At midnight, one hour past the curfew, Desi was scrolling through his daily quest notifications and realized he hadn't completed his exercise routine for the day. The busy day had made him forget. Remembering the gym he had seen earlier, he contemplated whether to sneak out or not. The rules were clear, and he didn't want to get in trouble. After a few minutes of indecision, he decided to go for it. He needed his workout, rules be damned.
Carefully, Desi opened the window and climbed out, making his way stealthily across the school grounds. The night air was cool and crisp, adding a sense of adventure to his covert mission.
Meanwhile, in the same room, Gazi woke up with the same nagging thought. He had to train every day if he wanted to be the greatest footballer. Realizing he hadn't done his training, he also decided to sneak out. Just like Desi, he quietly slipped out of the window, determined to reach the gym.
In the girls' hostel, Princess Leonor was having trouble sleeping. As a princess, she wasn't used to sharing a room, and one of her roommates was snoring loudly. Frustrated, she stared out the window at the moon and stars. Then she noticed a boy sneaking around. Intrigued, she watched as he disappeared into the shadows. A few minutes later, another boy followed the same path.
Her father's warning echoed in her mind: "Be careful and vigilant." It was the most serious she had ever seen him. Her curiosity piqued, Leonor decided to follow them.
Desi reached the gym and was relieved to find it unlocked. It was a top-tier facility, which was unusual for a school. He began his workout with some cardio, appreciating the high-quality equipment. As he was working up a sweat, he heard footsteps approaching.
Desi froze, listening carefully. The footsteps grew louder, and then the gym door creaked open. Desi quickly hid behind a row of treadmills, peeking out to see who was coming in. To his surprise, it was Gazi.
Gazi looked around the gym, clearly impressed. "Wow, they really went all out," he muttered to himself, heading towards the weights.
Desi stepped out from his hiding spot, startling Gazi. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.
Gazi turned, equally surprised. "I could ask you the same thing."
"I forgot to do my daily exercise," Desi explained. "And I can't miss a day. What about you?"
"Same here. I need to train every day if I want to be the best," Gazi replied.
They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. Then, realizing they were both in the same boat, they relaxed a little.
"Well, let's just stay out of each other's way and get our workouts done," Desi suggested.
"Deal," Gazi agreed.
As they started their respective workouts, Gazi couldn't help but notice Desi's impressive physique. "I have to admit," he said between reps, "when I saw you get out of that fancy car, I thought you were some spoiled brat who wouldn't know hard work if it hit him in the face."
Desi laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But I'm not a spoiled brat. The car was a gift. I've worked hard to get where I am."
Gazi nodded, understanding. "Sorry for judging you. Looks like we both have our reasons to be here."
"Apology accepted," Desi replied, extending his hand.
They shook hands, and an unspoken competition began. Each tried to outdo the other, pushing their limits with every set and rep. Both were determined not to be outshone, their rivalry turning into mutual respect.
Outside, Leonor watched them through the window. When she saw their shirtless, muscular bodies, her face turned red. She quickly ducked out of sight, her curiosity satisfied but her cheeks still burning.
Inside the gym, Desi and Gazi were oblivious to their royal observer. They were too focused on their impromptu competition, each pushing the other to be better.
After an intense workout session, they finally called it quits, both exhausted but satisfied.
"Not bad," Gazi said, wiping sweat from his brow. "You might be able to keep up with me after all."
Desi grinned. "Same to you. But don't think I'm going to make it easy for you."
They laughed, the tension between them dissolved. As they snuck back to their room, they couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie. They might be rivals, but they were also teammates in this strange new world.