Morning fog clung to the mountains like a thin veil, pale and silent.
Ren opened his eyes slowly.
The room was empty.
For a moment, he thought he had overslept. The bed beside him was untouched, the air cool, carrying the faint scent of damp earth drifting in through the window. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and listened.
Nothing.
No footsteps. No voices.
He frowned.
"She's already up?" he muttered.
Ren stepped outside.
The fog thinned near the open ground behind the lodge. There, cutting through the quiet, was the sound of water slicing the air.
Mei stood alone.
Her posture was steady, feet grounded, hands moving with calm precision. Water gathered between her palms, rotating—not wildly, not chaotically—but in a controlled spiral. With a sharp motion, she extended her arm.
The spiral shot forward.
It didn't splash. It pierced.
The water twisted in a straight line, drilling cleanly into a thick wooden post before dispersing into mist.
Ren's eyes widened.
"Whoa…!"
Mei paused and lowered her hands, the water dissolving back into the air. She turned her head slightly.
"You're awake," she said.
Ren walked closer, still staring at the ruined post.
"Why are you training this early in the morning?"
"This is my training," Mei replied simply.
Ren tilted his head. "What kind?"
"I'm developing a new attack," she said. "I'm shaping water into a spiral and forcing it straight. It increases piercing power. Effective against Soul Eaters."
Ren blinked. "That sounds… insanely cool."
Mei glanced at him. "It's necessary."
Ren scratched the back of his head. "Hey, um… about those Soul Eaters. Are they really as creepy as the one Kaidan fought?"
Mei's expression didn't change.
"They're exactly the same."
Ren grimaced. "Yeah. Thought so."
Then his face lit up again. "I wanna try training too."
Mei studied him for a moment, then nodded. "You can."
She pointed toward a small bonfire in the distance, where a few elderly villagers sat warming their hands.
"See that fire?"
Ren followed her finger. "Yeah."
"Attract it," Mei said. "Focus your consciousness. Shape it into something solid. A wall is a good start."
Ren hesitated. "And you?"
"I'll meditate," she replied. "I'll search for the Soul Eater."
Ren frowned. "You can just… detect it?"
"In a limited area," Mei said. "Master Tsukishiro can sense them across vast distances. Compared to him, this is nothing."
Ren snorted. "That old creep is way too powerful."
Mei's eyes snapped to him.
"Don't ever call Master Tsukishiro a creep."
Ren raised both hands quickly. "Hey—hey! I'm joking! Just joking!"
Mei sighed and sat down, closing her eyes. "Focus. You have thirty minutes."
Ren swallowed and turned toward the bonfire.
He stretched out his palm.
At first—nothing.
Then warmth.
The fire flickered.
Ren clenched his teeth and concentrated harder. His pulse quickened, sweat forming on his brow. Slowly, the flame responded, stretching unnaturally, bending toward him.
"Yes… yes—!"
The fire surged.
A wall of flame rose in front of him, unstable but standing.
"Mei! Look—!"
The sudden burst shattered her meditation.
Mei opened her eyes, staring at the blazing wall. For the first time, genuine surprise crossed her face.
"You already shaped it?" she asked.
Ren grinned proudly. "Was that… good?"
She stood up. "It took us much longer to do that."
Ren puffed out his chest. "Guess I'm just built different."
Mei smirked faintly. "Time will tell."
She closed her eyes again.
A few seconds passed.
Then she opened them sharply.
"I found it," she said.
Ren's grin vanished. "Already?"
"A small cave," Mei continued. "Not far from here. We'll have to lure it out."
Ren nodded eagerly. "So I fight too?"
Mei placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"No."
She met his eyes.
"You stay back. Far back. I'll handle it."
Ren hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
The fog shifted.
And somewhere within the mountain, something began to stir.