15# Hellish Training: The Beginning

The sky was still painted in dark shades when a heavy hand shook me awake, pulling me from a sleep that barely even existed.

— "Get up. Activate the Mantra." — Darius' voice was sharp, cold, and as cutting as a blade.

My eyes opened slowly. Everything hurt. My entire body felt heavier than it should. But I obeyed. I activated the Mantra, and a subtle pressure spread through my body. My senses sharpened, my heartbeat grew stronger, and my breathing became more stable.

— "Wash your face. Eat the leftover fish from yesterday. Today… will be hell."

I sat on the rock, chewing without thinking. Dry, cold, tasteless. Hunger made me swallow anything. It didn't matter anymore whether it tasted good or not. I just needed energy… because something told me I was going to need every last bit of it.

Darius started walking, and like a dog that knows who holds the leash, I followed silently.

He stopped exactly where the cages used to be.

Without a word, he grabbed two heavy chains lying on the ground, tied one around each of my ankles, and secured two massive boulders to the ends—each one nearly the size of my body.

— "Today, you'll climb that mountain... and then come back down. Simple." — He pointed with a gaze that sent chills down my spine.

I looked at the mountain. Tall. Steep. Rough. Every rock seemed to stare back at me, mocking what was about to happen.

— "Climb… and descend?" — I swallowed hard. — "That's... that's..."

Darius slowly turned his head toward me. He didn't need to say a word.

His bloodlust exploded.

An invisible pressure crushed me. My lungs refused to pull in air. My body trembled. My muscles locked up. Every instinct screamed at me to run.

But… run where?

That gaze said one thing: there's no way out.

Without another word, I took the first step.

The sound of chains dragging against stone echoed through the forest, as if announcing my own funeral.

Every step tore at muscles I didn't even know I had. Gravity yanked at the boulders. My legs burned. My body trembled. The Mantra helped… but not enough. The weight crushed. The pain devoured.

I climbed.

Every meter felt like a kilometer. My feet slipped. My hands clawed at anything they could. My knees shook, threatening to give out with every breath.

Reaching the top felt like surviving death itself. But it wasn't over. I still had to go down—and down... was even worse.

Each step back threatened to snap my legs in two. The boulders smashed against the rocks. The metallic clang of chains mixed with the ragged sound of my own breath.

The sun was already leaning toward the horizon when I finally saw Darius waiting below, arms crossed, as if this was just another regular day for him.

Without a word, he walked over, crouched, and unlocked the chains from my ankles. The sudden release of weight nearly sent me collapsing to the ground.

— "Come on. Head to the river and wash yourself. You stink." — His voice was firm and impassive, leaving no room for argument.

I obeyed without a word.

As always, he walked ahead. Dove straight into the river, disappearing beneath the surface. Seconds later, he surfaced—holding two massive fish, one in each hand.

Without ceremony, he returned to the firepit. Closed his eyes, made a small hand gesture, whispered something I couldn't hear—and flames instantly erupted.

I stared for a second, frowning. That... wasn't normal. But I held my tongue. I already knew... he wouldn't answer.

Darius skewered the fish, positioned them over the flame, and sat silently, watching.

The smell of roasting meat felt like a blessing from the gods. My stomach growled so loud it felt like it might explode from inside me.

When the fish were finally ready, he pushed one toward me. — "Eat. You'll need the energy. Tomorrow... it starts all over again."

I tore into the meat with my hands, devouring it as if it were the last meal of my life.

Once we finished, Darius stood up, kicked some wood onto the fire, and said, coldly and directly:

— "Sleep. You're going to need it."

I lay down, staring at the sky as it darkened.

Every inch of my body felt like it had been smashed. But one truth echoed louder than the pain itself...

If this doesn't kill me... I'll become stronger than anyone ever imagined.