Before Kaisler could even react, Buddy was already on him. The air around him seemed to bend as Buddy’s speed hit him like a freight train. One moment, Kaisler was standing—then the next, he was in a chokehold. His breath caught in his throat as Buddy’s unrelenting grip tightened, and his vision blurred as Buddy created twenty massive katanas, all pointed at him.

Buddy (grinning): “Too fucking easy.”

Kaisler (struggling to speak): “Shut the fuck up.”

Buddy released him, and Kaisler stumbled to his feet, his chest heaving. The weight of the situation hit him all at once—he was still nowhere near being ready for someone of Buddy’s caliber.

Kaisler gritted his teeth, pushing his frustration aside. He stomped off and continued training.

Buddy (calling after him): “I’ll train you.”

Kaisler (pausing, glancing back): “Really? You sure?”

Buddy (shrugging): “Yeah, I’ll help you out. But you’ve gotta stop being a dumbass.”

Kaisler (snorting): “Nah, I’m good. I don’t want a playboy like you trying to train me.”

Buddy: “Shut up.”

Kaisler (raising an eyebrow): “Speaking of being a playboy, where’s Sarah?”

Buddy (grinning): “Upstairs.”

Kaisler: “Wow, good job, detective.”

Buddy (snickering): “Hey, man, I didn’t do shit. She’s got her own room. You know, your old room?” (He smirks.) “The one you used to stay at?”

Kaisler (fuming): “I hate you so much.”

2 hours later
Kaisler focused hard, trying to summon the string. The air around his hand shimmered as he struggled to keep the thin thread in place, its faint glow flickering out of sight as his mind fought against the mental strain.

Buddy: “If a spaceship leaves Earth at 6 AM traveling at 100,000 km/h, and another spaceship leaves 10 minutes later going 100,000 km/h, when will they meet?”

Kaisler (gritting his teeth, frustration mounting): “That’s a dumb question! Can you not see I’m busy right now?”

Buddy: “Nope. Focus on your strength, but I’m still asking. You gonna answer or not?”

Kaisler winced, the strain of summoning the thread intensifying. His hand trembled slightly as the thin, barely visible string began to quiver.

Kaisler: “What the hell kind of question is that? You know what? I’ll just say… in an hour. I’m done guessing, man.”

Buddy (grinning): “Wrong. They never meet, because they’re moving at the same speed. Nice try though, dumbass.”

Kaisler shot him a glare, his mind finally snapping back into focus as he re-centered his efforts. The string steadied in his hand, and he continued training in silence.

Kaisler: “You’re a fucking pain, you know that?”

Buddy: “Yeah, but at least you’re still training. Keep going, you’ll get it eventually, even with my annoying questions.”

Kaisler sighed, shaking his head, but with determination in his eyes, he kept pushing himself, ignoring the distractions.

Sarah walked down the stairs, a playful smile on her face as she walked over to Buddy and kissed him on the cheek.

Sarah: “Good morning, Kaisler.”

Buddy (grinning): “What about me?”

Sarah (playfully): “That kiss was your good morning.”

Kaisler (groaning): “Ew, kill me now.”

Sarah (mock offended): “Rude.”

Kaisler: “My bad.”

Sarah: “Just messing with you.”

Buddy (slapping Kaisler on the back): “Hey, bro, keep training.”

As he said that, the thread Kaisler had been working so hard to hold onto suddenly snapped, causing him to curse under his breath.

Kaisler: “Okay, bro, chill.”

Buddy (grinning): “Don’t you need to improve your stamina?”

Kaisler (panting): “Yeah…”

Buddy: “Let’s do some roadwork then.”

Kaisler: “No.”

Buddy (mocking): “You’ve been stuck in this house for two days. You have one week left. You need to do some roadwork.”

Kaisler (groaning): “I hate running.”

Buddy: “Let’s go. You have to see the world, build up all your strength. If you can’t hit hard, you’re dead. If you can’t run fast or keep up, you’re dead. I may be dumb, but I’m the best when it comes to fighting.”

Kaisler (hesitant): “Yeah, but like…”

Buddy: “No buts. You have to do it.”

Kaisler (giving in): “Alright, but how far are we going?”

Buddy (grinning): “You’ll run five marathons, do 400 diamond push-ups, and 700 squats.”

Kaisler (wide-eyed): “I’m not a superhuman.”

Buddy (shrugging): “You’re military. You have fucking powers.”

Kaisler (frustrated): “So…?”

Buddy (pointing at him): “Just shut the fuck up.”

Kaisler (defeated): “Okay, okay, chill. Sarah, why do you go out with this potty-mouth, dumbass playboy?”

Sarah (laughing): “Sometimes I don’t even know.”

Buddy (mock hurt): “Ow, babe, you’re meant to have a reason.”

Sarah (raising an eyebrow): “Just shut up.”

Buddy (smiling): “Can you make some tea for us?”

Sarah (thinking): “Should I?”

Both Buddy and Kaisler turned to her, their eyes pleading as they spoke in unison.

Both: “Please.”

Sarah (rolling her eyes): “Fine, I’ll make tea. But I swear you two are lucky I love you.”
Sarah walked over to the stove, preparing to make tea as Buddy leaned against the counter, watching her closely. His usual grin was gone, replaced with a more serious look. He had concerns—about Kaisler, about the training.

Buddy (glancing at Kaisler through the window): “You think he’s really ready for all this? The roadwork, the training… it’s intense. He’s been pushing himself nonstop for days.”

Sarah (sighing, focusing on the tea kettle): “I know, I know. But he doesn’t really listen to anyone when he gets like this. He’s stubborn, but he won’t stop unless someone tells him to.”

Buddy (pauses, thinking): “Yeah, but I’m worried, Sarah. This isn’t just physical exhaustion. He’s got powers, sure, but they’re dangerous. He’s pulling on energy that could break him down if he pushes too far. I’ve seen people burn out from less, and he doesn’t seem to understand that.”

Sarah (looking up from the kettle, concerned): “You think he’s going to burn out?”

Buddy (frowning, rubbing the back of his neck): “I’m not sure… but I have a bad feeling. He’s pushing harder than he ever has before, and his body isn’t used to it. Plus, his power—well, it’s unpredictable. If he doesn't pace himself, it could end badly.”

Sarah (pausing, watching Kaisler in the background as he grits his teeth while doing push-ups, sweat dripping down his face): “But if we stop him now… he’ll think we don’t believe in him. And we can’t have him thinking that. He’s already dealing with a lot.”

Buddy (softly, almost to himself): “I don’t want him to think I’m holding him back… but I also don’t want him to push too far, end up hurting himself. He’s not invincible, Sarah. I know we all have powers, but we’re still human.”

The sound of Kaisler groaning from the next room broke the tension. Sarah glanced towards the door, her expression softening.

Sarah: “I know. But he’s stubborn. He won’t stop until he feels like he’s done enough.”

A brief silence followed as both of them stood there, watching Kaisler through the window, sweat pouring as he pushed himself harder.

Meanwhile, Kaisler was struggling, doing squats in rapid succession, his legs shaking with exhaustion. His face was a mask of pain, but determination burned in his eyes. The pressure of training combined with the mental strain of summoning his energy was starting to take its toll. He stumbled slightly, barely catching himself.

Buddy (muttering): “He’s already reaching his limit… I can see it.”

Sarah (shaking her head): “What do we do, Buddy? We can’t just let him burn out, but if we stop him now, it could make things worse. He’s got his pride. He’s fighting for something bigger than just himself.”

Buddy (nodding slowly, watching Kaisler's every move): “Yeah. And he’s gonna push till he drops. He needs someone to pull him back before that happens.”

Sarah (finally turning away from the stove, taking a deep breath): “Then we need to be there for him. We can’t stop him completely, but we can make sure he doesn’t go too far.”

Buddy (clapping his hands together with resolve): “Alright, we’ll keep an eye on him. And if it gets bad, we pull him back. But we’re not letting him crash… we’ll find a way to make sure he’s ready when it matters.”

Sarah (smiling, handing him the cup of tea): “Right. Together.”

As the tea began to steep, the two of them stood in silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of Kaisler’s struggle echoing through the house. The tea would be ready soon, but more importantly, they both knew that Kaisler’s mental and physical limits were being tested, and they had to be there to make sure he didn’t break.

The sun was relentless, beating down on Kaisler as he trudged through the dirt path, his legs heavy and sluggish from the first marathon. His breath came in short, painful bursts, and every step felt like dragging his body through molasses. The distance seemed endless, stretching before him like an impossible hurdle, but Buddy kept pace, jogging with ease and occasionally throwing sarcastic comments his way.

Buddy (grinning, completely unaffected): "Come on, keep up! It’s just one marathon down. Four more to go!"

Kaisler (his voice strained, fighting back tears of frustration): "I can’t… I don’t even know why I’m doing this..."

But Buddy was unwavering, a force of nature in his own right, unbothered by the sweat glistening on his brow, the muscle strain in his own legs. To him, this was just another day in the grind.

Buddy (smirking): "You signed up for this, man. If you want to be anything but weak, you gotta suffer. Now suck it up and run. You’re a fighter, right?"

Kaisler’s teeth clenched as he pushed forward, but each step felt like an eternity, each stride a battle against his own body. His calves burned, his thighs screamed in protest, and his lungs were on fire, gasping for air.

Finally, after what seemed like an impossible eternity, he staggered to the end of the first marathon. He could barely stand, his legs buckling under him as his knees threatened to give out. Sweat poured from his face, stinging his eyes, but he didn’t dare stop.

Kaisler (panting heavily): "I’m... done..."

Buddy (without breaking a sweat, casually walking ahead): "Nah. You’re not even halfway through yet. Two more marathons. Get moving."

Kaisler could feel his body screaming at him to stop, to rest, to lie down and never get back up. But there was no choice. Buddy was unforgiving, his expectations brutal. He tried to ignore the aching in his body as he shuffled forward, but every muscle in him screamed for relief.

The second marathon felt like a cruel repetition of the first. His legs were leaden, each step a laborious effort. His body was slowly breaking down, fatigue setting in with an intensity that he’d never experienced. But Buddy kept his distance, occasionally shouting words of “encouragement” in his usual mocking tone.

Buddy (half-laughing, half-shouting): "Come on! You’re not even trying! Is that all you’ve got? It’s not even noon yet!"

With every step, the mental barrier seemed harder to break. Kaisler focused on the path ahead, willing himself not to look back. He couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop. Not with Buddy watching, not with this challenge looming.

As he crossed the finish line for the second marathon, Buddy was there again, practically bouncing on his toes.

Buddy (grinning like a maniac): "Nice job. Just three to go!"

Kaisler wanted to collapse, his legs barely holding him upright as the world around him seemed to blur. His chest felt like it was on fire, every breath a struggle. But there was no time to rest. The third marathon loomed ahead, and Buddy was already pushing him forward.

By the time he finished the third marathon, Kaisler’s body felt like it had been run over by a freight train. His legs were jelly, and every muscle from his core to his extremities was on fire. But Buddy was relentless.

Buddy (raising an eyebrow, unimpressed): "Is this it? I thought you wanted to get stronger. You’re supposed to be a fighter. Act like it."

It was too much. Kaisler barely had the strength to respond as he stumbled toward the squats. His legs were shaking uncontrollably, his mind screaming for him to rest, but he pushed the thought aside. There was no quitting.

(will contune to part three of the chapter)