CHAPTER TWO - FEAR OF TOMORROW

I’m going to die! Sirius’ thoughts were in mayhem. I’m doing the same shit as her! Is she that much better than me!? The weight pressing down on his shoulders, the coldness of the shackles bound to his ankles, and the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat gave Sirius back some of his rationality. Calm down, what did the old man say? It was much too late; his brain lacked oxygen. Fuck! I can’t focus!

Maria was about to step forward, no longer able to endure this.

“Wait. You can’t shield him forever, Maria. Trust him,” intervened Rich.

Maria nibbled on her lower lip with fire burning in her eyes.

With his last strings of consciousness fading into darkness, Sirius thought of a single word. Switch.

His instincts took over. The orb started to shine.

“He finally switched,” Rich said.

A small wave pushed away from the orb as its brightness increased. Then a slightly bigger one. Repeatedly, big waves started to push away from Sirius until they suddenly stopped altogether.

“Huh?” Rich said with a confused gaze.

The receding tide started to pick up pace, this time far stronger than before.

“This much raw power...!” Rich ran towards Maria and Luna as fast he could and sheltered them under his body.

A huge wave carrying all the water from the pool erupted in a magnificent tour de force. The wave took down the lonesome tree as it threatened to devour the place whole. Once everything was over, a young unconscious boy was all that remained in the pool.

After making sure Maria and Luna were unharmed, Rich jumped down to the pool. He performed CPR on Sirius until the boy started to cough the water he had inhaled. Sirius opened his eyes as light seemed to return to them.

“Are you okay, kid?” Rich asked, slight worry in his eyes.

Sirius had a hard time acknowledging what was happening but nodded once he understood the situation he was in.

“You are an Amplifier, congratulations. It's rare to see one with this much potential,” Rich said.

Rich’s words of encouragement fell on deaf ears. “Amplifier?! I wanted to—” He coughed as his mother came to hug him, tears streaming down her eyes.

“Kid. I don’t understand why you are so obsessed with being an Enhancer that you almost got yourself killed, but you are an Amplifier. Accept it. The sooner you do, the faster you can learn to control it,” Rich said, seemingly aware of what Sirius would say next.

Sirius’ eyebrows darted down in disappointment, but he nodded anyway.

“Alright. I would like to tell you to take a break for the day, but we don’t have that luxury. We’ll get straight into training.”

“How will we begin, Master?” Luna asked.

“You will have a different training regimen from him, Luna. Since you are already an expert at hand-to-hand combat and already have a developed physique, you will spar against me every day,” Rich replied.

“Kid, unlike Luna, all you have is a decent physique. Though it seems you did some form of labor work growing up, you should be thankful,” Rich said, looking at Sirius.

Sirius’ eyebrows went up in surprise only to come down in anger. Am I that much worse than her?

“We will split your training into two different regimens. Physical training in the morning and afternoon, archery in the evenings. Once you have mastered this enough, we will start with Stardust control.”

“... What weapon will I be using?” Sirius asked, still unable to accept not being an Enhancer.

“That’s up to you. However, I recommend a bow. I might not be able to teach you other, more unique ranged weapons,” Rich answered.

“Is there really no way for me to become an Enhancer? Can’t I do the test again or something?” Sirius asked, despair seeping out of his voice.

“Stop. I won’t say this again, the orb doesn’t lie. You are an Amplifier. Why is it that you want to be an Enhancer so bad anyway?”

“I... want to be able to stand on my own. To protect my mother without the need for help,” Sirius said, his mother embracing him even stronger.

“And what? You think that’s what Enhancers do? Down there in the Abyss, there’s no such thing as surviving on your own. Those foolish enough to try it end up as a dweller’s meal. Enhancers and Amplifiers work together to cover each other’s weaknesses. Now, get up. We’ll start with archery control right now,” Rich answered, his tone suggesting he wouldn’t accept any further complaints.

“...Okay,” Sirius said, still not convinced but aware of Rich’s tone.

“Alright, for now...” Rich snapped his fingers, and a huge mountain appeared, its peak far beyond. “Climb that and return here,” he said, pointing at the distant hill.

Sirius’ eyes opened in shock. No, if it’s just once, I might be able to do it.

“Do it, let’s see...” Rich said, eyes looking up in apparent thought.

Is it gonna be more than once?!

“Do it until I tell you to stop,” he said.

Sirius’ face fell. He couldn’t believe it. He wanted to cry and run away, but he knew it was futile. He would just be delaying the inevitable.

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“Now go, there’s no time to waste,” ushered Rich.

Sirius started to throttle towards the mountain, but his gaze lacked determination. The worried gaze of his mother seemed to silently encourage him from behind.

Sirius climbed the mountain slowly, trying to remain positive. That’s right, that old man wouldn’t make me do something that he thought I couldn’t do. There’s gotta be a reason. Heck, perhaps he’s even lying about the Amplifier and Enhancer thing. Maybe he just wants to see how determined I am.

This was Sirius’ third climb of the mountain. He had a hard time feeling his legs, and his back hurt. Each step up the hill sent sharp pain down his calves. The rocky mountain proved to be harder than he thought to climb. He would sometimes catch glimpses of Luna dueling against Rich. She couldn’t even land a strike yet, but Rich praised her ability.

“You are not bad, kid; it must have required years of dedication to reach this level,” Sirius overheard Rich say.

This fueled him to keep going, thinking that he couldn’t give up until he showed the old man his resolve. I will prove to him that I have what it takes too! I must keep going!

Sirius looked more like a marionette than a human being as he climbed his tenth round. He knew he wasn’t the luckiest person out there; he was born into a life of misfortune, after all. But he always kept a positive outlook on life, thinking of himself as a protagonist fighting against the odds. He developed the ability to find solutions for problems and always thought that he was smarter than those around him. This, however, changed the day he met Luna. Her flawless demonstration of skill, her graceful ability to handle a life-or-death situation with calm and ease—watching her perform the orb test made him realize he was not special, that perhaps he was nothing more than average.

Sirius tripped. He fell as he was about to start his twentieth climb, his misplaced optimism now exhausted. I tried. I’m sure the old man will let me rest now.

“Get up,” Rich said as he approached him.

“I can’t run anymore—this should be enough, no?” Sirius said, panting between words.

“I won’t say it again, get up.” Rich’s tone made Sirius realize he wasn’t joking—he really expected him to keep running.

“Old man, I’m not talented like Luna! I tried my best, but this is my limit!” Sirius replied, feeling wronged.

“Talented, huh...,” Rich said.

“Yeah, or I bet you are going to say she's not talented but disciplined instead! I’m sure she will be the perfect student after being trained by divers! You think I didn’t notice? She’s a first-degree citizen; she’s obviously the daughter of some famous Diver!” Sirius said, letting all his pent-up emotions surface like a broken dam.

Luna, who had been swinging her sword in practice this whole time, turned to look at Sirius when her name was mentioned. Her gaze carried a certain iciness that made Sirius tremble.

“Stop spouting bullshit,” Rich said, his voice sharp enough to cut. Sirius flinched. “There's no such thing as discipline or talent. Or do you think the single mother who works herself to the bone is disciplined? She has mouths to feed. You think the athlete who achieves greatness is talented? He has expectations to live up to. Discipline and talent, those are just fairy tales—words people invented to detach themselves from reality, telling themselves they couldn’t do better.”

Those words struck Sirius like thunder as shame crept over his body. What the fuck have I been doing so far?! I didn’t even stop to think about why he asked me to run or how to do it properly...

“What you are needing is not discipline nor talent but fear. Fear that if you don't get up now, you won't be able to when it matters. Sure, you can lay here and tell yourself you tried your best. However, what about tomorrow? When you witness those you hold dear suffer because you chose to give up today. Will 'I did my best' be good enough for them?” Rich said, giving Sirius a stern look.

Sirius looked down in thought. I just thought about proving that I can be as good as Luna. Why am I even trying to be better than her anyway?

Sirius looked up and said, “Master, how can I catch up to those who were born with an advantage?”

Rich’s gaze softened as he said, “Everyone is born with their own circumstances. The upset of those circumstances creates the stories that we know today. Temper your body and mind until you can carve such a story—a story that only you can tell.”

What the fuck have I been doing so far?! I didn’t even stop to think about why he asked me to run or how to do it properly...

“Why did you ask me to climb this hill?” Sirius asked.

Rich smirked. “You finally started using that thick brain of yours,” he said before continuing. “Archers and Amplifiers must keep a steady core when they aim. Climbing a mountain allows you to develop your core muscles as well as resistance.”

“Is that why I will train archery after physical training every day? To be able to remain calm even when I’m completely exhausted?” Sirius asked.

“Hooh. You are smarter than you look. Yeah, that’s why. Archers must be capable of rational decision-making and unwavering posture. You would be amazed at how powerful Amplifiers can be when these conditions are met,” Rich answered with apparent newfound approval for Sirius.

“Understood. I will start running again,” Sirius said as he stood up, dusting off his hands. “I will make sure to engage my core muscles and to keep the correct posture as I do.” Like a star shining in the night, a fire burned deep within Sirius’ eyes.

Rich smiled, but before he could say anything, Sirius was already running. This time, however, his steps carried a subtle determination found only in those willing to do anything to achieve their goals.

Because Sirius started running as soon as he got up, he failed to hear the words that Luna muttered.

“Don’t give up...”

The subsequent days found Sirius immersed in his training. The first week, he couldn’t even lift the bow after he was done running, his lungs burning in exhaustion. His trembling hands couldn’t pull back the tension of the string.

“Is this all you’ve got, kid? You won’t last two minutes down in the Abyss!” Whenever he heard Rich say those words, he would get up and start running again.

Two weeks in, his skills with the bow were terrible. He couldn’t even hit the board, much less the mark. However, he could at least fire the arrows now, and the strain on his lungs had somewhat diminished to something bearable. He often caught himself liking the idea of being an Amplifier more and more.

I need to engage my core more. Master said archers use their whole body to aim, not just their arms. Whenever he saw Luna spar against Rich, he no longer felt envy but something else—resolve.

By the fourth week, the blisters accumulating on his sore feet had become so painful he wanted to cry every time he took a step. But he always bit his lower lip in determination as he kept moving forward, the ache in his muscles reminding him of the vow he made to himself.

A story that only I can tell. These words pushed him forward with unrelenting spirit.

Six weeks in, his arrows started to hit the board, occasionally hitting near the center, prompting him to shout and dance in euphoria. He often caught Luna looking his way when this happened, unsure of what the look in her eyes meant.

Master said some Amplifiers can even alter the path of their arrows mid-flight. Maybe if I train hard enough, I too...

Today, two months later, he hit the center for the first time. Throughout this whole eight-week journey, he felt like giving up many times. Whenever he did, he would glance at his mother. She was always silently looking at him in what Sirius could only guess to be encouragement.

“Let’s goooooooooooooooooo! I will be the greatest Amplifier!” Sirius said in ecstasy as he jumped around.

Luna turned to look at him, her lips curving up ever so slightly into what might have been a smile.

Rich laughed. “Don’t get cocky, kid. Try hitting the mark when there’s a dweller breathing down your neck. Starting tomorrow, we will increase your training two-fold. There’s only ten months left until your first dive into the Abyss, after all.”

These words fell on deaf ears, as Sirius couldn’t contain the excitement that this achievement brought him.

Training is the best!

While Sirius performed his victory dance, Luna walked up to him, each step firm and poised. Fire burned deep within her eyes as she said, “I won’t lose,” her words carrying a hint of determination, maybe even defiance.

Huh?! Sirius flinched at the unexpected words.