The night they reached the edge of the treeless region passed without incident. Once again, they chose to make no light. No artifact, no fire—nothing that might draw attention in a place they understood less with every passing hour. Madame stood guard at the edge of their makeshift camp, motionless and silent, like a sentinel sculpted from shadow and chitin. Sleep came slowly, but in the end, it came.
As had become almost routine, Naty was the first to wake the following morning. She stretched, spent a moment studying the sky—far more open here than beneath the dense canopy they had left behind—then rose to her feet. The faint sound of her steps was enough to set off a chain reaction. Ophelia opened her eyes almost immediately, Kenzo shortly after, and Lucian last of all, still heavy with sleep.
In this barren stretch of land, the sky seemed impossibly vast. To Kenzo, the feeling was strangely familiar. It reminded him of the top of the eighty-meter trunk: that same sense of open air and freedom, paired with the uncomfortable awareness of how exposed they were.
He drew in a slow breath, then turned to Ophelia.
— « So… I'm guessing we follow the path where the trees disappear. What do you feel? Can you see a flame? »
Ophelia closed her eyes briefly, concentrating, then slowly shook her head.
— « The sense of danger is still there, but there's no flame. What about you? Any hearts? »
Kenzo focused in turn, reaching into that strange emptiness he had gradually learned to navigate.
— « Nothing. »
Naty immediately seized the opportunity to lighten the mood.
— « Perfect. Then it can't be as bad as the fog. We can handle it. »
Ophelia nodded, then pointed sharply at Kenzo and Lucian.
— « Of course we can. And to make sure we do, you two are going back to training. »
Lucian let out a sigh so quiet it was barely audible. His expression said the rest. Training with Ophelia was never something to look forward to.
The thirty-minute spar between Kenzo and Ophelia unfolded much as it always did—fast, intense, and without a second wasted. Kenzo held his ground far better than before. Much better, in fact. He anticipated more of her movements, wasted less energy, and occasionally forced her back a step or two.
But he still could not land a hit.
Every opening he thought he saw vanished the instant he reached for it, as though Ophelia were always one move ahead.
I can feel myself improving… but this sword still doesn't feel right in my hands.
White Fang still felt foreign. Too direct. Too demanding. He knew he was progressing, but he also knew the weapon had not yet become truly his.
Once their match ended, Kenzo watched Naty and Ophelia turn their attention to Lucian. This time, he was no longer content to endure whatever came at him. His dodges were still awkward, but there was a clear determination in them now, a refusal to remain passive.
Ophelia's daggers snapped through the air with ruthless precision. Every mistake Lucian made was punished at once, but never without purpose. Each blow was teaching him something.
Taking advantage of a quieter moment, Kenzo approached Naty.
— « Naty… can I ask you something? »
She gave him a knowing look, almost amused.
— « I know, Kenzo. But before that, let me teach you something. »
She turned toward him, her tone becoming more serious.
— « Every Awakened gains a passive ability during their first test. But unlike an active power, it has to be discovered and understood on your own. I don't think yours—the ability to sense hearts—was useful during your first test. It seems to grow with the number of hearts you consume. »
Kenzo said nothing.
The revelation struck him harder than he expected. Every Awakened possessed a passive ability, and yet no one had ever told him. Not Naty, not Ophelia, not even Lucian, who had otherwise been honest about his own power.
— « Passive abilities aren't always a blessing, » Naty continued. « Ophelia said it herself. She sees people's flames—their will. Do you really think she always likes what she sees? »
Kenzo began to understand part of the silence surrounding those abilities.
He understood why active powers were hidden. If an enemy knew exactly what someone could do, that knowledge could be exploited. Passive abilities, however, were different. More intimate. More personal.
Like what Ophelia saw.
How could anyone even use something like that against her?
And yet, simply knowing about it could already become a burden.
Naty continued before he could dwell on the thought for too long.
— « So, Kenzo, I'll answer one question. Do you want to know my power… or my passive ability? »
Before answering, Kenzo felt the need to understand something else.
— « I learned as much as I could during those two months at the Academy… and I'm still finding out things no one ever mentioned. Why isn't knowledge like this available to everyone? »
Naty sighed softly.
— « I don't know. The Royal Academy isn't really a place of education, not in the usual sense. It's more like neutral ground where the children of royal families and clans meet to form alliances… and measure one another. »
Kenzo did not like that answer.
Not at all.
A bitter thought rose inside him.
While the world is dying, you all stand around studying one another and playing politics…
He forced himself to let it go. This was not the time.
He lifted his head.
— « Alright. Then I want to know what your power is. »
Naty's lips curved into an almost satisfied smile.
— « What a gentleman. »
Then she explained it plainly.
— « If I make physical contact with someone, I can destabilize their mind. And when the mind loses control, the body follows. »
She extended her hand slightly.
— « May I? »
Kenzo hesitated.
He was not entirely comfortable, but he felt something toward Naty similar to what he felt around Yareth: cautious trust, but genuine trust nonetheless.
So he held out his hand.
Naty took it.
At first, nothing happened.
— « I'm activating it now. »
The effect was immediate.
Kenzo felt something like a static charge shoot from the front of his skull down into his hand. A violent spasm seized his fingers, sharp enough to make him grimace.
Naty released him at once.
— « There. » she said with a smile, clearly making sure he understood that she meant him no harm.
Kenzo answered with a nervous smile of his own. The experience had lasted only an instant, but it had left a strong impression.
— « So… you told him. »
Ophelia had appeared behind them without warning.
Naty gave a small shrug.
— « I did say it might be too soon, but… it was my decision. »
She turned toward Lucian, who was struggling back to his feet after his training.
— « I'm done with him. We can leave now. »
Still on the ground, Lucian drew in a long breath before finally standing upright.
A brief silence followed.
Then Naty spoke, her voice calm, almost solemn.
— « Yes. Let's press on. »