The 700 squats that followed felt like torture. Kaisler dropped into position, his legs barely holding him up, but each squat sent shockwaves of pain through his thighs. The first hundred were manageable, but by the time he hit 200, his legs were trembling, his joints on the brink of collapse. Sweat stung his eyes, and the world around him seemed to spin as he struggled to keep going.

Kaisler (gritting his teeth, barely able to stand up): "This is insane…"

But Buddy stood there, arms crossed, nodding like he was impressed.

Buddy (mockingly): "Nah, just another day in paradise. Keep going."

Kaisler could feel the strength in his legs draining, his muscles cramping with every movement. His breath was ragged, and his arms were starting to shake from the sheer strain of supporting his body. But there was no stopping now. With every squat, his legs screamed for release, but he ignored the agony.

At the 400th squat, Kaisler was nearly done. He could barely rise, but he forced himself through it, summoning every ounce of willpower left in his body. Finally, he stood, sweat dripping from his brow, legs like rubber beneath him.

Kaisler (voice barely a whisper): "How many more?"

Buddy (grinning): "Just a few more. Diamond push-ups, 400. Let’s go."

Kaisler dropped to the ground with a groan. His arms trembled as he tried to position himself for the diamond push-ups. His chest and shoulders felt like they were made of fire, every muscle protesting the movement. His mind screamed for him to stop, but Buddy’s voice, cold and unyielding, rang out.

Buddy (mockingly): "You’re not tired, are you? Come on, no breaks."

Kaisler (through clenched teeth): "I hate you…"

But still, he pushed himself up, his body screaming as he descended and rose again, his hands forming the tight diamond shape beneath his chest. Every push-up felt like a mountain. His chest burned with the effort, his arms nearly giving out on the first few. But there was no option. He had to finish.

Kaisler (barely lifting himself, gasping for air): "Just… one more…"

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kaisler collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving, his arms refusing to move.

Buddy (standing above him, arms crossed, unbothered): "Well, that’s it. You made it."

Kaisler (panting, exhausted, barely able to lift his head): "I hate you…"

Buddy (smiling, a hint of pride creeping into his grin): "Yeah, yeah. You’ll thank me later."

Kaisler’s muscles were screaming, his body completely drained, but deep inside, something had shifted. He wasn’t the same person who had started the day. He had pushed through every limit, every ounce of exhaustion. Despite the pain, he had survived. He was stronger than he’d ever been before.

Kaisler (yelling with excitement): "I DID IT! FUCK YESSSSSSSSS! I FUCKING DID IT!"

Buddy (annoyed, rubbing his eyes): "PIPE DOWN! IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THIS SHIT. THIS IS JUST THE DAILY WORKOUT, MAN."

Kaisler (gritting his teeth, voice rising): "STOP SHOUTING!"

Buddy (snapping back): "YOU STOP SHOUTING!"

Kaisler (groaning, clutching his stomach): "I’m fucking starving. It’s been seven hours!"

Buddy (nonchalantly): "I usually don’t take this fucking long."

Kaisler (shaking his head, struggling to catch his breath): "How long?"

Buddy (smirking): "I just run around the multiverse ten times in one second, but that’s me, slowpoke."

Kaisler (raising an eyebrow): "So you're just showing off?"

Buddy (grinning): "Maybe I am."

Kaisler (exasperated): "Okay, let's just go home. i dont have time for your bullshit"

3 minutes later…

Kaisler and Buddy walked back to the house, Kaisler’s exhaustion still visible in the way he dragged his feet. His body felt like it was made of lead, each step a reminder of the brutal workout he had just endured. His stomach growled like a wild animal, desperate for food.

Kaisler (grimacing, rubbing his stomach): "I swear, if I don’t eat soon, I might eat you."

Buddy (glancing at him, not even phased): "Don’t tempt me, man. I’ve survived worse."

Kaisler (snorting): "Yeah, like your own attitude. I don’t know how anyone can stand you."

Buddy (grinning, unfazed): "Because I’m the best. Now shut up and walk faster. We’re almost there."

Kaisler muttered something under his breath but quickened his pace. The sooner they got to the house, the sooner he could get food and sleep for the next 12 hours. He was starving, every fiber of his body begging for some kind of relief.

As they reached the front door, Sarah was standing in the kitchen, sipping on some tea, looking completely unbothered by the chaos outside.

Sarah (raising an eyebrow as she noticed Kaisler’s condition): "Well, someone looks like they’ve been put through hell."

Kaisler (half-joking, half-complaining): "I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck… three times."

Buddy (smirking as he strolled into the kitchen): "More like he just got his ass kicked by a marathon. But don’t worry, he survived."

Sarah (grinning, setting down her tea): "Did you at least keep up with him? Or did you leave him to die?"

Buddy (flipping her off playfully): "Please, I’ve been running around the multiverse. I could do this in my sleep."

Kaisler (staring at Buddy, eyes wide): "You can’t seriously be saying that, right?"

Buddy (shrugging, taking a seat): "Why not? It’s true. What’s the point of bragging if it’s just facts?"

Sarah (glancing at Kaisler, trying to hold back a laugh): "Well, you survived. Guess that means you’re officially ready for anything."

Kaisler (barely containing his sarcasm): "Right. I’m ready for food first."

e practically collapsed into a chair, his arms hanging limp by his sides as he slumped forward, eyes half-closed in sheer exhaustion. The mere thought of food made his stomach growl even louder.

Buddy (pointing to the kitchen): "You know where the fridge is. Go grab something, I’m not your personal chef."

Kaisler (eyes narrowing, still too tired to fight): "I’ll take whatever’s in there, I don’t care. Just give me food."

Sarah (smirking, walking over to Kaisler): "You’re lucky you survived. Don’t think this gets you out of cooking duty next time."

Kaisler (halfheartedly): "Next time…?"

Buddy (laughing): "Yeah, next time. Get used to it. This is your life now."

Kaisler (groaning, rubbing his face): "I hate both of you right now. But... seriously, I’ll take anything. Just... please… food."

Sarah (rolling her eyes playfully, heading toward the fridge): "Fine, fine. No need to beg. Just don’t pass out on me."

As she pulled some leftovers from the fridge, Kaisler slumped back in his chair, his stomach finally starting to calm down, but his body was still aching from the insane workout. He could feel his energy slowly returning, but he was still so drained that his mind was barely functioning.

Buddy (smirking at Kaisler): "You sure you’re not gonna fall asleep on us? You look like a zombie."

Kaisler (barely lifting his head): "I might… but I’m eating first."

Sarah (handing him a plate): "Here, eat up. You’ve earned it."

Kaisler (grinning weakly as he took the plate): "You have no idea how much I hate you two right now."

Buddy (smiling, watching Kaisler eat): "Good. Keep hating us. It means you’re alive."

Kaisler (mumbling between bites): "I’d hate you even more if I weren’t so fucking hungry."

Buddy chuckled to himself, and Sarah gave a soft, knowing smile.

The rest of the world may have been chaos, but for the moment, in the quiet of their home, the brutal workout, the exhaustion, and the tension between them melted away. All that mattered was food, rest... and surviving another day.

Kaisler (yawning and stretching): "Aight, I’m gonna sleep, not gonna lie."

Buddy (teasing): "Okay, don’t die in your sleep."

Kaisler (half-laughing, half-exhausted): "Yeah, yeah, kill yourself."

Buddy (seriously, but with a hint of affection): "Yeah, love you, bro. You’ve got five days left. Don’t die on me."

Kaisler (already drifting off): "Yeah, yeah, I’m gonna sleep."

Later that night, Sarah entered the room, sitting down across from Buddy, who was still at the counter, lost in thought.

Sarah (raising an eyebrow): "What’s up with you? You look like you’ve got something heavy on your mind."

Buddy (sighs, rubbing his face): "It’s Kaisler. He’s got five days, Sarah. Five days to become strong enough… but I don't know if he can pull it off."

Sarah (concerned): "He’s pushing himself hard… but will it be enough?"

Buddy pauses, his mind racing, before his phone rings with an unknown number. He answers it, his face hardening as he listens.

UNKNOWN VOICE (on the other end, with a cold, calculating tone): "Buddy, it’s about the Nexus. It needs more energy. If we don’t supply it, the Outerverse will collapse(High Outerversal power). If the infinitely spreading Outerverse, the one that keeps all of fiction in check, collapses... well, you know what happens next."

Buddy (gritting his teeth): "You don’t think I’m already working on that, do you? I’ll figure something out... Actually, I might have a guy who could help. He’s weak right now, but his powers might be the exact thing we need." (He looks up the stairs toward Kaisler’s room, smirking.)

UNKNOWN VOICE (cutting in, more urgent): "You have time... but hurry up. Whoever you're relying on has about thirty-five years, then it’s over."

The voice pauses, the threat of the impending collapse hanging in the air.

UNKNOWN VOICE (before the call ends): "You don’t have much room to work with. Get moving."

The line goes dead.

Sarah (sensing the weight of the conversation, lowering her voice): "Thirty-five years? That’s not a lot of time."

Buddy (staring at Kaisler’s door, lost in thought): "No, it isn’t. And we’re running out of options. He’s gonna need more than just training to survive whatever’s coming."