Once they had finished their meal, Sensei whisked them back inside the protective walls of Primus. It was great to be back in the cool conditioned air and they walked in silence as their lunch settled in their stomachs.
By the time they reached the two large doors back to the training room, all the dripping sweat had dried from their bodies. Tess never thought she'd be glad to be inside this room again with all those weird torturing devi—exercising equipment.
For some reason, the room looked more sinister and gave an eerie feeling compared to the last time she was there. Her gaze fixated on the gleaming sharp edges of the metallic contraptions, the blinking lights, and the ominous straps attached to various machines, conjuring up nightmarish visions of torture and torment.
What added to the unsettling atmosphere was the commander, or rather, Sensei's reluctance to shed light on the missions they had been recruited for, leaving them in a state of unnerving uncertainty. To make matters even more disconcerting, the conspicuous absence of the rift created by Szedra's failed attempt to lift the massive sword hung heavy in the air.
Tess and her companions broke away from Sensei's lead, their gazes fixated on the spotless ground, their brows knitted in a mixture of confusion and concern. It was undoubtedly the same spot where the rift had once resided. Szedra, the first to react, stooped down to examine the now unremarkable surface, further confirming their suspicions.
"This place..." Szedra's voice trailed off in a hushed tone, hinting at the mysterious nature of their surroundings. However, before she could voice her thoughts, Sensei blew into his whistle, abruptly cutting her off. Szedra immediately straightened up, and the group turned their attention towards him.
"Fine," Sensei said as he made his way over to them. "If you cadets wanted to try out these weight bench machines, why didn't you just say so?"
Tess and the others glanced ahead, noticing the presence of weight-lifting machines in the section before them. Yet, Tess couldn't shake the feeling that Sensei was fully aware their hesitation had nothing to do with testing out the equipment. It seemed he was deliberately diverting the conversation away from the unanswered question that lingered in their minds.
"Well, why are you just standing there? Get moving!" he bellowed. "I want one hundred rounds from each of you."
They each darted to a machine and laid down on the bench to lift the barbells that had four metal disks at both ends. The second Tess's back hit the soft bench the drowsiness she felt was enough to send her to sleep but she fought it.
Without hesitation, they darted towards the machines, positioning themselves on the benches and preparing to lift the barbells. Each barbell was equipped with sensors that emitted a distinct sound, accompanied by an electronic counter that displayed the number of repetitions for all to see.
What's more, the barbells required a specific range of motion to register a successful lift, leaving no room for cheating. Tess's frustration was palpable as she realized she couldn't cheat her way out.
As Tess focused on her own lifts, she couldn't help but be drawn to the sounds of struggle coming from Zino. Glancing in his direction, she saw Zino leaning up from the bench, gasping for breath after just a single lift, visibly struggling to place the barbell back on the stand. It brought a smile to Tess's face as she confidently completed her twelfth push, feeling a surge of accomplishment.
"I'm done," she heard Lanse's voice declare.
The word seemed almost impossible to believe. Lifting her head from the bench, Tess watched as Lanse walked out of the section, making his way toward Sensei. She briefly caught a glimpse of his machine, confirming that his score indeed displayed one hundred lifts.
Turning her attention back to Lanse, she observed him wiping the sweat dripping from his chin with the front of his shirt. His soaked black hair clung to his face, the ends glistening with moisture. His eyes seemed dull, displaying a nonchalant "I don't care" expression.
Curiosity tugged at Tess, and her gaze wandered down past Lanse's shoulder, drawn to the hint of something purple peeking out from below the end of his sleeve.
He had rolled down his sleeves after their run, but she had caught a glimpse of something beneath the fabric when it became soaked during their encounter with the river. She didn't dare stay motionless for too long and went back to pushing her barbell as she thought. She was right. He had a tattoo.
Sensei's voice cut through the air, momentarily distracting Tess from her thoughts. She watched as he stared down at his wristwatch, his gaze fixed on the time. "Nicely done, cadet," he acknowledged Lanse. "One hundred lifts in twenty minutes. I think you might be my favorite."
Tess managed to lift her barbell the highest since she had started after hearing those intentionally loudly spoken words.
"Now drop and give me two-fifty," Sensei commanded, his voice echoing with authority.
Lanse took a step back, his eyes widening with newfound life upon hearing Sensei's words. The other cadets performing their barbell exercises momentarily paused, their hopes of mishearing hanging in the air.
However, Lanse's initial shock quickly dissipated, and he returned to his casual demeanor in no time, seamlessly transitioning to the next challenge of two hundred and fifty pushups on the ground.
Tess remained focused on the rhythmic motion of the pole above her, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Sensei as he walked by, closely observing their performance on the machines. Thoughts about Lanse's abilities danced through her mind. Could he possess super strength?
His calm demeanor during yesterday's meeting hinted at a hidden power that could potentially cause significant damage to anyone in the room. Perhaps that explained his composure and his choice to withhold its use.
As Tess completed her one hundredth push on the barbell, the thought crossed her mind: "Or maybe he's just a hard-working Shinralite." She carefully positioned the barbell to remain horizontal, securing it in place before slowly rising from the bench. But as the strain and fatigue settled into her muscles her grin erased from her face.
In the midst of her exertion, Tess heard Sensei's voice, commending her with a simple, "Good work, cadet." Looking up, she realized he was directing his words towards Lanse, who had just completed his rigorous set of pushups. Confusion etched across her face, she couldn't help but blurt out, "What?"
Fury ignited within Tess, fueling her resolve as she rose from her previous position and strode past Sensei. With a determined thud, she dropped herself onto the ground, ready to prove herself through pushups. As she began her repetitions, an unfamiliar sensation stirred within her, a mix of resentment and vindictive satisfaction, as if she relished the idea of witnessing Lanse flop.
"Is this what true envy feels like?" Tess pondered, her thoughts swirling amidst her physical exertion. The notion of this emotion, capable of driving people to sabotage one another for a fleeting boost of self-esteem, struck her with both curiosity and disdain.
She had always excelled in her stamina classes, never giving others a reason to provoke such feelings within her. But now, faced with Lanse's superior physical prowess, she refused to let it consume her.
Her mind drifted to Petra, the one who never gave up on her, even when the future seemed bleak and uncertain. No matter how pointless her future looked she still tried. She felt deep down that Petra got killed because she tried to help her and her kind.
The Mid-Sentry officials at the scene had everything to do with her death. Even if she was not at a Mid-Sentry she refused to let them win. A flood of strength flowed through her arms to push herself faster.
"I will overcome anything thrown at me!" Tess proclaimed, her voice resonating with defiance. "I am no less than them; I am superior!"
By the time she was done and had moved on to the treadmills with Lanse, her lips curled up with annoyance after seeing Zino behind Sensei coming into the same section.
Completing her pushups, Tess swiftly transitioned to the treadmills alongside Lanse. Annoyance curled her lips as she noticed Zino following closely behind Sensei into the same section.
Tess figured that Sensei had moved her from completing the weight lifts and skipped the dreaded pushups to take her here. Even though Primus wasn't a Mid-Sentry she guessed fair play did not exist there either.
She won't say anything about it. Getting on Sensei's bad side was something she did not want to think about so she looked back in front to prevent being seen by him or worse called out for being sloppy. His mouth seemed to be set on autopilot for that term.
As Zino initiated her run on the treadmill, a peculiar noise escaped from her machine, prompting Sensei to utter something to her as he reached for the control panel. The sound caught Tess and Lanse's attention, compelling them to steal a glance in Zino's direction. What they witnessed held them captive.
The running belt beneath Zino's feet whizzed by at an astonishing speed, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Zino's limbs, both arms and legs, moved with such rapidity that they blurred into a frenzied motion, reminiscent of the fading red dye on the ends of her hair.
Zino was a speedster and it made sense. It was no wonder she ran with ease on the mountain. She seemed to be good at agility too since she was also great at hopping the rocks in the river.
Another vision freak and a speedster meant three down and two more to go. She was not certain about Lanse's ability and Zack gave no clue to his. Tess was itching to know. The thought of Zack got her to notice he and Szedra were far behind. They were both still at the weight lifts.
"Great work cadet." Sensei's loud voice was clear through the sound of Zino's treadmill. She stopped moving and he moved both Zino and Lanse to another section leaving Tess alone.
In the midst of her workout, a bone-chilling scream pierced the air, causing Tess to jolt with fear. Her body reacted instinctively, and she nearly stumbled, struggling to maintain her balance on the still-moving treadmill.
With a surge of adrenaline, she quickly stepped off the belt, finding solace on the solid ground beneath her feet. Acting swiftly, she reached out and switched off the machine, silencing its mechanical whir.
As the echoes of the scream subsided, a heavy silence settled around her, amplifying the rapid thumping of her heart. The rhythmic pounding reverberated inside her head, filling her senses with an overwhelming intensity.
Each beat seemed to synchronize with the mounting tension that gripped the training room, hinting at the gravity of the situation. With bated breath, Tess strained her ears, her senses attuned to every sound, every whisper of movement, desperate for any clue that would shed light on the source of the blood-curdling cry.