Volume 5, Chapter 7: Shadows of Training
The ruined plains were quiet now, the fox girl standing amidst the remnants of cursed beasts.
"I have to grow stronger… I won't let him win," she whispered, golden foxfire flaring around her hands.
Unseen, Cael watched under the alias "Riven Kael", Selene hovering silently.
"Let her learn," Cael murmured.
"Every strike, every survival, builds her strength and brings her closer to remembering the one who saved her."
Hidden Guidance
Small, imperceptible adjustments shaped her training:
Rocks subtly shifted to improve her agility.
Shadows redirected attacks from remnants of cursed beasts.
The air seemed to guide her movements, a faint echo of Absolute Atomic.
"She grows stronger with every move," Selene whispered.
"But when will she realize it's you?"
"Patience," Cael replied.
"Memories awaken in time. For now, she needs strength… and he needs to falter."
The Ex's Forbidden Ritual
Far away, her ex gathered dark artifacts and cursed beasts, preparing a ritual to merge his soul with a multiversal shadow entity, amplifying his power exponentially.
"When this is done… she, her clan, and everything I hate will fall before me!" he hissed, shadows writhing around him.
Even as he completed the ritual, subtle disruptions occurred small afterimages, inexplicable failures, all orchestrated by Cael.
The ex had no idea a hidden hand was sabotaging him at every step.
Training and Awareness
Back with the fox girl:
Her foxfire became sharper, faster, and more versatile.
Memories of a shadowed figure protecting her as a child surfaced fleetingly a strange pull she couldn't understand.
She began testing herself, imagining enemies, unaware that her true mentor was observing every movement.
"Good," Cael whispered,
"she grows strong, she awakens… and soon, the ex will walk into the trap I've set, powerless to see the hand guiding fate."
The night ended with the fox girl exhausted but growing, golden flames flickering across her tails.
"One day… I will remember," she whispered softly.
"One day… I will repay whoever protected me."
Meanwhile, from the shadows, Cael smiled faintly, unseen by all.
"Patience… the foxfire will burn bright when the time is right.
And Absolute Atomic will remain untouchable."