# Chapter 34
**7:00 AM - Running**
The forest training facility was massive, with towering trees and a 30-mile track that circled the entire perimeter. Kinnetos and Monty ran alongside Dante, answering questions while energy leaked from their bodies in golden and silvery streams.
They kept running, mile after mile, as the energy continued to build. By mile fifteen, both of them were stumbling. By mile twenty, they were barely conscious.
At mile twenty-three, they both collapsed on the track, completely passed out from exhaustion.
**9:00 AM - Algebra**
After being revived and given some water, they found themselves back in the classroom working through basic algebra problems. The morning run had drained them, but Dante insisted that mental work immediately after physical exhaustion helped strengthen their anchors.
**12:00 PM - Rest and Meditation**
This was Kinnetos's favorite part of the day. Sitting in the quiet meditation room, eyes closed, focusing on breathing and clearing his mind. After hours of physical and mental strain, the peaceful silence was exactly what he needed. It helped him process everything they'd been learning and gave his overwhelmed brain a chance to rest.
**2:00 PM - Weightlifting with Violet**
This was the worst thing ever. Violet had superhuman strength and absolutely no concept of normal human limitations. She constantly pushed them to their absolute limits, adding more weight just when they thought they couldn't handle another rep.
"Come on," Violet would say, loading another plate onto the bar. "Your anchors won't develop if you don't push past your breaking point."
**5:00 PM - Advanced Mathematics with Jade**
Jade was possibly the most boring teacher in existence. He would give them the hardest, most difficult mathematical equations imaginable, then explain them in the most monotone voice possible while staring at his multiple computer screens.
"Solve this differential equation," Jade would say without looking up. "And show all your work."
Kinnetos glanced over at Sarah, who was working through her own set of problems at the next desk. Sarah had been going through this training much easier than he could have expected. She'd been passing all of her math exams with flying colors. Her physical training wasn't going quite as well, but when it came to the academic side of things, she was definitely the smartest one out of all three of them.
While Kinnetos and Monty struggled with advanced calculus and differential equations, Sarah seemed to grasp the concepts almost immediately. It was both impressive and slightly frustrating to watch her solve problems that took him twice as long to figure out.
-----
This daily routine continued for several more weeks. Day after day of the same schedule until one afternoon, Dante pulled Kinnetos aside for a special lesson.
"Okay, so algebra," Dante said, standing in front of a whiteboard covered in equations. "Let's start with the basics."
Kinnetos sat at one of the desks in the small classroom, staring at the mathematical symbols. The room was simple—just a few desks, the whiteboard, and large windows that looked out onto the training facility courtyard.
"I know you can solve complex equations when your powers kick in," Dante continued, "but we need you to understand the fundamentals without relying on your abilities."
"Just because your ability helps you think faster so you can solve math easier, you still need to train yourself to be faster at it," Dante explained. "Your powers are like a calculator that makes you super good at math. But if you don't understand how to use that calculator efficiently, you're wasting time."
Dante pointed to the stack of worksheets on the desk. "So this will be your homework for the day. Basic algebra, geometry, some trigonometry."
Three hours later, Dante returned to find all the worksheets completed.
"Well," Kinnetos said, "my parents enrolled me in private schooling for gifted children. So I guess I'm much smarter than I look."
"Oh yeah! That's where Jes told me y'all met each other," Dante nodded. "So you really are smart. That bodes well. But anyways, I'm not supposed to show you our next lesson yet, but you seem capable enough."
Dante sat down and began explaining the power system. "Your ability isn't really 'mathematical enhancement.' What you actually have is something much deeper. Your brain processes reality through mathematical relationships."
"Most likely, you're a mathematical type," Dante continued. "And what we gotta figure out is what your code is. That's why we've been giving you so many different math problems. Your next lesson will be to try to tap into yourself, deep inside your being, and figure out what your code actually is."
"So here's what you're gonna do," Dante said. "You're gonna meditate. While you're meditating, give yourself math problems to solve, but do it slowly, mindfully. Pay attention to how each type of math feels when you process it."
-----
Kinnetos settled into the meditation chair, closed his eyes, and began to focus on mathematical concepts, starting with basic addition and subtraction.
As he reflected deeper on the moment when his abilities had first manifested during the fight with the killer, his vision began to change.
Even with his eyes closed, he could suddenly see equations floating in the darkness behind his eyelids. The same formulas that had appeared during the fight:
*√144 = 12*
*7² + 3³ = 76*
*∫x²dx = x³/3 + C*
But now he realized they weren't just mathematical equations. Each formula was somehow connected to something deeper—like keys that unlocked specific aspects of reality.
As this understanding dawned on him, more equations began appearing in his vision. Hundreds of them, floating and shifting like a three-dimensional mathematical constellation.
And then he saw something that made his breath catch.
At the center of all the floating equations was a sequence of numbers floating brighter than all the rest:
0, then 1, then 1, then 2, then 3, then 5, then 8, then 13, then 21…
The numbers appeared one by one, each building on the previous ones, and Kinnetos felt a deep recognition stir in his mind. This was the Fibonacci sequence. Each number was the sum of the two that came before it, creating a pattern that spiraled outward infinitely.
This wasn't just mathematics; this was the mathematical blueprint of creation itself. The golden ratio hidden within it, the way it appeared in nature—in flower petals, seashells, the spiral of galaxies.
And somehow, this sequence was his code.
The moment this realization hit him, every equation floating in his vision suddenly snapped into perfect alignment around the Fibonacci sequence, like planets orbiting a sun.
Then, energy began to flow out of him.
It started as a warm sensation in his chest, but quickly spread throughout his entire body. The energy wasn't chaotic or overwhelming—instead, it felt controlled, purposeful, like it was following the precise mathematical pattern of the Fibonacci sequence itself.
The numbers in his vision grew brighter: 144, 233, 377, 610…
And with each new number in the sequence, more energy poured from his body, filling the meditation chair, then the classroom, creating a gentle golden glow that pulsed in perfect mathematical harmony.
Kinnetos had found his code.
-----
Meanwhile, in another part of the facility, Monty was having his own breakthrough.
He was doing handstand push-ups while Jes hovered above him, holding a board covered with questions.
"You already unlocked your anchor before Kinnetos did," Jes said, "and we figured out from your anchor that you're a logical type. You produce a lot of energy when your paradox activates, meaning you have strong potential for a really powerful ability."
"Physical stress while maintaining mental focus," Jes explained. "Most logical types need very specific mental states to function properly."
Monty continued the handstand push-ups, his arms burning with fatigue. Under his breath, barely audible, he muttered sarcastically, "This is fucking terrific."
The moment the words left his lips, energy suddenly burst out of his body like a shockwave. Right in front of Monty's face—hanging in the air just inches from his nose—a translucent, scaly hand materialized. It was huge, easily twice the size of a human hand, with reptilian scales covering the semi-transparent flesh. The fingers were long and ended in sharp, claw-like tips.
Only Monty could see it.
"There was… there was a hand. Like, a giant scaly hand floating right in front of me," Monty said, his voice filled with disbelief.
Jes's eyes suddenly began to shimmer, taking on an almost metallic quality. With her enhanced vision, she could see symbols and letters floating around Monty's body—mathematical notation mixed with linguistic symbols, all glowing faintly.
"Oh my god," she breathed. "You're part of the liar's paradox category. When you said 'this is fucking terrific' sarcastically—meaning the opposite of what you actually felt—you created a logical contradiction. That contradiction is what triggered your manifestation."
"The crocodile paradox," Jes said with certainty. "That's what this is. Your ability is powered by contradictions, lies, and paradoxical statements. The bigger the contradiction between what you say and what you mean, the more powerful your manifestations become."
Both Kinnetos and Monty had finally discovered their codes.