A sharp chime shattered the silence.
The alarm crystal blinked once — a soft blue light pulsing in the early darkness — then rang again, melodic but persistent.
Solaire stirred.
His brow creased slightly before his eyes fluttered open, storm-grey and still heavy with sleep. For a moment, he stared blankly at the ceiling, the haze of dreams not yet fully cleared. The room was dim, painted in deep indigos and soft shadows, the glow of the rune-lamp casting faint golden lines across the stone wall.
The alarm chimed again.
He blinked once, slowly, then let out a breath and sat up.
The blanket slipped from his shoulders. His hair was a tousled mess, black strands sticking out unevenly — some falling into his eyes. He brushed them aside without thinking, already reaching to tap the edge of the alarm stone. It stopped with a muted click.
For a moment, he simply sat there — hands resting on his knees, eyes distant. His bare feet touched the cold floor, and the chill jolted him just enough to start moving.
"Gods, so goddamn difficult... At least I know what book to follow now," Solaire thought as he stared at The Iron Pact: A Dreamer's Code of Discipline.
It was the most straightforward one — something he knew would guarantee at least some progress. He looked at the time: 5:00 AM. Five hours before Teacher Julius's class.
"Alright. Time to start."
He made his way to the bathroom and opened the book.
Section 1: Morning Regimen
"The first hour decides the rest of the day. Begin weak, stay weak."
Awakening Drill
Wake before sunrise. No exceptions.
Begin with 3 minutes of cold water splashes to the face and neck.
Immediately follow with 60-second breath holds ×3 (rest 30 seconds between each).
"Okay... First step, check. Three minutes of cold water splashes to the face and neck? But why?"
Doubt crept in.
"No! Solaire, don't let your mind wander. Three minutes. Three minutes."
The icy water sent chills down his spine with every splash. His breath stuttered. His skin prickled. Still, he endured.
Next, the breath holds — 60 seconds each. By the time he finished the third, he already wanted to give up.
But the fear of weakness — of dying — was worse. So he pushed on.
Steel Wake Routine
100 jumping jacks
50 squats (bodyweight)
30 push-ups (modified if needed)
20 lunges
60-second plank hold
Repeat the cycle twice without rest
The cold wash had fully woken him. Riding that momentum, Solaire dove into the Steel Wake. Thirty minutes later, he collapsed into a puddle of sweat, muscles burning.
He was sore. Exhausted. But satisfied.
"If I keep this up for four weeks... my stamina will skyrocket."
After a 10-minute cooldown, he turned to Section 2.
Section 2: Temperature Exposure
"You don't get used to the extremes. You get stronger than them."
Cold Endurance Protocol
Ice bath for 15 minutes
No towels, no heat after — let the body adjust naturally
Practice slow nasal breathing during the exposure
The tub filled with ice, humming as the internal rune-coils generated frost.
The cold hit like a wall.
As Solaire lowered himself into the tub, a sharp gasp tore from his throat. The icy water gripped him instantly — biting into his skin like a thousand tiny needles. His muscles locked. His breath came in short, panicked bursts. Every instinct screamed at him to get out.
But he didn't.
He couldn't.
His fingers curled involuntarily. His jaw clenched. He tried to focus on breathing, on anything — but each inhale was ragged, shallow, useless. His heart pounded like a war drum.
Minutes crawled by.
His skin turned pale and numb. The pain dulled, not from mercy, but from surrender. His body was shutting down. But Solaire stayed — arms resting on the edge of the tub, knuckles white.
At the ten-minute mark, something shifted.
His breath — once frantic — began to settle. Slow. Measured. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. His mind cleared, as though a fog had lifted. The pain was still there, but it no longer ruled him. It became part of the silence. Part of the cold.
When he finally got out, he stumbled and fell. His body was numb, desperate for warmth.
But the manual was clear: no heat.
So he sat, legs crossed, and breathed. Deep. Slow. He focused on the flickering warmth within — a tiny ember, buried deep. Bit by bit, he felt it spread. A miracle.
When he opened his eyes, it was 9:00 AM.
"Oh shit. The cafeteria — hopefully the bread is still there."
He rushed through the halls, barely managing to comb his hair. He arrived just in time to see the last tray of bread sitting unattended.
As he reached out, a voice cut through the air.
"You should eat meat. Bread is just carbs. You need protein to strengthen your body."
He turned.
Lady Nephis.
Solaire froze.
"Why is she talking to me?" His mind scrambled. Protein helps strengthen the body...?
He quickly composed himself.
[Thank you, Lady Nephis. I come from the outskirts, so I had no idea diet could affect progress.]
"So you can't speak," she murmured, her tone unreadable.
Without another word, she picked up her tray of steak and walked away.
Solaire grabbed a plate of chicken breast and steak, crying internally. Bread, butter, honey... I'll definitely eat you for dinner.
He sat and ate quickly.
Sunny was already at his desk when Solaire walked in.
He looked up as Solaire approached, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Morning, Solaire."
Solaire offered a slight nod, settling into his seat beside him.
[Morning. You look... oddly excited today.]
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Excited?"
He chuckled — dry and short.
"Not really. I'm just here because I have to be."
The smile faded.
Solaire blinked, a little surprised at the sudden flatness.
Neither of them said anything after that.
They sat in silence until the door creaked open and Teacher Julius strode in.
"Good morning, students. Today we'll begin with key survival techniques. Follow me."
They were led to a vast simulation room. Julius pressed a few buttons, and the space transformed into a lush forest.
"This forest mimics the environmental conditions of the Dream Realm. For the next two weeks, you'll learn how to survive here. After that, an assessment."
The day was spent learning firecraft, water purification, and celestial navigation — a vital skill in the Dream Realm, where stars and constellations changed by region and the sun's behavior was unpredictable.
Morning hours would be dedicated to survival. Afternoons to rune language. Practicals would be held in the simulated field.
The work was grueling, but progress was already visible.
By day's end, the two were too tired to even wave goodbye.
Sunny went to his dorm.
Solaire went to the gymnasium.
Section 3: Progressive Overload (The Climb)
"If it doesn't break you a little, it won't build you at all."
Stone Climb Set (2–3× to failure)
3 sets of pull-ups to failure
3 sets of dips to failure
Weighted squats (stones, backpack, or sandbags): 5×15
Track progress and increase weights weekly
With a tired sigh, Solaire began. Every set drained him. But surprisingly, his body recovered quickly — one of the few benefits of the nightmare spell.
Then came the next part:
Pact Load Runs
2km run with 10kg weighted pack
Focus on posture and pace, no breaks
Weekly increase: +500m and +1kg
The run was brutal. For the first 750 meters, he held form — steady breath, upright posture. But it didn't last. Fatigue crept in fast. His lungs burned. His stride faltered. His back began to arch despite his effort to hold it straight.
"Too much… this is too much," he muttered under his breath.
But he kept going. One step. Then another. When he finally stopped, the timer read one hour.
He stared at it, chest heaving. "Terrible. The manual said thirty minutes… under thirty."
Every muscle in his body screamed as he staggered toward the cafeteria.
All he wanted was the bread — warm, soft, sweet with honey.
He reached for it — then froze.
Lady Nephis's voice echoed in his mind, cold and clipped.
"Bread is just carbs. You need protein."
He shivered.
Without a word, he turned and loaded his plate with steak.
By 8:30 PM, he was back in his room.
"Okay... section four. Hopefully, it's easier."
Section 4: Mental Discipline (The Inner Pact)
"Muscles fade. Mind endures."
Silence Hour
1 hour of meditation. No speech, sound, or distraction.
Focus on breath, posture, and recalling past nightmares. Analyze how you survived. Reflect on what you could have done better.
Journaling
A 3-line entry: What you endured, what you failed at, and what you will overcome tomorrow.
Solaire scratched his face. "No speech or sound? Finally, something I'm naturally good at."
Sitting in lotus position, he closed his eyes and meditated. He replayed his deaths, remembered the pain, the raw instinct, the clarity.
Two hours passed without him noticing.
He felt calm. Balanced. Strangely... melancholic.
To close the day, he returned to section 2.
Hot Endurance Protocol
Sauna at 110°C (230°F) for 1 hour
Followed by a 20-minute hot shower at 50°C (122°F)
The sauna nearly put him to sleep. The heat burning on his skin, drained the last of his strength. But he pushed through and after taking the shower, he dried off, pulled out his notebook, and wrote:
JOURNAL ENTRY
I endured the cold and heat.
I failed to maintain my posture on the run.
Tomorrow, I will improve my pace and hold steady.
He closed the book.
Crawled into bed.
Stared at the ceiling.
"Four more weeks to go."
And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep.