Rowena sat on a rock near the training field, legs crossed and arms resting over her knees, watching Victor complete his daily push-up routine.
He trained upside down, balancing on a single hand while metal weights remained strapped to his wrists and ankles. The exercise no longer seemed to demand the same effort it had months ago, but Victor still performed every repetition slowly, controlling his breathing, muscles, and circulation the way Yu Jin Cheon had taught him.
Rowena watched in silence, though that morning her expression seemed more distant than usual.
Victor noticed after a few repetitions.
"You're too quiet."
Rowena did not answer immediately.
She kept looking at the weights attached to his body before finally asking:
"Can you find some way to get me out of that ring permanently?"
Victor stopped moving.
He remained inverted for a few more seconds, then pushed off the ground with one hand, spun through the air, and landed on his feet.
