The morning fog clung to Shadowfang territory like a shroud, and the scent of damp earth mixed with lingering battle smoke.
Nyra stood in the clearing, muscles tight, her hands still glowing faintly with residual silver light. The vision from last night lingered in her mind — the ancestral energy she had barely controlled, now demanding more.
Kael approached silently, his boots crunching against the frost-covered ground. His chest was bandaged, but his eyes blazed with the same intensity she had seen in battle.
"Ready?" he asked quietly.
Nyra swallowed. "As ready as I'll ever be."
He nodded. "Good. Today we push beyond fear. Beyond instinct. Beyond… hesitation."
The first exercise was simple — control the energy, manifest it fully without harm. Nyra raised her hands, silver light pulsating faintly, and released it toward a row of training dummies.
Kael's voice cut sharply: "Faster. Stronger. Feel it, don't just release it."
Nyra took a deep breath. She felt her heartbeat, her pulse, syncing with the energy inside her. Her fingers glowed brighter. Silver tendrils lanced outward, striking the dummies and disintegrating them into harmless sparks of light.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Again. But this time, the energy flows beyond your hands. Move it through your body, your blood, your mind."
Nyra hesitated. Her pulse thundered in her chest. Through my blood? Through my mind?
"Yes," Kael said firmly. "You are the Blood Moon Heir. Your power is more than light. It is living. It flows through you. You cannot fight it — you must become it."
The ground beneath her began to pulse faintly as her blood responded, silver light weaving through her veins, glowing beneath her skin. Her body trembled with the raw force she barely contained.
Kael stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Anchor yourself. Use me."
Nyra's eyes met his. She remembered the cliff, the battle, the way he had relied on her… and she had relied on him. Slowly, she let the energy respond to him, syncing their pulses. Her power surged outward, wrapping around Kael like a protective barrier.
He smiled faintly, his golden eyes glowing brighter. "That's it… now push it further. Feel the pack. Feel the land. Your ancestors. All of it."
Nyra gasped. Images of wolves, hunters, and her parents flashed behind her eyelids. Silver energy pulsed from her fingertips, arcing across the clearing in controlled bursts, shaping into forms that protected dummies and obstacles alike.
"Good," Kael said, voice low. "Now, movement."
The next phase was harder. Nyra had to move with the energy — run, leap, fight — without losing control. Each step made the silver energy pulse through the ground, leaving traces that dissipated after a few seconds.
She ran, energy whipping behind her like a living shadow. Kael followed, partially shifted, claws scraping against the earth as he tested her reflexes.
"Faster," he barked. "Use the energy before you think about it!"
A surge of panic hit her chest — she lost control momentarily, energy bursting in a chaotic wave that knocked her backward, nearly toppling her.
Kael caught her instantly, steadying her. His golden eyes locked onto hers.
"You are stronger than this fear," he said softly. "Now, trust it. Trust yourself."
Nyra inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. She let her pulse guide the energy. Slowly, the chaos settled into a rhythmic flow. Silver light wrapped around her arms, her legs, her torso, extending outward in protective waves. She could feel it bending to her will.
"Perfect," Kael whispered, a rare softness in his voice. "You've done it. Control without losing yourself."
Her body shook, sweat dampening her hair and clothes, but she grinned despite exhaustion. "That… was insane."
Kael chuckled, brushing her hair from her face. "And this is only the beginning. We have to sharpen this. The hunters will come again. Lucien will come again. And next time, you must be ready to protect more than just me."
Nyra swallowed, feeling the weight of the truth in his words. She glanced at her hands, still faintly glowing with ancestral energy.
"I… I can do this," she whispered.
"You already are," Kael said, leaning close. His forehead brushed hers. "And I'll never let you face it alone."
The clearing was quiet now, silver light pulsing faintly as the morning fog lifted. But deep in the forest, a shadow stirred. Someone was watching, taking note of Nyra's awakening.
Lucien.
And he was smiling.
"So… she trains. Excellent. Let's see how quickly she grows before I decide to strike.