Chapter 29: Fire in the water

  The sun was shining on the pool of the Monta?a Azul team, but the real heat did not come from the weather... but from the newly confirmed relationship between Talión and Luz.

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  The public relationship... and the jokes

  "So you two are... together?" Azrat asked, with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous smile.

  "Something like that..." Talión replied, while Luz smiled mischievously at him next to him.

  "And why didn't anyone tell me before?" I could have bet on the team's pools! - Azrat joked.

  The team laughed, although the good vibe was interrupted when Jocelyn slowly approached Luz, arms crossed.

  "I just want you to know... if you ever hurt Talión, I'll be the first to bury you at the bottom of the pool.

  "Of course I wouldn't hurt him!" Luz said, indignant.

  "And what about me?" Who is going to protect me from this guy? -Talión approached from behind and, in a mischievous movement, circled Luz's waist, giving her a squeeze on her ass.

  "Hey!" Luz blushed intensely, while the team burst out laughing.

  "This guy already defends himself..." Talión said, winking at him.

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  Hot moments... in public

  During training, the tension did not stop.

  While Aurora explained a resistance technique to them, Luz approached Talion from behind, whispering in his ear:

  "You know that everyone is watching you... right?"

  Talion, with a defiant smile, slid his hand behind him and gave Luz a slight squeeze on the leg, slowly going up to his thigh.

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  "And what if they're doing it?" Talión whispered, causing Luz to bite her lip so as not to let out a laugh.

  Aurora saw them sideways.

  "Do you want me to put them in the ice so they can calm down?!" he shouted, causing both of them to separate quickly while the rest of the team was dying of laughter.

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  Brutal training: Overcoming limits

  The break is over. Now came the difficult part.

  Aurora stood firm in front of the team.

  "Listen to me well... from now on, this will be the hardest training you've ever had. Right now I'm going to tell you your strengths... and your weaknesses.

  Everyone listened attentively.

  ?  Bruno: Incredible resistance, but he tends to get mentally tired if he feels watched.

  ?  Jocelyn: Impeccable technique, but he gets frustrated quickly when things don't go well.

  ?  Azrat: Amazing speed, but he tends to trust himself too much, which leads him to neglect details.

  ?  Luz: Exceptional agility, but he doubts himself too much in important skills.

  ?  Talión: Physically unstoppable... but his greatest weakness was his fear of failing those who trust him.

  "Each of you is going to face those weaknesses... because I'm not going to let you lose because of them," Aurora concluded.

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  The individual challenge

  During the week:

  ?  Bruno began to train with music to block the external noise, concentrating only on the rhythm of his strokes.

  ?  Jocelyn learned to control her temper, facing simulations of difficult situations during the tests.

  ?  Azrat, under Aurora's watch, perfected his technique, ceasing to depend only on his speed.

  ?  Luz, with the constant support of Talión, began to visualize herself winning... and believing it.

  ?  Talión, in his training, forced himself to swim under pressure, imagining that if he didn't arrive on time, his friends would lose... until he finally learned to trust himself.

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  The talk of Azrat and Talión

  After an exhausting day, Azrat and Talión stayed in the empty pool, watching the reflection of the water under the lights of the complex.

  "Do you realize how far we have come?" Azrat asked, without taking his eyes off the water.

  "Yes... and what we still need." Talion replied.

  "Do you think we have what it takes to win the Olympics?"

  Talion was silent for a moment.

  "I don't know if we have what we need... but I know we're going to give everything."

  Azrat smiled.

  "You know?" I admire you very much. Not because of your speed or your physique... but because when everything gets complicated... you always keep moving forward.

  "And you know that you're also amazing?" Talión said, giving him a friendly blow to the arm.

  Azrat let out a laugh.

  "Well, of course... I'm irresistible."

  They both laughed and looked up at the sky, knowing that the real battle was just beginning.

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  The final surprise: Alexandre Duvier's message

  That same night, Aurora received a mysterious email. When he opened it, he found a video.

  It was Alexandre Duvier in a pool lit by night lights. Her gaze was intense and self-confident.

  "I've been watching... I already know your weak points... and believe me, you have no chance." -he said in French, with a confident smile.

  Aurora was silent, but then smiled.

  "Let's see how true that is...

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  End of chapter 29