Days bled into weeks. Bruises turned into scars, and Leo's hands grew calloused from endless training. But with every lesson, his father pushed him harder — beyond exhaustion, beyond fear.
This morning was different. The forest was too quiet. Even the birds did not sing. Fang Tian walked ahead, his gaze sharp.
"Stay close," he said.
Leo followed, clutching his practice sword. His body ached, but his spirit burned with determination.
Then, from the shadows, it came.
A monstrous wolf, black as night, its fur matted with blood. Its eyes glowed red, and its size dwarfed any beast Leo had seen. The smell of decay clung to its breath.
Fang Tian's hand went to his blade, but he did not draw it. Instead, he looked at his son.
"This is your trial. Kill it."
Leo froze. "Father, that's… that's no normal wolf—"
"Do you want vengeance? Do you want power? Then prove it. Face the beast. Alone."
The wolf snarled, baring teeth like daggers. In an instant, it lunged.
Leo dove aside, rolling in the dirt, his heart hammering. The wolf turned, faster than his eyes could follow. Its claws raked across his arm, blood splattering the earth. Pain seared through him, but he forced himself to stand.
His father's words echoed in his mind: "An enemy will not care what weapon you hold. Only whether you hesitate."
He didn't hesitate.
With a cry, Leo rushed forward, slashing at the beast's side. The blade cut shallow, but enough to draw blood. The wolf howled, enraged. Its paw slammed into him, knocking him against a tree. His ribs screamed, but his grip on the sword did not falter.
"Get up!" Fang Tian roared.
Something inside Leo snapped. His vision blurred, his blood boiled. As the wolf lunged again, his blue eyes flickered — brighter than before.
Time slowed.
He saw the wolf's movement, every twitch of muscle, every shift of weight. With impossible precision, he sidestepped and drove his blade upward into the beast's throat.
The wolf choked, thrashing wildly. Leo roared, twisting the blade deeper until blood gushed hot across his hands. The beast collapsed, shuddering, before falling still.
Leo dropped to his knees, gasping, covered in blood. His eyes still glowed faintly blue, wild and unyielding.
Fang Tian stepped forward, his face unreadable. "Good. You did not run. You did not break. That… is the beginning."
Leo looked at the corpse, trembling. "It felt… like something inside me was fighting too."
Fang Tian's gaze lingered on him. "That is the shadow you were born with. Control it… or it will consume you."
Above them, clouds shifted, and the blood moon broke through once more, casting its crimson light upon the boy who would one day be feared as more than human.
End of chapter 5