The morning air carried a biting chill, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat of yesterday's training. I awoke still sore, my muscles aching from the unrelenting trials Zhal had put me through. My mind, however, was more restless than my body—filled with the mystery of Zhal's hidden identity and motives. His words echoed in my head.
*"I won't let you face the harshness of this world unprepared."*
As I stepped outside, I found Zhal waiting in the clearing. His usual cold, unreadable expression greeted me, the brief softness from the night before completely gone. He hadn't said much after revealing his motives, but something in his eyes hinted at more than just mere duty.
"Today will be different," he said, his voice cutting through the silence like ice. "We've barely scratched the surface of what you need to learn."
I swallowed, my heart racing with both anticipation and fear. The previous day's training had been brutal, but there was something about today that felt even more foreboding.
Zhal gestured towards a steep incline at the far edge of the training grounds. It was a jagged path, littered with rocks and sharp stones, leading up to a high cliff that overlooked the Vale.
"You'll run it," he said simply, his arms crossed. "Up and down. Until I say stop."
I stared at the incline, my legs already protesting at the thought of it. "How many times?" I asked, knowing the answer would likely be far worse than I hoped.
"As many times as necessary," Zhal replied coldly. "You'll know when to stop."
Taking a deep breath, I nodded and began the climb. Each step was a battle. The rocks cut into my skin, and the incline felt endless. My muscles screamed with every movement, the exertion from yesterday making the task even more unbearable. The sun beat down on me, its harsh rays magnifying the difficulty.
After what felt like an eternity, I reached the top. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my legs wobbled beneath me. But there was no time to rest. Zhal's cold gaze from the bottom of the hill reminded me of the unspoken rule—weakness wasn't tolerated here. I had to keep going.
The descent was no easier. The rocks shifted beneath my feet, threatening to send me tumbling down with each step. My balance wavered, but I managed to keep myself upright.
By the time I reached the bottom, my legs felt like they were made of lead. Zhal stood there, arms still crossed, his expression unchanged. "Again," he ordered.
I gritted my teeth and turned back to the incline.
For hours, I climbed. Up and down, again and again. Each time felt more impossible than the last, but Zhal never let me stop. He didn't speak much, just watched, his presence an ever-looming shadow of expectation.
It wasn't until the sun began to set that he finally called for me to stop. I collapsed at the base of the hill, my body trembling with exhaustion. Every muscle screamed in agony, and for a moment, I wondered if I could even move again.
Zhal walked over to me, his gaze still cold, but there was something almost...satisfied in his eyes. "You survived," he said, as if that alone was a monumental feat. "But survival isn't enough."
His words stung. I had pushed myself beyond my limits, and still, it wasn't enough. But as much as it hurt to hear, I knew he was right. This world was merciless. The Withered Vale was a place where survival alone wouldn't guarantee safety.
"We'll continue tomorrow," Zhal said, his voice softer now, though still lacking warmth. "The harshness of this land won't wait for you to catch up. You need to be ready."
He turned to leave, but I forced myself to sit up, my body protesting with every movement. "Zhal," I called out, my voice hoarse. "Why... why are you doing this? Why train me like this?"
Zhal paused, his back still to me. For a long moment, he said nothing, the silence stretching on until I thought he wouldn't answer at all.
Then, without turning, he spoke. "Because if you aren't ready, you won't survive the next time you face the reality of this land. I won't let you face that again, not as you are now."
His words lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. There was more to Zhal than he let on, more than his cold demeanor suggested. And though I didn't fully understand his reasons, I knew one thing: he wasn't training me just to survive. He was training me to fight.
As Zhal disappeared into the shadows of the evening, I lay back on the ground, my mind whirling with the weight of his words. Tomorrow would bring more pain, more trials, but now there was a fire burning in my chest—a desire not just to survive, but to prove I could be more than what this cruel world expected.
The Withered Vale wasn't just a battleground. It was my proving ground. And with Zhal's harsh lessons, I would become something greater.