After the Combat Strategies class, Ryan and Edan left the hall and headed toward the outdoor training ground. The sun was at its peak, and the air was warm, carrying the scent of grass and earth.
In the middle of the field stood Instructor Vera Stone – a huge woman, her muscles prominent beneath her skin, her blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She wore simple training clothes, but her presence alone was enough to silence any student.
She shouted loudly:
"Line up!"
The students quickly lined up, afraid of her anger.
she said as she paced before them like a tigress watching her prey.
"Today we begin assessing your physical fitness,I don't care who you are, or what your elements are. Here, your bodies are your only weapon. If your bodies are weak, you are weak."
She looked at the students with sharp eyes.
"It's simple: you will run around this field for an hour and a half. Don't stop. Don't walk. Don't give up. Anyone who stops before the time is up will repeat the exercise alone tomorrow."
Some students groaned, but she ignored them.
"Begin!"
Everyone started running.
*****
At first, Ryan felt fine. His breathing was regular, his steps steady. He ran at a moderate pace, conserving his energy.
he thought
'An hour and a half... not bad.'
He passed the first half hour without any problem. Sweat had begun to appear on his forehead, but his breathing was still steady. He looked around and saw some students already starting to slow down.
An hour passed, and Ryan was still running steadily. He felt tired, but it was under control. His legs were getting a little heavy, but he continued.
he told himself.
'I can do this.'
But after an hour and a half of continuous running, the real fatigue began to show. His legs were noticeably heavier, and his breathing became rapid and irregular. Sweat covered his forehead completely, and his muscles began to burn.
When Instructor Vera announced the end of the running time, Ryan stopped. He was breathing heavily, and his legs ached. He bent forward, placing his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
"An hour and a half... I managed to do it," he thought, feeling a hint of pride despite the exhaustion.
But Instructor Vera didn't give them a break.
"Now! Fifty push-ups! And fifty squats! Begin!"
The students groaned, but they started the exercises.
Ryan performed the exercises with difficulty. His muscles were exhausted from the running, and his arms were trembling. But he continued. He counted to himself: one, two, three... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty.
When he finished, he fell to his knees for a moment.
But Instructor Vera didn't stop.
"Obstacles! Climb the wooden wall, crawl under the net, jump over the barriers!"
Ryan looked at the wooden wall, which was three meters high. His arms ached, and his legs could barely hold him. But he got up and headed toward the wall.
He tried to climb, but he fell on the first attempt. On the second attempt, he reached the middle before his hands slipped. On the third attempt, he silently screamed as he pushed his body upward, and managed to reach the top.
When he came down, he was breathing with great difficulty.
Crawling under the net was tough. Every movement hurt his exhausted muscles. But he completed it.
Jumping over the barriers was the hardest part. With every jump, his leg muscles screamed in pain. But he managed to do it.
When he finished all the obstacles, he stood there, breathing with difficulty. His entire body ached, but he was standing.
Instructor Vera looked at him and nodded with slight approval.
she said.
"Not bad,But next week, we'll start the real exercises."
*****
Ryan returned to his room after the class, barely able to walk. He threw himself onto the bed and closed his eyes.
His body ached everywhere. His muscles screamed, and his lungs burned.
he thought.
"An hour and a half of running... then fifty push-ups and fifty squats... then the obstacles...,And she said that was just a warm-up?"
He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
"But I managed to do it. That means my fitness is improving."
He remembered Instructor Vera's words: "If your bodies are weak, you are weak."
She was right. But he knew something else: he had survived the fire. Survived the pit of flames. Survived death.
If he survived all that, he could survive this too.
He closed his eyes again.
At that moment, he heard a knock on the door.
He got up with difficulty and opened it.
Eri was standing there.
"Brother... you look exhausted."
Ryan replied.
"I'm fine,Just a long day."
Eri entered and sat on his bed.
"Tell me what happened."
Ryan sat beside her and began telling her about the fitness class, about the hour and a half of running, about the exhaustion that nearly killed him.
But he didn't tell her about the fire. He didn't tell her about the prince.
Some things were too heavy to share, even with Eri.