The Grind

Aaron awoke to the soft rays of the morning sun filtering through the thin curtains of his orphanage room. The light played across his face, gently pulling him from the depths of sleep. For a moment, he lay still, savoring the warmth of the bed beneath him. The week had been exhausting, his body still feeling the lingering effects of intense training. But the ache in his muscles was a good reminder—it meant progress.

He slowly opened his eyes, taking in the familiar surroundings of his small room. The worn-out wallpaper, the creaky wooden floor, and the old dresser by the wall—it all seemed so mundane, so ordinary, yet it was the place he called home. The quiet of the early morning enveloped him, a stark contrast to the chaos of his training in the abandoned garage.

Aaron pushed himself up, sitting on the edge of his bed. His body protested the movement, but he ignored it, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs. Today was the day he would take the next step. The thought filled him with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

He got up and walked over to the small mirror hanging on the wall above the dresser. His reflection stared back at him, and for a moment, he studied his appearance. His lean body still showed signs of the weakness he'd struggled with, but there was also a new strength in the way he held himself. His face, once soft with the remnants of childhood, had started to harden, showing the beginnings of what would one day be a strong, determined man.

Aaron had learned a lot about the intricacies of his powers over the past week. The initial days had been focused on understanding how cursed energy flowed through his body and how he could manipulate it to enhance his physical abilities. It wasn't easy; every new discovery came with a fresh wave of pain and exhaustion, but Aaron welcomed the challenge. Each drop of sweat, each burning muscle, brought him closer to mastering his abilities.

As he jogged through the quiet streets towards his makeshift gym, Aaron focused on increasing his stamina and endurance. He started with just his physical strength, pushing his body to its natural limits. The pavement beneath his feet felt rough as he pounded it, his breathing steady but strained. He could feel the burn in his legs, the fatigue creeping into his muscles, but he kept pushing forward.

After a few miles, Aaron decided to push past his limit. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, channeling cursed energy into his legs. Immediately, he felt a surge of power, his pace quickening as his body responded to the extra boost. The world around him blurred slightly as he sprinted faster, his heart pounding in his chest.

'Faster, stronger,' he thought, feeling the energy course through his veins. The sensation was exhilarating but also dangerous. Aaron knew he couldn't rely on this boost indefinitely—it was a tool, not a crutch.

By the time he reached the garage, Aaron was drenched in sweat, his breath coming in heavy gasps. But he wasn't done yet. He immediately started his freehand exercises, determined to push his physical limits. A hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, a hundred squats—each movement precise, each rep executed with determination. His muscles screamed in protest, his body begging for rest, but Aaron pushed through the pain.

After what felt like hours, Aaron finally allowed himself a moment to rest. His clothes clung to his body, soaked through with sweat, and his limbs felt like lead. But even as he caught his breath, his mind was already working on the next step of his training.

Aaron had been thinking about something over the past few days, a grim idea that he knew could take his training to the next level. If he could manipulate the cursed energy to change his body temporarily, then maybe, just maybe, he could also make objects heavier. It was a dangerous thought—one that brought a dark expression to his face—but he knew he had to try it.

After a short break, Aaron walked over to one of the tires he had been using in his training. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on the rubber, focusing his cursed energy. "Heavy," he muttered, and immediately, he felt the tire's weight increase, almost doubling.

His face contorted in pain as he tried to lift the tire, the sudden weight forcing his muscles to work twice as hard. The strain was intense, every fiber of his being screaming for him to stop, but Aaron gritted his teeth and pushed through it. He lifted the tire off the ground, his arms trembling under the weight, but he refused to give up.

"This is just the beginning," he muttered through clenched teeth, his eyes filled with determination. "I'll get stronger… no matter what it takes."

As the tire finally hit the ground with a heavy thud, Aaron stood there, panting, his body aching from the exertion. But there was a small, satisfied smile on his face. He had done it—he had pushed himself further than before. And he knew that this was only the start of his new hellish training.

With a grim resolve, Aaron continued his exercises, repeating the process with the other tires. Each time he increased their weight, the pain grew more intense, but so did his resolve. He knew that to survive in this world, to carve out the freedom he so desperately craved, he had to be stronger. Strong enough to face any challenge, strong enough to never rely on luck again.

And so, Aaron's training continued, each day bringing him closer to his goal. Through the pain, through the exhaustion, he pressed on, his mind focused on the ultimate prize: true strength, and with it, true freedom.

Aaron, now completely drenched in sweat, stood for a moment, his muscles screaming for relief. The intense training had pushed his body to its limits, but there was a shine in his eyes—a gleam that reflected his growing thirst for power. He knew he couldn't stop now, not when he was so close to pushing past another boundary.

With a determined breath, Aaron lowered himself to the floor and settled into a meditative pose. His body, trembling with exhaustion, demanded rest, but Aaron ignored the pain. This was just another part of his training—a crucial one. He needed to build mental resilience, to train his mind to endure as much as his body did.

Closing his eyes, Aaron began to focus inward, channeling his attention away from the physical pain and towards the flow of cursed energy (CE) within him. It was like a current, flowing through every muscle, every fiber of his being. He concentrated on that flow, feeling it gather and swirl, like a storm contained within the confines of his body.

'This is what I need,' he thought, his mind sharpening with focus. 'I need to drain and refine this energy, to collect it, to make it my own.'

As he concentrated, Aaron could feel the cursed energy slowly beginning to fortify his muscles. The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before—a strange mix of pain and relief, as if his body was being wrapped in a layer of protective energy. His muscles, previously screaming in agony, started to feel slightly more at ease as the CE seeped into them, reinforcing the fibers and dulling the ache.

Despite the exhaustion gnawing at his edges, Aaron held onto his focus, pushing himself to maintain this state for as long as possible. The mental strain was intense—every part of him wanted to collapse, to give in to the fatigue—but he refused. This was as much a test of his will as it was of his power.

"Just… a little longer," he muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper. "I have to… I need to… be stronger."

Minutes passed, maybe hours—time seemed to blur as Aaron sat there, his body and mind in a battle of endurance. But eventually, the cursed energy began to settle, the flow becoming more refined, more controlled. Aaron could feel it now, a steady pulse of power within him, a power he was beginning to truly understand and harness.

Half an hour later, Aaron felt the cursed energy (CE) within him replenished and increased though only slightly. The sensation was faint but noticeable—a small improvement. Determined to make the most of the day's training, he decided to start his final session with his cursed technique.

Aaron stood up and scanned the garage, spotting a few objects scattered around. He picked a small stack of crates and other debris, arranging them into a line at varying distances. His goal was to test his range and control, pushing the limits of his abilities.

He took a deep breath and focused, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "Alright, let's see how far I can go," he muttered to himself.

Aaron extended his hand toward the farthest object, a crate about 5 meters away. "Push," he commanded. The crate shuddered and then slid a few inches forward. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

He shifted his focus to another crate, slightly closer. "Pull," he said, and the crate moved toward him with a smooth motion. "Good, but let's see if I can do more."

Aaron lined up a set of objects and began experimenting with more complex commands. "Tear," he said, directing his focus on a piece of fabric. The fabric ripped apart, and he felt a small drain on his CE. "Not bad, but let's push it further."

Next, he tried "Crush," concentrating on a small metal rod. As the rod began to bend and twist under the pressure of his command, Aaron gritted his teeth, his face contorting with effort. The strain was evident in his clenched jaw and furrowed brow. "Come on… come on," he muttered through gritted teeth. The rod finally yielded to his will, but the effort had left him visibly exhausted.

He tried using a single command to affect several items at once. "Push," he said, directing the command at the line of crates. Only a few of them responded, the rest remaining still.

"This isn't working yet," he noted, shaking his head. "Seems like I'm not ready for multiple objects just yet."

With the final test completed, Aaron looked around the garage, noting the scattered objects and the subtle changes he had made. He felt a mixture of satisfaction and frustration—he was making progress, but there was still a long way to go.

"Well," he said, a tired but determined smile on his face, "today was a good start. Tomorrow, I'll push further. There's always more to learn."

Aaron gathered his things and took one last look at the garage before heading out, the sense of accomplishment mingling with the exhaustion from his intense training.