Proving Ground

Hermes woke up feeling like he had been crushed by a truck. His whole body ached, and even lifting his arms felt like a struggle. He groaned, rolling over, hoping to get just a little more sleep.

But then he felt something—someone—sitting on the edge of his bed.

His eyes shot open, and through the blur, he saw a familiar figure. Short hair, serious expression, and a presence that immediately made him nervous.

His heart pounded as he jolted upright.

"What the hell?! What are you doing here?"

Azrael smirked.

"Good morning, Hermes. Rise and shine."

Hermes blinked, still half-asleep.

"Azrael? How the hell did you get in here?"

Azrael stretched casually.

"Followed you home last night. You didn't even notice. Had to break the doorknob to get in."

Hermes stared at him.

"You… broke my door?!"

Azrael shrugged. "I didn't think you'd mind."

Hermes groaned, rubbing his face. "You better fix that."

Azrael ignored him. "Get up. Training starts now."

Hermes looked at the clock. 4:47 AM. His head dropped back onto the pillow.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Azrael grabbed his blanket and yanked it off.

"You want to be strong or not?"

Hermes groaned, already regretting his life choices. "I hate you."

Azrael smirked.

"Then today's training will be fun."

---

MORNING WORKOUT: ENDURANCE AND DISCIPLINE

Stepping outside, the cold air hit Hermes like a slap. His muscles screamed, but Azrael wasn't giving him a break.

"Put this on." Azrael tossed him a weighted backpack.

Hermes picked it up and nearly dropped it.

"What the hell is in this?"

"Ten kilos," Azrael said. "You're running five kilometers. No stops."

Hermes groaned. "You are trying to kill me."

Azrael smirked. "Move."

The first kilometer wasn't too bad, but by the second, his legs burned. By the third, he was gasping for air.

"I can't…" he muttered.

"You can." Azrael kept pace beside him. "Keep moving."

By the time he finished, Hermes collapsed onto the ground, chest heaving.

Azrael wasn't done. "Push-ups. 200."

Hermes looked up in disbelief.

"Dude… are you serious?"

Azrael crouched beside him.

"Want to do 300 instead?"

Hermes groaned and dropped into position. The first fifty were fine. By seventy, his arms shook. By a hundred, he collapsed.

"I… can't…" he panted.

Azrael didn't blink. "Start over."

Hermes' head snapped up. "What?!"

"You stopped before 200. Doesn't count."

Hermes cursed under his breath but pushed himself up again. His body screamed, but he didn't stop this time.

When he finally hit 200, he collapsed again. But Azrael still wasn't done.

"Sit-ups. 100."

Hermes groaned, dragging himself onto his back. "You are trying to kill me."

Azrael smirked.

"If this kills you, you weren't meant to be strong."

Grumbling, Hermes started. Every rep burned, but he kept going.

After sit-ups came jump squats. Then planks. By the end, he could barely move.

Azrael watched as he lay on the ground, exhausted. "Not bad," he said. "But we'll add more next time."

Hermes groaned. "I hate you so much."

Azrael grinned. "See you this afternoon."

---

AFTERNOON TRAINING: POWER AND RESISTANCE

Hermes barely had the strength to stand, but Azrael wasn't letting up.

"Grab the sledgehammer," Azrael ordered.

Hermes eyed him. "You do know I can barely feel my arms, right?"

Azrael shrugged. "Then pass out. I'll wake you up and make you do it again."

Hermes gritted his teeth and grabbed the hammer. Lifting it over his head, he slammed it onto the tire.

"Harder," Azrael ordered.

Each slam sent shockwaves through his arms. His muscles burned, but he kept going.

"Fifty more," Azrael said.

By the time he finished, Hermes could barely keep his grip on the hammer. But Azrael still wasn't done.

"Burpees. 50. No breaks."

Hermes shot him a look of pure hatred but didn't argue.

Each burpee felt like torture, but he pushed through. Sweat dripped onto the pavement. His breath came in ragged gasps.

Azrael's voice cut through the pain. "Ten more."

Somehow, Hermes finished. But just when he thought it was over—

"Stair runs. Thirty minutes. Go."

Hermes groaned, dragging his legs up the stairs.

---

By the time training ended, Hermes could barely move. His whole body ached like he had been crushed under a truck. His legs felt like stone, his arms shook, and even breathing hurt. He collapsed onto the ground, chest heaving, sweat dripping onto the dirt.

"I can't… I can't move…" Hermes gasped.

Azrael stood over him, arms crossed, watching him struggle. After a moment, he knelt beside him. "You did better than I expected," he said.

Hermes let out a weak laugh. "Oh yeah? Feels like I barely survived."

Azrael smirked. "You survived the second day."

Hermes groaned. "You're saying… this still isn't the worst of it?"

Azrael tilted his head slightly. "Nope."

Hermes let out a long, pained groan and covered his face with his arm. "I hate you."

Azrael chuckled. "Good. That means I'm doing my job right."

For a while, neither of them spoke. The wind was cool against Hermes' burning skin. The distant sounds of the city barely reached his ears. He was too exhausted to think about anything but the pain.

Then Azrael spoke again, his tone firm but not unkind. "Pain fades. Weakness disappears. But the strength you build from this? That stays."

Hermes exhaled sharply.

"And what if I break before I get that strength?"

Azrael didn't hesitate.

"Then you were never meant to reach it."

Hermes stared up at the sky, his body screaming for rest. But something in him refused to quit. He had already come this far—he wasn't stopping now.

Azrael stood and nudged Hermes with his foot.

"Come on. You're not sleeping here."

Hermes groaned but forced himself to sit up. Every movement hurt.

"You're insane."

Azrael smirked. "And you're still here. Which means you're insane, too."

Hermes shook his head but took Azrael's hand, letting him pull him to his feet. His legs wobbled, but he didn't fall.

Azrael clapped him on the shoulder.

"Rest up. Tomorrow's your break."

Hermes blinked at him, barely processing what he just heard.

"Wait… what?"

Azrael smirked.

"I'm not a complete monster. Rest is part of training, too. So sleep, eat, do whatever you need to recover. Because after that, we go even harder."

Hermes exhaled in relief.

"You could've told me that earlier…"

Azrael shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

Hermes sighed but couldn't help a small smile. At least for now, he had a chance to breathe.