⚔️ **CHAPTER 32 — Resistance and Ripples**
The following morning, Kael awoke with a start. The mist was thinner now, but the whispers of the previous nights lingered. They were less sharp, less frantic, but still persistent. He could feel them pressing at the corners of his mind.
*Focus,* he reminded himself. *Step by step.*
The path ahead was uneven, roots and rocks forming hazards that demanded attention. Kael moved deliberately, feeling the growing control in his mind—the resistance that allowed him to see the nightmares as warnings, not commands.
Caelin glanced at him, eyes sharp. "You've learned to separate what's real from what's not. That's the first step. But the forest will not stop. It will escalate. Pay attention to the body as well as the mind."
Kael nodded. The shadows in his mind no longer dictated his thoughts. He could push them back, leave them at the edge of his awareness, and still act with clarity.
Suddenly, a root twisted underfoot, sending Kael stumbling slightly. The forest seemed to shift, as if mocking him. The mist coiled tighter, forming shapes that pressed against him physically now. Not visions—touch. Weight. The first true physical test.
Caelin caught him by the shoulder. "Step carefully," he whispered. "Together. Now is when your mental resistance must guide your body."
Kael adjusted his stance, grounding himself. Step by step, he navigated the roots and rocks. The mist pressed, shadows danced around him, but he no longer feared them as he had before. He had learned to see through them, anticipate them, and act calmly despite their presence.
By evening, they emerged into a small clearing. Kael's muscles ached, but his mind was clearer than it had been in days. The nightmares had not vanished—they never would—but he had begun to master them.
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