Chapter: Old Blood, Cold Water
The next morning, Alex woke up at 3 a.m.
Groggy, eyes half-shut, he shuffled downstairs—only to find his grandfather already wide awake in the kitchen, sitting comfortably with a half-empty glass of champagne.
Zayn: "Hey, young talent! Sleep well? I've been thinking… I'll train you the old way. Trust me—you're not ready for this."
Alex: (stretching) "I like excitement. I like it hardcore. Bring it on."
Zayn: "Oh-ho! You think you're tough now, huh? Please—you're just a little fly trapped in my champagne. Buzzing around with no idea where to go."
Alex: "Pfft. You talk too much for a retired soldier."
Zayn: "Exactly! I'm not in the army anymore—I can talk as much as I want. Freedom of speech, baby."
Alex: "So what—you've forgotten everything about the soldier's way now?"
Zayn: "Forgotten? Nah. My mind's still sharp. My memory's like… what do Gen Zs call it? USB, right? One of those memory sticks. Except mine's got real battles in it. And hey—USB kinda sounds like U.S. Bitch, huh?"
He laughs proudly at his own joke.
Alex: (laughs) "You're still ridiculous even after hitting sixty."
Zayn: "Whatever. Come on, boy. Let's get to work."
Zayn opened the front door, stepping into the cold Italian dawn. Alex followed behind, still yawning.
Zayn: "Alright, from here… we're jogging all the way to that mountain."
He pointed toward a towering peak glowing faintly under the rising sun.
Alex: "Wait—that mountain?! Is it at least beautiful up there?"
Zayn: "From here? Sure. But up there? Oh no, kid. Up there, it feels like Antarctica's ugly twin sister. You'll freeze your bones off."
Alex: "I've never been to Antarctica though."
Zayn: "You don't need to go there. If I say it's like Antarctica, then it's Antarctica."
Alex: "Oh. Got it."
Pause.
"...Still sounds cool though."
Zayn: "Shut up and run."
They took off—Zayn running ahead with light, sharp strides that barely touched the ground, weaving through the forest and around the lake. It was peaceful but chilly, the water perfectly still under a sky that hadn't yet turned blue.
Eventually, they reached the base of the mountain.
Alex: (panting) "Why do I feel like my legs are filled with concrete?"
Zayn: "Did you do any real running back in England?"
Alex: "Yeah! Ten kilometers a day, no problem."
Zayn: "Then it's the cold. Here, the air is thicker. And the higher you go, the harder it is to breathe. You'll feel it in your chest before you feel it in your legs."
Alex: "You do this every day?"
Zayn: "That's why I still look this damn good."
Alex laughed… but he wasn't laughing for long.
Zayn continued running like the wind, his legs still strong, his pace unwavering. Alex struggled behind, breathing hard, eyes blurry from the sting of sweat and cold air. After 30 minutes, they reached halfway.
Zayn sat on a large stone, breathing calmly—like he'd just taken a walk in the park.
Zayn: "You good?"
Alex: (dying) "No. For real. I feel like I'm gonna die."
Zayn: (laughs) "Now you know what it feels like in the army."
Alex: "It was like this?"
Zayn: "Yeah. Before the Winter War, training was brutal. But these days? The world is soft. Too peaceful. Makes people lazy. Mark my words, in 2027 or 2028… humans won't even move anymore. They'll let tech do everything. Muscles? Gone."
Alex: "Can't argue with that. Everyone's glued to screens now."
Zayn: "Speaking of the past… want to know where your ancestors came from?"
Alex: "Hell yeah."
Zayn: "Alright. First off—our bloodline starts from ancient Sumeria. Your earliest known ancestor? Lurk, son of Zole and Zra. Weird names, I know."
Alex: (laughs) "Yeah, kinda sounds like fantasy characters."
Zayn: "Lurk was a guard in the city of Uruk. But when Egypt began its conquest, he and many others were captured. Forced to work in Egypt. Years later, he asked Pharaoh to let him join the army. Pharaoh agreed.
And boom—by the time he was thirty, Lurk became unstoppable. A general. A legend. He won wars left and right. But when Egypt fell… he wandered the world. He ended up in Greece. Joined the Spartans. Became known as 'The Destroyer'. Then he met a woman named Arga. Married her. Lived the rest of his life in peace."
Alex: "Wait, that's it?! You skipped all the juicy parts! What happened when he died? Did he have a son?"
Zayn: "Relax. I'm not gonna drop the whole timeline at once. You'll get it bit by bit, through time."
Alex: "Fine. Keep your secrets, old man."
Zayn's energy surged after telling the tale. He picked up his pace again, stronger than ever. Another 30 minutes passed before they reached the summit.
Zayn stood tall.
Zayn: "Ughhh… feels good up here. Come, sit. We'll catch the sunrise."
Alex dropped beside him. The mountain wind whipped around them, sharp but cleansing. A moment later, the sun rose—painting the clouds with brilliant orange. The lake below reflected the sky like a perfect mirror.
Alex: (quietly) "Wow…"
Zayn watched his grandson's face, smiling.
Zayn: "Alright. Sunrise done. Let's go into town—we need groceries."
Alex: "Wait, really? I thought you hated being around people."
Zayn: "Hey! People love me, okay? I'm charming."
They descended. At 7 a.m., they reached the mountain's base, soaked in sweat.
Zayn: "Let's hit the ice bath."
Alex: "Seriously? Now?! It's freezing!"
Before Alex could argue more, Zayn had already jumped in.
Zayn: "Get in, boy!"
Alex stared, then sighed—and leapt.
The cold punched his body like a thousand fists. The wind made it worse. His teeth clattered.
After a painful hour, they stumbled out—half-frozen.
Zayn grinned.
Zayn: "Now go change, ice boy."
Alex went upstairs, changed into jeans and a jacket, then returned.
Zayn: "Nice choice. I didn't know you had good taste."
Alex: "What do you expect? I'm cool."
Zayn: "You wish."
Alex: "You're just jealous."
Zayn: "Hah! Of what—your skinny arms?"
Zayn stepped outside.
Alex: "Hey old man, how are we getting to town? We don't have a car."
Zayn: "We walk."
Alex: "WHAT?!"
One hour later, they arrived in Scanno—a town alive with laughter, children running around, voices echoing in the narrow streets. Music floated from small cafes. Every few steps, someone greeted Zayn with respect and warmth.
Then, a woman approached.
She was beautiful.
Girl: "Ciao, papà!"
Zayn: "Ehi, mia principessa! E micio!"
He kissed her cheek.
Alex: (gagging) "Bleh."
Zayn: "What the hell are you doing?"
Alex: "Who is she?!"
Zayn: "My girl."
Alex: "She looks young! Like... super young!"
Zayn: "She's 50."
Alex: "WHAT?!"
Zayn: "Yeah. Good skincare."
Alex: "…Okay."
They reached a small waterfall in the center of town. Zayn sat on a bench, arms crossed.
Alex: "Who are we waiting for?"
Zayn: "Someone special."
A woman soon walked up, smiled sweetly—and kissed Zayn passionately.
Woman: "Ecco la tua missione. Rawrr~"
Zayn: "Grazie, tesoro."
As she walked away, Alex looked horrified.
Alex: "That was… disturbing."
Zayn: "What?"
Alex: "Grandpa, seriously. You're like a romantic spy movie with too much kissing."
Zayn: "Still got it, baby."