Fiona had temporarily left school for a Mars charity event, making the usually lively room exceptionally quiet today.
At 6 AM training, despite her exhaustion, Allie arrived on time and began her routine warm-up. Last night's extreme training lingered like a nightmare, leaving deep imprints on her muscles and bones. Every step felt like walking on knife edges, pain washing over her like waves.
Coach Jackson's sharp gaze swept across the team, quickly noticing Allie's abnormal state. He furrowed his brow.
Allie struggled to keep up with the training rhythm, but her movements were noticeably slower than usual. During a routine skating maneuver, she lost her balance and fell heavily to the ground.
"Allie!" Coach Jackson's voice carried obvious disappointment and sternness, "What's wrong with you? Can't you even perform such a simple move anymore?"
Allie bit her lip as she stood up, trying hard to suppress her extreme discomfort. She could feel the gazes of her classmates - some surprised, some sympathetic, and some gleeful at her misfortune.
"I'm sorry, Coach. I'll try harder," Allie said softly.
Coach Jackson shook his head, "Allie, I had high expectations for you. If you can't maintain your performance, you can leave my team today."
These words hit Allie's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Coach, I'll maintain it."
Allie adjusted her breathing, forcing her body to train as usual. Jackson watched her complete every move like a ghost, seemingly ready to throw her out at the slightest mistake.
Allie completed nearly two hours of training under intense nervous pressure.
Allie found it incredibly difficult, having to cope with both Coach Jackson's challenging morning training and Ryan's secret training. This multiple pressure made her feel suffocated.
She walked exhaustedly towards the dormitory, her eyelids heavy, her legs feeling like iron.
Jason White suddenly appeared before her. What did he want? Was he here to mock her again?
"Allie," Jason hesitated, stammering, "Allie, you don't seem right today..."
"It's none of your business," Allie glanced at him and continued walking towards the dormitory. She just wanted to lie down and rest now.
Allie collapsed onto her bed and applied for leave from all her remaining classes for the day through her terminal. She was too tired and planned to catch up on some sleep. Suddenly, her terminal rang with a video call from Fiona. Allie wearily pressed the answer button.
"Allie, why are you sleeping? I just heard that old geezer Jackson scolded you this morning. What happened?" Fiona's fiery red hair almost squeezed out of the screen, "My God, Allie, why do you look so haggard? Oh~ I get it, was Ryan that intense last night? Look at how he's worn you out..."
"Fiona, it's not what you think," Allie was in no mood to discuss this now. Thinking about last night's experience made her want to cry.
"Not like that? Then what did you do last night?" Fiona persisted, never missing a chance to gossip.
"Training."
"Training? Training what?"
"Fiona, I need to rest for a while..."
Allie turned off the terminal, her eyelids completely refusing to obey her and closing together.
After a day of rest, Allie finally regained some energy. She nervously walked to yesterday's training venue.
Ryan was sitting on the sofa, looking at various data. His face was like an ice sculpture in a master's hands, perfect but devoid of warmth.
"Ready?" His tone was as frosty as frost.
Allie nodded, took a deep breath, and mustered the courage to walk towards the skating track. Today's training was even more brutal than yesterday's, with Ryan constantly increasing the difficulty, pushing Allie to the edge of her limits.
"Speed up!" Ryan's voice came through the earpiece, like a cold blade, "You're far from reaching your limit!"
Allie gritted her teeth, forcing herself to accelerate. Her muscles were screaming, her lungs feeling as if they were on fire. Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold swept over her as the track temperature plummeted to tens of degrees below zero. Allie felt her skin cracking, but she dared not pause for a moment.
In an instant, the environment changed drastically again, from extreme cold to scorching heat. Sweat soaked through her clothes like rain, her vision distorted and blurred from the high temperature. Allie found it difficult to breathe, as if each breath of air was molten iron, burning her throat.
"Focus! Control the energy within you!" Ryan's voice sounded again.
Allie concentrated with all her might, but she could feel the energy surging within her. Her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, her vision became increasingly blurry. Just then, a powerful energy burst from within her, like a tsunami overturning the surrounding equipment. Allie fell heavily to the ground, her entire body shaking uncontrollably.
She had failed again. Allie felt helpless.
Ryan walked over, his face expressionless, and said, "Get up, continue." His voice was cold and merciless, as if Allie were just a lifeless training tool.
Allie held back her tears and struggled to stand. Her body was protesting, every cell screaming for her to stop. But she knew giving up was not an option.
For the next few hours, Allie challenged her limits again and again. She shuttled between extremes of ice and fire and struggled between clouds and abyss, striving to maintain balance and speed in various extreme environments. With each failure, she would grit her teeth, get up, and start again. The look in her eyes gradually changed from initial fear and confusion to determination and persistence.
Finally, after countless attempts, Allie felt something different. Her body seemed to merge with the track, energy flowing within her but no longer chaotic. She skated at an unprecedented speed, like a silver lightning bolt, effortlessly passing through various obstacles.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Ryan's eyes. He watched Allie perfectly complete the entire training course without a single mistake. When Allie finally slid to the finish line, her eyes sparkled with victory. Although her body was on the verge of collapse, it now seemed to have crossed some barrier, becoming lighter.
Just then, Allie's legs suddenly lost strength. She swayed, about to fall. But before she could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her.
Ryan held Allie tightly, his voice trembling with undisguised emotion: "You did it, Allie. You did it." This sudden gentle embrace was in stark contrast to his previous coldness.
Allie leaned against Ryan's chest, feeling his warmth. She was too tired to speak, only able to nod slightly. Her body was still shaking from extreme fatigue, but an unprecedented sense of security welled up in her heart.
Ryan gently stroked Allie's hair, his voice as soft as a spring breeze: "I'm sorry, Allie. I know I've been harsh on you, but you had to learn to control this power. You did very well, Allie."
Allie looked up at Ryan, finding his eyes shimmering with satisfaction and concern. She suddenly realized that Ryan's strictness and seeming heartlessness were to help her quickly overcome her difficulties.
"Thank you, Ryan," Allie said softly, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.
Ryan smiled and whispered, "You're very strong, Allie."
Allie felt a warmth spreading in her heart. Although her body was exhausted, she knew she had taken an important step. In Ryan's embrace, she felt safe and cherished, a feeling so strong that it almost made her forget the pain she had endured earlier.
"That's enough training for today," Ryan said, his voice carrying a hint of barely noticeable tenderness, "You need to rest well."