Roosters crowed so loudly that Ren woke with a start, nearly falling off the futon. His entire body ached—the kind of deep soreness that confirmed yesterday's training had done something, even if it wasn't visible yet. When he sat up, his spine cracked twice, loudly enough to make him wince.
He muttered, "That's either improvement or a warning."
From outside, a familiar voice shouted, "REEEEEN! REN! WAKE UP!"
Ren sighed. Miro.
The door slid open before he could even finish dressing, and Miro's head poked through. His hair was a chaotic crown of black spikes sticking in every direction.
"REN! Get up! We have to race! I already stretched!"
Tali shoved Miro aside. "We can't start yet! He didn't EAT!"
Miro scowled. "Breakfast isn't as important as victory!"
Tali gasped dramatically. "REN—he said something BLASPHEMOUS!"
Ren ran a hand over his face. "Guys… give me five minutes."
"You get THREE," Miro declared.
Tali smacked him. "He gets TWENTY."
"ONE minute!"
"TEN!"
"FIVE!"
"SEVEN!"
"DONE!" Ren said quickly. "Seven minutes sounds perfect."
Both nodded as if they had just brokered a diplomatic treaty.
---
The dining space bustled with morning chaos. Elder Nima sipped tea while discussing weather patterns with Emi. Rina carried a stack of bowls twice her size, barking orders at Kiro, who carried only one bowl and looked irritated about it. Jinto snored in the corner until Haru threw a fish at him.
The fish bounced off Jinto's face. "Ow," Jinto muttered sleepily, "the sea is angry today."
Ren slid into a seat.
Nima greeted him. "Good morning, Ren. Sore?"
"A bit," Ren admitted.
"That means you're alive," Kiro said bluntly.
Rina added, "And improving."
Emi smiled warmly. "Your energy feels steadier today."
Ren blinked. "You can feel that?"
Emi nodded. "Only because it was flickering yesterday. Today it's… calmer."
Haru leaned over the table. "Ren, guess what?"
"What?"
"You get to fish again later."
Ren groaned softly. "Is that mandatory?"
"Yes!" Haru and the children shouted together.
Rina laughed. "It's good practice for patience."
Jinto mumbled from the corner, "Too much patience puts me to sleep…"
Rina lobbed a bread roll at his head.
After breakfast, Nima approached Ren. "Today we will focus on observation."
"Observation?" Ren echoed.
"Yes," Nima said. "Before movement, before technique, you must learn to see."
Miro bounced excitedly. "Does he get to break rocks?"
"No," Nima replied.
Tali asked, "What about punching trees?"
"No."
Miro tried again, "What about—?"
"No," Nima said immediately.
Miro sighed dramatically. "Observation is boring."
Nima tapped his forehead gently. "Observation is the start of wisdom."
Miro whispered to Ren, "Still boring."
Ren tried not to laugh.
---
The winds rolled over the hills as Nima led Ren to the edge of the village. She pointed toward a tall wooden fence.
"Your first task," she said, "is to tell me what you notice. Not with intuition. Not with imagination. With attention."
Ren looked at the fence. "…It's old?"
Nima nodded. "And?"
"It's leaning to the left."
Nima nodded again. "And?"
Ren squinted. "Some nails are loose… one board is cracked… the bottom is damp."
"Good," Nima said. "Again."
He spent several minutes examining every detail of the fence while she asked questions:
"How does the wood feel?"
"How does the air move near it?"
"What is its weight?"
"Where is it weakest?"
Each answer Ren gave felt clumsy at first, but eventually he started noticing smaller details. The way the wind creaked certain planks. How the moisture darkened the lowest segments. The faint scent of earth clinging to its base.
Nima nodded approvingly. "Now you're beginning to see."
"Is this… related to energy?" Ren asked.
"It is related to understanding," she replied. "And understanding shapes everything else."
Before Ren could respond, Suri arrived, waving. "Nima! The others are ready. Ren, prepare for your next task."
"What task?" Ren asked.
Suri gestured dramatically. "Obstacles."
Ren swallowed. "…Obstacles?"
"Oh yes," Suri said. "Constructed by Taro."
Ren paled. "Is that good?"
"No," Suri answered immediately.
---
Taro stood proudly in the center of a chaotic training space: barrels stacked three high, ropes dangling from wooden beams, a pit filled with what looked suspiciously like mud, and—for reasons Ren could not understand—a log balanced precariously on two tiny stones.
Taro grinned. "Ren! WELCOME!"
Ren pointed at the log. "Taro… what is that?"
"A BALANCE TEST!" Taro declared. "If it falls on you, you fail!"
Ren stepped back. "That's not encouraging."
Dano crossed his arms. "Taro, explain the course."
"Gladly!" Taro said. He pointed to each contraption in turn:
"Step one: hop across the barrels without falling."
"Step two: crawl under the rope net without touching it."
"Step three: cross the mud pit—"
"WITHOUT falling in," Suri interjected sharply. "Taro, stop encouraging people to fall."
"Fine," Taro sighed. "Without falling in."
"Step four: survive the log."
Ren blinked. "Survive?"
Jinto mumbled from behind, half-asleep, "Just go slow… unless the log goes fast…"
Ren whispered to Suri, "Why is he in the training circle again?"
Suri sighed. "Nobody knows."
Miro and Tali ran up.
"REN! I bet you'll fall THREE times!" Miro said.
"NO! He'll fall FOUR!" Tali exclaimed.
Ren glared. "You two have a lot of faith in me, huh?"
"I have TONS of faith," Miro said proudly. "Faith that something funny will happen."
Suri clapped her hands. "Begin!"
Ren stepped toward the first barrel. He placed one foot on it—wobbled—and immediately had to swing his arms to stay balanced.
Taro shouted, "GOOD START!"
Suri smacked Taro's shoulder. "Stop shouting!"
Ren carefully hopped to the next barrel. He wobbled again.
Rina, who had wandered over, called, "Bend your knees!"
He bent them. Balance improved slightly.
Dano added, "Keep your weight centered!"
"Center—got it," Ren muttered.
It took several long minutes, but he eventually crossed all the barrels without falling.
Miro groaned. "Aww, I wanted him to fall once…"
Tali elbowed him. "There are THREE MORE parts!"
Ren approached the rope-net crawl.
Taro cupped his hands. "REN! Imagine it's a deadly trap!"
Ren froze. "Is it?"
"No!" Suri said quickly. "Ignore him."
Ren got onto his hands and knees and crawled. The rope hovered inches above him. Every time it swayed slightly, Tali and Miro gasped dramatically.
Halfway through, Jinto murmured from the grass, "If it falls, just… roll…"
Rina threw a pebble at him.
Ren reached the end without touching the rope.
Two villagers applauded.
Miro pouted. "No fails yet."
Tali looked delighted. "He's doing better than you ever did, Miro."
Miro shouted, "HEY! I was an AMAZING rope-crawler!"
"You got stuck," Tali reminded him.
"I WAS RESTING!"
"You CRIED."
"I WAS ALLERGIC TO ROPE!"
Ren almost choked laughing.
Next was the mud pit. A narrow wooden plank stretched across it.
Suri pointed sternly. "Slow. Steady. Breathe."
Ren stepped onto the plank. It wobbled. He inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled again.
Miro whispered to Tali, "He's going to fall."
Tali whispered back, "No he's not."
"Yes he is."
"No he's not."
FIVE villagers joined the whisper argument.
Ren swallowed hard. He placed one foot in front of the other. The plank creaked dangerously.
Dano shouted, "Hips low!"
Ren lowered them.
Emi called, "Arms out!"
Ren extended them.
Jinto mumbled, "If you fall, aim for the soft mud…"
Ren shook his head quickly—too quickly—and nearly toppled. Tali gasped. Miro pumped his fist excitedly.
But Ren regained balance and took another step.
Then another.
Then another.
Finally, he stepped off the plank onto solid ground.
A collective cheer erupted.
Miro groaned louder than before.
Tali spun in a circle triumphantly. "SEE?! I told you!"
Ren grinned. "That… actually felt good."
Suri nodded. "Confidence from earned effort is stronger than confidence from success."
Ren nodded back. "I… think I understand."
Finally came the log.
Taro stood beside it dramatically. "REN… this is where many have fallen."
Suri sighed. "Taro, this is just balance practice."
"No… it is DESTINY PRACTICE!"
Suri facepalmed. Emi pinched the bridge of her nose. Dano whispered, "Just focus."
Ren stepped up to the wobbly log. It shifted immediately.
He steadied his breath. "Okay… one step."
He placed his foot atop it. The log rolled slightly.
Taro whispered loudly, "SURVIVE!"
Suri smacked him.
Ren took another step. The log rolled again, faster this time.
"Whoa—" He threw his arms to counterbalance.
Miro shouted, "HE'S GONNA FALL!"
Tali screamed, "REN DON'T FALL!"
Ren gritted his teeth. One more step. Another shift. Another wobble.
His heart hammered.
But then—he felt something.
A tiny flicker inside. A subtle alignment. Like his breath, the ground, and the motion lined up for a split second.
He shifted his weight ever so slightly—
And the log stabilized.
Suri's eyes widened. "Good."
Dano crossed his arms, impressed. "Very good."
Emi smiled. "He learned."
Ren took the final step off the log.
Taro clapped wildly. "HE SURVIVED!"
Ren exhaled shakily. "That was… intense."
Miro slumped. "I didn't get to laugh at you even ONCE…"
Tali threw her arms around Ren. "YOU DID AMAZING!"
Ren laughed softly, patting her head. "Thank you."
Nima approached just then, observing everything. Her eyes gleamed. "Ren. You're learning to move with awareness. That is the first step."
Ren bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you for the guidance."
Miro tugged on Ren's shirt. "Now can we RACE?!"
Ren groaned. "Now?"
"NOW!"
Tali protested, "NO! He promised to help me pick herbs!"
"RACE!"
"HERBS!"
"RACE!"
"HERBS!"
Ren sighed heavily. "I'll do herbs first. Then race."
"Yesss!" Tali cheered.
Miro hissed, "Traitor…"
---
Tali dragged Ren into the forest to the east of the village, where tall trees swayed serenely. She held a tiny basket.
"REN! These herbs are SUPER important," Tali explained. "They're for medicine and tea and also sometimes for cookies—"
"Cookies?" Ren perked up.
"Yes! Rina makes them when she's in a good mood."
"She's usually in a good mood," Ren noted.
"Yes, but MORE cookies if EXTRA good," Tali said seriously.
Ren bent down beside her to gather leaves. "What am I looking for?"
"THIS," she said, pulling up a leafy plant. "See the pattern? Three leaves, little white dots."
Ren mimicked her. She nodded. "Perfect!"
As they gathered herbs, Tali rambled endlessly:
"Ren, do you like living here?"
"Ren, do you miss your old life?"
"Ren, do you want to train more?"
"Ren, do you think Miro is loud?"
"Ren, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SOUP?"
Ren answered patiently.
"Yes."
"I'm not sure."
"Probably."
"Yes."
"Vegetable."
Tali nodded deeply at that last answer. "Correct."
Ren blinked. "…It was a test?"
"Yes. All soup answers are tests."
After gathering herbs, they returned to the village where Miro was already jogging circles to "warm up for the race."
Miro shouted, "REN! FINALLY!"
Tali crossed her arms. "Don't bully him. He worked."
"It wasn't work!" Miro said. "It was plants!"
"AND WORK," Tali insisted.
"PLANTS!"
"WORK!"
Ren stepped between them. "Guys… please."
They stared at him, then at each other.
"Race time?" Miro asked.
"Race time," Ren confirmed.
Miro whooped with joy.
---
A starting line was drawn in the dirt. Several villagers gathered to watch—some amused, some curious, some ready to laugh at whatever happened.
Haru held up a stick. "First to the big tree and back wins!"
Miro crouched like he was about to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Ren stretched his legs, already feeling tired.
Tali whispered, "You can beat him if he gets distracted. He ALWAYS gets distracted."
Miro shouted, "I HEARD THAT!"
Tali shouted back, "GOOD!"
Ren chuckled nervously.
Haru raised the stick.
"Ready… set… GO!"
Miro exploded from the starting line so fast he kicked a cloud of dust into Ren's face.
Ren coughed, waving the dust away. "Seriously…?"
Tali yelled, "RUN!"
Ren started jogging. His legs protested instantly. His lungs burned. His feet pounded unevenly.
Miro was already halfway to the tree.
"Come on…" Ren breathed, pushing harder.
The villagers cheered.
"GO MIRO!"
"GO REN!"
"GO BOTH! DON'T DIE!"
Ren kept running. His muscles screamed. The tree felt miles away. But he pushed.
Miro reached the tree, slapped it dramatically, and turned. "HAH! Good luck, Ren!"
Ren reached it much later and slapped it weakly. "Ow…"
He turned back.
And somehow—Miro was losing speed.
Tali shouted, "REN! NOW! He's TIRED!"
Miro gasped, "NO, I'M NOT! I'M— TOTALLY— FINE—"
Ren sprinted as hard as he could. His breath came ragged. His legs felt like lead.
Villagers yelled louder.
"HURRY!"
"FASTER!"
"REN! CATCH HIM!"
"HARU STOP BITING THE SNACKS!"
Ren stumbled but kept running.
Twenty feet.
Ten.
Five.
Miro was slowing rapidly.
And Ren… passed him.
"WH—?! NOOO—!" Miro cried dramatically as Ren stumbled across the finish line and collapsed to the ground, chest heaving.
Tali screamed, "HE DID IT!"
Haru shouted, "HE WON!"
Rina clapped. "Excellent!"
Miro collapsed beside Ren. "You… betrayed… physics…"
Ren wheezed. "I betrayed… nothing…"
Tali held Ren's arm. "You're alive!"
Ren nodded weakly. "Barely."
Nima approached, eyes soft. "Ren. That was effort."
Ren smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Miro rolled onto his back, panting. "Rematch… tomorrow…"
Tali threw grass at him. "LET HIM REST!"
Miro flailed weakly.
Ren lay there feeling the sky above him spinning gently.
He felt exhausted.
He felt sore.
He felt… strangely proud.
Small steps.
Tiny victories.
And each one was real.
---
When night fell, Ren sat outside with a bowl of warm stew. The stars stretched endlessly across the sky. The village sounds drifted around him—laughter, footsteps, soft conversations, the hush of wind through the crops.
Nima approached him quietly.
"You grew again today," she said.
Ren looked at his hands. "Only a little."
"Little is enough," Nima replied. "Little becomes more."
Ren nodded silently.
After a moment, he said, "Nima… do you really think I can keep up? With this world? With everything in it?"
Nima placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Ren… the only person you must keep up with is yourself."
He inhaled slowly.
Exhaled.
The warmth in his chest flickered again—faint, but steadier.
He whispered, "I'll keep going."
Nima smiled approvingly. "Then tomorrow, you begin again."
Ren gazed at the stars.
And he felt ready.
For tomorrow.
For the next step.
For the climb ahead.