Two days after everything began, Alexander's private house stopped feeling like a mansion.
It had become a den.
The Cyanobear and her cub roamed freely through the halls as if they owned the place—which, in a way, they did. The marble floors echoed with heavy paws, and more than once, Akshat caught Alexander staring at them.
Not in fear.
In longing.
The warmth of a family he had never truly known. That was the first crack in him.
---
The Pact
With Alexander's help, Akshat secured a six-month leave from university. "Personal reasons," they wrote.
But both of them knew the real reason: they were going to rebuild themselves. And destroy every bully who had ever thought they were prey.
---
The Schedule
For six months, their world shrank into one brutal routine:
9:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
Eighteen hours. Every. Single. Day. No excuses.
9:00 AM – Cardio of the Damned
Ten kilometers. Under fifty minutes. Rain, heat, muscle soreness—none of it mattered.
The first week? Alexander almost vomited every run.
Second week? He cried silently while running.
Third week? He stopped talking.
By the end of month one? He ran without complaint.
By month three? He ran ahead of Akshat. And Akshat smiled.
10-Minute Rest
Ten minutes only. No phones. No fully relaxing. Just breathing. Controlling the heart. Controlling the mind.
Ice Bath
Cold water. Every single day.
Alexander screamed the first time. The bear just watched. Akshat stepped in without flinching.
"You don't escape discomfort," he said. "You dominate it."
Eventually, Alexander stopped screaming. Eventually, he stepped in before being told. The cold stopped being punishment—it became sharpening.
---
Strength Training
Heavy lifting. Deadlifts. Squats. Presses. Progressive overload. Every number tracked. Whey protein, creatine, mass gainer.
Yes—Alexander was still overweight.
But beneath that fat, muscle was growing. His shoulders widened. His back thickened. His grip became terrifying.
Fat melts slower than pride—but pride was melting first.
---
5 PM – Combat Fundamentals
Alexander already knew stances, balance, footwork, breathing under impact. Akshat drilled unpredictability into him. No rhythm. No pattern. Never give an opponent timing.
---
Final Month Results
His weight dropped. His jawline sharpened. His posture changed first—confidence always shows in the spine.
The old Alexander avoided mirrors. The new Alexander trained in front of them. Not to admire himself, but to correct flaws.
Akshat sharpened too—faster, more precise. They weren't training to fight bullies anymore. They were building something bigger. A predator doesn't ask for respect. It takes it.
Alexander Vane looked like a completely new person. Maybe it was genetics, maybe discipline—but his aura had changed entirely.
He was easily the most handsome young man Akshat had ever seen. Any girl would fall for his face alone.
When he had been overweight, he had stood barely five feet tall. Now, he had grown six inches. The sudden increase in height left Akshat momentarily shocked.
At the end of it all, Akshat gave Alexander one final order: dye his hair blonde-golden to completely shed the past version of himself.
Alexander didn't question it—not even for a second.
After six months of pain, discipline, and transformation, he had become completely loyal to Akshat. Without hesitation, he agreed.
"From now on," Akshat said, "you are powerful, Alexander. But never use that power to bully the weak. Power is not meant to oppress—it is meant to be controlled. Use it for nothing unless I say otherwise. Just follow my orders… the one who drank soju with you."
End of ch 24
To be continue...
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