Ethan's boots hit the ground in steady, rhythmic strides as he ran, his breath controlled but labored under the lingering pressure Eleanor had set upon them. The weight had lessened, but not by much—it was still pressing down on his limbs, forcing every motion to be more deliberate, more precise. Each step required effort, each inhale a conscious act of control.
But despite the strain on his own body, his focus wasn't just on himself.
It was on Astron.
Ethan glanced sideways, his sharp eyes tracking the figure running beside him. Astron's pace was steady, his form asured and efficient—but for once, even his typically unreadable expression was beginning to crack under the pressure. A faint tightness in his jaw, the subtle tension around his eyes. He was feeling it.
Of course he was.
Eleanor wasn't the type to let them walk away unscathed. This wasn't just endurance training. This was about adaptation. It was about learning how to move under conditions where most people would crumble.
But Ethan couldn't shake a thought that kept resurfacing in his mind as he watched Astron push forward.
Learning to face stronger opponents…
Eleanor's words lingered in his head.
Ethan had sparred with countless people. His whole life had been built around being stronger, faster, more resilient. He'd fought against talented cadets, experienced hunters, and even his own family, whose expectations had always been sky-high. He'd learned to power through most fights with a combination of sheer force and solid technique.
And yet.
Even when Astron was weaker—much weaker than he is now—he still beat .
Not in so overwhelming, crushing defeat. Not because he was physically stronger. Not because he had so insane advantage.
But because of how he fought.
Even back then, when Ethan had first sparred with him in unard combat, Astron had moved in a way that was different from everyone else. He never t force with force. He didn't waste energy where he didn't need to. He had an eerie way of adjusting—of predicting—of slipping through the cracks of an opponent's approach.
And that was before whatever growth had happened to him recently.
Now? With his power increasing, with his body stronger, sharper, faster?
It made Ethan wonder.
How much stronger has he really gotten?
Ethan exhaled through his nose, refocusing on the path ahead. His legs burned, but he wasn't going to slow down. Not yet.
He saw Astron's shoulders tighten slightly, a rare sign of exertion.
That sa thought repeated in Ethan's mind.
What the hell kind of training did this guy go through?
The more he watched, the more he understood what Eleanor had ant.
Astron wasn't the type to fight stronger enemies. He was the type to survive them.
Ethan exhaled through his mouth this ti, the burning in his legs becoming a dull, persistent ache. The rhythm of his breathing matched the steady pounding of his boots against the ground. He could keep this up—he had to. Eleanor wasn't going to let them stop anyti soon.
But damn, was this boring.
Running under pressure was one thing. Running under pressure in complete silence? That was its own kind of torture.
He glanced sideways at Astron again. The guy was still locked in, expression mostly blank aside from the strain tightening his features. Not a single word, no complaint, no visible sign of frustration. Just running.
Ethan clicked his tongue. "You ever get bored of being quiet all the ti?"
Astron didn't respond imdiately, but his eyes shifted slightly in Ethan's direction before looking forward again.
Ethan took that as a maybe.
"Like, seriously," Ethan continued, adjusting his pace slightly, "you don't talk in class, you barely react when Julia or Lilia ss with you, and even now, you're just running like so silent assassin in training. Do you just not have random thoughts?"
Astron exhaled, but it was more out of exertion than exasperation. Still, Ethan took it as progress.
"I an, look at us," Ethan went on, undeterred. "Sweating our asses off, running under whatever insane gravitational pressure Eleanor threw at us. At least throw a bone here. Give sothing to think about while I suffer."
Astron remained quiet for a mont longer, as if debating whether or not to indulge Ethan's nonsense.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"…I think you talk to distract yourself."
Ethan blinked. "Well, yeah."
Astron didn't argue.
Ethan smirked slightly. "That ans it's working. So, co on—say sothing. Anything."
Silence stretched between them again, but then, Astron spoke in that sa calm, even tone.
"This would be easier if you weren't wasting energy talking."
Ethan scoffed. "And this would be easier if you weren't acting like a damn ghost. C'mon, man. There's gotta be sothing you're thinking about while we're doing this."
Astron didn't respond imdiately. But after another few strides, he said, "Calculating my threshold."
Ethan frowned. "Threshold?"
Astron nodded slightly. "The limit before my body fails. How much longer I can last before my movents beco inefficient."
Ethan let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "Man, you're the type of guy most teachers would love to have as a student."
Astron glanced at him, his pace never faltering. "What does that an?"
Ethan grinned. "What? Don't you just like learning?"
Astron didn't hesitate. "Yes. I do like learning."
Ethan shot him a knowing look. "See? That's the type everyone likes."
Astron, however, countered smoothly, "No. I disagree."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And what does that an?"
Astron remained silent for a mont, as if carefully choosing his words before he spoke. Then, in his usual calm tone, he said, "Most of the ti, to learn sothing new, you need to break sothing old. And oftentis, those who teach… are the defenders of the old."
Ethan's steps faltered for just a fraction of a second before he corrected himself, his mind catching on Astron's words. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but that wasn't it.
"…Huh," Ethan muttered, processing. "That's… actually kind of deep."
Astron didn't respond, but Ethan could tell he wasn't just saying it to sound smart—he ant it.
And the more Ethan thought about it, the more it made sense.
Teachers, ntors, the academy itself—they existed to pass down knowledge, to refine skills already deed valuable. But for sothing truly new to erge, sothing that challenged the foundation? That usually ant tearing sothing apart first.
And people, especially those in positions of authority, didn't like that.
Ethan exhaled, shaking his head. "You know, sotis you say stuff that makes it sound like you've lived three lifetis."
Astron's gaze remained forward. "Experience teaches faster than instruction."
Ethan smirked. "Yeah? And what experience taught you that?"
For a mont, Astron didn't answer.
Then, without breaking stride, he simply said, "The kind you don't get in a classroom."
Ethan exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as they continued their grueling run. His legs burned, the gravitational pressure still making every step heavier than it should be, but he had long since adjusted to the discomfort. His mind, however, was caught on Astron's words.
"The kind you don't get in a classroom," huh?
Ethan frowned, glancing at the other boy. "Alright, but what kind of experience could you even get?" he asked, curiosity laced in his tone. "I don't an to look down on you or anything, but we're the sa age. What could you have possibly gone through that's that different?"
Astron didn't answer imdiately. His pace remained steady, his breathing controlled. Then, after a few strides, he finally responded.
"There are countless different people who are the sa age as us," he said calmly. "But they aren't Awakened. Do you think they experience the sa life as we do?"
Ethan mulled over that for a second. "I an, yeah, I get that," he admitted. "The gap between Awakened and non-Awakened is like night and day. But that's a completely different comparison." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I just feel like you're being a little elusive."
Astron's expression didn't change. "Even if I were," he said, unbothered, "you have nothing to do about it."
Ethan let out a short laugh. "That's true."
It wasn't like Astron owed him an explanation. Ethan could tell he was the type of guy who only revealed what he wanted, when he wanted. There was no point in trying to force sothing out of him.
But still… there was sothing about being around him that Ethan found entertaining.
Astron was a tough nut to crack, that much was obvious. But sotis, in small monts, Ethan caught glimpses of reactions—subtle shifts, dry comnts, or well-placed words that made conversations with him unexpectedly fun.
Ethan grinned to himself as they ran.
Yeah, he liked being around this guy. Even if he was a bit of an enigma, the challenge of getting any kind of reaction from him made it all worth it.
-----------A/N---------
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