The walk back felt longer than when he came.
Rivan's legs moved steadily, but inside, everything was different. The forest no longer felt like a place of pure danger. It felt… full. Alive with something he could sense even when he wasn't trying.
Every tree, every stone, every patch of soil carried that faint presence. Energy. Essence. Life.
And now, his body responded to it naturally.
His breathing had changed. Slower. Deeper. Each breath pulled something invisible into him, thin streams that sank into his chest and spread through his limbs.
He didn't question it.
He just walked.
By the time the village rooftops came into view, the sun was already lowering.
Smoke rose from cooking fires. Children ran between houses. Everything looked the same as always.
But when Rivan stepped onto the main path, he noticed something strange.
People looked… dimmer.
Not physically. But the faint flows he saw in the forest were weaker here. Thin. Scattered.
The world outside the forest was starved.
He tightened his grip on the wrapped herb and hurried home.
Lira was awake when he entered.
Her face was pale, but her eyes lit up. "You went to the forest again, didn't you?"
He tried to sound casual. "Just near the edge."
She frowned. "You always say that."
He knelt beside her and unwrapped the herb. A faint cool scent filled the room.
Her eyes widened. "You found it?"
"Yeah. The healer said this should help."
She smiled weakly. "You're the best brother."
Rivan looked away. His chest felt tight for a different reason now.
He crushed the leaves, mixed them with water, and helped her drink. After a few minutes, her breathing eased, and the tension in her small body slowly faded.
Relief washed over him so strongly his hands trembled.
Worth it.
Everything in that forest was worth it.
That night, after Lira fell asleep, Rivan stepped outside.
The village was quiet. Stars filled the sky.
He sat down against the wall of the house and closed his eyes.
The strange flow inside him moved on its own now. Circling. Refining. Growing steadier.
As he focused, the warmth deep in his chest pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
A faint sensation spread across his body, like something hidden had shifted slightly, turning for the first time in ages.
He frowned but didn't understand it.
He only knew his body felt more stable than before. Stronger. Like the energy he took in the forest had truly become part of him.
Above him, a cloud drifted across the stars.
For a brief moment, his shadow on the ground moved a fraction slower than he did.
Then it matched him again.
Rivan didn't notice.
He opened his eyes and looked at the quiet village.
Tomorrow, he would go back to the forest.
There were more herbs deeper inside.
And more beasts.
If strength could be taken… then he would take it.
Not for power.
Not for ambition.
Only so the small, fragile world inside that house would not disappear.
And somewhere far beyond sight, something ancient stirred — not awake, not aware, but responding to a change so small that even the heavens did not feel it.
Yet.