The afternoon sun punished the southern training field with an intensity that seemed determined to drain the last drop of willpower from my two only "disciples." Daniel was leaning on his knees, his breathing so loud it drowned out the sound of birds in the nearby trees, while Raymond was sitting on the packed earth, his academy tunic stained with dirt and sweat, looking like a defeated soldier in a war that had barely begun.
Three hours had already passed since we started that exhausting session. Three hours of repetitive movements, rude corrections, and a pace that no teacher in that institution would bother imposing on low-ranking students like us. To them, we were just extras destined to fill the background of classrooms; to me, they were investments that needed to bear fruit quickly.
