The next day, Sunday, Lee gave Liam the day off, saying he needed the rest. Liam, on the other hand, believed it would be a good idea to continue consulting D's notebook.
Due to the increase in the volume of blood your heart pumps with each contraction, your resting heart rate will naturally decrease. However, you can manipulate your heart rate, most likely due to the fact that its muscles are saturated in blood. A simple technique you should be able to accomplish is to speed up your heart rate despite the voluminous increase of blood.
Liam sighed.
"This is problematic," he muttered as he put a hand on his chest. "My heart already pumps out a lot of blood, since I've been doing light cardio ever since I was a kid because of Dad... I have been pushing it lately. What exactly would happen...?"
Liam sat in silence, then his eyes shot open as a realisation struck him.
"If I push my heart to its utmost in a few seconds... no, wait, the resulting temperature... I have self-regenerative properties, so it should be fine... hmm..."
Liam reached over to his bag and pulled out his stylus and tablet.
"I need to document every attempt," he muttered as he opened a note-taking app. "But what should I call this?"
Liam sat in silence for a while, then smiled as a name came to him, and he scribbled it down.
"Alright. Let's begin the experiment." Liam smiled as he carried the coffee table off the rug and sat with his legs crossed.
Focus...
He inhaled deeply, held his breath for a moment, then let out a deep, drawn out breath.
He furrowed his brow and deepened his concentration. He regulated his breathing, straightened his back, and focused on his heart.
I can do this...
Soon, however, his face scrunched up in pain. Beads of sweat began pouring down his face, and his breathing became erratic.
"Ack!" he choked as he fell on his back.
It feels like my whole body's on fire! he gasped and wheezed, one hand gripping his chest, the other his throat.
He gritted his teeth and smiled, as if his body wasn't screaming in pain.
But with this, I'm sure! It's possible! And if I take it far enough...
Liam forced himself to his knees, dragged himself to the table, and picked up the stylus.
Attempt one, I have confirmed that the amount of blood my body cycles regularly is quite high, resulting in extreme pain when I tried to speed up the process. Repeated practice should lead to a more intimate knowledge of my control over my blood.
Liam paused before adding:
It is likely this can lead to the self-strengthening technique I've been envisioning. Proceed with caution.
****
By afternoon, Liam had recorded three more attempts, and he had decided to take the rest of the day off. He made himself a meat-and-veggie sandwich after a shower, then went over his notes.
The Burmese position has been deemed the best position for the exercise, with a cushion underneath me. The Legs-Up-The-Wall position is good for rest.
Attempt 2, more pain, but I have noticed that focusing on the sound of my heart is enough of a distraction. I have realised that forcefully stopping my heart could cause severe circulatory problems or even lead to a stroke. Best course of action would be to increase heart efficiency, because my heart should recover quicker as a result.
Note: Extended exhalations and shorter inhalations should help my heart slow down faster.
Attempt 3. Pain. This exercise depletes oxygen quickly, which is why I'm always short of breath. I have resorted to box breathing (inhale two seconds, hold two seconds, exhale two seconds, hold empty two seconds) to help. It will be a long time before I can completely ingrain it into my body, but all in due time.
Attempt 4. I just realised that sustaining this state will result in a lot of information feedback, from the strain in my muscles to the pressure in my blood vessels. I have experienced both dizziness and lightheadedness, and an adrenaline surge on top of that. That would explain the rush of energy and sudden numbness before the pain kicks in. I then feel refreshed soon after. Whenever I begin, I feel as if my entire body is covered in pins and needles, and my eyes pulse along with the beat of my heart. I also temporarily lose some of my hearing. It might be because of the rush of blood, though I'm not sure.
Liam sat back and sighed.
"Writing like this is a little exhausting, but it's the only way to separate facts from feelings and avoid confusing myself down the line."
Liam went to the kitchen and opened his cabinet fridge. At the sight of water bottles and an assortment of vegetables, Liam grunted.
Let's go for a walk.
He closed the fridge and took a step forward. Then paused to glance back at the fridge.
I am feeling a bit too hot... maybe I'll get some ice cream on the way.
He went to his room and put on a pair of black sweatpants with a single orange stripe running up each side. He moved quickly, pulling a black T-shirt over his head while walking towards the exit.
Ten minutes of walking later, he ended up sitting on a bench outside the mall, under a tree.
This breeze is nice, Liam smiled as he enjoyed the cool air.
He watched people come and go, some laughing with their friends, some quiet and alone, others in large groups. He observed cars coming and going from the car park, droids floating about, drones buzzing in the air, and the staff passing by. He waved at a man pulling along a floating cart with several machine parts on it, then lowered his head when a group of girls looked his way and began whispering amongst each other.
Are they calling me creepy?! Liam began to sweat a little. I have been sitting here for a while...
After the giggling girls left, Liam stood up and stretched.
That was a nice rest, Liam thought as he looked at his CID. I've been sitting here for twenty minutes? Wow.
Liam turned to leave, then stopped to look at the mall.
...Yeah. Ice cream doesn't sound too bad. Just once won't affect my diet, so it's okay.
Liam nodded to himself with a smile as he walked quickly to the mall.
****
Liam walked into Ice Blast, a store in the mall that was known for selling good, cold treats.
"I scream, you scream..." Liam hummed as he walked through the automatic doors. Almost immediately, he was stopped by two tall, imposing figures.
Gulping quietly, Liam looked up slowly.
Then he froze in shock.
Standing before him, both holding large white bags with the Ice Blast logo on them, were Lee and Kazumi.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Liam raised a shaky finger at Lee.
"Why are you eating ice cream? With him?"
"Don't make me out to be inhuman," Lee muttered before putting the popsicle he was holding in his mouth.
Kazumi simply glared at Liam before turning away.
Liam felt an inexplicable urge to laugh, but he quickly stifled it.
There are some mysteries in the world that must be left unsolved, Liam sighed inwardly before walking around them and getting in a short line to buy ice cream.
When it was his turn, he pointed out his choices.
"I'd like three cups of ice cream, please. One chocolate, one mango, and one vanilla."
"Alright... hey, aren't you Liam?"
Liam looked up in surprise and blinked at the brown-haired boy in front of him. A small clump of green hair had fallen in front of his left eye, and a pleasant smile covered his face.
Liam, despite the air-conditioning, began to sweat.
Who is he?! A classmate?! Only a classmate would know my name... wait, is it like with Hannah?! Do I have to answer back?!
Liam stood up straight, grateful for the fact that there was no one behind him.
"Y-you're... R-Rex, right?" Liam smiled shakily, making sure his eyes didn't betray the fact that he'd just looked at the other boy's name tag.
"Haha," Rex chuckled as he got Liam's order ready. "It's just Rex."
"O-OH, sorry!"
"Relax." Rex smiled warmly as he handed Liam's order over to him.
Liam took it, then held his CID over a scanner to pay.
"U-um, if you don't mind me asking..."
"Yes?" Rex asked with a small head tilt.
"How did you... get a job? I'm g-guessing it-it's part-time, but we came to school last week... oh wait, this is none of my business, sorry. I'll be going, thanks, bye!"
Liam immediately turned around to walk away, and Rex stared at his back in mild surprise.
"What a strange guy..." Rex muttered as he walked into the employees-only room.
Liam exited the place in a hurry.
How could I just poke my nose into someone else's business? When did I—
"Hey, Liam."
Liam turned his head reflexively, then immediately regretted it.
Standing a few feet away by the railing were both Kazumi and Lee, and they were surrounded by a small crowd of girls.
Lee, you son of a—
"Come on over." Lee waved.
And the moment he did, all of the girls turned to look at Liam.
Liam froze for approximately one second as he locked eyes with Lee, and from the depths of his heart, he screamed with his eyes:
YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD!
"Sorry, Lee, I have things to do. Gotta run."
Liam turned around, and he immediately tried to figure out what just happened.
HOW DID I DO THAT?! Is this what survival instincts are like? No, that's stupid... right? Wait... I know this feeling... being so overwhelmed by fear, or anxiety I guess, that you don't register the emotion anymore.
Liam nodded as he walked, a strange sense of calm coming over his mind.
Then, almost immediately after calming down, an arm settled on his shoulder, and a familiar voice whispered:
"Help us out, or I increase the intensity of the spars."