Morning arrived with a cold bite, the mountain winds whispering through the temple halls. My body protested as I sat up, the ache from yesterday's training still settled deep in my muscles. I had known pain before, but Elder Sun's methods had unearthed new layers of exhaustion.
Still, I rose. The burden of my own limits would not excuse me from the path I had chosen.
When I arrived at the grove, Elder Sun was already there, waiting. He did not acknowledge my presence beyond a single nod before motioning toward the uneven terrain. The same command as yesterday. "Run."
I clenched my teeth and obeyed.
The first lap was tolerable. The second, less so. By the third, my legs burned, and the strain in my calves threatened to buckle me. The weight of my own body, combined with the endless adjustments needed to maintain balance, made every step feel like a battle.
I lost count of how many times I stumbled. Each time, Elder Sun would utter the same word. "Again."
By midday, my breaths came in ragged gasps. The world narrowed to the stretch of ground before me, each step a negotiation between control and collapse. Sweat soaked through my robes, my vision blurred, and my thoughts thinned to a singular, stubborn resolve—move forward.
Finally, when my body could endure no more, Elder Sun raised his hand. "Enough."
I barely had the strength to stop myself from falling. My knees hit the dirt as I struggled to catch my breath.
Elder Sun approached, his gaze unreadable. "You are learning," he said, almost to himself. "But your body is still fighting itself. You hold tension where there should be none. When you swing your sword, do you force it, or do you let it flow?"
I swallowed, my throat dry. "I… wield it."
"Then you have not yet understood." He stepped past me, drawing a line in the dirt with the tip of his staff. "Stand."
I forced myself upright, my legs trembling.
He gestured toward the line. "Walk it."
Confused but unwilling to question him, I stepped forward, placing one foot before the other. The action should have been simple, but my exhausted limbs struggled to find stability.
Elder Sun watched closely. "A sword strike is not merely strength. It is movement. Precision. Efficiency. You have power, but no refinement. Until you learn to walk with control, you will never move with purpose."
I exhaled through gritted teeth and continued walking. One foot after the other. Slow. Steady.
By the time the sun had begun its descent, my legs no longer trembled. The ache remained, but I found a strange rhythm in the act. A balance I had not noticed before.
Elder Sun finally spoke. "Tomorrow, you will do this again. And the day after."
I looked at him, and for the first time, I understood. This was not punishment. This was a foundation.
I bowed, sweat dripping from my brow. "I will be here."
A faint flicker of approval crossed his face before he turned away. "Then perhaps one day, you will understand the weight of your own steps."