Olivia set her granola bar down, leaned forward just enough to make Tara flinch. “I’m here to train,” she said. “Not to make you feel better about yourself.”

Tara froze, her cheeks reddening. “Whatever,” she muttered, turning away. “Weirdo.”

The navigation drill was a new kind of hell. Cadets had to cross a forested ridge, map in hand, under a strict time limit. Olivia moved alone, her compass steady, her steps quiet against the pine needles. A group of four cadets led by a wiry guy named Kyle spotted her checking her map under a tree. Kyle, who’d been vying for Lance’s spotlight, saw his chance.

“Hey, Dora the Explorer,” he called, his voice cutting through the quiet. “You lost already, or you just out here picking flowers?”

His group laughed, circling closer.

Olivia folded her map, her fingers deliberate, and kept walking. Kyle jogged up, snatching the map from her hands. “Let’s see how you do without this,” he said, tearing it in half and tossing the pieces into the wind. The others cheered.