The vast gymnasium was unusually occupied by two men, one of them keeping a close watch on the other.
"Lift it higher!" Aaron shouted, his gaze fixed on the barbell Sam was struggling to lift during his final set of bench presses.
Sam was lifting 65 lb and barely catching his breath. He had never trained in weightlifting before and was on the brink of collapse.
"Didn't I tell you? Despite your apparent fragility, you're much stronger than you seem! Possessing an 'ability' elevates one's energy levels and, consequently, their strength and endurance!" Aaron looked proud as he gazed at Sam, who was practically trembling.
Sam raised the bar with sheer determination, his hands trembling, and his body shaking.
"Well done! You're better than my daughter by an inch!" Aaron clapped his hands on Sam's back, who was on the verge of exhaustion.
Sam lay on the bench press and began to reconsider the life choices that had led him to this moment.
'Damn it all! This damn guy literally dragged me here, and that woman... she must have been the one who suggested all of this!' Sam's blood boiled a little from his frustration.
Aaron drank some water while looking at Sam with resentment.
"Son, you may curse me now, but believe me, in this, you'll thank me for putting your body in its best condition." Aaron said as he handed Sam a bottle of water.
Sam reluctantly accepted it and took a sip before glaring at Aaron and asking, "And what's the fucking benefit of all this?"
"Simply put, it makes you tap into your hidden potential and enhances your control over it." Aaron replied.
Sam looked at him skeptically and analyzed his words.
Aaron sighed and said, "More straightforward, my boy. Our bodies consume the energy we get from food like crazy and in an unnatural way. Being in an ideal body makes this energy consumption more efficient, directing all of it towards strengthening and repairing your body without dealing with the unhealthy stuff you're currently doing."
Sam raised an eyebrow and said, "Honestly, this doesn't sound logical at all."
"Nothing about this is logical from the start, son! I discovered this truth after spending several years stuck at an some mastery level of my ability. When I started lifting weights and adopting a healthy lifestyle, I was finally able to elevate my ability after years." Aaron said while showcasing his biceps.
"Years? How long have you had this ability, and how did you get it?" Sam pressed Aaron directly.
Aaron stared at him for a moment before saying, "Twenty years? Something close to that."
Aaron stroked his beard for a moment before continuing, "Honestly, I don't remember how I got it. It seems like I just had it, to be honest. My memory is incredibly foggy when it comes to those days."
'Twenty years... that's much longer than I initially assumed. I thought these abilities were relatively recent, appearing a few years ago at most. Assuming he's not lying, twenty years make it extremely complex, and it's possible that 'abilities' have been around since the dawn of history.' Sam thought with increasing doubt.
Sam asked indifferently, "And this foggy memory, do you have an explanation for it?"
Aaron looked at him for a moment, his expression softening, and then he said, "There's something common among all of us, Sam."
"Really? What is it?"
Aaron's eyes deepened as he said, "I haven't seen anyone with an ability who didn't go through an extremely tough period in their life."
Sam remembered Angela's words as they walked to the store.
'Broken people, huh?' Sam smiled for a moment.
"Do you think it's divine pity on us?" Sam asked sarcastically as he drank water eagerly.
"Maybe... Come on, there's a good shooting range." Aaron pointed in a direction away from the gym.
"A shooting range? Seriously? Do you guys also own a throne room? How do you even have all this?" Sam raised an eyebrow, his eyebrow almost reaching his hair.
Aaron smiled and simply said, "Money." But he quickly frowned and added, "To be honest with you, this used to be the home of a bankrupt businessman. We took it from him. Angela somehow knew about the hidden basement level. It seems that the businessman was obsessed with the end of the world, as the basement was almost larger than the house itself! That fool built all of this just to protect himself and ultimately failed to protect his wealth!"
"It seems... your relationship with Angela is quite unusual." Sam said in a strange tone.
"It is indeed a unusual relationship." Aaron said as suddenly a vintage 1911 pistol appeared in his hand.
"Bullshit..." Sam was shocked by the scene unfolding before him.
Aaron continued, "She was the daughter of one of my comrades in the army. When the Mexican-American war began... he died in duty."*
"He always used to talk about his daughter, oh my God! He was silent as a stone except when the topic turned to his daughter. When the subject came to her or he saw something related to her, he wouldn't shut up for hours," Aaron said, gripping the pistol firmly.
"He was a good man. His name was Harold Winkinston. We spent all our time together... what a loss to lose him."
BANG!
The sound of the bullet shook the room as it seemed to hit the wooden target precisely.
"When I returned after several battles, I went to his daughter's place. She was living with her grandparents back then. That's when I told them all about what happened to Harold... their expressions, I'll never forget them as long as I live," Aaron lowered his weapon.
"And then, I promised Harold that I would take care of his daughter. And I believe I've done well so far." Aaron approached Sam and handed him the pistol.
"Now, my boy, go and show me how bad you are at shooting." Aaron pushed Sam from behind towards the shooting range, which was about 15 meters away.
Sam noticed protective glasses and earplugs nearby and went to grab them.
"Get used to not wearing them. Make the sound of bullets like music in your ears and the impact of the bullet view like a painting for your eyes." Aaron said, looking sharply at Sam.
Sam saw the seriousness in Aaron's words, sighed, and left them behind. He then took the pistol and deactivated the safety, raising the weapon.
"If you can hit five shots in the head, I'll buy you dinner!"
Sam ignored Aaron's provocation and tried to focus on aiming.
He tried to mimic Aaron's posture, but he found it somewhat challenging, as he was heavily focused on what Aaron had said about Angela.
In some way, Sam got into some posture and tightened his grip. His heart was pounding heavily.
His hand started trembling slightly.
Aaron noticed this and said, "What's wrong, son?"
"Nothing... nothing at all." Sam muttered something to himself and held the pistol tightly, every muscle in his already exhausted body tensed.
'Shoot and focus. Shoot and focus!' Sam's thoughts were in chaos as images of that homeless man flashed through his mind.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG! BANG!
Four shots rang out on the pitiful wooden target. Astonishingly, only one bullet hit it, and it was in the abdomen, not the head
"…"
"…"
"Son … were you trying to miss intentionally?"
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*The historical events in the story are different from those that occurred in our reality; you can say we are in an alternate history from our world.