CHAPTER 26

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The wind howled through the trees as I sat by the fire that night, watching the flames dance and flicker in the darkness. My body still ached from the test in the ravine, the strain of controlling the wild Aetheric Flow lingering in my muscles and mind. I had done it—I had survived—but Alric’s warning echoed in my thoughts.

What you faced down there was only a fraction of the power you’ll encounter when you face the demon.

I stared into the fire, my mind replaying the events of the ravine. The energy I had encountered had been wild, untamed, but I had found a way to control it. Not by force, but by guiding it. That was the key—to work with the Flow, not against it. But would that be enough when I finally came face to face with the demon that had taken everything from me?

Alric had been quiet since our return from the ravine, letting me process the experience on my own. I appreciated the silence, the time to reflect, but the sense of urgency was growing. Each day brought me closer to my ultimate goal, and I knew the time was coming when I would have to confront the demon. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but I knew I couldn’t wait much longer.

The fire crackled softly as Alric approached, his footsteps nearly silent on the forest floor. He sat down across from me, his expression unreadable, as always. For a long moment, we sat in silence, the only sound the wind and the crackling of the flames.

“You’re quiet tonight,” he said, his voice low.

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the fire. “I’ve been thinking.”

“About the demon.”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Alric always seemed to know what was on my mind.

“Yes,” I admitted. “It feels like I’m getting closer. Like it’s… out there, waiting for me. And I can’t shake the feeling that I’ll face it soon.”

Alric didn’t respond right away. He simply watched me, his gaze sharp but calm.

“You’ve grown stronger,” he said after a moment. “Stronger than I could have imagined when we first met. But strength alone isn’t enough. You’ve learned that already.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I know. It’s not just about power. It’s about control. Strategy. Understanding the Flow.”

“And patience,” Alric added, his tone firm. “You can’t rush into this, Niv. You’ve come a long way, but if you push yourself too fast, you could make mistakes.”

“I’m not rushing,” I said, though the words felt hollow. I could feel the impatience gnawing at me, the need to face the demon and finally put an end to this. But deep down, I knew Alric was right. I couldn’t afford to make mistakes, not now.

Alric studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Good. Because the time is coming. You will face the demon soon. But when that moment comes, you need to be fully prepared—physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

His words settled over me like a weight, pressing down on the ever-growing sense of urgency. The firelight cast shadows on his face, making his expression even more unreadable than usual.

“What’s next?” I asked, shifting the conversation. “What else do I need to learn?”

Alric leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’ve mastered control over the Flow, both within yourself and the environment around you. But now, you need to focus on something else—your instincts.”

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I frowned, confused. “Instincts?”

“Yes,” he said, his gaze intense. “You’ve been relying heavily on your abilities—Analyze, Auto-Dodge, Slip, and now, Auto-Heal. These are powerful tools, but they can’t replace instinct. In the heat of battle, when your mind is clouded with pain and fatigue, you won’t always have time to think or rely on your abilities. Sometimes, you’ll need to trust your gut.”

I sat back, considering his words. He was right—again. While I had become proficient with my abilities, I had grown accustomed to relying on them. Analyze allowed me to predict my opponent’s movements, Auto-Dodge kept me out of danger, and Slip gave me control over the terrain. But what if I couldn’t rely on those skills? What if the demon had abilities I couldn’t predict?

Alric stood, his movements fluid as he stepped closer to the fire. “We’ll spend the next few days working on this. You’ll fight without using Analyze, Auto-Dodge, or any other ability. You’ll need to rely solely on your instincts, your reflexes, and your ability to read the situation.”

I nodded slowly, feeling the familiar mix of excitement and apprehension rising within me. This would be a new kind of challenge—one that would push me in ways I hadn’t been pushed before. But it made sense. I needed to be able to fight without relying on my abilities. The demon wouldn’t give me time to analyze its every move.

“When do we start?” I asked.

Alric’s lips quirked into a small smile, one of the rare signs of approval he allowed himself to show. “Tomorrow.”

The next day, the training began early. The sun had barely risen when Alric and I stood in the clearing, the crisp morning air swirling around us. Today, I wouldn’t be using any of my abilities. No Analyze. No Auto-Dodge. No Slip. It would just be me, my instincts, and Alric.

I had expected him to start slow, to ease me into this new form of training, but I should have known better by now. Alric never held back when it came to teaching me.

He attacked without warning, his fist flying toward my chest with blinding speed. I moved on instinct, barely managing to step out of the way in time. My heart raced as I realized how much I had relied on Auto-Dodge before. Without it, I had to be hyper-aware of every movement, every shift in Alric’s stance.

Alric didn’t give me a chance to catch my breath. His movements were fluid, relentless, each strike more precise than the last. I ducked, twisted, and parried, but without Analyze, I couldn’t predict his next move. I had to react in real-time, relying on nothing but my instincts.

I quickly realized how vulnerable I was without my abilities. Every strike from Alric was a test—forcing me to react faster, to trust my body to move without thinking. At first, I struggled. My movements were too calculated, too deliberate. But as the training session wore on, something began to shift.

My mind started to quiet, the frantic thoughts and calculations fading into the background. I stopped trying to analyze every movement, stopped second-guessing myself. Instead, I let my body take over, moving in response to the rhythm of the fight.

It was strange—freeing, in a way. Without the safety net of my abilities, I felt more in tune with the Flow, more connected to the fight itself. Each dodge, each counterattack came naturally, almost without thought. My instincts guided me, pushing me to move faster, strike harder.

Alric didn’t slow down, but I was keeping up. Barely. His strikes still hit harder than I could handle, and I found myself taking more hits than usual. The pain surged through me, but Auto-Heal worked in the background, mending the damage as quickly as it appeared. The pain remained, but I forced myself to ignore it, to focus on the fight.

As the minutes turned into hours, my movements grew smoother, more fluid. I wasn’t reacting anymore—I was anticipating, reading Alric’s body language, sensing the subtle shifts in the Flow around us. I wasn’t just using my abilities anymore. I was fighting with pure instinct.

By the time Alric finally called for a stop, I was drenched in sweat, my muscles screaming from the effort. But I felt… alive. More alive than I had in a long time. I had fought without relying on my abilities, and I had survived.

“You’re learning,” Alric said, his tone softer now. “This is the key, Niv. You need to trust your instincts. When the time comes to face the demon, your abilities might not be enough. But if you can trust yourself, trust your training, you’ll be able to adapt.”

I nodded, wiping the sweat from my brow as I caught my breath. I understood now. This wasn’t just about mastering the Flow or becoming stronger. It was about learning to fight without hesitation, without relying on crutches. It was about becoming a true warrior.

And I was getting closer. Closer to being ready. Closer to facing the demon that had taken everything from me.