Chapter 61 - Endurance and Mind Games

The sun barely crept over the horizon, casting a faint glow over the forest clearing where Matt, Anastasia, and Sean stood. Wyatt's voice echoed as he laid out the plan for the day.

"Sixteen hours. Non-stop. If you want to make it through, you'll have to forget you're human," Wyatt barked. "I want sweat, blood, and broken limits!"

"Broken limits? Is he kidding?" Sean muttered under his breath, already eyeing the steep climb they were supposed to start with.

Anastasia smirked, rolling her shoulders to loosen up. "Come on, it's not that bad. At least we're getting out of the dojo for a while."

"Yeah, but we're not exactly heading to a spa, are we?" Matt grumbled, already feeling the tension in his muscles from the last few days of relentless training.

"Let's move!" Wyatt's sharp command cut through the early morning air, and before they knew it, they were off—sprinting through the thick forest, jumping over fallen trees, ducking under low branches, and trying to keep pace with Wyatt, who seemed to have an unnatural stamina.

Three hours in, their bodies were screaming. The cardio, mixed with parkour-like movements, was pushing them all to their limits. Anastasia, ahead of the pack, couldn't help but feel exhilarated. Each leap and bound over an obstacle felt smoother, her body more in sync with her surroundings.

Matt, on the other hand, was breathing like he had just run a marathon. "I swear, he's trying to kill us," he gasped, barely able to keep his balance as he stumbled over a log.

"Quit whining, you'll live!" Anastasia called over her shoulder.

After what felt like hours, they finally reached the river. Wyatt stood on the other side, arms crossed, smirking. "You're halfway through. What's next?"

Without warning, Wyatt jumped into the water and started swimming across, expecting them to follow.

"Are you kidding me? I can barely feel my legs!" Sean complained, staring at the freezing water with wide eyes.

Anastasia shrugged, already heading in. "No time to think, guys. You heard the man—let's go!"

The cold shock of the water sent adrenaline surging through her veins. As they fought against the current, Wyatt's words echoed in their minds: "Forget you're human." It was starting to feel possible.

Meanwhile, high above the clouds, Bastian was getting his own dose of training. Billy had him sitting on a rock, his arms crossed and brows furrowed, trying to teach him how to block out other people's thoughts.

"Come on, man. You can't keep reading my mind every time I think about Anastasia. It's weird," Bastian said, more irritated than anything else.

Billy laughed. "You think I want to hear your thoughts? Trust me, I don't. But this telepathy stuff isn't something you can just turn on and off like a light switch. It's a muscle. You gotta train it."

"Yeah, well, it's a muscle I didn't ask for," Bastian muttered.

Billy rolled his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. Now, close your eyes and focus. Start with blocking me out."

Bastian sighed but did as instructed. For a moment, there was peace—until a stray thought about last night with Anastasia popped into his head. Billy immediately burst out laughing.

"Seriously? Can you not?"

"I'm trying, okay! This isn't exactly something they taught me while I was beating the crap out of other angels."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to figure it out." Billy gave him a knowing smile before turning serious. "Look, you're connected to Anastasia in a way that's deeper than you even understand. If you can't control this, it's going to mess with both of you."

 * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The dojo was unusually quiet that evening, the air thick with the scent of sweat and exhaustion. Matt, Sean, and Anastasia lay sprawled across the floor, bodies aching after a full day of training. Even Wyatt seemed to be giving them a rare moment to breathe.

"Okay, so... when do we actually get good at this?" Matt groaned, rubbing his sore shoulders.

"I think we're supposed to feel like we're dying before that happens," Anastasia teased, her smile half-hearted but genuine.

Wyatt strode in, looking far too energetic for someone who had spent hours running them into the ground. "You're asking the wrong question. It's not about getting good; it's about getting better. And faster."

"Great," Sean mumbled, rolling onto his back. "Can't wait."

Just as the three of them started to relax, Wyatt clapped his hands together, bringing them all to attention. "Rest time's over. I need you three on your feet. It's time for acrobatics."

Sean sat up, groaning. "Dad, come on. My legs are already jelly."

"You think demons are going to give you a break because your legs are tired?" Wyatt snapped back. "Get up. Now."

As they reluctantly stood, Wyatt led them to a series of rings, bars, and ropes hanging from the ceiling. They exchanged nervous glances.

"What is this?" Anastasia asked, unsure whether to be excited or terrified.

"This is where we find out if you can move like warriors," Wyatt said, gesturing to the equipment. "You're going to train like gymnasts now. Acrobatics are crucial in a fight. You need to move, twist, flip—basically turn into human weapons."

Matt groaned. "I don't know if I'm cut out for this. I'm not exactly Cirque du Soleil material."

Anastasia laughed. "Come on, we can do this."

What followed was hours of gruelling acrobatic training—swinging from ropes, balancing on bars, flipping in mid-air. It was as if they had stepped into a completely new realm of training. At first, their movements were awkward, clumsy. Sean barely managed to swing without crashing into Matt. Anastasia, though more graceful, was still struggling with the flips.

But as the hours passed, something shifted. Their bodies started to adapt. Movements became fluid. Matt's complaints turned into grunts of determination. Anastasia flipped with ease, her body almost weightless as she swung from one bar to the next. Even Sean, who had been the most reluctant, was now leaping from ropes like a seasoned acrobat.

At the same time, Bastian was undergoing a different kind of training. Billy stood across from him, arms folded, a smug smile on his face. "Alright, let's see if you can finally block me out."

Bastian, his jaw set in concentration, focused all his energy on keeping Billy's thoughts out of his head. It was a strange feeling, like trying to close a door that kept being forced open. Billy was relentless, sending wave after wave of thoughts toward him.

But this time, Bastian was ready. He managed to keep most of Billy's thoughts at bay, but then, out of nowhere, a vivid image of Anastasia smiling at him slipped through.

"You're distracted," Billy said, crossing his arms.

"I'm not—okay, maybe a little."

"You're thinking about her. I can feel it."

Bastian sighed. "It's hard not to."

Billy grinned. "Yeah, I get it. But if you can't learn to focus, this connection you two have is going to overwhelm you."

"I know, I know. I'm working on it."

"Work faster," Billy said with a wink, "because if Gabriel finds out about the bond, things are going to get a lot more complicated."

Bastian frowned but nodded. He knew Billy was right.