⚔️ **CHAPTER 46 — Strain and Strategy**
The mist had thickened into a low, clinging wall, hiding the Council's soldiers among the trees. The narrow path ahead forced Kael and Caelin into a single line. Every step Kael took reminded him of his weakened body: knees trembling, muscles screaming, hunger clawing relentlessly at his stomach.
Kaelin glanced back, reading Kael's fatigue. "We can't move recklessly. We'll make it if we're deliberate. Step by step."
Kael swallowed, trying to force strength into each step. *Step by step… together…* Iron Mind flared, shielding him from the growing whispers of the Council and the lingering edges of nightmares. His body protested, every fiber screaming, but his mind guided the motions, coordinating with Caelin's steady presence.
Suddenly, a low rumble beneath the forest floor warned of a hidden trap. Kael froze. He recognized the signs: tripwires, camouflaged pits, and falling logs—designed to exploit exhaustion. The Council's plan was clear: his mind was strong, but his body… his body could be forced to betray him.
Kaelin stepped close. "Lean on me. Focus your mind, not your legs. We move as one."
Kael exhaled sharply, letting Iron Mind extend fully. The tether pulsed strongly, synchronizing their movements like a single organism. Step by step, Kaelin guided him, subtly compensating for the weakness in Kael's legs, redirecting momentum, stabilizing him over each trap.
The Council struck next. Soldiers surged from multiple angles, some feinting forward, others pushing hidden logs down the slope. Kael's body nearly buckled under the strain, but Iron Mind filtered the panic, blocking the whispers of fear and visions of falling.
He felt Caelin's hand briefly on his arm, steadying him, the rhythm of movement perfectly aligned. Kael could act through Caelin, redirecting attacks and stabilizing their course. Step by step, breath by breath, they advanced through the trap with precision, the soldiers faltering at their inability to isolate either target.
A tripwire snapped sharply beneath Kael's boot. The ground tilted, almost forcing him to stumble. Hunger and exhaustion screamed—but Iron Mind flared, a pulse of clarity, and Caelin's presence anchored him. He pressed forward deliberately, using mental focus to anticipate the next threat and protect his body from giving out completely.
The Council's commander appeared at the edge of the mist, voice carrying clearly. "So… the boy survives. But weakness is still visible. Let's see if his body can endure when the mind can no longer compensate."
Kael gritted his teeth, sweat running down his face, legs trembling violently. "It… it can. Step by step… together…"
Caelin pressed forward beside him, sword ready, his every movement a support for Kael's faltering frame. Step by careful step, they emerged from the most dangerous section of the forest, the Council's trap neutralized—not by raw strength, but by the combination of Kael's Iron Mind, Caelin's skill, and their unbreakable synchronization.
Kael sank to one knee, chest heaving, trembling from exhaustion. "My body… it's… failing…"
Caelin knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder firmly. "Your body falters, yes—but your mind… your mind carries us. You've survived the Council's deadliest strategy yet. We endure, because we are together."
Kael exhaled slowly, feeling the balance of mind and body, tether and trust. He had survived, but the truth was undeniable: the Council would push further, forcing him to confront his physical limits while relying entirely on Iron Mind and the bond with Caelin.
The mist swirled around them, patient, hiding the next challenge. Kael knew the real test had only begun—and that surviving would demand every ounce of mental strength, coordination, and courage he possessed.
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