I opened my eyes to a deep, lingering exhaustion that clung to my body, the kind that settled into muscle and bone. The darkness of the room greeted me as my vision slowly adjusted, broken only by thin slivers of moonlight slipping through the gaps in the wooden walls.
Sweat clung to my skin, my face, my back, my chest, cooling now that the effort had ended. For a moment, I simply sat there, breathing steadily, letting the weight of the night settle.
Then it hit me.
A quiet laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it, light and almost disbelieving. "I did it… finally." The words felt real this time. I pushed myself upright, my limbs heavy but cooperative, satisfaction warming my chest in a way exhaustion couldn't smother.
My gaze drifted toward the other side of the room. Charlie lay asleep, his breathing slow and even, untouched by my long struggle through the night. I moved carefully, mindful not to disturb him. The floor creaked softly beneath my feet as I slipped open the door and stepped outside, the cool night air washing over me like a blessing.
The path to the pond was quiet, the forest hushed beneath the stars. I shed my clothes by the water's edge and eased myself in slowly, the cold biting at my skin as the water rose to my shoulders. I leaned back against the smooth stone, exhaling as the chill chased away the lingering heat and sweat from cultivation.
As I stared up at the night sky, the stars scattered like distant embers, my thoughts settled into something heavier and sharper.
With this high-level technique… with the first step finally within my grasp… I could become stronger.
My expression hardened as resolve took shape, firm and unyielding. "Father… Mother… brothers," I whispered into the quiet. "I will avenge you. No matter what it takes." The pond rippled softly around me, but the vow remained steady, etched deep into my chest.
Morning came sooner than I expected.
I woke to the familiar sounds of movement inside the house, the scent of cooking food drifting through the air. Charlie stood near the hearth, focused as always. When he noticed me stirring, he turned, a small smile forming.
"Good morning, young master."
I straightened, unable to stop the grin that spread across my face. "Charlie… I did it."
He paused for just a fraction of a second, then his smile deepened, warmer than before.
"Congratulations, young master."
The pride in his voice settled something inside me. I ate the breakfast he prepared with renewed appetite, the world feeling just a little brighter than it had yesterday. When I left for training, my steps carried an ease they hadn't in a long time.
The training grounds buzzed with their usual energy. I warmed up, stretched, and began practicing my sword forms under Kal's watchful eye. My body moved smoothly, rhythm sharper, balance steadier. Kal noticed it too, his gaze lingering longer than usual.
"You look… lighter today," he remarked, arms folded.
I only smiled and continued.
Rokar, overseeing the younger warriors nearby, glanced over once. His eyes flicked to Kal, then back to me. After a moment, he snorted softly, shaking his head, a faint grin tugging at his lips before he turned away.
I finished training by noon and headed home, the routine already settling into place.
The afternoon passed quietly. After eating, I reminded Charlie not to disturb me and returned to my spot by the great tree inside the house. Sitting cross-legged, spine straight, I closed my eyes and let my breathing slow.
Cultivation became a little easier now.
---
The days that followed settled into a steady rhythm. Each morning was spent at the training ground, steel ringing against steel, muscles burning under Kal's watchful eye. By afternoon, I returned home to cultivate beneath the great tree, and by evening, exhaustion claimed me without argument.
With each passing day, the first step grew more stable. The nature energy no longer felt distant or elusive; it answered more readily, flowing into me with less resistance. What had once required intense concentration now came with a sense of familiarity, as though my body was slowly remembering something it had always been meant to do. By the end of the week, I could feel it clearly, an unspoken certainty settling in my chest.
That evening, as the sun sank low and shadows stretched across the house, I sat down once more and gathered the energy again. This time, I followed the next instruction written in the technique. Slowly, carefully, I reversed the flow.
From my fingertips, I guided the energy back toward my shoulders, tracing the borders of my torso before letting it descend through my hips and into my legs, all the way to my toes.
The sensation was deeper than before.Yet it never spiraled out of control. The energy moved exactly as it should, obedient and steady, as if acknowledging my command.
When I finally opened my eyes, a breath I hadn't realized I was holding escaped me as a quiet laugh.
"I did it," I murmured, disbelief and relief mixing together. "The second step too."
A warm, hard-earned satisfaction settled through me, not fleeting excitement, but something solid and real. I truly felt my progress.
A gentle knock broke the stillness of the evening. I stood and opened the door to find Vaela waiting outside, her posture relaxed, her expression calm, touched by a faint smile.
"Sister Vaela," I greeted, a little surprised.
Her eyes swept over me once, sharp and assessing, as if she could sense the lingering traces of cultivation in the air. "Arthur," she said. "Skra-what doing?"
"I just finished cultivating," I replied honestly. "Why?"
Something shifted in her expression, not alarm, but purpose. "Skra-have task."
I blinked. "A task?"
She nodded once. "Elder skra-assign task."
"Elder Thryssa?" I asked, instinctively.
"No." Vaela shook her head. "Elder Dravik skra-assign task."
The name made my brow crease.
Elder Dravik… I had seen him a few times around the village, at gatherings and at the feast. He was always watching, never speaking to me, never approaching, but his gaze lingered longer than it should have, cold, measuring and almost displeased. Even during the feast, when laughter filled the air, his eyes had followed me with something close to irritation.
So he was the one assigning this task.
"Why me?" I asked quietly.
She didn't hesitate. "Skra-not know."
Then she added, as if it explained everything, "Skra-meet Elder Thryssa."
I stood there for a moment, turning the words over in my mind. A task assigned by an elder I barely knew, one who had never hidden his disapproval. It didn't feel random but deliberate.
After a brief pause, I nodded. "Alright."
We reached Elder Thryssa's home not long after, the familiar structure standing quiet beneath the dimming sky. Vaela knocked once, firm and respectful. A moment later, the door opened, and Thryssa herself stood there, her calm presence immediately filling the space. She welcomed us inside with a small gesture, and we took our usual places around the table.
Her gaze settled on me, steady and thoughtful.
"How is your cultivation progressing?" she asked. "Have you encountered any difficulties?"
"No, Elder," I replied honestly. "I'm following your guidance as closely as I can."
She nodded, seeming satisfied. "Good," she said simply. "Do you know why I called you?'
I nodded once.
Her expression shifted still composed, but more serious now. "While the leader and I have accepted your presence in this village," she continued, "not all of the elders share that decision."
I straightened slightly, listening intently.
"They will not openly oppose us," Thryssa went on, her voice even, "but they do not wish for you to remain here without contribution. To them, coexistence must be earned."
I absorbed her words in silence.
"For that reason," she said, "they want you to take on tasks for the village."
I didn't hesitate. I inclined my head at once, resolve firming my spine.
"I understand," I said quietly but clearly. "I'm ready."
It wasn't just about proving myself to the elders. I didn't want to remain here as someone merely protected, merely tolerated. If I was going to stay in this village, if I was going to call it a place I belonged to... then I wanted to earn that right.
Thryssa studied me for a long moment, her sharp eyes observing my face, then finally, she spoke again.
"Then this is your task," she said quietly. "You will leave the village… and hunt."
The words struck harder than I expected.
My body tensed, surprise flashing through me before I could hide it. "Outside the village?" I asked.
She nodded once.
For a moment, surprise froze me in place.
The words echoed in my head, slow and heavy, and it took a few seconds for them to truly settle. Outside the village, beyond the boundary I hadn't crossed in two years.
I drew a quiet breath and steadied myself.