Chapter 53: Back To The Village
The following morning, Lara woke up earlier than usual. She had no desire for prying eyes to watch her exercise, and today she planned to return to the village to retrieve a few items from their house at Mount Roca.
At dawn, the rest of the household was still asleep—Reya even lay snoring softly beside her.
Quietly, Lara slipped into her black pants and a loose, hooded jacket before beginning her routine. She started with her usual yoga stretches—sun salutations, then moved on to sit-ups and push-ups.
Alaric, too, had risen early. Determined to face the rising sun during his meditation, he stepped toward the east-facing window.
When he slid it open, he was unexpectedly greeted by the sight of Kane performing sun salutations. Kane’s movements were fluid and graceful, like a carefully choreographed dance.
Mesmerized, Alaric left the window only slightly ajar so he could watch the outline of Kane’s form in the dim light of dawn.
After finishing his routine, Kane glanced toward the window and sighed in relief upon noticing it remained closed.
Alaric frowned. Had he deliberately risen even earlier than yesterday to avoid unwanted attention?
Curious, Alaric opened the window fully and stepped back a few paces. With his photographic memory, he carefully committed every detail of Kane’s movements to memory. He then mimicked the routine himself—performing sit-ups and push-ups—until, at the end of his winding-down exercises, he could feel his abdominal muscles tighten and his core, upper body, arms, and back strengthen with each repetition.
In the midst of his workout, Agilus suddenly opened the door.
"Ari, what are you doing?" Agilus asked. He was curious at the strange movements he was making.