Breaking the Ice - Part Two

Al stood alone in the vast field; his gaze fixated on the colossal statue of the armored man looming in the distance. Sighing, he lowered himself onto the ground, contemplating the challenge ahead. "This won't be easy, but it's not impossible," he muttered resolutely.

Memories of his training as a boxer flashed through his mind – the arduous runs and strenuous hikes with added weights – reassuring him that he possessed the necessary fortitude. Besides, he had the Ever-life water by his side. There was no doubt in Al's mind that he could complete the task close to an hour.

As he continued to mull over his thoughts, Al cleared his mind, awaiting the arrival of, Matthew. Without his C-stone, Al could not accurately estimate the passing time, yet the minutes seemed to stretch endlessly. Doubts began to creep in, and Al started questioning his timekeeping abilities.

"Maybe it's only been 15 minutes since everyone left, not the 40 minutes that it feels like," he speculated, attempting to rationalize the situation.

Finally, a diminutive figure materialized in the distance, gradually growing closer. It was Matthew, his movements erratic – running, stopping, walking, and then running again.

Al's curiosity quickly transformed into concern for their time limit. As Matthew drew nearer, Al could discern the anguished expression etched upon his face, a mixture of sweat and tears adorning his features, evoking a pitiable sight. Al abandoned any notion of sprinting into position; instead, he calmly approached the limping Luke, waiting patiently for his arrival.

Al closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he retrieved his canteen with Ever-life water. Matthew's pained whimpering grew nearer, and the young boy noticed that everyone except Al had left, with Al positioned about 30 feet ahead on the road. Sobbing Matthew shouted, "I'm sorry, I twisted my ankle shortly after my start."

Al patiently waited for Matthew to approach before slapping his palm and handing him his canteen. "No need to apologize, Matthew. Take a sip of that water." Al encouraged. After taking a few drinks, Al worried that Matthew would become suspicious of the miraculous water. To Al's surprise the water had very little effect on Matthew.

After taking back his canteen, Al resumed his journey, his sword resting resolutely upon his shoulders.

As he started running, Al contemplated the descriptions of the breathing technique he had obtained. One particular realization sparked an idea: what if he executed the technique while running?

Recalling the conditions required for the Spearmint breathing technique, Al knew it was preferably performed in a hot room to elevate the heart rate, while the technique was intended to cool the body. Although Jin had advised him to be seated, Al felt compelled to experiment firsthand.

While he continued his jog, Al initiated the initial steps of the breathing technique, instantly sensing his body temperature dropping. However, midway through, a sudden, stabbing pain pierced his chest, causing him to stumble and collapse to the ground.

Regaining consciousness, Al hastily sprung to his feet, resuming his sprint with renewed determination. "Damn it! How long was I out? That was a close call." he muttered; his voice laced with a tinge of apprehension. After approximately 10 minutes of relentless exertion, Al's body was drenched in sweat, his legs and back aflame with exhaustion.

Retrieving the half empty canteen, he raised his helmet and took a few gulps to replenish his stamina. He felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins, he pushed himself to run even faster, determined to find the limits of the Ever-life water and his own body. He wanted to which would falter first.

Despite his foot having mostly healed, the Ever-life water seemed less potent on him than Al. As he regained his strength, Yusuf approached he asked, "How long has it been since he left?" Matthew's gaze was fixed downward as he answered, "It's only been 20 minutes since he started running."

Yusuf narrowed his eyes, observing the young, somewhat awkward Matthew, piecing the puzzle together. "So, you weren't as swift as the rest. That's alright; you're also the youngest among us. Do you happen to know any breathing techniques?" Matthew slowly lifted his head, meeting Yusuf's gaze. "Yeah, but they don't really seem to make a difference. My dad said it's probably because I'm a late bloomer. He said coming here would help with that." he muttered.

Yusuf, the eldest of his 11 siblings, saw a glimpse of his fifth youngest brother in Luke's demeanor. A warm smile tugged at Yusuf's lips as he offered, "I'm sure your father is a remarkable teacher. How about I teach you one of the breathing techniques I've learned?"

Matthew blushed, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anticipation, yet he couldn't help but be intrigued by the offer. "Come on, little bro." Yusuf gently encouraged, sensing the young boy's hesitation.

Al resembled a relentless steam engine, his body moving with unwavering determination at a consistent pace. His leg muscles became mush with each stride, and even his bones threatened to snap under the strain. Taking a brief respite, he took out the canteen and took a few gulps, refreshing his spirit.

However, the pain seemed to have seeped deep into his bones, refusing to dissipate. Al had only a small amount of the Ever-life water remaining, but he refused to relent, pushing himself forward with every ounce of strength left in his heavy armored body.

While Al couldn't discern the passing time, he had become well acquainted with the 15th and knew he had a few miles left. Drawing upon his reserves, he pushed the boundaries between his body's demand for hydration and his relentless determination, yet weariness had seeped deep into his very bones.

Undeterred, Al continued to run, pushing both his body and the Ever-life water's recovery ability to the brink. And then, as if summoned by his unyielding onslaught on his body, Al began to experience a sensation he had read about in the red book within the library.

A whirlpool seemed to swirl within the core of his stomach, intensifying with every breath he drew, only to pause and gradually reverse as he exhaled. The book had mentioned that this phenomenon signaled the awakening of one's Will, promising an increase of physical ability.

However, Al felt no tangible surge of strength despite the whirlpool's presence. Nevertheless, he persisted, homing in on the sensation of the swirling vortex. With a mere mile left to conquer, Al's pace had noticeably waned.

He retrieved the canteen for a final time, draining the last precious drops of the Ever-life water. Once again, he surged forward, running faster than ever before, defying all expectations as his metal-clad figure moved with astonishing velocity.

A tingling pain coursed through Al's left shin, just as Matthew and Yusuf came into view. The sight of Al's struggle left them both in a state of shock, prompting Yusuf to hastily position himself. Amid the chaos, Matthew's voice pierced the air, screaming, "59 minutes and 23 seconds!"

Al mustered every ounce of strength, his determination unwavering, as he extended his arm to slap Yusuf's palm. "Snap!" Al felt a surge of adrenaline, the sensation of his blood draining from his body. Lunging forward, he strained to reach Yusuf's hand, he fell short.

Undeterred, Al crawled with all his might, inch by painful inch. Finally, with a last burst of effort, he made contact. "Slap!" Yusuf swiftly ran while Matthew shouted, "59 minutes and 57 seconds!" He rushed toward Al, who lay sprawled on the ground.

Matthew knelt beside him, gently turning him over, only to witness Al jolting, screaming in agony. "Don't touch me! My left leg is broken," Al pleaded, his voice filled with pain.

"If you want to help, find Cesar, tell him what happened, and tell him to fill my Canteen with water. He will know what to do. Tell him to hurry!" Matthew nodded and darted off in search of Cesar without a moment's hesitation.

Al, struggling to move, crawled across the grassy field, his helmet discarded, revealing a face pale and drenched in sweat—a true sight of disarray. He attempted to cautiously remove his boot, but the searing pain proved too overwhelming.

An idea sparked within him, the spearmint breathing technique, though he doubted its ability to mend a broken leg. Perhaps only the Great Orchid possessed such power. With great effort, Al propped himself up, his left leg awkwardly jutting out, and began the breathing technique, hoping for some semblance of relief amidst the agony.

As Al continued with the breathing technique, a comforting warmth emanated from his chest, spreading gradually throughout his body. After five minutes, although his leg remained broken, the pain seemed to subside slightly.

What intrigued Al during his practice was the correlation he noticed between his breathing and the swirling whirlpool sensation in his navel, as it moved in clockwise and counterclockwise patterns. The connection between his breath and the energy within his core fascinated him. However, despite the intriguing discovery, the breathing exercise failed to mend his broken leg, leaving Al desperate to stave off the waves of pain threatening to overwhelm him.

Meanwhile, Matthew tirelessly searched the housing units for Cesar. Finally, his gaze fell upon Cesar exiting one of the units.

"Why is he taking so long? He's supposed to start running soon anyway!" Al murmured to himself; his words strained between breaths.

Finally, relief washed over him as he spotted Cesar and Matthew sprinting toward the field where he lay. Al couldn't help but feel immense relief, yet at the same time, he recognized a discomforting reliance on others, a dependency he wasn't entirely sure he welcomed.

"Here ya go!" Cesar declared, tossing Al's canteen filled with the replenished Ever-life water. Little Matthew had evidently relayed the entire ordeal to him. Cesar attempted to lighten the tension, diverting Al's attention from his broken leg. "Hahaha, that's what happens when you push yourself too hard, you crazy bastard. You gotta learn to train smarter, like me!" Cesar jested, aiming to inject a dose of levity into the situation. However, when Al caught the canteen, he wasted no time gulping down its contents.

Suddenly, intense pressure began to build within his leg, escalating alarmingly. "Pop!" The pain surged sharply, engulfing Al's senses.

Al closed his eyes, determined not to waste a drop of the precious Ever-life water, and downed the canteen. The Ever-life provided temporary relief, prompting him to let out a loud exclamation, "Aaaahhh, goddamn!" The pain intensified, causing him to drop the canteen in agony. Thankfully, he had managed to drink most of it, minimizing the waste.

After a final pop, Al realized he had overindulged, and a pitiful groan escaped his lips. "Ugh, I drank too much water, I need to pee."

Setting his canteen aside, Al made another attempt to remove his boot. Although the pain persisted, he managed to wrestle it off. The sight that greeted him was disheartening—his left leg, from knee to foot, displayed a swollen, bruised mess of purple and red.

He cautiously attempted to apply weight, testing his ability to stand, but the searing pain was still unbearable. Luke and Cesar rushed over, eager to lend a helping hand, but Al dismissed their assistance, his voice strained as he tried to sound resolute. "Thanks, but I must get through the rest of this alone." Cesar's expression fell, and he returned Al's C-stone before leaving him alone.

Al slowly lowered himself to the ground, extending his left leg and putting away his C-stone after checking the time. He began performing the spearmint breathing technique once again, his mind grappling with a single pressing concern. "I really, really need to pee."

As Yusuf sprinted into view, Matthew's eyes widened in awe, and he swiftly retrieved his C-stone. "Forty-one minutes! Yusuf has already shaved off three minutes. He truly is amazing!" Matthew exclaimed. Cesar, however, appeared irritated by Matthew's comment. Muttering to himself, "I'll show you amazing," and positioned himself to run.

Al seemed more relaxed and attuned to the rhythm of the Spearmint breathing technique. He felt the whirlpool in his navel synchronizing with his breaths. Its warmth seemed to transform in conjunction with the cooling sensations produced by the technique, flowing in waves into his injured left leg. He had donned his helmet once more.

The more he concentrated on the leg, the stronger the effect became. Suddenly, a resounding "Slap!" reverberated through the air, signaling Cesar's departure. Surprisingly, he ran at a much swifter pace than before.

Unlike his previous triumphant finish, Yusuf appeared utterly drained and drenched in sweat as he approached Al and Luke, panting heavily. Desperate for water, he glanced at Al's canteen.

He walked toward the closed-eyed Al, who was in the midst of his breathing exercise, intending to grab one of the containers. As Yusuf gapped the canteen Al's grip tightened around his wrist, he exclaimed, "No! You can't drink that!" Confusion furrowed Yusuf's brow as he struggled to plead, "Please, man, just a drink. Then I'll go to my Burrow to bring more."

Al gazed at Yusuf with a complex expression, weighed down by a mixture of shame and relief. "I understand, but... that's not water," he said quietly. Yusuf's eyes darted towards the canteen, realizing the warmth he when he gapped it, and his face contorted in disgust. Yusuf ripped his hand from the container, and yelled, "You're a sick individual. That's not something you do in the open!" With a storm of anger, Yusuf left.

Al was relieved that he had finished the Ever-life water. The last thing he wanted was for rumors to spread that he had an Ever-life stone, causing misunderstandings and potential division within the team. Al understood the importance of maintaining unity and trust among each other or at least the illusion of it, and he didn't want his secret to jeopardize that.

However, Al couldn't help but feel a slight pang of discomfort at the thought of Yusuf spreading rumors that he liked to pee in his canteens. He hoped this misunderstanding wouldn't spread among the others. Ultimately, Al had more pressing matters to focus on, such as his broken leg and the healing process.

Engrossed in his thoughts, Al concentrated on the healing sensations from the swirling whirlpool in his navel. Waves of relief cascaded through his leg, but he couldn't determine whether the Spearmint breathing technique or the whirlpool of energy itself was responsible for the healing effect. The connection between the two intrigued him.

With Matthew and Yusuf gone, Al anticipated that Jin would be the next person to arrive. He continued his breathing technique and harnessed the energy within him.

His focus was intense, directed towards his leg. Still, his mind couldn't help but wander. "Considering Matthew took around one hour and forty minutes, everyone should be showing up earlier," he thought. As if in response, his eyes opened just in time to catch Jin approaching from the housing units.

Suddenly, tremors raced up Al's leg, causing him to shut his eyes again. A strong urge to release all bodily fluids washed over him, draining the color from his face concealed under his helmet and this critical moment marked a crucial phase in his healing process. Even as Jin approached, Al's entire focus was consumed by the sensation of pushing a thousand needles through his left leg.

Jin stood by, observing Al's struggle. Though he couldn't see Al's face, the painful grunts and groans were unmistakable. Realizing Al's need for solitude, Jin quietly settled a few feet away, patiently waiting. According to Jin's estimation, Cesar would arrive in approximately ten minutes. However, those ten minutes seemed to stretch endlessly, and another five slipped away without any movement from Al.

Jin's patience waned as his impatience grew.

Finally, the sound of rushing water echoed, reminiscent of a dam bursting open. With a choking sound, Al dropped to one knee, ejecting a black liquid that seeped through his helmet.

Removing his helmet, Al wiped the viscous substance off his face. Jin watched the unsettling scene unfold. The liquid resembled decayed or contaminated blood.

Struggling to catch his breath, Al examined his leg, finding it free of bruises or swelling.

Al rose to his feet, stomping on his left leg and kicking the air. Surprisingly, his left leg felt better than brand new.