Through The Stars

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

My heart beats louder as I walk through the dark corridor.

The wind is preventing me to reach the field. The deafening silence is telling me to quit. Every step gets heavy as I approach near the field. My sight grew dim and certain events came back to my memory.

“Genesis? Genesis? Genesis?”

I can hear different voices calling me inside my head again. They are stuck in my head and I cannot find a way to get rid of them. I can hear them most of the time, especially when I am overthinking, nervous, and mostly when my body is worn out.

They even disturb me in my sleep that is why I always sleep with some music in my ears, so I won’t be able to hear them calling out my name in the middle of my sleep.

Going back, I have reached the field on time. Rune was early as expected. There were also other cadets on the field. They were all gathered to see me clean the field with my bare foot.

Three officials came passing by, and one of them stopped and converse with Rune.

“What is this again, Rune? Is this some kind of a silly test?”

“Nah, not really. Right cadets?” Rune chuckles.

“Yeah, what would I expect? Turns out all crazy trees always bear crazy fruits. New boss is same as the old boss.”

“Yeah, got a problem there?” Rune asked.

“Filthy bastards.” One official said while laughing.

The officials turned their heel on the other side and they all prepare to leave. They all walk away from the field laughing.

“What are you waiting for cadet? Move your ass and start cleaning this field!” Rune told me.

“Uhhh… Yes sir!” I replied.

“Good. Don’t disappoint us, alright?” He said while smiling at me like he was underestimating my capabilities.

I looked at him in the eyes without shaking, like I am telling him that no one could ever do that to me.

I started to run all over the field with all the other cadets watching me. I can tell that some of them are happy upon watching me do that stuff, I haven’t done anything wrong to them, but I can feel that they hold a strong grudge against me.

For the first five laps, I still feel fresh. I said to myself that I’m going to finish this task with ease.

The same thing goes when I reached ten laps.

As I reach 20 laps, I started to feel a little bit tired. I started having trouble catching up my breath a little bit, and it is highly noticeable. My colleagues were worried I can tell. You could see their mad faces looking towards Rune, and some of them want to replace me.

I rejected their offer, because I don’t want Rune to be mad at them too.

I keep on running even I can feel that I am getting tired already, and then all of a sudden, someone shouted out of nowhere.

“Quit it, hero! You cannot make it!”

It was Rune, the cold blooded scum.

“You don’t have to suffer for other people’s mistake! You should be enjoying yourself right now, but look at you! Such a pitiful thing! Look at her, cadets! This happens when you try to be a hero!” he said while he chuckles.

“You want to quit right now, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Sir, no sir!” I shouted.

“If that was the case, then I couldn’t do anything. In that case, you earned my respect. Because of that, you only need to complete 100 laps instead of cleaning the whole field with your bare foot; I am not a cold blooded monster after all.” Rune said before he turned his heel away from the other cadets.

“You may take your little break upon reaching the half way mark.” He added.                   

He left the field with a serious face, I think I pissed him. Only his officers were left to watch me do the task.

I was already exhausted when I reached forty laps; I started to feel cramps in my legs and I feel my blood burning. It’s like having a high fever in an instant.

I started seeing my colleagues preparing water and bread for my short break after my half way mark. Because of too much tiredness, I cannot see all the other cadets on the field. I can only see my feet on the ground; all I can hear is my footsteps.

I finally reached the half way mark of one hundred laps. They pour bottles of water on me in order to lessen the heat I feel.

I vomited a lot after the half way mark of the run, it feels like my stomach was already empty but I still keep on vomiting. My colleagues don’t know what to do; some of them are pouring water on me, some are giving me food, and the remaining others get back to the quarters to get me some clothes for me to change.

I honestly do not know if I can still manage to run another fifty laps. My soul is still alive and it is still fighting, but my body especially my legs won’t cooperate.

My fellow cadets arrived from our quarters, they finally brought my clothes. I wanted to drink so bad like there is no more tomorrow, I wanted to eat like it was my last time, I wanted to inhale as much oxygen I can for me to normalize my breathing again, but my body won’t cooperate.

I still keep on vomiting whenever I take foods or water, it’s like my body was already giving up. The other cadets are jeering again, because they all saw my conditions.

My colleagues told me not to continue, they said that they were prepared to take on whatever punishment they have to. They said that even if I continue, I won’t still make it because my body is already giving up.

I told them to stop, because I know that Rune will get mad at us if I failed this task.

“If I quit, I just proved that Rune and the other cadets were right; that I am weak and I don’t deserve to be here. Do you still want them to underestimate us?” I asked.

They didn’t say anything after they hear those words coming from me. They just stared at me and cried.

“I admit, we don’t want our abilities to be underestimated here anymore, but we do not want to lose a friend. In that case, I’d rather be humiliated and underestimated. I do not want to lose any of my friends, so I’d choose this way; at least we are still complete together.” Lee Jun said while crying in front of me.

“If you are all okay with this way, then you don’t deserve to be my friends!” I replied.

“I want change since the very beginning, which is why I am doing this. I did this thing; because I do not want you guys to suffer anymore, so let me do my part.” I added.

They all turned quiet after hearing those words from me, it’s like they were finally into the reality.

I have regained some of my strength, but I still do not know if my body can survive another fifty laps in the field. My vomiting stops and my body started to feel normal again.

My body started accepting the foods and liquids I take in order for me to regain more strength. My cramps started to fade little by little, making my legs feel a little bit better.

Finally, I can eat and drink now.

I can see from the faces of other cadets that they were pissed that I still manage to recover and regain my strength. I know that they want us to lose this task because they are underestimating our skills and abilities.

Most of them were mad, and some are just neutral. I just don’t mind them and continue taking foods and beverages brought by my friends.

After few minutes I can barely stand and walk a little, so I decided to get my clothes and start changing for another phase of running. While walking, I started to feel a little pain in my feet. As I look at it, I have noticed that I have been wounded. Maybe it’s because of too much friction; well the field itself isn’t smooth so I could say that it’s because of that.

I asked the officers if I could use shoes for the second phase of the task, but unfortunately they didn’t allow me. They say it’s already too much.

I have already changed my clothes and I am preparing myself to run again. Lee Jun gave me water in order for me to drink while running on the field.

I started running again, but this time it is a little harder, because the heels of my feet ache because they were wounded. My cardio is still fine and so were my legs. I am focused to finish my task, because it is not just for me.

You could see other cadets getting pissed, because they are seeing that I am not having the same trouble of catching my breath like earlier. They want me to fail, because they think that they are superior to us.

Going back, I’m starting to feel a little bit tired again. I can feel my legs are about to have cramps again, but it didn’t stop me from running. I do not want them to see that I am having trouble again.

On my way to 75th lap, I suddenly feel more painful heels. I stopped for a little bit and I look at it. I found out that my wounds get worse, the cut was broaden and it was bleeding so bad compared to earlier.

The officers asked me if I can still continue, and I said yes. I started pouring water to my wounds to somehow clean it. I admit it really hurts, but I don’t want to show them because I don’t want them to worry about me.

I continue running the second phase and my body is worn out again. I am losing my breath again and I am starting to feel a little bit dizzy now.

Even with these feelings I never stop running around the field. My colleagues got worried because they notice a sudden change in my attitude.

I honestly don’t know how long would I last, but I keep on running.

All of a sudden, everything turned black around me. I cannot see everyone neither my surroundings. I heard several voices calling out my name, but I cannot see where they are coming from. They are screaming out loud, but I cannot find them.

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