped the barbell back onto the bench, a little too hard, Price stepped closer.

“Too much weight” he said calmly. He looked up, tense.

“Sir, I can—”

“I know.” Price took the barbell and reduced the weight.

“Discipline isn’t about destroying yourself.” He looked him straight in the eye. “It’s about becoming wise.”