Soul of a Samurai

The moment training began, I realized something.

This was going to be hard.

I had imagined running around, swinging a sword, maybe doing some cool moves like the samurai I had seen in the village. But my father had something else in mind.

"Start running," he said.

So, I ran.

At first, it wasn't too bad. I had always been active, running around the house, exploring the village, chasing the blue particles in the air. But after a while, my legs started burning.

I kept going.

Father watched me closely, his single arm crossed over his chest. He didn't say anything, but I could feel his presence behind me, like a silent wall of expectation.

I didn't stop.

I wouldn't stop.

Even as my legs grew heavy, even as my breath came faster, I pushed forward.

After what felt like forever, Father finally spoke. "Enough."

I slowed to a stop, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

But before I could catch my breath—

"Drop down."

I blinked. "Huh?"

Father gestured to the ground. "Push-ups."

I hesitated for only a second before doing as I was told. My small arms pressed against the dirt as I lowered myself down and pushed back up.

One.

Two.

Three.

At first, it wasn't too bad.

But by the time I reached ten, my arms were shaking.

By fifteen, my breath was uneven.

By twenty, my body screamed at me to stop.

But I didn't.

I refused.

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to keep going. If I stopped now, what was the point?

Father's voice was steady. "Again."

And so, I did.

The rest of the morning continued like this.

Running. Push-ups. Squats. More running. More push-ups.

There were no breaks.

Every time I thought we were stopping, my father would give me another task. My body ached, my muscles burned, and sweat dripped down my face.

But I never stopped.

I wouldn't stop.

I wanted to be strong.

I wanted to be a samurai.

The only time we stopped was to eat.

When the sun was high in the sky, my mother came outside with food. She smiled when she saw me covered in dirt and sweat. "Training hard?"

I nodded, sitting down quickly and grabbing at the food.

My hands shook as I ate.

I had never felt this tired before.

Father sat next to me, eating as well. He didn't say anything, but there was a slight nod of approval in his expression.

I smiled to myself.

After we finished eating, I barely had time to rest before Father stood. "Back to training."

I took a deep breath and got up.

The second half of the day was even harder.

More running. More exercises. More pain.

At one point, I stumbled. My legs didn't move the way I wanted them to.

Father's voice was firm. "Get up."

I did.

My arms were sore, my legs weak, but I kept going.

By the time the sun started setting, my body felt like it wasn't mine anymore.

Finally, Father said, "That's enough for today."

I collapsed.

Lying on my back, I stared up at the sky, watching the last bits of sunlight disappear. The blue particles still floated above me, calm and steady.

I was completely exhausted.

But…

I did it.

I didn't give up.

As I lay there, catching my breath, a small smile formed on my lips.

Tomorrow, I would do it again.

And the next day.

And the next.

Because I would become strong.