The days passed in relative silence after my fight with the Grulok. The tension of the battle, the rush of adrenaline, and the satisfaction of victory still lingered in my mind, but Alric, as usual, said little about it. He never dwelled on past successes or failures. His focus was always on what came next. And so, I followed his example, pushing forward, ready for the next lesson, the next challenge.
We spent most of the following week in the forest, away from the city and its noise. Alric seemed to enjoy the solitude, his calm demeanor perfectly suited for the quiet of the woods. I, too, had grown accustomed to it, though my mind wandered more frequently now. After facing real danger—both the bandits and the Grulok—I couldn’t help but think about what lay beyond this quiet life.
The Flow had become second nature to me, and the mask, now a constant companion, reminded me of the lessons I had learned from Alric. But I was beginning to wonder if this training would ever be enough. Was I ready to face the demon? The thought gnawed at me, day after day.
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It was on a crisp morning, the sun barely cutting through the thick canopy of trees, that Alric finally broke the silence.
“You’re thinking about the demon, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice soft but firm.
I glanced at him, surprised by his directness. Alric had never spoken of the demon that had destroyed my family. He knew, of course—he had known since the day we met—but he had never brought it up in conversation.
I nodded, my jaw tight. “I am.”
Alric stopped walking, turning to face me fully. His eyes were calm, but there was a weight behind them, as if he understood more than I realized. “You believe you’re ready to face it?”
The question hung in the air, and I found myself hesitating. Was I ready? I had fought bandits. I had defeated a Grulok. I had trained for months, mastering my abilities, learning to control the Aetheric Flow. But the demon… that was different. It wasn’t just a battle. It was personal. It was everything I had been working toward since that day.
“I don’t know,” I admitted quietly.
Alric studied me for a long moment before nodding. “That’s the right answer.”
I frowned, unsure of what he meant. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve grown stronger, Niv. Much stronger. Your control over the Flow is impressive, and your abilities have sharpened considerably. But strength isn’t enough when it comes to something like this.” He paused, his gaze searching mine. “You must understand that this isn’t just about power. Facing the demon won’t be like fighting a Grulok or a bandit. This will test more than your strength—it will test your resolve.”
“My resolve?” I repeated, unsure where he was going with this.
Alric nodded. “Yes. Power alone won’t defeat it. You must know why you’re fighting. You must be clear in your purpose. Because if you’re not… the demon will find a way to exploit that weakness.”
I clenched my fists, the familiar surge of anger rising in my chest at the thought of the demon. “I’m fighting because it took everything from me.”
Alric didn’t flinch at my tone. “Revenge can be a powerful motivator, but it’s also dangerous. If you let it consume you, it will blind you. And when you’re blinded by anger, you’ll make mistakes. The demon will use that against you.”
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I wanted to argue, to tell him that my anger was justified, that it fueled me. But the words wouldn’t come. Deep down, I knew he was right. I had felt it before—during training, during the fight with the bandits. The more I let my anger control me, the harder it was to think clearly. But without it, what was left?
“What am I supposed to do, then?” I asked, my voice quieter now.
Alric smiled faintly, though there was a sadness behind it. “You need to find balance, Niv. Just as you’ve learned to balance your power, you must learn to balance your emotions. Anger can drive you, yes, but it cannot be the only thing that guides you.”
He began walking again, and I followed, my mind racing with his words. Balance. Control. Resolve. All of it made sense, but applying it in the heat of battle, against the thing that had ruined my life… that was another matter entirely.
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As we walked deeper into the forest, Alric suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on something ahead. I followed his line of sight and saw what had caught his attention. A group of travelers—merchants, by the looks of them—were setting up camp in a small clearing. But something was wrong.
The scene seemed peaceful enough at first glance, but there was an edge to it, a tension in the air that felt out of place. And then I saw them—figures lurking in the trees, barely visible in the shadows. Bandits.
Alric turned to me, his expression unreadable. “You’re going to help them.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Help them? How?”
“Bandits,” he said simply. “The same type you fought before. But this time, you’ll need to think carefully. Remember what I’ve taught you. Control. Balance. You’re not just fighting for yourself this time—you’re fighting to protect others.”
I felt my pulse quicken, the familiar anticipation of battle rising in me. This was different. It wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about revenge. These were innocent people, caught in the crosshairs of a fight they didn’t even know was coming.
I pulled the mask from my belt, slipping it over my face. The moment it settled into place, I felt the shift—the calm focus that came with it. I was ready.
Without another word, I moved silently through the trees, circling around the bandits, who were creeping closer to the camp. There were six of them, better armed than the ones I had faced in the city, but they were still sloppy. Overconfident.
I watched them for a moment, letting the Flow guide me. They hadn’t noticed me yet. Good. That meant I had the element of surprise.
I raised my hand, feeling the Aetheric Flow around me, and used Slip to subtly shift the ground beneath the nearest bandit’s feet. He stumbled, surprised, and before he could recover, I struck—moving in quickly and silently. My blade found his throat, and he fell without a sound.
The others turned at the noise, but by then, it was too late. I was already moving. Auto-Dodge kicked in, my body reacting instinctively as I dodged an arrow that whizzed past my head. The second bandit lunged at me, but I sidestepped, using Analyze to predict his movements. He was fast, but not fast enough. I swept his legs out from under him and brought my blade down in a single, controlled strike.
The remaining bandits hesitated, fear creeping into their eyes. I could feel their panic, see the uncertainty in the way they moved. They hadn’t expected this. They hadn’t expected me.
I raised my blade, and in that moment, I made my decision. There would be no mercy this time. These men had chosen this life. They had chosen to prey on the weak, to take from those who couldn’t defend themselves. I couldn’t allow that.
I moved swiftly, methodically, dispatching the remaining bandits with precision. Each strike was calculated, each movement controlled. There was no anger, no rage—just focus.
When the last bandit fell, I stood still, my breath steady, the mask cool against my face. It was done.
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Alric stepped into the clearing, his expression calm as always. “You made your choice,” he said quietly.
I nodded, pulling the mask from my face. “There was no other way.”
He studied me for a long moment, then nodded. “You’re learning, Niv. Every decision shapes the path you’re on. This was a step in the right direction.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. The fight had been clean, efficient, but there was no satisfaction in it. Just a quiet understanding that it had been necessary.
As the merchants gathered their belongings, thanking me profusely, I found myself thinking about Alric’s words once more. Control. Balance. Resolve.
There would be more fights ahead. More choices to make. And I would have to be ready for each of them.