Overpowering

Chapter 5

He has been keeping it up for a while now. Holding the books, flipping the pages with his mind. He's dripping with sweat and every vein in his face is popping out, struggling to pump blood around.

Wyona keeps shouting at Adrian, keeps telling him to continue even though he looks like he's going to pass out any moment. It's uncomfortable to watch and I can tell that none of the others are feeling any different.

Adrian lets out a quiet whimper as he slumps slightly, the books almost falling to the ground.

"Did I say you could stop?" Wyona shouts and Adrian immediately tensed up, it's clear that he can't go on anymore, but he doesn't say a thing.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles and prepares with much difficulty to bring the books back into the air. After a short while, they're back at their height, but Adrian is struggling so hard.

His muscles are tense and you can see the veins on his arms pop out, especially on his forehead. Sweat is running off him and his eyes are shut tightly. I can't help but worry for him. Wyona had been working all of us hard, but this is just wrong to look at.

And suddenly, all the books just crash to the floor and Adrian crashes along with it.

He starts shaking before he hits the ground. The whites of his eyes are showing and he is breathing harshly, whimpering. Everyone immediately jumps from their spots to gather around him.

"Stop!" Wyona shouts loudly. "Leave him alone, don't help him."

"What the hell?" Gwen shouts back along with everyone else in the room. We can't do anything but watch as he convulses on the floor. Can't even turn him on his side to help him breathe.

Nothing.

"You will do nothing," Wyona orders. "He needs to learn his lesson."

"What kind of bullshit lesson is that?" I immediately respond. He exhausted himself, did everything he was told and now he is like this because of her. What else does she want?

"He's too weak to do any good," she explains coldly, as if she doesn't care that he's lying on the floor, having a seizure. "He needs to have his weakness demonstrated to him or else he won't understand it at all."

"That's so messed up on so many levels," Eric mutters silently. It's clear that he's angry too, his hands clutching his sleeves to keep himself in place.

Adrian finally stops shaking, but he doesn't regain consciousness like he did last time. He's just lying on the floor, lifeless. I move forward, but I feel Wyona grab my arm, trying to stop me.

I rip myself out of her grip and run to his side. I feel relief rushing over me when I see him still breathing. I look over at Eric and motion for him to come and help me carry him.

He's now completely limp in our hold, but luckily Eric is stronger than me so it's not as hard as it would have been to carry him.

Surprisingly, Wyona doesn't say anything as we shuffle over into the corner with him. She just stands there, watching silently.

"Is he okay?" We hear from behind us. Gwen is there, standing in the front with the rest of the guys standing behind her, looking curiously at us. I wave my hand at them, telling them to come over.

"I think so," I respond. "I think he's just exhausted."

This isn't training. This is just torture.

"I think I can help a bit," Gwen mumbles. "With the sore muscles."

"I think he'd appreciate that," I answer with a smile.

She stands up from the floor and sits on the bed next to Adrian. She places a hand on his forehead and closes her eyes. You can feel the energy in the room shift, becoming calmer, healing.