The forest was alive with whispers — the rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs, the cries of unseen beasts. The morning air was crisp, filled with a tension that Leo had never felt before.
"Today," Fang Tian said, handing him a short spear, "you hunt."
Leo blinked, gripping the weapon. "A hunt? But I've only trained with a sword."
"A warrior must learn to kill with anything. To survive with anything. Remember this, Leo — an enemy will not care what weapon you hold. Only whether you hesitate."
Leo swallowed hard, his young heart pounding. He was barely eight, yet his father's words left no room for refusal.
They entered deeper into the woods, where the trees grew darker, their branches like skeletal arms reaching toward the sky. Every step echoed in Leo's ears like a drumbeat of destiny. Fang Tian walked ahead, his presence radiating quiet authority.
Finally, they stopped at a clearing. A massive wild boar stood there, its tusks gleaming, its eyes red with fury. The beast pawed the earth, snorting, preparing to charge.
"Your prey," Fang Tian said simply.
Leo tightened his grip on the spear, his breath shallow. Fear clawed at him. He had sparred against his father countless times, but this… this was different. The boar's killing intent pressed on him like a weight.
The beast roared and charged.
"Move, Leo!" Fang Tian barked.
Instinct took over. Leo leapt aside, rolling in the dirt. The boar's tusks tore through the ground where he had stood. The boy scrambled to his feet, thrusting the spear forward. The weapon scraped the beast's hide but did not pierce deep enough.
"Again!" Fang Tian shouted. "Strike with your heart, not your fear!"
Leo steadied his shaking hands. The boar turned, snorting, preparing to charge once more. For a heartbeat, the world slowed. He remembered his father's words. Not strength. Not hesitation. Intent.
As the boar lunged, Leo stepped forward, not back. With a cry, he drove the spear into its chest, feeling the wood shudder as bone cracked. The beast screamed, thrashing, but Leo did not let go. He twisted, pushed deeper, until the beast finally collapsed.
Silence fell.
Leo stood there, panting, blood on his hands, staring at the lifeless body. His chest burned, not just from exhaustion, but from the realization of what he had done. He had taken a life.
Fang Tian approached slowly, his expression unreadable. "Good. You did not falter."
Leo looked up, searching his father's eyes. "But… it felt wrong. It… it felt heavy."
Fang Tian knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It should. The day killing feels light, you will no longer be human. That weight… carry it. Let it sharpen you, but never consume you."
Leo nodded, though the words sank like stones in his young mind.
As they returned to the village, Fang Tian walked ahead, but his thoughts lingered. He had seen it — for a brief instant, when Leo struck, his blue eyes glowed faintly, just like on that cursed night of his birth.
The power slept within him, but every trial brought it closer to the surface.
And Fang Tian knew… when that power awakened fully, the world itself would tremble.
End of chapter 3