Bruce woke up in his bed, disoriented for a moment.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains. The clock on his nightstand read 7:23 AM.
He'd entered the Pocket Dimension at around 6:45 PM the previous evening, spent a full twenty-four hours inside, and exited at 6:45 PM.
Then he'd gone to bed at his normal time.
No time had passed in the real world during those twenty-four hours. It was like he'd lived an entire extra day that didn't exist for anyone else.
His body ached. Muscles he didn't know he had screamed in protest as he sat up. His arms felt like jelly. His legs were stiff and sore. Even his abs hurt when he breathed too deeply.
But underneath the pain was something else. A sense of solidity he hadn't felt before. His movements felt slightly more controlled. His balance seemed better as he swung his legs out of bed.
'The training actually transferred,' Bruce thought, flexing his hands experimentally.
'Everything I did in the Pocket Dimension affected my real body.'
He stood up and walked to the mirror on his dresser. An eight-year-old boy stared back at him. He looked the same as yesterday, still small and childlike, but something felt different.
His posture was straighter. His movements had a tiny bit more coordination.
Twenty-four hours of brutal training compressed into zero real time, and his body had adapted to all of it.
A knock sounded at his door. "Master Bruce? Are you awake?"
Bruce immediately let his shoulders slump. His face went blank and empty. The transformation was instant and complete, from analytical to traumatized child in half a second.
"Yes, Alfred," he called out, his voice quiet and lifeless.
The door opened. Alfred entered carrying a breakfast tray.
The butler's face was lined with concern as he set the tray on Bruce's desk. "I thought you might prefer to eat in your room this morning. The dining room feels rather... empty these days."
"Thank you," Bruce said softly. He walked to the desk with slightly shuffling steps, playing the grieving child perfectly even though his body wanted to move with more energy.
Alfred watched him with sad eyes. "Master Bruce, I know this is difficult, but you need to keep your strength up. Your parents would want you to take care of yourself."
Bruce nodded and picked at the eggs on his plate. Alfred lingered for a moment longer, then quietly left, closing the door behind him.
The moment the door clicked shut, Bruce's entire demeanor changed. He straightened up, the fake lethargy vanishing.
He ate quickly and efficiently, his body demanding fuel after yesterday's training.
'I need to be more careful,' he thought between bites. 'Alfred is observant. If I suddenly start moving differently or seem too energetic, he'll notice. I have to maintain the act perfectly whenever I'm around people.'
He finished breakfast in minutes, then moved to the center of his room. Time to check his progress.
The Status Panel appeared at his mental command.
**[STATUS PANEL]**
**[NAME: BRUCE WAYNE]**
**[AGE: 8 YEARS]**
**[PHYSIQUE: 4.3/100]** *(Slight improvement from baseline)*
**[MIND: 47.2/100]** *(Improved from intensive planning session)*
**[SPIRIT: 35/100]** *(Unchanged)*
Bruce stared at the numbers.
Physique had increased by 0.3 points.
Mind had increased by 0.2 points.
After a full day of brutal training and hours of detailed planning, those were his gains.
'Seems small,' he thought.
'But let me do the math.'
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