The colony's training grounds lay shrouded in a fragile morning silence, broken the faint hum of tireless workers beginning their daily labor. A thin veil of mist curled over the dirt paths, clinging to the blades of grass like fragile threads of silver. Valeria stood tall before the scattered recruits, her gaze sharp and unyielding, her posture as stern as the ancient oaks bordering the grounds. Ari, Rory, and Isla remained huddled on the rough earth, their bodies slumped and exhausted, remnants of the brutal trial still lingering in every muscle and sinew.
Ari shifted uneasily, rolling his stiff shoulders. A dull ache radiated from his limbs, the persistent soreness that only came from pushing beyond every known limit. The weight of the boulder they'd spent days hauling still lingered in his bones, a constant reminder of the harsh ordeal. He flexed his fingers experimentally, feeling the residual tremors beneath his chitin.
Back when I was human, he thought, eyes narrowing in the soft dawn light, I would have collapsed on the first day. I was weak. Scrawny. Always last in gym class. But here… here, I'm stronger.
A slow breeze stirred, carrying with it the faint aroma of crushed leaves and damp earth. The morning air was cool against his sweat-slick skin, but it did little to soothe the fire burning in his muscles. His mind, sharper now than ever before, raced past the ache.
Valeria's sharp clap shattered the fragile quiet. Instantly, all eyes snapped toward her.
"You endured a trial of endurance, but now we will focus on something just as crucial—muscular endurance," she announced, her voice cutting clean through the morning air. "In battle, it's not enough to last long; you must be able to sustain immense weight, resist collapse, and push beyond what you believe is possible."
Rory groaned, a low rumble vibrating through his chest, already regretting the inevitable challenge that awaited.
Isla, still curled into herself like a wounded creature, lifted her head only slightly, her eyes glassy with fatigue.
"W-what exactly does that mean?" she croaked, voice rough and cracked from exhaustion.
Valeria's smirk was slow, deliberate, almost mocking. "Simple. You'll be lifting a boulder non-stop for three days. Then, once that's complete, you'll hold a plank position while carrying the boulder on your back."
A heavy silence fell, thick and suffocating.
Isla's face contorted with a mixture of dread and disbelief. "I—I think I'm going to die this time," she whimpered, voice barely above a shuddering breath.
Rory exhaled sharply through clenched teeth but nodded, steeling himself. "So, just raw strength, huh? Fine."
Ari's brow furrowed. The thought churned in his mind—this was less training, more torture. But no words left his lips. Not yet.
Valeria gestured toward the designated area of the training grounds, where enormous boulders lay scattered like ancient relics, their rough surfaces mottled with moss and cracks. Each stone was custom-chosen to match the strength of the ant meant to bear it. Isla's was small but unwieldy, Rory's was moderate, and Ari's—no surprise—was the largest, a jagged slab of granite that seemed impossibly heavy.
"You will hold the boulders above your heads as long as possible. If you drop it, you pick it back up. There will be no breaks. You will eat while holding them. You will drink while holding them."
Isla's eyes brimmed with tears before they even began, shimmering like dew on fragile petals.
"Begin," Valeria ordered.
The instant Ari hoisted the boulder overhead, his arms cried out in sharp protest. A white-hot burning radiated from his forearms up to his shoulders, muscles trembling as they strained to stabilize the crushing weight. His feet dug deep into the dirt, toes curling to anchor him, his elbows locking into place despite the searing pain. The boulder pressed down on him like an immovable force of nature, relentless and unyielding—but he refused to surrender.
Beside him, Rory's jaw tightened until the muscles twitched visibly under taut skin. His hands clenched, knuckles whitening as his limbs quivered beneath the immense strain. "This… this is just another test… Just another test…" he muttered, breath uneven, voice barely above a whisper, a mantra to steel his resolve.
And Isla?
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Her shriek shattered the morning calm, echoing across the clearing. She flailed beneath the weight of her much smaller boulder, limbs trembling as tears streamed down her face. "I CAN'T DO THIS!"
"You can," Valeria replied coldly, voice unwavering.
"You just don't want to."
"I REALLY CAN'T!"
"Then you'll stay here until you do."
Isla's sobs escalated, racking her slender frame with convulsions as she fought the overwhelming despair.
The hours slipped by, each moment stretching into an eternity. The pain became a constant presence, dull and sharp all at once, invading every nerve ending. Sweat dripped down Ari's forehead, mingling with the dirt beneath his finger. His arms trembled uncontrollably, vision swimming as fatigue threatened to pull him under. Every fiber of his being screamed to let go, to collapse into the forgiving earth—but his teeth remained clenched, his spirit unbroken.
Rory had fallen silent, his expression carved from stone. His breath came in steady, controlled bursts, each inhalation measured, each exhale a silent testament to his unwavering focus. He had endured harsh training before and knew that this, too, would pass.
Isla's voice broke the silence again, raw and frantic.
"My arms… they're not even mine anymore… I can't feel them…" she whimpered, voice breaking into a quiet sob.
"Don't give up Isla, we have to get over this," Rory whispered, eyes never leaving the horizon.
"I'M TRYING, BUT I CAN'T GO ON!"
Ari sighed, exhaustion threading his voice despite himself. Something stirred inside him—perhaps a flicker of compassion, or frustration.
"If you have the energy to complain, you have the energy to keep going."
Isla's eyes widened, frustration flickering like wildfire behind her tear-blurred gaze. "HOW ARE YOU ALL SO CALM?! DOESN'T THIS HURT?!"
Ari looked at her, sweat tracing cold rivulets down his cheek. "Of course it hurts. That's the point."
She hiccupped, unable to find words to argue further.
Night crept over the training grounds, a velvet blanket speckled with stars. The three recruits still held their boulders aloft, bodies trembling but unyielding. No rest came. No sleep. Just the weight and the endless ache.
Something inside Ari cracked—not a physical break, but a mental fracture. The pain dulled into a numbing haze, a constant drone beneath his awareness.
I'm still here. I'm still standing.
On the second day, Isla faltered.
Her boulder crashed down onto the dirt with a heavy thud, sending a small cloud of dust into the chilled air. She collapsed, shoulders shaking violently, sobs wracking her frail frame.
Valeria's gaze was steady, unflinching. She tilted her head and spoke in a commanding tone. "Pick it up."
"I can't!"
"Pick it up."
Tears streamed down Isla's cheeks, mingling with the dirt as she forced herself upright. Her limbs trembled like fragile twigs in a storm, but with everything left in her, she grasped the boulder once more.
Rory remained steadfast, nearing his limit. Sweat plastered on his skin, muscles twitching with exhaustion, but his willpower anchored him to the task.
Ari's thoughts drifted far away from the grueling present.
He was no longer inside his ant body.
He was human again—small, weak, fragile.
He remembered the bullies in the locker room, shoving him roughly for daring to speak to Keiko; the shame of failing even the simplest pull-ups; the constant betrayal of his own body.
That version of me would have collapsed already—but I'm not that person anymore.
By the third night, the exercise shifted.
They lowered themselves to the dirt, boulders resting heavily on their backs.
Now the challenge was different—not just strength, but control. The burning ache in every fiber was joined by the sting of trembling limbs and the sharp pinch of muscles fighting to stay rigid.
Isla wept through every agonizing second, her sobs barely muffled against the dirt. Rory grunted low but held steady, face grim and determined.
Ari's mind emptied.
He ceased to think, ceased to fight.
He simply existed.
The limits he once believed unbreakable slipped away like mist.
When Valeria finally called the exercise to an end, the recruits collapsed in a heap, chests heaving and limbs unresponsive.
Silence settled again, thick and heavy.
Ari stared at the dirt beneath him, his body a hollow shell of exhaustion. His vision swam, blurred edges dissolving the world into a muted haze.
Beside him, Isla sniffled softly. "It's… it's not stopping… it just keeps hurting… I thought I was going to die."
"You didn't," Rory replied weakly, voice cracked but steady. "That's what matters."
Ari felt a dry chuckle rise, rasping out quietly. "Valeria… you really enjoy torturing us, huh?"
Valeria knelt beside him, smirking with a hint of satisfaction. "If you think this is bad, you're not ready for war."
Ari closed his eyes, the rough grit of dirt cool against his cheek, his body sinking into the earth as his exhaustion claimed him. The crushing weight on his shoulders was gone, but its remnants still lingered in his bones.
I was weak before. But now… I have to become strong. And maybe… one day… I'll find a way back to my world.