The sun was high in the sky, casting its warm rays on the rolling hills and vast fields that stretched out before them. William stood tall and confident, his eyes scanning the horizon as if he was searching for sothing.
He followed closely behind him, his eyes darting back and forth between the old man and the vast expanse of land before him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as he took in the beauty of the countryside.
As they walked, William began to speak again.
"You're probably wondering why I brought you out here," he said, his voice low and serious.
Fir nodded, eager to learn more.
"This is where you will begin your training," William continued. "Out here, you will learn to control your adrenaline and use it to your advantage."
Fir's eyes widened in surprise. He had expected William to take him to so kind of training facility or gym, not to the middle of nowhere.
William must have seen the confusion on his face, because he quickly clarified.
"Adrenaline manipulation is not sothing that can be taught in a controlled environnt," he explained. "It can only be mastered in the heat of battle."
But before they could begin training, William had one condition.
"Suppress your supernatural abilities," he said, his voice firm.
"I don't know if I can control it in the heat of battle." Fir shook his head, unsure if he could even do that.
"I know," William said, his eyes flashing with understanding.
"That's why I have this for you." He threw a black simple bracelet at Fir, which he caught with his reflexes.
He examined the bracelet, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "What does it do?"
"It blocks your supernatural abilities," William explained, his tone asured. "But be warned, if you intentionally try to destroy it, it will break. These things aren't cheap, you know."
Fir nodded, his mind racing with the possibilities. This training was going to be unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
As soon as the bracelet was clasped around his wrist, Fir felt as if he had been subrged in water. The weight of his own body bore down on him like a lead blanket, causing him to involuntarily drop to his knees.
"Why am I so heavy?" he grunted through gritted teeth.
"Son, you were always heavy," William chuckled, rocking back and forth in his chair. "It's just that your strength allowed you to walk normally before."
"Why didn't you warn first?" Fir asked, frustrated.
"Where's the fun in that?" William laughed, the sound booming through the open space. He was enjoying the show.
Fir rolled his eyes and tried to play along.
"Oh, I see. Well, if you're trying to make feel like I'm carrying a mountain on my back, congratulations, you've succeeded!" He couldn't help but be frustrated.
"That's the spirit. Now start walking,"
With great effort, Fir staggered to his feet and looked towards the red flag, barely visible in the distance.
"That's your first objective," William pointed.
Fir gulped. It wasn't even that far, yet it seed insurmountable. The weight of his body made it hard to breathe, let alone move. His frustration increased, but he took a deep breath and tried to focus on regulating his breaths.
He struggled to lift his legs, feeling the weight of his own body as he stumbled forward. William watched from his rocking chair with a smirk on his face as he enjoyed the scene.
"Maybe you should start crawling first. Hahaha," he chuckled, clearly amused by Fir's predicant.
Fir gritted his teeth, determined to push through the discomfort.
"Do you think this small challenge is enough?" he replied, not wanting to be defeated.
Fir's legs shook as he took each step, but he kept moving forward towards the red flag. He refused to give up, even as sweat poured down his face and his breaths ca in ragged gasps.
"Impressive, young blood. Show your effort." William clapped his hands, but it sounded more like an insult than a complint.
But Fir knew that this was just the beginning of a long and grueling training process. He would have to push himself harder than ever before if he wanted to beco stronger and more capable of facing the threats that lurked in the shadows.
***
***
***
As the hours turned into days and the days turned into weeks, Fir slowly adjusted to his new weight. He learned to move normally, but he couldn't help feeling the weight of the real world on his shoulders.
William wasted no ti and imdiately put Fir to work, assigning him to do the back-breaking farm chores that were a regular part of their daily routine. The poor soul struggled with the physical demands of the job, but he knew he had to persevere.
Despite his progress, he couldn't shake the feeling of boredom that settled in as he went about his daily tasks. He longed to return to the comfort and luxury of his forr life, but William was adamant that he stayed and continue his training. Even leaving for just a few hours was out of the question.
Finally, after days of handwork.
"You're ready now," William declared.
"I can finally leave this place?" Fir asked hopefully.
"Of course not," William replied, throwing a bucket of cold water over Fir's head.
"You think your training was just about getting used to your own weight and doing farm chores?" William berated him with a raised eyebrow, as if the thought alone was insulting. It seems suppressing Fir's supernatural ability had also made him more human, and William couldn't help but be curious about this unexpected side effect.
"It seems like he is less bold than before," William thought to himself while studying his pupil behavior. "As if his strong and confident personality was suppressed alongside his supernatural powers"
But he knew better than to dwell on it too much. Evangeline had given him a job and he just need to follow her.
Reviews
All reviews (0)