Ren woke before dawn—not because he wanted to, but because his legs cramped so violently that he practically launched himself out of bed. He groaned, clutching his calves.
"Why," Ren muttered, "do my muscles hate me?"
From outside his window came an immediate answer.
"BECAUSE YOU OVERWORKED THEM!" Miro shouted cheerfully.
Ren jolted. "Miro! Why are you awake?!"
"TRAINING!" Miro yelled.
Tali's voice followed, "He hasn't slept. Please ignore him."
Ren sighed. "That… explains a lot."
He forced himself to stand. Every movement felt like someone was replacing his bones with rocks. He shuffled to the door and opened it just in time to nearly run into Rina holding a steaming cup.
"Drink," she ordered.
Ren sniffed. "…Is this another melted sock potion?"
Rina's eyes narrowed. "Do you want to collapse again?"
Ren took the cup. "…Thank you."
He sipped. It was bitter enough to make his vision blur, but warmth spread through his limbs.
Rina watched him carefully. "Good. Now eat."
Ren blinked as she handed him a bowl. "What is this?"
"Energy porridge."
"What's in it?"
"It's better if you don't know."
Ren sighed and began eating.
Behind him, Jinto called from down the path, "Ren! Hurry! Dano says we're late!"
Tali added, "And Suri says you should stretch first!"
Haru yelled, "And Taro says he built something terrifying again!"
Ren froze. "…He built WHAT?"
Miro popped up behind Tali. "IT HAS WHEELS!"
Ren dropped his spoon. "NO."
Rina patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Finish eating."
---
The training field was absolute chaos.
Taro stood triumphantly atop a massive circular contraption made of wooden slabs, gears, ropes, and an alarming number of spinning arms.
Ren stared. "What… is that?"
Taro shouted, "BEHOLD! THE INSTABILITY WHEEL!"
Jinto covered his face. "It'll collapse."
Suri shook her head. "It almost did already."
Miro beamed. "IT'S BEAUTIFUL!"
Tali corrected, "It's dangerous."
Emi tugged Ren's sleeve gently. "Be careful. It moves fast."
Ren pointed. "Why does everything MOVE now?!"
Dano approached calmly. "Today's trial: movement prediction."
Ren blinked. "Movement… prediction?"
Nima arrived, staff in hand, her voice quiet and steady. "Today you learn to read shifting momentum. Not with strength. With awareness."
Ren felt his stomach drop. "…I'm not ready."
Nima looked at him with absolute certainty. "You are."
Taro clapped loudly. "REN! GET ON!"
Ren took a step back. "No."
"DO IT!" Taro shouted.
Suri nudged him forward. "It's safer than it looks."
Jinto muttered, "It absolutely is not."
Ren took a deep breath and stepped toward the platform.
---
He climbed onto the Instability Wheel cautiously. The surface shifted under his weight. Ren froze immediately.
"It's moving," he said.
Suri encouraged, "It's supposed to."
Jinto added, "For now."
Ren glared. "Stop talking."
Nima tapped her staff. "Begin."
Taro pulled a lever.
The wheel lurched, spinning slowly at first. Ren stumbled, flailing his arms.
Haru shouted, "Bend your knees!"
Ren bent his knees.
Suri called, "Stay low!"
Ren stayed low.
Tali shouted, "Shift left!"
Ren shifted left just as a spinning arm passed where his head had been.
Ren screamed, "WHY IS THAT THERE?!"
Taro yelled, "INCREASE DIFFICULTY!"
Ren screamed louder, "NO—"
The wheel sped up.
Ren dropped to one knee, gripping the wooden spokes. The entire platform rotated around him, tilting unpredictably.
Rina yelled, "Stop grabbing it! Trust your stance!"
Ren forced his hands off the spokes. The world tilted dangerously.
He tried to predict the next shift.
He failed.
He stumbled, spun, and nearly flew off—until he remembered Suri's advice.
He bent his knees again. Lower. Steadier. He felt the movement—not with strength, but through the pressure under his feet.
He whispered to himself, "Okay… it's tilting right… then forward…"
He leaned slightly.
The wheel jerked forward.
Ren stayed upright.
Haru shouted, "YES! Good! Keep adjusting!"
Miro yelled, "WATCH THE LEFT ARM!"
Ren ducked. The arm whooshed past.
The wheel spun faster now, almost blurring. Ren felt dizzy. His breath came in short bursts.
Rina shouted, "Slow your breathing!"
He inhaled.
Exhaled.
Inhaled again.
And suddenly—he wasn't panicking.
The tilts came. The spins came. But Ren reacted—not perfectly, not gracefully, but consistently.
He began to anticipate the movement seconds before it happened.
Miro yelled, "REN YOUR LEGS ARE MOVING LIKE MAGIC!"
Ren shouted back, "THEY'RE MOVING LIKE PANIC!"
Nima raised her hand. "Good. Enough."
Taro pulled the lever. The wheel slowed.
Ren dropped to the ground the instant it stopped, panting and dizzy.
Suri rushed over. "Are you hurt?"
"No," Ren gasped. "The world is spinning though."
Tali pat his back. "That's normal."
Jinto added, "You did well. Surprisingly."
Ren lay flat on the grass. "I want to stop spinning."
Rina handed him water. "Drink."
He drank. Slowly the dizziness faded.
Nima approached. "Ren. You learned quickly."
Ren groaned. "Why does learning hurt?"
Nima answered, "Because you are adapting."
Ren sighed. "Of course I am."
---
Later, after a brief break, Dano led the group to the forest edge. Ren followed reluctantly.
"Dano," Ren asked, "what is this session?"
"Reaction training," Dano answered simply.
Jinto grinned. "This one is fun."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "Why do you sound excited?"
Suri explained, "We'll throw things at you."
Ren froze. "Things?! What things?"
Miro held up a basket of soft fruit. "THESE!"
Tali held another basket of small beanbags. "These too."
Ren stared. "…You're throwing food at me?"
Rina corrected gently, "We are training your reflexes."
Taro shouted, "BEGIN!"
Ren flinched as a beanbag shot past his face.
"REN MOVE!" Suri yelled.
Ren stumbled left.
A fruit hit his shoulder. "Ow!"
Jinto shouted, "DUCK!"
Ren ducked.
Miro hurled a pear. "REN! CATCH!"
Ren caught it instinctively, accidentally crushed it, and stared at the pulpy remains.
Tali shouted, "DON'T CRUSH THE FRUIT!"
Ren yelled, "STOP THROWING EVERYTHING!"
Beans, fruit, beanbags—everything flew at him from every direction.
Ren dodged left, right, ducked, jumped, flailed his arms, twisted awkwardly, and tried not to scream every five seconds.
Haru shouted, "GOOD! Your reactions are sharper!"
Rina called, "Don't step backward—"
Ren stepped backward.
Rina finished, "—there's a log."
Ren tripped over the log and fell.
He groaned loudly.
Jinto shouted proudly, "That's the best fall so far!"
"NOT HELPING!" Ren yelled from the ground.
Nima approached. "Again."
Ren froze. "Right now?!"
"Yes," Nima said.
Ren sighed deeply. "Of course. Again."
---
After what felt like hours of dodging projectile fruit, Ren collapsed again. He looked like a painting of defeat.
Miro poked him. "Ren? Blink twice if alive."
Ren blinked twice.
Tali nodded. "Good. You survived."
Rina offered a towel. "You improved noticeably."
Ren groaned. "I don't feel improved."
Jinto shrugged. "Improvement hurts."
Haru added, "But you're reacting faster than before."
Emi smiled softly. "You really are."
Ren smiled weakly at that.
Then Nima approached.
"Ren," she said, "the next challenge is ready."
Ren stared at her. "There's MORE?!"
"Yes."
"Now?!"
"Yes."
Ren covered his face. "I'm going to cry."
Nima waited patiently.
Ren sighed in defeat. "Fine. Lead the way."
---
They arrived at the riverbank. Ren frowned immediately.
"What are we doing here?"
Dano pointed to the water. "Resistance training."
Ren stared. "…In the water?"
"Yes."
Taro shouted, "YOU MUST FIGHT THE RIVER!"
Ren screamed, "WHY DO YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT?!"
Suri explained, "You're going to move through the current without being swept away."
Jinto added, "Try not to drown."
Tali shouted, "DON'T LISTEN TO JINTO!"
Emi whispered, "We'll be right here. You won't drown."
Ren stepped toward the water nervously. The current wasn't strong, but it flowed steadily.
He dipped a foot in. Cold. Then the next.
The current pushed gently against his legs.
Ren exhaled. "Okay… not bad…"
"GO DEEPER!" Miro shouted.
Ren moved deeper until the water reached his waist. The current pushed harder now. He braced himself.
Nima called from the shore, "Walk upstream."
Ren's eyes widened. "Upstream?!"
"Begin."
Ren grit his teeth and stepped forward.
The current shoved him back instantly.
He pushed harder. His legs strained. His core shook. His feet dug into the riverbed, slipping constantly on smooth stones.
Suri shouted, "Lean forward!"
Ren leaned forward.
Rina yelled, "Shorter steps!"
Ren took shorter steps.
Haru called, "Use your arms for balance!"
Ren spread his arms.
He pushed.
The river pushed harder.
He grunted. He strained. His legs felt like they were burning. His core trembled. Every inch felt like progress, but also like losing ground.
Jinto shouted, "You're doing it!"
Tali cheered, "Go Ren!"
Miro yelled, "BECOME ONE WITH THE RIVER!"
Ren yelled back, "STOP SAYING WEIRD THINGS!"
He pushed another step.
And another.
And another.
His muscles screamed.
His lungs burned.
But he kept moving.
Nima's voice reached him calmly. "Good. Return."
Ren turned—
The current nearly knocked him over. He barely stayed upright.
He fought his way back, step by agonizing step, until he reached the shore and collapsed onto the grass.
He lay there, wet, exhausted, but strangely… proud.
Rina helped him sit up. "How do you feel?"
Ren replied honestly, "Like I fought nature and lost."
Suri smiled. "Not true. You made progress."
Haru nodded. "You didn't fall."
Jinto shrugged. "Much."
Tali said warmly, "You did great."
Emi added softly, "Really great."
Miro held up something dripping. "TROPHY!"
Ren stared. "…Is that a wet stick?"
"Yes!" Taro shouted.
Ren sighed and took it.
---
Evening arrived gently. Ren walked slowly to the fence he'd grown used to sitting on. Every muscle begged him to lie down forever, but the cool breeze felt refreshing.
He sat and watched the fields sway.
Steps approached. Ren didn't need to look.
Nima stood beside him. "Today was difficult."
Ren almost laughed. "Understatement."
"You endured," Nima said simply.
Ren rubbed his sore arms. "Barely."
"Barely is enough," she replied.
Ren looked at her. "Why… why are the challenges getting so much harder?"
"Because you can face them," Nima said. "Because you adapt. Because each step you take allows the next."
Ren thought about the spinning wheel.
The fruit barrage.
The river.
He whispered, "I'm surprised I'm still standing."
Nima nodded. "Not everyone keeps standing."
Ren looked down at his hands. Rougher now. Stronger. More certain.
"I want to keep going," he said softly.
Nima nodded once. "You will."
Silence settled comfortably between them.
Then, far across the field, Miro's voice echoed:
"REN! ARE YOU READY FOR TOMORROW'S SUPER TRAINING?!"
Ren yelled, "NO!"
Tali shoute "HE WILL BE!"
Jinto added, "Probably!"
Rina yelled, "Get some rest!"
Haru shouted, "Or you'll collapse again!"
Taro finished proudly, "I'M BUILDING SOMETHING NEW!"
Ren groaned. "Oh no…"
But he smiled anyway.
Because somehow—somewhere inside all the exhaustion—he could feel his steps becoming steadier.
His breath becoming fuller.
His presence becoming firmer.
He whispered to himself, quietly but clearly:
"I'll keep going."
And for the first time, he believed it without doubt.