Jade kept running.
The sound of his footsteps echoed across the underground dojo as he circled the training track again and again. The room was quiet except for the rhythm of his breathing and the dull thudding of his feet hitting the floor.
He had been running for a long time.
At first, it hadn't felt too difficult. His body was used to training, and the running felt like just another part of his routine. But as time passed, the strain slowly began to build.
His breathing grew heavier.
Sweat rolled down his face and soaked his clothes.
Still, Jade continued running.
He didn't dare stop.
After another long stretch of running, Jade glanced at the clock mounted on the wall.
It was already Twelve o'clock.
He had been running for hours already.
Yet he still hadn't stopped.
His body was now drenched in sweat. It poured down his skin as though a tap had been turned on and left running endlessly.
His singlet clung tightly to his body, soaked completely.
Despite the discomfort, Jade kept running.
His father's words echoed in his mind.
You will train today by running this dojo until night.
You will not stop.
You will not drink water.
Jade gritted his teeth.
He continued forward.
Step after step.
Lap after lap.
As he kept running, a strange feeling suddenly crept into his mind.
It felt as if someone was watching him.
The sensation was faint, but it was undeniable.
Jade slowed slightly before calling out,
"Who is there?"
His voice echoed through the empty dojo.
But no answer came.
The room remained silent.
Jade frowned slightly but didn't stop.
He continued running.
He didn't want to disobey his father.
The last time he had done that, the punishment had been unbearable.
The memory alone was enough to make him push forward.
So he kept running.
Time continued passing.
Three more hours slipped by.
Jade was still running.
His body now felt much heavier than before.
His muscles burned with exhaustion.
His breathing was rough and uneven.
The sweat pouring from his body felt endless.
But worse than the physical exhaustion was the strange feeling creeping back into his mind.
The sleepiness had returned.
That same restless feeling from earlier had returned as well.
His eyelids felt heavy.
And that strange sensation of being watched still lingered around him.
Yet Jade kept running.
Step after step.
His vision started becoming blurry.
His legs felt weak.
He felt as though at any second he might trip and fall.
If that happened, he might black out immediately.
But still—
He ran.
Suddenly the world around him began to distort.
The walls of the dojo seemed to shift slightly.
When he looked forward, he noticed something strange.
Everything looked doubled.
The machines.
The walls.
Even the running track.
It was as if the world had split into two overlapping images.
Jade blinked rapidly.
He knew what it was.
He was dizzy.
Extreme exhaustion was starting to affect his vision.
But he still didn't stop running.
He remembered something clearly.
There had once been a time when he disobeyed his father.
Back then, Jade didn't know that Rylan had secretly been watching him.
His father had used his power to punish him.
The pain from that punishment had been unbearable.
Jade still remembered it clearly.
He never wanted to experience that again.
So he kept running.
Even as the world spun around him.
Even as his legs trembled.
Even as exhaustion threatened to swallow him whole.
He kept running.
Then suddenly—
He saw someone.
Standing ahead of him.
It was Nora.
She looked worried.
"Stop running!" she shouted.
"You will faint!"
Jade's eyes widened.
But when he blinked—
She was gone.
The running track was empty again.
Jade slowed slightly before shaking his head.
His vision was playing tricks on him.
He knew that.
It had to be exhaustion.
He forced himself to keep running.
Step.
Step.
Step.
His breathing was now extremely heavy.
Then suddenly—
Another figure appeared.
This time it was Rylan.
His father stood in front of him, watching him calmly.
"Stop," Rylan said.
Jade almost stopped running.
His body desperately wanted to rest.
But the moment Jade blinked again—
Rylan disappeared.
The track was empty again.
Jade realized the truth.
His eyes were deceiving him.
His mind was starting to break down from exhaustion.
Still, he continued running.
He felt incredibly tired now.
His legs felt numb.
His chest burned with every breath.
But when he looked at the clock again, his heart sank.
There were still eight hours remaining.
He had started at 9 a.m.
He was supposed to continue until 8 p.m.
That meant he still had many hours left.
Jade clenched his fists.
He continued running.
All he could hope for was that time would pass faster.
Each lap felt longer than the last.
His steps became slower.
His vision continued to blur.
Then suddenly—
He glanced at the clock again.
It showed 8 p.m.
Jade froze for a moment.
Had time really passed that quickly?
Had he already finished?
But when he blinked—
The clock changed.
It now read 12 p.m.
Jade stared at it in disbelief.
His breathing grew heavier.
He didn't like this at all.
His vision was completely unreliable now.
His mind was beginning to fail him.
Everything around him felt unreal.
The walls seemed distant.
The lights above him flickered strangely in his vision.
His thoughts became slower.
His body felt numb.
Yet somehow—
He was still running.
But his steps became weaker.
His legs felt as though they no longer belonged to him.
His eyes struggled to stay open.
Everything felt distant.
The world seemed to fade.
Jade's mind slowly became numb.
His thoughts disappeared one after another.
His vision darkened.
His legs finally gave out beneath him.
And with that—
Jade collapsed.
His body hit the floor of the dojo.
And everything went black.