CHAPTER 11

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The mornings had become routine. Cold air, damp earth, and the quiet rustle of the forest as it woke up with the rising sun. But something had changed within me. I wasn’t pushing against the world around me like I had been before. I wasn’t forcing the Flow to bend to my will. Instead, I was beginning to understand how the Flow, the elements, and even my own desires could work together.

The hermit had been right—though I’d never admit it to him. Control wasn’t about domination. It was about understanding. And understanding was the key to real power. But I wasn’t ready to let go of everything I’d been holding onto, not yet. There was still a part of me that wanted to tear through every obstacle in my way, to crush anything that stood between me and the demon. That wouldn’t change overnight.

Today, the hermit and I stood in the clearing once again, the sun just beginning to break through the thick canopy above. My body moved with purpose as I focused on controlling the water before me, but this time, I didn’t force it. I let it respond, adapting to its natural rhythm, bending it to my will slowly, carefully.

The water twisted into a spiral, hovering just above the stream, its surface calm, despite the tension in the air.

“Better,” the hermit said quietly from behind me. “You’re learning to listen.”

I didn’t respond immediately. There was still a small part of me that wanted to dismiss his approval, to keep pushing for more power. But I was learning to quiet that voice. Just a little.

“How long did it take you?” I asked finally, my eyes still fixed on the water. “To understand all of this? Control, I mean.”

The hermit was silent for a moment, and I could feel his gaze settle on me. “Longer than it should have,” he admitted. “I made mistakes. Thought I could force my way through. But I learned that true strength comes from restraint, from knowing when to act and when to wait.”

I nodded, the words sinking in. Patience had never been my strong suit, but I was starting to see the wisdom in it. I lowered my hand, and the water fell gently back into the stream, the magic dissipating without a trace. It felt different, letting it go so easily. Almost natural.

“You’re adapting,” the hermit said, a rare note of approval in his voice. “That’s good. You’ll need that.”

I turned to face him, my expression steady. “Why do you keep saying that? You’ve been hinting at something—something beyond the demon. What is it?”

The hermit’s eyes darkened slightly, his face unreadable. “The world is bigger than you realize, Niv. The demon is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. The gods… they don’t like things they can’t control. And you—your power—may one day attract their attention.”

I frowned, my mind racing. The gods. He’d mentioned them before, but I hadn’t taken him seriously. Now, though, there was something in his voice that made me uneasy.

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“What do the gods have to do with me?”

The hermit sighed, looking away toward the trees. “Everything. They control the fate of this world. They see everything. And when someone becomes too powerful, too unpredictable, they intervene.”

A chill ran down my spine, but I pushed it aside. “Then I’ll be ready for them, too,” I said quietly.

The hermit shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re strong, Niv. Stronger than you realize. But strength alone won’t be enough.”

I held his gaze for a moment, letting the weight of his words sink in. He was right. If the gods truly were watching, then I couldn’t afford to be reckless. I couldn’t afford to make myself a target. Not yet.

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In the days that followed, I found myself thinking more about what the hermit had said. About patience. About the gods. It wasn’t in my nature to lie low, to hide my strength. But maybe… maybe there was wisdom in it.

I wasn’t afraid of power, of the consequences that came with it. But I had to be smart. I had to be careful. Blend in, just like the hermit had taught me. There was no need to draw attention to myself, not when I could hide in plain sight.

The thought stayed with me as I continued my training. I was still pushing myself, still learning new spells and refining my control, but there was a shift in how I approached it. I didn’t rush anymore. I let the Flow guide me, learning to sense its currents before acting.

And when it came to combat, I wasn’t just relying on brute force. I was thinking ahead, using Analyze to break down every move, every shift in the environment. I was seeing the battlefield in a new way—calculated, deliberate.

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One afternoon, the hermit called me over to the stream again, but this time, there was no talk of magic or combat. Instead, he handed me a simple piece of cloth—a mask. It was plain, unadorned, but the message was clear.

“You’ve learned a lot, but if you want to survive, you’ll need to hide your strength,” he said, his tone serious. “There will come a time when you’ll need to fight in the open. But for now, you must remain unseen.”

I took the mask, feeling the rough texture of the fabric between my fingers. It wasn’t just about physical protection. The mask was a symbol, a way to keep my identity hidden, to stay in the shadows until I was ready.

“Why now?” I asked, my voice steady. “Why are you telling me to hide now, after all this time?”

The hermit’s expression hardened. “Because you’re starting to attract attention. There are forces in this world, Niv, that are already watching you. They sense your power, even if you’ve tried to hide it. If you don’t act soon, they’ll come for you.”

I stared at the mask, the weight of his words settling over me. I had known this moment would come eventually. The more powerful I became, the more enemies I would attract. But I had always assumed I would face them head-on, that I would fight my way through them.

Now, though, I understood. The time for open conflict would come, but it wasn’t now. Not yet.

I slipped the mask over my face, feeling its weight settle against my skin. It felt strange, hiding like this. But it also felt… right.

“I’ll wear it,” I said, my voice muffled behind the mask. “But when the time comes, I won’t hide anymore.”

The hermit nodded, his eyes softening slightly. “I know. And when that time comes, you’ll be ready.”

Over the next few weeks, I continued my training in secret. I wore the mask whenever we trained, even when I was alone. I practiced blending into the background, keeping my power hidden, even as I grew stronger. The Slip technique became more refined, and I began using it in subtle ways, shifting the ground beneath my feet to move quietly through the forest.

I wasn’t the same boy who had stumbled into the hermit’s camp months ago, driven by anger and desperation. I was learning—slowly, but surely—that strength and control were not mutually exclusive. I could have both.

And when the time came, I would reveal myself.

But for now, I would remain in the shadows, just another nameless face in a world that didn’t yet know what was coming.