I began my journey with Master Rafel, and the first day was extremely difficult. The training was not just physical movements, but a test of the mind and soul. We learned how to control energy, how to gather it and direct it, and how to transform exhaustion and fear into strength. I felt lost, but inside me a voice was screaming: "Aryan… don't give up."
I tried to gather energy in my hand on the first attempt, and I failed. I tried again and again, a whole month of failure and patience, until at last I felt the pulse of energy gathering in my hand. It was a strange moment—an achievement, fear, and joy all at once—as if I had discovered something new about myself that I never knew before.
When the chief of the tribe learned what I had achieved, he approached me and said solemnly:
— "It is time for your grandfather's final legacy."
He held the ring and handed it to me directly. The moment I touched the ring, I felt a strange energy creeping into the depths of my being, as if something ancient had been waiting for this moment. Every heartbeat increased my sense of power and control, as though the whole world had paused for an instant.
But suddenly, the intensity of the energy was too much for me to bear… My body trembled, my vision blurred, and a heavy dizziness overwhelmed me. I tried to hold on, but everything turned black, and I collapsed unconscious.
I surrendered to the faint, my mind drifting between this new power and the fear of what I did not yet understand. I felt that this energy was not just strength… but a great responsibility, and that my true journey had only just begun. Before I completely blacked out, I whispered to myself:
— "I… will become the strongest in the world."
I awoke from the coma as though being pulled from the depths of a dark sea. A sharp pain split my head, and my chest rose and fell with difficulty. I sat up, leaning against the wall, trying to regain my senses. I didn't understand what had just happened, but something inside me told me this was only the beginning.
A heavy knock broke the silence. My heart trembled.
— "Come in."
The door opened, and the chief of the tribe entered, followed by my strict trainer Rafel. Their faces showed no sympathy, only firmness and fate. The chief came closer, looked at me with unwavering eyes, and said in a deep voice:
— "You have received your grandfather's ring… and we've heard that your level in training and energy control has improved. Now I can send you on your first mission: facing the beasts."
I held my breath. Facing beasts? I, who used to tremble in a cinema seat when a ghost appeared in a horror movie, was now being asked to fight living creatures of flesh and blood?! But I said nothing. Part of me shook with fear, another whispered bitterly: You inherited your grandfather's legacy… retreat is no longer an option.
Rafel led me to the training ground. He stood like a wall of stone and said sternly:
— "Listen carefully, for your life depends on these words:
1. The soldier: Just a body without mind or power. Any student can kill him.
2. The army commander: Here begins true fear. He possesses a terrifying mental force, invading your spirit and crushing your will from within. If your resolve is not solid, you will become his puppet.
3. The king's assistant: The most dangerous of them all. If you see him… run. Only your grandfather survived his grasp, and I will not tell you how."
Every word fell on me like a boulder crushing my soul. The air itself felt too heavy to breathe.
We left the barrier that protected the village. The world beyond the walls was like a living nightmare: a dense forest, trees as massive as giant skulls, with fog slithering like snakes between their trunks. Strange sounds echoed through the air—not birds nor animals, but whispers of angry spirits.
I asked nervously, unable to hide my fear:
— "What are those sounds?"
Rafel smiled coldly and said:
— "They are the spirits. A warning to any stranger who dares touch a tree or creature here. Remember… a single touch may be your death."
We walked until our path was blocked by a passage covered in strange black weeds. Suddenly Rafel raised his hand and shouted:
— "Stop! If your feet touch these weeds, the spirits of the forest will attack us all."
I trembled:
— "Then how do we cross?"
He replied with a cruel smile:
— "This is where your real training begins."
Then he leapt, his body soaring through the air as though freed from the earth's weight, landing safely on the other side. I stood frozen, my eyes unable to believe what I had just seen.
My hands shook. How would I cross?
But my grandfather's voice whispered inside me: You are here to protect your parents… this is your path.
I closed my eyes and tried to imitate Rafel. I spread my energy into my hands and feet. Suddenly, my body lifted, no longer touching the ground. I swayed violently, nearly crashing into the trees. I screamed inwardly, steadied myself… and finally surged through the air.
But the landing was a nightmare. I pulled the energy all at once, crashing face-first into the ground with a thundering impact. Blood spilled from my mouth, my body screaming in agony.
Rafel approached and said with a mocking tone:
— "You should have withdrawn the energy gradually, not all at once. This time you survived… next time you may not rise."
He handed me a small pill. I swallowed it… and suddenly all my wounds healed. I stared at my hands in shock:
— "If I had this in my world… I'd be the richest, most famous man alive!"
But he kept walking silently, as though nothing worth mentioning had happened.
We hadn't gone far when a strange beast's roar thundered. My body froze, cold sweat crawling over my skin. Rafel threw me a sword:
— "Take this. There is no more time for training. Fight for your life."
My fingers shook as I gripped the hilt. I tried to channel my energy into it. Once… twice… but the beast drew nearer. I turned myself inside out until finally the sword glowed with a faint light. I raised my hand and swung with all my strength.
The strike split the beast in half.
I froze, breath ragged. I couldn't believe I had done it. Yet something new ignited in my chest: joy, pride, the feeling that I had taken one step closer to an old dream.
Rafel approached, placed a hand on my shoulder, and said seriously:
— "This is the first beast you've slain. But don't be deceived… you still have far to go."
Moments later, I asked in a trembling voice:
— "That day you saved me in the house… what kind of beast was it that almost killed me?"
He answered coldly:
— "It was an Army Commander."
I froze. If that was only an Army Commander… then how terrifying would the King's Assistant be? And what about Gram himself, the King of Beasts?
But before I could process my thoughts, another monster emerged from between the trees. This time, I did not feel the usual fear… but something deeper: an instinct screaming inside me that a far greater danger was drawing near.
I tightened my grip on the sword, channeled my energy into it, and with a single strike split it in half. But that sense did not leave me. It was like an alarm bell ringing in the depths of my soul.
I looked at Rafel and said in a trembling voice:
— "We need to leave this place. I can feel it… the real danger hasn't even begun yet."