Kael stood on the cliffs overlooking a valley where the dead roamed in small groups, faint glimmers of soul-light marking their paths. The Witch instructed him to resist the urge to feed while manipulating their movements to test his command.
The hunger surged violently, whispering promises of strength, clarity, and release. Kael clenched his jaw, forcing the impulses into submission. Each wave he resisted taught him a deeper lesson: the hunger could be guided, contained, and eventually used without surrendering the self.
Hours passed, and Kael felt both the strain and the triumph. Control was not absolute, but the threads were in his hands, pliable and responsive.