Konstant's world had shrunk. Now, only sounds, touch, and whatever his memory could hold remained.
The third day began like all the others, in darkness. But not in the same way. He was no longer as frozen as he had been on the first day nor as consumed by self-pity as he had been on the second.
When Luna spoke, he turned his head instinctively. The voice came from the right. He was certain of it.
A second later, he felt her hand close around his arm.
"Careful," Luna warned him, her small hand gripping his arm firmly. "There's a big rock on the right. About three steps ahead."
Konstant nodded, adjusting his path slightly. His bare feet felt the texture of the packed earth changing beneath them, from hardened soil to grass, then back to dirt. Each shift told a story, if he paid close enough attention.
They were heading toward the training field. It was early, the air was cool, and Konstant could hear distant voices. People were gathering for the morning session.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Luna asked for the third time. "You could wait a few more days. No one would complain."
"I'm sure," Konstant replied, keeping his tone firm. "I can't stay lying down forever. I need to adapt."
He had convinced Aldric to let him participate in training, at least the physical conditioning part, since he couldn't take part in combat practice.
"We're almost there," Luna announced. "There are already lots of people. I can see Keiko and Rady near the practice targets."
"Where are the targets?"
"To the left. About… twenty steps? Maybe thirty. I'm not very good at measuring."
Konstant smiled faintly. "Alright. Thank you for bringing me."
"Always!" Luna said enthusiastically. "Can I stay and watch?"
"If you want."
They stepped onto the field proper, and Konstant immediately felt the difference. The sounds of voices were clearer, closer. There was the creak of wood striking wood, training dummies being hit, footsteps moving in every direction.
"Konstant!" Keiko's voice came from somewhere to the left, just as Luna had said. "You really came!"
"I said I would," he replied, turning toward her voice.
Footsteps approached. "How are you feeling?" Rady asked, his tone low and cautious.
"Like someone who can't see anything," Konstant replied with dry humor. "But I'm alive."
"Konstant!" Daven's voice cut across the field. "Luna told me you'd be coming. Good to have you back."
"Thank you," said Konstant. "I know I can't do everything, but..."
"You can do the conditioning," Daven interrupted. "Running, push-ups, and endurance exercises. We'll adapt whatever we need to. Honestly, the fact that you're here only three days after waking up from being unconscious for weeks is impressive."
Konstant didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply nodded.
"Let's start with warm-up! Five laps around the perimeter!"
Konstant felt Keiko's arm tense beneath his hand. The sound of dozens of feet starting to run was like a sonic avalanche coming from all directions.
Every muscle fiber in his transformed body begged for release, like a caged animal feeling the wind of the open plains. In the perpetual darkness, each step carried a slight delay, an extra second of caution that his body despised.
He stumbled three times in the first twenty meters.
His foot struck a stone he hadn't anticipated. Before he could fully fall, small hands caught him. Keiko's arm was cool and slick with sweat as she held him upright.
"Slow down," she whispered.
Heat rushed up Konstant's neck as he swallowed hard.
On the second lap, he noticed the difference beneath his feet.
The grass near the fence gave way unevenly, small rises formed by roots pushing up the soil. At the turn, the packed earth was hard and nearly smooth, sending the impact straight up through his legs.
He stumbled again, but his body reacted before his mind could process what had happened. He turned sideways, shoulder first, and rolled across the dirt instead of falling flat on his back.
It was still clumsy, but the falls were no longer total collapses. He got up faster, and it hurt less.
"You move… differently," Keiko panted, baffled. "It's like your body knows what to do before you even fall."
Konstant didn't answer. His breathing was short, and his focus stayed on the ground beneath his feet.
On the third lap, the rhythm changed. His body demanded more speed, pushing him forward with a force he didn't dare unleash. At the same time, every step required calculation, restraint, excessive care.
He moved trapped between the urge to run and the fear of falling. When his foot slipped, his muscles reacted too fast; when he tried to trust them, caution locked him in place.
Cold sweat ran down his back even before true physical fatigue set in.
When Daven shouted "Stop!", Konstant froze in place.
His chest rose and fell too fast, even though his muscles still wanted more. Sweat slid cold down his spine, not from exhaustion, but from the effort of restraining his body while moving blindly.
"Push-ups! Fifty! Go!"
Konstant obeyed before thinking.
On the ground, the spatial disorientation vanished. His body knew this movement. As he positioned himself for the first push-up, his arms, shoulders, and core aligned with a precision he had never possessed before. The transformation spoke louder than words.
He began. One, two, three. The motion was fluid. Each descent controlled, each rise explosive. At twenty, he realized he still wasn't out of breath. At thirty-five, his muscles burned, but it was the burn of effort, not fatigue. He could feel every fiber working, like a symphony of strength beneath his skin.
But a new problem emerged. Without visual reference, his sense of depth on the descent was distorted. On the fortieth push-up, he went too low, too fast, and a chest muscle protested with a sharp stab of pain. He groaned, stopping for a second.
"Konstant?" Keiko's worried voice came from nearby.
"I'm fine. Just finding the right point." He took a deep breath and focused. Instead of trying to see the distance, he felt it. The tension in his triceps peaked at the right moment, and the stretch in his chest stopped at the safest depth. The transformation had given him the body. Blindness forced him to know it intimately, from the inside.
Forty-one, forty-two…
He finished all fifty not only with strength that surprised him, but with a body awareness he had never possessed before. His hands were steady on the ground, no tremors of extreme exhaustion.
When Daven announced "Sit-ups! One hundred!", a strange sensation filled Konstant. He felt frustrated at his failure during the run, but also quietly awed by the power he discovered in exercises where sight was not essential.
Lying on his back, he began the sit-ups. His body was hard as stone. The movement was almost mechanical in its efficiency. Here, in the dark, with his body working at a perfect rhythm, he caught a frightening glimpse of what he might be capable of if he ever learned to navigate the world without sight.
When training ended, he was exhausted, but in a new way. Half of him was crushed by his disability. The other half pulsed with newly discovered, frightening potential.
The walk back to the edge of the field was silent. Keiko finally spoke, quietly. "You're strong, Konstant. Much stronger than before. It's… scary."
The rest of training continued. Some exercises he could do on his own. Others, like obstacle runs or weapons practice, he had to skip or do in adapted versions with Keiko or Rady guiding him.
Overall, Konstant was surprised to discover he could do far more than he had expected.
When Daven finally dismissed them, more than two hours later, Konstant was genuinely exhausted, drenched in sweat, muscles burning.
But he felt alive.
"You did great," Rady said as they drank water from the barrels. "Really great, for someone who can't see."
"My other senses are compensating," Konstant explained. "I can hear people moving. Feel changes in the air when someone passes nearby. It's like… like my brain is rearranging priorities."
"The transformation," Keiko said thoughtfully. "Aldric mentioned your senses would be affected."
"Yes," Konstant agreed. "And it's not just that. I can feel living things. Plants, especially. I can tell where they are even without touching them. It's strange."
"Strange, but useful," Rady observed.
"Very useful," Konstant agreed.
Eventually, Keiko and Rady had to leave for their respective duties. Mira was waiting for Keiko at the apothecary, and Tomos was probably already in the fields waiting for Rady.
That left Konstant alone with Luna again.
"Where to now?" she asked cheerfully. "Back to Aldric's house?"
"No," Konstant said, an idea forming. "Let's go to Joren's house. I need to pick something up."
"Pick up what?"
"A cane," Konstant explained. "Aldric mentioned Joren was making one for me. To help me walk on my own."
"But you don't need one!" Luna protested immediately. "I can always help you! Or Keiko. Or Rady! Or Gareth. Or..."
"Luna," Konstant interrupted gently, kneeling to her level. "You can't always be by my side. You have your own life."
"But I want to be with you," she said stubbornly.
"I know," Konstant said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And I appreciate it. A lot. But I need to learn to be independent too. I can't rely on other people for everything."
Luna puffed out her cheeks in a clear pout but didn't argue further. "Fine. But I'll still help whenever I can!"
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Konstant said with a small smile.
They walked toward Joren's house, Luna giving directions along the way. As they approached, Konstant could already hear voices, an animated conversation between two people.
"…and Mira said everything looks perfect with the baby," Maren's voice carried relief and happiness. "I can feel the movements now. It's the most incredible thing."
"I can't wait to meet him," Joren replied, his voice softer than Konstant had ever heard it. "Or her. Either way."
"They're talking about the baby," Luna whispered unnecessarily loudly.
Konstant simply nodded, smiling. It was good to hear that Maren and the child were well after all the stress of the attack.
"Joren!" Luna called as they approached. "We're here!"
"Luna! Konstant!" Joren's voice brightened. Footsteps approached, and Konstant heard the light thunk thunk of a cane striking the ground. "It's good to see you! Well, see you, Luna. Konstant, I'm glad you're here."
"Joren," Konstant greeted. "I heard you have something for me."
"Ah, yes!" More footsteps, this time moving away. "Let me fetch it. It's in the workshop."
Joren returned moments later. "Here it is. I hope it fits."
Konstant extended his hand and felt something placed into it. Smooth, polished wood, the right length to reach from the ground to about his waist when held upright. There were carvings along the surface, details his fingers could trace.
"It's perfect," he said sincerely. "How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing," Joren said firmly. "It's a gift. A thank-you."
"A thank-you for what?"
"For helping me that night," Joren said, weight in his voice. "When the Grusk attacked me. When Davos was in danger. You and Rady did everything you could to look for my son. You nearly died doing it. A cane is the least I can offer."
Konstant didn't know what to say. Refusing would feel insulting. And honestly, he had no money anyway. During his time working with Gareth, all he received was food, shelter, and necessary supplies. The village operated more on barter than actual coin.
"Thank you," he said finally. "I'll take good care of it."
"I know you will," Joren said approvingly. "Now, would you like to come in for some tea? Maren just made some."
"Thank you, but no," Konstant declined politely. "I need to go back and rest. Training was intense."
"I completely understand. Take care."
They said their goodbyes and started back toward Aldric's house. Konstant tested the cane, using it to feel the path ahead, tapping the ground in a steady rhythm.
It felt strange at first, awkward. But after a few minutes, it began to make sense. The way the cane sounded different depending on the surface. How it could detect obstacles before his feet reached them.
"You're getting good at that," Luna observed. "Really fast."
"Practice," Konstant said. "And necessity."
When they returned to Aldric's house, Konstant was genuinely exhausted. The training, the walk, learning to use the cane, all of it together had drained his reserves.
"I'm going to take a nap," he told Luna. "You can go play or do whatever you want. You don't have to watch over me."
"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.
"I am. Go. Enjoy the day."
Luna hesitated, but eventually agreed and ran off, probably to find Gareth or the other children.
Konstant entered the room Aldric had assigned him, using the cane for guidance, and found the bed easily. He lay down with a sigh of relief, his muscles immediately protesting.
He fell asleep almost instantly.