Kael collapsed on the ground, his limbs heavy and his chest heaving with exhaustion.
The ache of overtraining wrapped around his body like chains.
All around him, the field slowly emptied.
Some students slipped off toward the classrooms for the shade, dragging their tired bodies along the stone paths.
Others made a beeline for the water stations, washing sweat from their faces and gulping down mouthfuls of relief.
Elysia was calmly talking with Edwin and Jin Halden near the edge of the school grounds, just after the laps.
But Kael stayed where he was—flat on his back, unable to move.
Then something changed.
A cool, tingling sensation spread over his skin. A soft light pulsed gently at his chest, like waves brushing against the shore.
The tightness in his muscles loosened.
The sharp throb in his legs vanished.
Even the deep, purple bruises on his arms—the result of night after night of sword swings—began to fade.
He opened his eyes slowly.
And what he saw made his breath catch for a different reason entirely.
Cecelia was kneeling beside him, one hand glowing with healing mana as it hovered just above his chest.
Her silver-blonde hair swayed gently with the breeze. Her soft green eyes, sharp with focus, glowed faintly under the early morning light.
Up close, she looked even more beautiful than the novel had described.
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
She's… stunning.
Even the book didn't do her justice…
He had read about her countless times—her strength, her elegance, her importance in the story—but this was the first time she was real.
The first time she was right in front of him.
And now, he was the first person at the entire academy to speak to her.
"You're awake," Cecelia said softly, a faint smile on her lips.
Kael sat up slowly, blinking in disbelief at how light his body felt.
His bruises were gone.
His soreness had vanished.
"You healed me?" he asked, voice still slightly rough.
Cecelia nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You weren't the only one who collapsed. I've been healing a few others who pushed themselves too far."
She studied him for a moment longer.
"and you… you looked worse than anyone."
Kael gave a weak, breathless laugh. "I've… been… ."
"I figured."
Her brows creased gently.
"You should be careful, Kael. If you break yourself, who's going to carry the strength you're chasing?"
He looked down at his hands—still trembling, but whole.
"I don't really have a choice," he muttered under his breath.
There was a pause.
Then Cecelia said, softly but firmly, "There's always a choice. But… I won't stop you. I just don't want to see my classmates hurt."
Kael turned toward her, this time not hiding the gratitude in his eyes.
"…Thank you. Really. For healing me."
Cecelia stood, brushing the dust off her knees with graceful ease.
"Next time, don't make me heal you. Just… don't destroy yourself trying to catch up."
Kael nodded, smiling faintly.
Then, as she began to walk away, she turned back—her eyes meeting his once more.
She smiled—gentle, warm, and entirely genuine.
"Come on, get up now, you won't be able to keep up if you keep lying here."
Kael sat there for a second longer, watching her walk away.
His heart was still pounding.
So that's Cecelia…
Kind. Strong. And…
He stood up slowly, his hand brushing his side where her healing light had touched him.
I won't forget this.
(she looks like an angel, anyone could fall for her if she neared to someone).
"I will repay you".
..............................................................
Two hours passed.
Professor Sylvia arrived, and all the students quickly gathered at Ground Zero again.
Her sharp eyes swept across the field as she addressed the group.
"This is the second week for all of you," she said.
"From now on, you'll undergo several types of training each day. First, the usual 100 laps—must be completed within two hours. Second, combat training. And third—starting this week—I will train you about body endurance."
Murmurs rippled through the group.
"What kind of endurance?" someone whispered from the back.
Professor Sylvia's expression didn't change.
"We have a special facility near the main hall," she continued.
"It's called the Glacier Room. The temperature inside is minus sixty degrees Celsius. It was built to hold more than five hundred people—and all of you will be training inside it."
The students looked at each other in disbelief.
"Minus sixty?" someone gasped.
Without another word, Professor Sylvia turned and began walking.
"Follow me."
We followed her across the academy grounds.
A thin fog slowly moved along the stone paths as we walked toward a huge iron door built into the side of the training building.
Above the door, shiny silver letters spelled out: GLACIER ROOM.
A burst of freezing air escaped as the door opened.
We stepped inside.
At first, it wasn't too bad. Just cold enough to make us tighten our jackets and rub our arms.
A few chuckles broke the tension—maybe it wouldn't be as hard as it sounded.
But that illusion didn't last.
Five minutes passed.
Then the real cold hit.
Our breath began to fog in front of our faces. Fingers turned numb. Teeth started to chatter.
The chill didn't just touch the skin—it crept deep into our bones.
Some students couldn't take it. Shivering uncontrollably, they rushed back to the exit.
Within fifteen minutes, nearly a third had given up.
By the thirty-minute mark, even the strongest among us were struggling.
But still, a few remained unmoving.
Edwin stood with arms crossed, stoic as ever.
Jin Halden crouched low, controlling his breathing.
Elysia stood calmly, eyes closed, her long hair dusted with frost.
Cecelia's hands glowed faintly with a soft golden light, using subtle healing to maintain her body temperature—but she didn't use it on others.
And me?
I lasted thirty minutes.
After that, my legs grew stiff, and my vision started to blur. My lips had turned blue, and I couldn't even feel my fingers.
I was about to freeze.
With trembling steps, I stumbled toward the door and pushed it open, gasping as warm air hit my face outside the chamber.
"Thirty minutes…" I muttered.
"I couldn't even make it halfway…"