Soul of a Samurai

The first day of training had been the hardest thing I had ever done.

The second day was even worse.

When I woke up the next morning, my whole body ached. My arms felt stiff, my legs wouldn't move properly, and even sitting up in bed was a struggle.

But I got up anyway.

I ate breakfast in silence, focusing on moving my spoon to my mouth without my arms shaking too much. My mother gave me a concerned look. "Are you sure you want to train again today?"

I nodded. "I'm fine."

Father simply stood and walked outside. I knew that was his way of telling me it was time to go.

So I followed.

And just like that, the next day of training began.

Running. Push-ups. Squats.

Over and over.

I was already sore from yesterday, so everything hurt more. My legs burned with every step, and my arms felt like they would give out at any moment.

But I kept going.

Father didn't let up. He expected me to push through, and I did.

By midday, my body was drenched in sweat. My clothes stuck to my skin, and every breath felt heavy.

When it was time to eat, I barely had the strength to lift my food. My hands shook as I picked up my chopsticks.

Mother sighed. "At least eat slowly."

I tried, but I was too hungry to care.

After we finished eating, I wanted to rest. Just for a little while.

But Father stood and said, "Back to training."

I didn't complain.

I stood up and followed him outside.

Even if I could barely walk, I wouldn't stop.

The next few days followed the same pattern.

Wake up. Eat. Train. Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

There were no breaks, no easy days. Every morning, I woke up sore, and every night, I collapsed into bed, too tired to think.

At first, it felt impossible. My body wasn't used to this.

But something changed.

As the days passed, my legs didn't shake as much when I ran. My arms didn't give out as quickly when I did push-ups. My body adapted.

I was getting stronger.

I could feel it.

One evening, after another long day of training, I sat outside, breathing heavily as I looked up at the sky.

The blue particles were there again, floating all around me.

I had seen them every day, but I still didn't understand what they were.

Still, they felt… calming.

I reached out to them, my fingers brushing through the air.

I still couldn't grab them, no matter how much I tried.

But that was okay.

One day, I would understand them.

For now, I had training to focus on.

Tomorrow would be another day.

And I wouldn't stop.