⚔️ **CHAPTER 47 — When the Body Breaks**
The forest opened into a scarred clearing, the ground churned and broken as if battles had been fought here long ago and never healed. Kael felt it immediately—this was not another delaying trap. This was where the Council intended to end things.
His legs trembled with every step. Hunger burned like fire in his veins, and his arms felt heavy, slow to respond. His **Iron Mind** was still firm, still clear—but the contrast was cruel. His thoughts were sharp while his body lagged behind, betraying him with every movement.
*My mind is ready,* Kael realized grimly. *But my body… my body is falling behind.*
Caelin stopped beside him, eyes scanning the clearing. Soldiers emerged openly now—no mist, no deception. The Council stood at the far end, calm, patient, confident.
The commander raised a hand.
"No more games. No more paths. No more tricks. This is where you fall, Kael Ardyn. Not because your mind breaks—but because your body cannot keep up with it."
The soldiers advanced.
Kael lifted his sword—and felt his arm hesitate for just a fraction of a second.
That fraction nearly killed him.
A blade came in fast. Kael blocked, but the impact sent a shock through his arm, pain flaring sharply. His knees buckled. He staggered back, breath ripping from his chest.
*Too slow.*
Caelin stepped in instantly, intercepting the next strike, forcing the attacker back.
"Kael! Stay with me!"
"I am," Kael said, but the words tasted hollow. His thoughts were clear—too clear. He could see every opening, every mistake the enemy made… and yet his body failed to act fast enough to exploit them.
The Council noticed.
"See?" the commander said coldly. "Awareness without strength. Resistance without endurance. You are incomplete."
The pressure hit then—not whispers, not illusions, but **pure strain**. The Council pushed the pace, forcing Kael to move, to react, to spend what little strength he had left. Each step burned. Each block sent pain through his arms.
Kael's vision darkened at the edges.
*If this continues… I collapse.*
Iron Mind flared instinctively, pushing back panic, stabilizing his thoughts—but it could not restore muscle, could not fill an empty stomach, could not stop exhaustion from drowning him.
For the first time, Kael faced a terrifying truth:
**Mental resistance alone was not enough.**
A soldier slipped past Caelin's guard and struck low. Kael tried to react—his mind screamed the correct movement—but his body was a breath too slow.
Caelin took the hit instead.
The sound of steel biting flesh snapped something inside Kael.
"CAELIN!"
The world narrowed.
Not into rage—but into **focus sharpened by desperation**.
Kael stopped trying to push his body beyond its limits.
Instead, he changed the way he fought.
He anchored Iron Mind deeper—not outward, not aggressively—but inward, locking his awareness into efficiency. No wasted motion. No excess force. Every step minimized. Every swing precise. He stopped chasing speed—and embraced **timing**.
"Don't carry me," Kael said hoarsely to Caelin. "Match me. Slower. Cleaner."
Caelin understood instantly.
They shifted rhythm.
The Council frowned.
Kael moved less—but moved *perfectly*. He let enemies overextend. Let them commit. Let Caelin handle the power while he handled the decisions. Iron Mind guided every choice, every retreat, every counter.
His body still hurt. Still trembled.
But it no longer fought against his mind.
It obeyed it.
A soldier lunged—Kael stepped aside at the last possible moment. Caelin struck. Another attacked—Kael redirected, minimal force, just enough.
The Council's formation began to fracture.
The commander's voice hardened.
"He adapts… even now."
Kael breathed hard, sweat dripping, muscles screaming—but he was still standing.
*I am not strong enough,* he admitted to himself.
*But I am not broken.*
And as the clearing filled with the sound of steel and strained breath, Kael realized something crucial:
This was not the end of his weakness.
This was the beginning of understanding it.
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