The Certification

"No! I don't want to die! Please!"The young trainer, unable to control his movements, found himself placing his head between the plates of a workout machine.

"Thud!"The scene that followed was too horrific to describe. The trainer's body went limp, fluids slowly pooling on the gym floor, a sight that seared itself into the memories of those watching.

The other people in the gym screamed in terror. They had just witnessed a brutal death, and the shock was overwhelming.

"Silence!!!!"The voice from the speakers roared with an ear-splitting intensity, causing everyone to clutch their heads in pain. The volume was so loud that it felt like their skulls would burst.

Logan's heart grew heavier. He knew the dead trainer—someone he had shared meals with on occasion. But there was nothing he could do to save him. The supernatural force behind the speaker was invisible, its presence impossible to pinpoint.

"Mr. Wang, now please perform a set of standard push-ups!"The voice continued, now directing its attention to a customer, Mr. Wang. With a grim expression, Mr. Wang reluctantly stepped forward and dropped to the floor.

"Not standard! Do it again!""Still not standard! Again!""Again!"

Mr. Wang was a gym novice, just trying to relieve some stress. He hadn't been coached much and struggled to perform the push-ups correctly.

"Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, your body straight. Don't let your hips sag!"Logan called out, offering instructions like a lifeline. Mr. Wang immediately adjusted his posture, managing to pass the test by a hair's breadth.

"That was average," the voice remarked, displeased. But then, without warning, it erupted into rage, "Why is a trainer giving instructions when I'm the one in charge?"

Logan's heart sank as the voice turned its attention toward him.

Evelyn, noticing the growing tension, grabbed Logan's hand, as if she could protect him from whatever horror was coming. It took great courage on her part, especially in the face of such a terrifying threat.

"So, your punishment is... hmm?"The voice hesitated, seemingly confused.

Logan felt a glimmer of hope as he realized something: the supernatural force couldn't affect him the way it did the others.

"This time, I'll let it slide. The trainer is forgiven,"the voice finally conceded, though it sounded frustrated.

The other people in the gym looked at Logan with a mix of relief and confusion. They weren't stupid—they could see that something was off, that Logan seemed to be immune to the supernatural's usual effects.

Evelyn, too, relaxed a bit, though she noticed that Logan was now gripping her hand tightly. It was a small comfort in the midst of chaos.

The voice continued calling out names, ordering people to perform various exercises. Logan observed carefully, noticing something important.

While the supernatural entity tried to act like a fitness coach, its instructions were all basic, beginner-level exercises, lacking any real expertise.

Whenever someone struggled, Logan would quickly offer a few words of advice, helping them pass the test. The entity ignored Logan's interference, but its voice grew increasingly shaky and agitated. It was losing its grip, unable to take another life. The only ones it had killed were those it had struck down before the tests even began.

"Enough! I'm the trainer here! You, be quiet!"The voice from the speakers was becoming frantic, its anger rising as it failed to claim more victims.

"Do you even have a fitness trainer certification?"Logan suddenly asked, his tone firm and challenging. It was absurd—he was questioning a supernatural entity about its qualifications—but it was a calculated risk.

The voice from the speakers fell silent, as if the question had struck a nerve.

"But I do!"Logan pointed to the display case holding the gym's trainer certifications, proof that the trainers here were legitimate professionals. "You're misleading people, and you have no right to give orders."

"Shut up!!!!!!!"The entity's voice screeched with fury, the sheer volume making everyone's ears ring. Some of the more sensitive customers were on the verge of passing out from the noise.

"A fitness trainer must demonstrate their physique and guide clients with proper technique. You don't even dare to show yourself! What gives you the right to call yourself a trainer?"Logan shouted back, pushing the entity's buttons even further, trying to force it into a mistake—perhaps even into revealing itself.

It was a dangerous tactic. If the entity lost control, it could go on a rampage, killing everyone in the gym. But Logan knew there was no other way out. Humans could never fully understand or satisfy a supernatural entity's twisted logic. Sometimes, the only option was to provoke it into making a fatal error.

"Aaaaargh!"The entity's voice became a wild, unhinged scream. The soundwaves shattered every mirror and glass in the gym, even blowing open the reinforced glass doors.

"Run! Everyone, get out now!"Logan shouted, taking Evelyn's hand and pushing a few others toward the exit. The open door was a lifeline, and the trainers and customers, driven by survival instinct, bolted for it. Thankfully, the gym was spacious enough to prevent a stampede.

Logan spotted Lily among the fleeing crowd, struggling to keep her balance. He pulled her up and led both women down the stairs as fast as he could.

"Die! Logan... Die! Logan... Die! Logan..."The entity's voice still echoed, fixated on Logan, its malevolent intent clear.