The morning dawned slowly after an exhausting night of danger. Light filtered through the tree cover as the cold breeze swept past in the forest ground. Kael stood quietly beside the fire unable to shake off the images from the previous day. The flashing blade, the blood, the fear in the eyes of the masked men – all kept playing back in his head again and again. It even seemed like the forest was silent too because of this.
The old man was stationed near the edge of the camp, but he had his back to Kael. As he continued to look into the forest, his coat gently waved in the wind. It seemed as though nothing about him had been altered after killing another person so effortlessly. His breaths came evenly spaced, and his expression lacked any trace of regret or superiority.
Kael slowly walked closer before finally breaking the silence.
"Will those men come back again?"
The older man did not turn around immediately. He kept looking into the forest for several seconds before calmly answering.
"They will."
Kael's expression became serious.
"Then why let them escape?"
The man finally turned toward him.
"Fear is sometimes better than death."
Kael became silent after hearing this answer. It seemed like an easy explanation, but it held some meaning that Kael still could not understand. Because of the fear that had been planted into these masked warriors, there was no way that his adversaries would not become more dangerous than the average warrior.
After a few moments, Kael asked another question that had stayed inside his heart for years.
"Why do people hate half-elves so much?"
The older man's eyes became colder for a moment before he answered calmly.
"Because humans fear what they cannot control."
Kael clenched his fists tightly.
"I never asked to be born like this."
"I know."
Kael lowered his head as his rage slowly started building up inside him. Since time immemorial, everyone had gossiped about him, saying he was cursed and treating him differently than they usually treated others. The teachers even had high expectations from him.
The older man noticed the anger in Kael's eyes and spoke in a firm voice.
"If anger controls you, it will destroy you."
Kael looked away.
"But anger makes me stronger."
"No, anger makes you careless."
The above comment had more effect on Kael than he could imagine because he came to the realization that all his mistakes in fighting were caused by the lack of ability to control himself emotionally. His emotions got the better of him even during a fight with the Fang Wolf.
Without saying anything else, the old man started to move further into the woods. Kael swiftly went after him, traveling through winding pathways that had roots and mist covering them. They ended up at a location surrounded by ruins made of rocks from long ago. Pillars of stones were found standing between huge trees, and there were unusual markings on the old stones.
Kael looked around carefully before speaking again.
"What is this place?"
The older man touched one of the broken pillars gently.
"An ancient training ground."
"For warriors?"
"For monsters."
Kael's eyes widened slightly after hearing that answer. He looked at the old ruins differently now. The place no longer felt peaceful. It felt dangerous.
Pain shot through Kael's chest as he approached the stone pillar. He struggled for breath while grabbing the shirt he wore tight in his hand before sinking to one knee. The dark energy gradually swirled around him like mist. His eyes filled with fear because he knew that this sensation had already once before caused him to lose control.
Kael struggled to breathe while looking up at the older man.
"What… is happening?"
The older man calmly watched the dark aura surrounding him.
"Your seal is reacting."
"The seal?"
"Yes."
He tried to rise to his feet, but yet another wave of pain washed over him. The black aura intensified for a few seconds before gradually becoming weaker. His palms were trembling violently, while sweat trickled down his forehead.
Kael looked up with confusion and fear mixed together.
"What is sealed inside me?"
For a few moments, the older man stayed silent. Then he finally answered in a calm but serious voice.
"Noke."
Kael frowned.
"What is Noke?"
"A power greater than mana."
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"Then why seal it?"
"Because your power is dangerous."
The forest fell silent yet again once the speech came to an end. Kael glanced down at his shaking hands as he tried to process what had happened. All throughout his life, he had felt like a wimp since he was not magical. But now it seemed like he possessed incredible power within himself.
Kael slowly lifted his eyes again.
"This power… belongs to me?"
The older man nodded once.
"It always did."
Kael's heart beat faster. Fear mixed with excitement deep inside him.
"Then someday… can I use it?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"When your body stops breaking under its weight."
Kael remained quiet when he heard his answer. Now he realized that the seal wasn't keeping the world safe from him. Rather, it was keeping him safe from the power.
After several quiet seconds, Kael asked the question resting deepest inside his heart.
"Can I become strong?"
For the first time that morning, the older man looked directly into Kael's blue eyes. His voice remained calm, but his answer carried complete confidence.
"If you survive this path… you may become stronger than anyone."
A breeze was blowing over the crumbling remnants of the past, as clouds began forming in the sky above. As he gazed upon the odd runes inscribed upon the broken stones, Kael felt something change within him. It was no longer about traveling to gain strength alone; his journey had begun for him to uncover the deadly truth within him and Noke.