The scene shifted, and Kael found himself in the same place once again. The field stretched out endlessly, and there, sitting on the ground, was his younger self.
This time, the boy wasn't training. Instead, he was staring up at the sky, lost in thought, the wooden sword lying discarded beside him.
Kael approached slowly, his steps hesitant. He didn't know what to say, how to break the silence, but something about this moment felt different.
This was the moment he needed to face his younger self, to understand what had been driving him all along. Maybe then, he could find the clarity he had been searching for.
"You seem lost," Kael said softly, standing a few paces behind the boy.
The younger Kael didn't respond right away, his gaze still fixed on the sky.
After a moment, he looked up at Kael, the expression on his face unreadable.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing," the boy said quietly. His voice was small, vulnerable, tinged with confusion. "Everyone expects me to be strong, but I don't know why. I don't even know what I'm fighting for. It just feels... empty."
Kael's chest tightened at the words.
The boy's confusion mirrored his own doubts, but hearing it from his younger self made the weight of those doubts all the more real.
"You don't have to know everything right now," Kael said, his voice softer, calmer than he felt. "But you will. The journey ahead—it'll be hard. But you'll figure it out, little by little."
The younger Kael frowned, shaking his head.
"I don't know if I can."
Kael knelt down in front of him, looking his younger self in the eye.
"You can. You might not know why you're doing this yet, but one day, you will. You'll figure it out as you go. The answers will come when the time is right."
The boy's expression softened, a flicker of hope in his eyes.
"Do you really think so?"
Kael nodded.
"I do. The reason why we fight... it's not always clear. But it's there. Deep down, it's there."
The younger Kael sat up straighter, as if something had clicked in his mind.
"So... I don't need to have all the answers right now?"
Kael smiled gently.
"No. Just keep moving forward. You'll find your way."
The boy nodded, his eyes full of a new sense of understanding.
"Okay. I'll keep going."
As the younger Kael stood, he looked at his older self with a newfound resolve.
"I think... I think I understand. It's not about having all the answers. It's about finding them along the way."
Kael stood with him, feeling the weight of the moment lift.
He had faced his doubts, and in doing so, had uncovered the truth that had eluded him for so long.
It wasn't about power. It wasn't about protection.
It was about the journey itself, the curiosity to see the world in its entirety and reach the peak, no matter what it took.
Kael looked up at the sky, feeling the clarity settle in his chest.
He didn't have all the answers, but for the first time in a long time, he was okay with that.
The trial wasn't over, but Kael knew now that he was on the right path.
And as for his younger self, he had already taken the first step.