Chapter 40: What Were You Thinking

Day after day, the waves slapped against the rocks along the shore. The sun rose and set. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. At noon that day, Daniel lay flat on the ground with a weighted pack on his back, grinding out push-ups with fierce determination. His clothes were drenched; his sweat pooled until it left a body-shaped dark patch on the ground beneath him. "1,998... 1,999... 2,000..." He panted hard, chest heaving, but his arms pumped even faster. He showed no sign of stopping. "Daniel,...