Essence

He had barely caught his breath after the deadlift when he was told to move on to the next test. He felt like his lungs were on fire and his mouth was dry. He gasped for air as he felt his heart pounding and his body heating up. He was lucky that he didn't injure himself or tear any muscles under the double gravity.

'Fuck, my arms are killing me and this is just the start of it!' He swore.

He had only two minutes to rest before the second test: the bench press. The rules were the same as before: three reps with the maximum weight possible without using aura.

He lay down on the bench and adjusted his position. Alaya stood behind him, ready to spot him if he failed. He lifted his arms and unracked the bar. He decided to go with 50 kgs in double gravity. He managed to complete the three reps, but it was a close call. His arms felt like jelly.

Alaya recorded the results with a poker face. He couldn't tell if she was impressed or disappointed.

He got another two minutes of rest before the next test: the barbell squats. He chose 90 kgs and this was the only test where he didn't struggle to finish the reps. His legs were still strong.

'Damn, I still got it!' He thought.

Alaya looked at the results and thought, 'He's doing better than I expected. Even though he slacked off for two years, he didn't lose much strength or muscle mass. His intensive training for the last month must have helped him recover a lot.'

He finished all the tests in the first segment, but he was completely drained. His muscles were sore and his body was aching. Alaya gave him half an hour to recover and started to give him her feedback.

"...You didn't lose much strength despite your two-year break. You only lost about 10 per cent on average, which you can regain in 15 days of training," She said.

She explained her observations and he nodded along.

"So, does that mean I can catch up with them if I train non-stop?" He asked.

"It depends on your will and determination. But you shouldn't train every day until you collapse. Your body needs time to recover too," She said.

"I see..." He said.

He lay down on the bench and closed his eyes to rest. He hoped to regain some energy before the next segment begins.

She watched him sleep with a tender smile on her face. She felt a warm affection for him as if he was her child.

"Kids are so cute, aren't they?" The Fairy said.

"Not all of them are cute, Naya," She said.

"But he must be the cutest one for you. You're always so close to him," Naya said.

"Yes, he's the most precious person in my life. I would do anything for him," She said.

"I know. I saw your memories. You're more than a big sister to him. You're like his second mother," Naya said.

She chuckled and said, "Maybe you're right. I've been taking care of him since he was a baby. Miss Evelyn was often busy with her work, so I was the one who looked after him."

"That's true," Naya said.

"By the way, why are you suddenly interested in him? Did you find something special about him?" She asked curiously.

"Umm,... not special, but odd," Naya said, with a puzzled expression on her face. She flew around her neck in circles, as if she was trying to figure something out.

"Odd? What do you mean?" She asked, feeling confused and worried.

She stared at Naya with disbelief as the fairy said, "I don't know how to explain it, but it's the first time I've seen something like this. His soul doesn't resonate with his body."

"His soul doesn't resonate? What do you mean by that?" She asked, feeling confused and alarmed.

"Are you saying that he's not Lloyd, but someone else? But he doesn't have any demonic energy in him. He's just a normal human. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" She added.

"That's why I called it strange. I've never seen anything like this either. He doesn't fully resonate, but he doesn't smell like a demon either. He just smells like himself," Naya said, flying closer to his face and sniffing him.

"That can't be possible. There's no way to put a different soul in someone's body without using black magic. And black magic always leaves a trace. You must be wrong," She said, shaking her head and holding his hand.

Naya shook her head and said, "I'm not mistaken. I can see the essence of all beings, whether they are humans, demons, elves or anyone else. Mother Nature has given us this power as spirits."

She flew closer to Alaya and looked into her eyes. She said, "We are made of mana, so we can sense the mana of others naturally. It's a gift that other races don't have. We can see beyond the surface and into the essence."

Alaya, even after listening to her, refused to believe and understand her. It was mostly because of her strong emotions for Lloyd, but also partly because what the fairy was saying was simply ridiculous. Such things couldn't happen, even though what Naya said was true.

Naya sighed and said, "I understand why you don't believe me. This is also the first time I've seen something like this. It's very rare and strange."

She knew that Alaya was too attached to Lloyd to accept her words. She had raised him like her own son, and she couldn't bear the thought of him being someone else. She decided to stop trying to convince her, as it would only make her more upset.

Alaya was usually a realistic and intellectual person, but when it came to Lloyd, she became emotional and protective. She would do anything for him, even if it meant denying the truth.

Naya thought, 'Maybe I shouldn't push her too hard. She's very sensitive about him, and she won't listen to reason. She's really too protective about him not like anyone's going to kidnap him right now. It would be more open when it comes to him."

She flew upside down pouting in annoyance, caused to her Alaya.

****

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