ETERNAL

Chapter 7: Love beyond time

Sun rising in the sky, painting the world with hues of dawn. Leonard lay still, wrapped in the embrace of slumber. Suddenly, Saburo descended upon him, shinai in hand, and with a hearty laugh, he delivered a wake-up call.

“Rise and shine, motherf*cker!”

The shinai strikes Leonard's stomach, jolting him awake.

Leonard groaned as he clutched his stomach, the sharp pain jolting him fully awake. Blinking against the morning light filtering through the window, he squinted up at Saburo, who stood over him with a mischievous grin.

Saburo lowered the shinai and offered Leonard a hand up. “Come on, sleepyhead. We've got work to do.”

The temple loomed before them, ancient and imposing, its stone steps leading down into the depths below. Leonard's gaze followed Saburo's gesture, settling on the seemingly endless staircase that stretched out before them.

“So, what exactly am I going to do?” Leonard asked, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

Saburo turned to him with a knowing smile. “You will take 2400 steps in four sets,” he replied calmly.

Leonard chuckled, a sound that echoed off the temple walls. "It can't be that long.”

As Leonard rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the disbelief, his gaze fell once again on the daunting staircase before him. The enormity of the task ahead hit him like a tidal wave, and his eyes widened in shock.

“1200 METERS?!!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing off the temple walls.

His hand shot up to his hair, fingers grasping at the strands in disbelief. The realization of the distance he was about to traverse seemed almost too much to bear.

Leonard's laughter was laced with a hint of nervousness as he tried to brush off the daunting task ahead. “Oh well,” he chuckled, his voice trembling slightly. “I have better things to do! So if you'll excuse m-”

Before Leonard could finish his sentence, Saburo's swift kick sent him tumbling head over heels down the first few steps of the staircase, his laughter abruptly cut short by a yelp of surprise.

Leonard rolled and tumbled, his senses reeling from the sudden descent, he finally came to a stop at the foot of the staircase, sprawled out on the ground in a heap.

“Up you go!” Saburo's voice called out, devoid of sympathy but filled with determination.

Leonard steadied himself on the ground, brushing off the dust from his clothes with a muttered curse. “This oversized armadillo,” he grumbled, shooting a playful glare at Saburo.

With a deep breath, he turned his gaze toward the seemingly endless staircase, determination flickering in his eyes despite the lingering sense of dread. “Oh god,” he muttered under his breath, steeling himself for the grueling task ahead.

With Saburo's watchful gaze upon him, Leonard took the first step, each footfall echoing in the silence of the temple. As he ascended, determination fueled his movements, driving him forward even as fatigue began to set in.

Up and down he went, his muscles burning with exertion, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Yet still, he pressed on, refusing to be defeated by the daunting challenge before him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Leonard collapsed at the top of the staircase, his body trembling with exhaustion. “Three more sets to go!” Saburo declared.

“FUC-” he began to curse, but his
words were cut short by a sharp intake of breath as he fought to regain his composure. With a weary sigh, he pushed himself to his feet once more, ready to tackle the next set of stairs with renewed determination and resolve.