The chamber was dimly lit, it's only illumination ing from torches mounted along the cold, stone walls.

  The faint st of aged part and sandalwood hung in the air, mingling with the occasional metallig of blood from the training grounds below. In the ter of the room stood a rge sand table, its surfatricately desigo resemble a battlefield.

  Miniature structures, trees, and soldiers were carefully pced to simute the terrain of a besieged fortress.

  Ra’s al Ghul stood at the head of the table, his posture as anding as ever. His long, dark cloak swept the floor, and his hands were csped behind his back as he studied the se before him.

  His eyes, sharp and calg, seemed to pierce through the very walls of the room. Across from him stood Jason, his stance less posed but no less determined. Jason’s arms were crossed, and his brow furrowed as he examihe sand table with intense focus.

  “To quer an enemy,” Ra’s began, his voice low and measured, “you must first quer your own impatience.”

  Jason’s gaze so Ra’s, ailted his head slightly. “Impatience isn’t the problem,” he said. “It’s hesitation that gets people killed.”

  A faint smile tugged at the ers of Ra’s mouth. “Spoken like a warrior, not a leader,” he replied. “Hesitation has its pce, Jason. The key is knowing when to ad when to wait.”

  Ra’s gestured toward the sand table. “Now,” he said, his tone shifting into one of instru, “imagihis: You are the ander of a small force tasked with taking this fortress.” He poio the miniature stronghold in the ter of the table. “Your resources are limited, your men are weary, and the enemy is fortified. Tell me, how would you proceed?”

  Jason leaned forward, his hands resting on the edge of the table as he studied the yout. The fortress was surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides, with a narrow valley leading to the main gate. Small figurines representing enemy forces were positiorategically along the walls and surrounding terrain.

  He traced the valley with his fihen tapped the gate. “The valley is a death trap,” he said. “If we try a frontal assault, we’ll be picked off before we eve close.”

  Ra’s nodded approvingly. “Good. Yhe obvious. Now, look deeper. What is the enemy’s greatest strength?”

  Jason’s eyes flicked over the se, taking in the pt of the soldiers, the height of the walls, and the natural barriers. “Their position,” he said. “They don’t o move; we have to e to them.”

  “Correct,” Ra’s said. “And their greatest weakness?”

  Jason frowned, his mind rag. After a moment, he poio the fortress itself. “Their relian this position. They think it makes them untouchable, which means they won’t expe attack from an ued angle.”

  Ra’s smile widened, and he leaned forward slightly. “Now you’re thinking like a tacti.” He motioned for Jason to tinue.

  Jason straightened, his voice gaining fidence. “We’ll send a small diversionary force to the valley—just enough to keep their attention focused on the main gate. Meanwhile, we’ll scale the cliffs under cover of night, hitting them from behind when they least expect it.”

  Ra’s raised an eyebrow. “A bold strategy. And what of your men? Sg those cliffs will cost lives.”

  Jason’s jaw tightened. “I know. But we’ll lose more if we take the valley head-on. Sacrifices have to be made.”

  For a moment, the room was silent, save for the crag of the torches. Ra’s studied Jason ily, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke.

  “And there lies the essence of leadership,” he said. “The willio sacrifice for the greater good.”

  Jaso Ra’s gaze, his blue eyes steady but shadowed. “What if you’re wrong? What if the sacrifices you make aren’t worth it in the end?”

  Ra’s stepped around the table, his hands csped behind his back. “Leadership is not about certainty, Jason. It is about vi. The path you choose will not always be the right one, but it must be the one you believe in.”

  He paused, standing beside Jason now. “To lead is to carry the weight of every life lost under your and. It is a burden that will never leave you, but it is also what will strengthen your resolve.”

  Jason’s gaze dropped to the sand table, his mind repying the sario. He could see the bodies of the imaginary soldiers in his head, hear their screams as they fell from the cliffs or were cut down in the valley. He ched his fists, the weight of Ra’s words settling heavily on his shoulders.

  “vi,” Jason murmured, almost to himself.

  Ra’s pced a hand on Jason’s shoulder, his grip firm. “You have the potential to be a great leader, Jason. But potential means nothing without discipline and fht. tio hone your mind as you do your body, and you will surpass even the greatest of warriors.”

  Jason looked up at Ra’s, his expression a mixture of determination and uainty. “And if I fail?”

  Ra’s smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with something that could almost be mistaken for pride. “Then you will learn. Failure is the crucible through which greatness is fed. Never fear it, but never accept it.”

  Jason nodded slowly, the words sinking in. “Uood.”

  Ra’s stepped back, his gaze returning to the sand table. “Good. Now, let us discuss the finer points of your strategy. The cliffs are a viable approach, but have you sidered the possibility of undermining the fortress walls?”

  Jason’s head tilted, intrigued. “Undermining? Like digging?”

  “Precisely,” Ra’s said, a faint smile pying at his lips. “A patient assault be far deadlier than a hasty one. Let me show you how.”

  For hours, they worked together, refining strategies and discussing the delicate bance of sacrifid success. Ra’s spoke of historical battles, of leaders who had risen and fallen, each story ced with philosophical musings oure of power and responsibility.

  The torches burned low, and the chill of night seeped into the room, but her man noticed. For Jason, this was more than a lesson in tactics, it was a lesson in who he was being. And though the path before him was uain, ohing was clear: he would not walk it blindly.

  The chill in the chamber deepened, but Jason barely felt it. The iy of Ra’s lectures and the sheer weight of the sarios they analyzed ed every ounce of his focus.

  Ra’s moved around the sand table with an almost predatrace, his hands gesturing fluidly as he spoke of deception, patience, and the art of turning an enemy’s strength into their greatest weakness.

  “Digging uhe fortress walls could take weeks,” Jason said, his voice ced with skepticism as he traced the perimeter of the sand-table fortress with his finger. “What if the enemy catches on? What if they ter with an ambush?”

  Ra’s smiled knowingly, his green eyes gleaming iorchlight. “That, my dear pupil, is the beauty of misdire. While they focus their attention on the valley or the cliffs, they will not suspect what lies beh their very feet. But the success of such a pn depends ohing.”

  Jason raised an eyebrow. “And that is?”

  Ra’s leaned closer, his tone almost spiratorial. “Time. You must master the ability to bide your time, to manipute your enemy into giving you the space you o execute your pns.”

  Jason frowned, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “Patience isly my strong suit.”

  Ra’s chuckled softly, a sound that was both amused and faintly desding. “Yes, I’ve noticed. But patience is not merely waiting, boy. It is a restrained.

  It is knowing when to strike and when to hold back, even if every fiber of your being screams for immediate a.”

  Jason’s jaw ched as he mulled over Ra’s words. They struck a nerve, a reminder of all the times his impulsiveness had led him astray.

  But there was something else beh the surface, a huo prove himself, to master not just his physical skills but the mental fortitude Ra’s spoke of so often.

  “Alright,” Jason said finally, his voice firm. “Let’s say we go with the digging pn. How do we keep the enemy distracted for long enough?”

  Ra’s gestured to a small cluster of figurines positioned he valley. “You create chaos where they least expect it. Perhaps a decoy force raids their supply lines or sets fire to their farmnds. These small acts of aggression will force them to divide their attention and their forces. The more distracted they bee, the less likely they are to notice what is truly happening.”

  Jason nodded slowly, his mind already spinning with possibilities. “So we keep them busy, whittle them down, and then hit them when they’re weakest.”

  “Precisely,” Ra’s said, his tone approving. “And when the moment es to strike, you must do so with absolute vi. A half-hearted attack is a failure before it even begins.”

  The two fell into a rhythm, exging ideas and refining the strategy further. Jason found himself drawn to the intricacies of pnning, the way every piece of the puzzle had to fit together perfectly to ensure victory. It was like a deadly game of chess, and for the first time, he felt like he was beginning to uand the rules.

  As the hours wore on, Jason leaned back from the table, his arms crossed over his chest. “So that’s it, thehem distracted, dig uhe walls, and hit them when they least expect it.”

  Ra’s ined his head. “In theory, yes. But theory and practice are two very different things. Which is why your ask will be to implement this strategy in the field.”

  Jason straightened, his i piqued. “You mean... a real mission?”

  “Indeed,” Ra’s said, his gaze pierg. “There is a vilge to the east, currently occupied by a rival fa. They have fortified their position and taken the local popuce hostage. Your task will be to liberate the vilge using the tactics we’ve discussed tonight.”

  Jason’s pulse quied. This was no mere exercise, this was a ce to prove himself, to show that he was more than just the zombie–boy fighter. “When do I leave?”

  Ra’s smiled faintly. “At dawn. You will have a small force at your disposal, and I expect a full report upon your return.”

  Jason nodded, determination burning in his eyes. “I won’t let you down.”

  Ra’s stepped closer, pg a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Remember, boy—this is not just about winning. It is about uanding the cost of victory. Every decision you make will shape the lives of those who follow you. Lead wisely.”

  Jaso Ra’s gaze, the weight of his words sinking in. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  As Jason turo leave, Ra’s watched him go, a flicker of something resembling pride crossing his face. The boy was raw, untamed, but there was greatness in him—a potential that, if properly cultivated, could positively influehe course of the League’s destiny.

  The torches cast long shadows across the chamber as Ra’s returo the sand table, his mind already turning to the future. Jason was more than just a pupil. He was a on in the making, ohat could one day rival even the greatest warriors of the League. But for now, the boy still had much to learn.

  And Ra’s al Ghul would ensure he lear well.