By the time the sky dimmed into evening once more, none of them had moved an inch all day, and even Ethan had to admit the sight was humbling in a way he hadn't expected. Micah and Ryan were completely absorbed in their routines, as if the passage of time meant nothing to them. From sunrise to dusk, they hadn't so much as stretched.
In the morning, both of them sat cross-legged in deep meditation, their breathing slow and even, their expressions calm to the point of detachment. By the afternoon, they had shifted seamlessly into studying formations, speaking in low, focused tones as they debated theory and refined their understanding. Ethan, sitting off to the side, felt like a dog watching television, aware that something important was happening but completely unable to grasp any of it.
