It was almost midnight, and most of the duty-free people in Octagon Verenda were fast asleep. However, Chancellor Bostic was still sitting in front of a laptop, watching some old videos.
Maxwell, rubbing his sleepy eyes, approached Bell. "Are you still awake, Bell? Doesn't you sleep?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Bell looked at Maxwell with a smile. "Ah, I'm not feeling sleepy. Look at this," he said, turning on the video.
Bell played the video, and Maxwell took a seat on the sofa next to Bell. It was a video taken 7 years ago when Kalvin was still a cadet. Kalvin, Bell, and Maxwell were on a small island of the Octagon Verenda, where Kalvin loved to go when he was free. Kalvin was doing push-ups on the beach, while Bell was holding a cane in his hand, and Maxwell was on the side, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Daniel was the one taking the video.
"Fifty-four," Bell counted as Kalvin struggled with the push-ups.
"I'm sorry, Bell, please," Kalvin pleaded, his face covered in sweat, his hands shaking a bit.
"Go on, you should've thought before sneaking out last night for another illegal fight," Bell said, looking at the tired face of Kalvin."Hurry," Bell said, his tone firm but not unkind. Kalvin managed to go on for another three push-ups.
"Ugh," Kalvin let out another sharp breath as he finished.
"Fifty-seven," Bell counted in his firm voice.
"Sir, please, forgive me for this time," Kalvin pleaded through breaths. Bell stared at the fifteen-year-old boy who was his adopted son.
"You sneak out for fights every possible night. You might find it fun to win a bet or a prize or a reputation among girls, but those fighting pits are illegal for a reason. If you get caught, you get straps and hard punishments," Bell replied calmly.
"Does this look like an easy punishment?" Kalvin replied, trying to lie his torso on the beach, but Bell interrupted.
"No rests, remember the rules?" Bell said, putting his feet under Kalvin's torso, stopping his belly from touching the sand.
"Oh, I'm tired," Kalvin pleaded.
"Two more to go, up. Hmm.. quick! Do you want a cane shot across the back? Quick!" Bell commanded in a firm tone, waving the cane, but he had no intention of using it on Kalvin for such a silly mistake.
Kalvin reluctantly pushed himself back up, his arms shaking with the effort. He knew better than to disobey Bell's orders, even if he was exhausted.
Maxwell watched the scene unfold, a hint of a mischievous smile in his eyes. He had seen this scenario play out many times before, and he admired Bell's unwavering approach to disciplining Kalvin. He knew Bell did this to stop Kalvin from getting caught up in fighting pits and facing harsher punishments from the wise chancellor, as wise Chancellor Charles was the one in charge of the cadet training. Kalvin barely managed two more push-ups. He winced as he finished the last two.
"Agh... I... mmm... can't... do... any... more," Kalvin replied, out of breath. Maxwell stared at Kalvin's face. He could see Kalvin's closed eyes and the sweat covering his forehead. His hands were shaking, and his torso was almost close enough to touch the sand, but Bell stopped him by putting his feet down again.
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"One more," Bell said, his tone firm.
"Please," Kalvin murmured, his voice strained.
Maxwell could see that this time, Kalvin was at his limit. The smile on his lips vanished, replaced by a concerned expression.
"Bell, he's really out of limit," Maxwell said, worry evident in his voice.
"I see he can do one more," Bell said calmly.
"He's tired," Maxwell said, looking at Bell.
"Hurry, Kal," Bell said, and Kalvin pushed himself up, wincing with the effort for the last one. This time, Bell took away his feet, allowing Kalvin to rest.
"Sixty," Bell said, watching Kalvin lie on the floor, breathing heavily, cheeks touching the sand. Kalvin rolled around, still lying on the beach, his face facing the sky.
Bell squatted down, with a bottle in his hand instead of the cane. "Here, it's glucose water. Start a little by little," he said, bringing the bottle close to Kalvin's mouth.
Kalvin, who was drenched in sweat, used one hand to push his torso up enough to take a few sips of the water. Bell saw Kalvin's face getting better as he had the cooling liquid. As Kalvin drank, Bell observed him closely, his expression softening. The older man knew he had pushed the young cadet to his limits, but he knew it was necessary. Maxwell watched the scene unfold, relieved to see Bell caring about Kalvin.
Kalvin finished drinking the water, some of the colour returning to his face. He looked up at Bell, his eyes conveying a mixture of gratitude and understanding.
"Thank you, sir," Kalvin said, his voice still slightly ragged.
Bell nodded, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You did well, Kalvin. Now, take a moment to catch your breath. "Bell said sitting beside Kalvin.
Maxwell bought a wet towel and handed it to Kalvin.
Kalvin sat on the floor, wiping his face and body with a wet towel. He then looked at Bell, who was staring out at the sea. A mischievous smile spread across Kalvin's face as he lay down in the sand, resting his head on Bell's thigh. Bell looked down at Kalvin and smiled, running his fingers through his son's hair.
"Are you angry about the punishment?" Bell asked, still smiling.
"A bit, to be honest," Kalvin replied mischievously. Bell smiled again.
"You know what you did was wrong, Kal. If Charles catches you in a fighting pit, I can't stop him from punishing you. I don't want you to get strapped or hurt. Besides, those fighting pits are dangerous; the people there don't care about the well-being of the fighters. I want you to stop going. If you get caught, the next punishment will be even harsher," Bell said, continuing to stroke Kalvin's head to offer him comfort. Kalvin nodded.
"Okay, but I can't promise," he said playfully. Bell smiled.
"My silly boy," he chuckled as Kalvin playfully tossed the towel at Maxwell.
"You monkey!" Maxwell replied with a laugh, catching the towel just as it hit his face.
"Kalvin, give us a smile!" Daniel urged, directing the camera toward Kalvin. That’s when Kalvin finally spotted the camera.
"Have you been filming this whole time? No way!" Kalvin exclaimed, jumping up and playfully chasing after Daniel, while Bell giggled. The camera quickly dropped to the floor, and the video cut off, hinting that Kalvin successfully caught up with Daniel.
"Good old days," Maxwell said, gazing at the screen. A bittersweet smile played on Bell's lips.
"Kalvin was always a mischievous rascal, but his heart was pure and brave," Bell reflected, exhaling softly.
"He should be sprawled on the sofa, ensuring I don’t overwork myself, as he always did. He’d fall asleep within moments, so he rarely managed to give me trouble for more than a few hours, pleading for me to take a break," Bell added with a heartfelt sigh, the weight of nostalgia evident on his face.
"I wonder where he is now, whether he had a proper meal, a warm bed to rest" Bell said, a tear streaming down his cheek. Maxwell stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Bell tightly.
"I miss him too," he murmured, watching the tear slide down Bell’s face. Maxwell could feel the deep pain Bell was in, knowing he wasn't one to cry easily.
"I should have stopped him... I should have... What kind of father am I?" Bell whispered, resting his head on Maxwell's shoulder.
"You are an incredible father, Bell. Both Kalvin and I know that. Kalvin will return; I believe it with all my heart. You are a leader, and sometimes sacrifices must be made. This isn't your fault," Maxwell insisted gently, a tear escaping down his own cheek.
"Bloody leadership!" Bell replied, frustration evident in his voice.