Closer Than Before

--Sky's Perspective--

---February 17th, 2446---

[30:38:29]

As another day came and went, the time slowly ticked down. I had been sitting at home for the majority of the morning, just pushing my body to its limit. It's fairly hard to train my body when I can't use all of it, but I figured I might as well focus on my legs, at least. I've been doing squats for about an hour now, realizing my true reserves of stamina.

I've been relatively inactive for a while, but I can use my body to an insane level. I've performed about five hundred squats with at least one second in between, and I barely feel tired. It's almost... inhuman strength.

I knew I still had something left in me, but seeing it in action was a lot more appealing than just simply knowing.

I figured that it was time I practiced my flexibility as well. I've been stretching, but some parts I just can't nail. Sometimes, it can get confusing to me how my body can bend a certain way, but other times, I just get irritated.

For example, I can lift my leg above my head if I'm kicking, but I can't do it while standing still. I'm not that short, but I'm also not that tall. I'm about 5' 6", but I was an inch shorter on the beach. I'm still growing, and maybe my body is feeling some of that right now, but I don't want to move and do certain things. I want to perform these actions without moving and use them in various ways.

I can perform front flips and back-handsprings like it's nothing. However, I can't do a backflip at all, or a front flip. I'm practically worthless while standing still, so, that's what I'm training.

My left arm was dead weight and irritating most times I tried to hold my leg up, but I soon passed that irritation. That was my last trick to improve myself... my irritation and rage.

Boo said it best, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. My rage is the one thing that I'm uncertain of. I know my limits, and my capabilities... but I don't know how angry I can get.

I don't have Avie or Illya to regulate that rage anymore, and chances are, that I won't be able to be stopped if I have an outburst. I don't want that, ever again, and I want to practice my threshold.

There's a certain volume of rage I can weaponize to become stronger, but too much becomes unstable and... results in an explosion of strands and feelings in my body I can't rid myself of. It's a curse, in all honesty.

I put my foot on the wall and lightly jumped backward to stretch my body out. Sure, it hurt like hell pushing myself to this degree, but the pain is temporary, results are permanent.

Yet... it hurts too bad!

I wanted to incorporate all of the different styles of fighting that I've seen over time. I've seen people use their feet to redirect sword swings, and their legs to counter other things. I've seen arms used instead of swords or sabers, and I've seen all sorts of things that have been amazing to me.

If Avie doesn't reawaken, and I never gain control of this left arm again, I need a way to use my body to act as a weapon, since I can't use a large portion of it. Going day by day with one arm is weird, but knowing it's there and not being able to use it is annoying.

My body was screaming at me in pain because of how much I'd been stretching it and improving my muscles. Even if for one day, I could somewhat feel some sort of result. I kept doing squats and stretching as much as possible, realizing that I would eventually hit my limit.

I ran around the base of the house, even in the lobby, to test how much I could do it.

After I did more squats, I started to run for a little while... my stamina started to reach its limit after the 61st lap around the lobby. I have that much energy...?

Unless I was using Avie's stamina?! Do I stop...? What do I do...?

This is the longest the voice in my head had been quiet... dammit Avie, you're really not there...?

I stared at the wall in the lobby, thinking about Avie and my past.

What can I do for her... how can I help her...?

Umbra is my only real option. Dani explained the connection between Umbra and Avie, beyond what I already knew. My guess is that there's a relationship between them that isn't public. Maybe that's Avie's girlfriend, or maybe that's her mother, or maybe that's her relative. Either way, it's none of my business, and I want to deliver Avie to Umbra, dead or alive.

"Would you like a glass of water, sir?" I heard one of the people behind the counter ask me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah sure. Sorry for disturbing you, I was lost in thought." I explained to the worker.

"Not a problem at all. You're from... the sky, right?" He asked me.

"I guess so, yeah. Things are really different here... are you not afraid of me?" I asked him with confusion.

"Ah, so you are Sky Asterio. Well, you don't seem to be scary. Even if you were, it's still my job to serve everybody in this home with equal treatment." He explained to me. I nodded, taking a sip of the water.

And then, I felt a tingle in my arm again.

It was faint. So faint that at first, I didn't realize what was happening. But, after the feeling was locked in my mind, I watched my arm like a hawk.

Please... give me a sign you're still in there. Do you react to the cold? Is it cold in there? I wish you could just talk to me one more time...