NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61: Chapter 61
As quickly as the challenge with the savant had lit a fire under Alex, it was just as swiftly forgotten. It's now proven that at level 2 mental strength, he had already outclassed the savants. His mind had moved on to a new task—something more immediate, something that tested both his physical and mental limits in a way he hadn't expected.
Meditating while sparring.
It was a strange experiment, one that had intrigued him ever since his first failed attempt. He had visualized the cosmos, felt that familiar sense of peace, only to get beaten down within seconds for losing focus. It wasn't discouraging though, just...challenging. He'd never backed down from a challenge before, and he wasn't about to start now.
But the progress was slow. Every time he tried it again, he could last only a few seconds longer before his thoughts drifted, his focus shattered, and his opponent landed another blow. The instructor, an older man with sharp eyes and years of experience, had started to notice Alex's distractions.
During one session, after yet another failed attempt at staying focused, the instructor pulled Alex aside.
"Something bothering you, kid?" the instructor asked, giving Alex a concerned look. "You've been a little off lately. If you don't mind me asking—this distraction you're dealing with...is it girl trouble?"
Alex blinked, caught off guard by the question. He hadn't thought about that part of his life in a long time. "Girl trouble?" he repeated, chuckling slightly.
The instructor nodded, leaning against the side of the sparring ring. "Yeah, happens to the best of us. Sometimes, you can be in a fight, but your head is somewhere else. And where is it usually? With some girl, right?"
Alex's smile faded slightly as the instructor's words sank in. "It's not exactly that..." he started, but then something clicked in his mind. His thoughts had drifted earlier, not just from the challenge of meditating while sparring, but to something—or rather, someone—from his past.
College. That sweet, stupid time of life when everything seemed simpler.
Her.
Amanda.
The memory of her hit him like a wave, sweeping over him in vivid detail. He remembered her laugh, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the feel of her hand in his, and how the two of them had walked together for hours, talking about everything and nothing. It had been one of those rare, perfect connections that made the world feel just a little brighter.
Alex's mind drifted further, replaying moments in sharp, almost painfully real clarity. The nights spent watching movies, the random walks across campus, and the way they could just sit in silence and it didn't feel awkward. He hadn't thought about Amanda in so long, but now, in the middle of a training session, here she was—clearer than ever, like a dream he hadn't realized he'd been holding onto.
He found himself smiling like a fool.
"Ah, there it is," the instructor said, noticing the shift in Alex's expression. "I see that smile. Told you it was a girl."
Alex shook his head, trying to shake off the fog of nostalgia. "It's not that," he said, though the grin on his face said otherwise. "It's just...old memories."
"Well, whatever it is, don't let it get in the way of your training. You've got potential, kid. But not if your mind is halfway across the city thinking about some old flame."
The instructor's words brought Alex back to the present, but the memory of Amanda lingered. He hadn't thought about her in so long. Their time together had been sweet, maybe even perfect in its own way, but that was a different life now. He had new challenges, new goals.
Still, the memory wasn't unwelcome. In fact, it felt comforting, like revisiting an old song that once meant everything.
As Alex re-entered the sparring ring, the warmth of those memories stayed with him. He couldn't quite shake the past, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing. The lessons he'd learned, the experiences he'd had, all of it had shaped him into who he was now. And in some strange way, that love he had once felt had given him the confidence and focus he needed to keep pushing forward.
Even if Amanda wasn't part of his present anymore, she'd always be a part of him. That thought, at least, kept him grounded as he refocused on the task at hand.