Thirty-seven days had passed since Arix’s first test.
The days had begun to blend together.
Morning training.
Afternoon training.
Sometimes training continued until the sun disappeared behind the trees.
Then sleep.
And the next morning— Again.
Arix had changed during those thirty-seven days.
Not dramatically.
Not enough for someone who had only seen him once to immediately notice.
But Veyr noticed.
His movements had become cleaner.
His balance was better.
He no longer wasted as much movement when attacking.
He had learned how to maintain distance, when to retreat, when to wait, and when an opening was actually an opening.
More importantly, he had started thinking before acting.
At least…
most of the time.
“Again.” Arix raised the wooden weapon.
Veyr stood opposite him.
Arix moved.
One step.
Two.
He shifted his weight and attacked.
Veyr blocked.
Arix immediately changed direction.
Veyr followed.
Arix stopped.
Instead of attacking again, he waited.
Veyr didn’t move.
Neither did Arix.
A few seconds passed.
Arix suddenly stepped forward.
Veyr moved.
Arix’s attack missed.
He immediately retreated.
Veyr nodded.
“Better.” Arix lowered the weapon.
“You said that yesterday.” “Because you were better yesterday too.” Arix stared at him.
“So I’m improving.” “Yes.” Arix smiled.
It lasted only a moment.
“Again?” Veyr nodded.
“Again.” The training continued.
Arix was getting stronger.
His body was becoming tougher.
His endurance had improved.
He could train for much longer than he could before.
Veyr had also made sure that Arix’s training wasn’t limited to fighting.
Some days, Arix had to carry heavy objects through the forest.
Other days, he had to climb.
Sometimes Veyr made him remain completely still for long periods.
Sometimes he would suddenly call Arix’s name from somewhere behind him just to see how quickly he reacted.
Arix hated those days.
Especially when Veyr did it while he was eating.
But slowly, his reactions improved.
So did his patience.
At least slightly.
Veyr had also begun giving him problems that couldn’t be solved by strength.
Finding a specific location without being told where it was.
Remembering paths.
Recognizing sounds.
Knowing when he was being watched.
Learning how to remain calm when he couldn’t immediately understand what was happening.
Arix didn’t know why Veyr was teaching him all of these things.
But he didn’t ask anymore.
Not every question received an answer.
And Arix had learned that some things were better understood through experience.
There was still one thing Veyr had never taught him.
Mana.
Aura.
Spirit energy.
Not even the simplest technique.
Arix had asked about them before.
Veyr had always given him the same answer.
‘Later.’ Arix didn’t know what Veyr was waiting for.
He also didn’t know why.
But Veyr had never said he wouldn’t teach him.
So Arix waited.
For now.
— On the thirty-eighth morning, Arix stood outside the house.
Veyr walked toward him.
“Today will be different.” Arix looked at him.
“How?” “You’re taking a test.” Arix’s eyes sharpened.
“Another one?” “Yes.” Arix smiled.
“What is it?” Veyr looked toward the forest.
“The forest.” Arix followed his gaze.
He knew that forest.
At least, he knew the part surrounding the house.
After more than a month of training, there wasn’t much nearby that he hadn’t explored.
He knew where the streams were.
Which paths were safe.
Where certain creatures lived.
Which areas were too dangerous.
Even some of the better places to find food.
Arix looked back at Veyr.
“So I have to survive there?” “Yes.” “For how long?” “One week.” Arix paused.
“One week?” “Yes.” Arix looked toward the trees again.
He wasn’t worried.
If anything, he was confident.
He knew the area.
He knew the terrain.
He knew what creatures lived nearby.
He could find food.
He could find water.
He could make shelter.
A week wasn’t easy.
But it wasn’t impossible either.
“I can do that.” “I know.” Arix looked at Veyr.
“Then what’s the test?” Veyr’s expression remained calm.
“This isn’t the forest you know.” Arix frowned.
“What?” Veyr stepped closer.
“The area you’ve trained in has become familiar to you.” Arix said nothing.
“You know its paths.
Its creatures.
Its dangers.” Veyr looked into his eyes.
“That isn’t survival.” Arix understood.
A familiar environment could become predictable.
A place he knew could eventually become comfortable.
The real test would be somewhere unfamiliar.
“So where am I going?” Veyr raised one hand.
Dark energy began gathering around his fingers.
Arix immediately noticed the difference.
It wasn’t like the faint display of mana Veyr had shown him before.
This energy felt heavier.
Darker.
It moved strangely.
Arix watched as it spread through the air.
“What is that?” Veyr didn’t answer.
The dark energy reached Arix.
It wrapped around his arm.
Then his shoulder.
Then his chest.
Arix didn’t move.
The darkness continued spreading until his entire body was covered.
Arix could still see Veyr through the gaps.
“What are you doing?” Veyr finally spoke.
“Sending you to your test.” The darkness swallowed the last part of Arix’s body.
For a moment, everything became black.
Then the darkness changed.
It lost its solid form.
It flowed around Arix like water.
There was no ground beneath him.
No wind.
No trees.
Nothing.
Arix couldn’t even tell which way was up.
He reached out.
His hand passed through the darkness.
‘What is this?’ Before he could think any further— Everything changed.
The darkness suddenly hardened.
Arix felt solid ground beneath his feet.
The black mass surrounding him pulled away.
He stumbled forward.
The dark energy gathered behind him.
Then it disappeared.
Arix turned.
Nothing.
Only trees.
Dense trees.
Much denser than the forest near Veyr’s house.
Arix slowly looked around.
There was no familiar path.
No stream he recognized.
No landmarks.
No sign of the house.
Arix’s expression became serious.
‘So this is the real test.’ He looked at the sky through the thick branches.
The forest was enormous.
The trees blocked most of the sunlight.
Even the air felt different.
Arix took a slow breath.
Then he smiled.
“One week.” He adjusted the small pack Veyr had given him.
Inside were only a few basic supplies.
Not enough to last the entire week.
That was intentional.
Arix knew what he needed to do.
Find water.
Find food.
Find shelter.
Stay alive.
He looked around again.
This time, he didn’t move immediately.
He listened.
Birds.
Insects.
Leaves.
Something moving far away.
Arix crouched.
He examined the ground.
Tracks.
Several kinds.
Some were small.
Some were larger.
Some he couldn’t identify.
Arix didn’t follow any of them.
Not yet.
First, water.
He began walking.
— The first day passed slowly.
Arix found a small stream before noon.
He drank.
Then he followed it for a while.
The area around it was filled with plants and small creatures.
Some were familiar.
Most weren’t.
Arix didn’t touch anything he couldn’t identify.
He caught a small animal later that afternoon.
It wasn’t easy.
The creature was fast.
Arix had to follow it for nearly an hour before he finally found a good opportunity.
He didn’t rush.
He waited.
Watched.
Then struck.
By evening, he had enough food for himself.
He found a suitable place beneath a large tree and began preparing a small shelter.
The first night passed without incident.
Arix slept lightly.
He woke several times.
Every unfamiliar sound pulled his eyes open.
Branches breaking.
Distant calls.
Something moving through the bushes.
But nothing came close.
Morning arrived.
Arix continued.
— On the second day, he encountered something he hadn’t seen before.
A large creature was drinking from the stream.
Arix immediately stopped.
He crouched behind a tree.
The creature was powerful.
He could tell without getting closer.
Its body was covered in thick hide.
Its claws dug into the earth as it drank.
Arix watched it.
It wasn’t looking for him.
It wasn’t attacking.
It was simply drinking.
Arix remained still.
After a few minutes, the creature left.
Arix waited another minute before approaching the stream.
He drank.
Then he moved on.
He didn’t need to fight it.
That was something Arix was beginning to understand.
The forest wasn’t an arena.
Not every creature was an enemy.
Some were simply living.
Just like him.
— By the third day, Arix had become more comfortable.
Not careless.
Comfortable.
He had found several sources of food.
He had learned which areas were safer.
He had begun recognizing some of the tracks.
He had even found a small cave.
It wasn’t perfect.
But it was better than sleeping beneath a tree.
Arix entered carefully.
He inspected the ground.
No fresh tracks.
No strange smell.
No movement.
Safe enough.
He placed his things down.
Then stopped.
Something felt wrong.
Arix looked around.
The cave was silent.
Too silent.
He stepped backward.
A moment later, a small creature rushed from a crack in the wall.
Arix jumped aside.
Its claws scraped the stone.
Arix struck it with his wooden weapon.
It retreated.
He didn’t chase.
The creature disappeared through another opening.
Arix stared at it.
Then at the crack.
‘So this wasn’t empty.’ He smiled slightly.
Another lesson.
Never assume.
— The fourth day was harder.
Rain came.
Heavy rain.
The forest changed almost immediately.
The ground became slippery.
Paths disappeared beneath mud.
The stream rose.
Arix’s shelter began leaking.
He spent hours repairing it.
By night, he was exhausted.
He sat beneath the shelter, eating the last of the food he’d gathered earlier.
He looked outside.
Rain poured through the trees.
Arix stared at it.
He remembered Veyr’s training.
Physical endurance.
Mental endurance.
Patience.
Observation.
Veyr hadn’t simply been preparing him to fight.
He had been preparing him to continue moving when things became difficult.
Arix leaned against the tree.
‘Four days.’ Three more.
He closed his eyes.
— The fifth day was quiet.
Too quiet.
Arix noticed it almost immediately.
There were fewer birds.
Fewer insects.
Almost no small creatures.
Arix stopped walking.
He looked around.
Nothing.
But the forest felt different.
He crouched.
There were tracks.
Large ones.
Much larger than anything he had seen during the previous days.
They crossed his path.
Arix followed them with his eyes.
Then stopped.
He remembered the lesson.
There were things that could help him.
Things that could hurt him.
And things he didn’t understand.
This was the third kind.
Arix didn’t follow.
He turned in another direction.
— On the sixth day, Arix was tired.
His body ached.
His clothes were dirty.
His hair was covered with dust and leaves.
He had several small cuts from moving through the forest.
Nothing serious.
But enough to remind him that the forest had been testing him every day.
He found food.
He found water.
He avoided several creatures.
He fought two.
Both fights were short.
Neither was worth remembering.
The important part was that Arix had chosen them.
He hadn’t fought because something was a monster.
He fought because, after observing them, he decided he could win without unnecessary risk.
That difference mattered.
— The seventh day arrived.
Arix woke before sunrise.
He sat quietly inside his shelter.
For a moment, he simply listened.
The forest was waking.
Birds began calling.
Leaves moved in the morning wind.
Somewhere far away, something howled.
Arix looked toward the entrance.
“One more day.” He stepped outside.
The sun slowly rose.
Arix walked.
He wasn’t searching for anything anymore.
He simply needed to continue until the test was over.
Then he heard something.
A branch snapped.
Arix stopped.
He turned slowly.
Nothing.
Another branch.
Closer.
Arix lowered his stance.
His hand moved toward his weapon.
A shape moved between the trees.
Arix waited.
A creature stepped out.
Large.
Powerful.
Unknown.
Arix stared at it.
The creature stared back.
Neither moved.
Arix studied it.
Its body.
Its stance.
Its breathing.
Its surroundings.
He looked behind it.
A steep slope.
To his left— Dense trees.
To his right— A narrow passage between two large rocks.
Arix made his decision.
He didn’t fight.
He slowly stepped backward.
The creature moved forward.
Arix continued retreating.
Then turned and ran.
The creature followed.
Arix didn’t panic.
He knew the terrain now.
He ran toward the rocks.
The creature gained on him.
Arix reached the narrow passage.
He slipped through.
The creature tried to follow.
Its larger body slowed it.
Arix climbed over a fallen tree and kept moving.
He didn’t stop until he was far away.
Then he looked back.
Nothing.
Arix breathed out.
He smiled.
‘Not everything needs to be defeated.’ He continued walking.
— Near sunset, the dark energy returned.
Arix noticed it before it reached him.
It appeared between the trees.
The same darkness.
The same strange movement.
Arix stopped.
“So it’s over.” The energy moved toward him.
It wrapped around his body.
This time, Arix didn’t resist.
The darkness swallowed him.
And then— Something changed.
For the briefest moment, beneath his hair at the back of his neck, two faint shapes appeared.
Two dark markings.
They resembled the eyes of a wolf.
Arix didn’t see them.
He couldn’t.
The darkness had already covered him.
The markings seemed to disappear into it.
The energy lost its solid form.
It flowed around Arix like water.
Then the forest vanished.
— At the same time, far away from the forest, Veyr sat inside the house.
He was completely still.
His eyes were fixed on something.
Arix.
The boy stood within the dark energy.
Veyr watched silently.
He didn’t move.
He didn’t speak.
He simply watched.
The darkness carried Arix through the unseen distance.
Veyr’s gaze remained fixed.
There was no explanation.
No visible device.
No spell circle.
Nothing that revealed how he could see him.
He simply could.
And he continued watching.
— The darkness returned to the house.
It gathered in front of Veyr.
Then slowly lost its form.
Arix stepped forward.
His feet touched the floor.
He stumbled once.
Then regained his balance.
He looked around.
The familiar house.
The familiar tree outside.
The familiar forest.
He had returned.
Arix looked at Veyr.
“I survived.” Veyr nodded.
“You did.” Arix dropped his bag onto the floor.
It was almost empty.
“I don’t want to do that again.” Veyr raised an eyebrow.
Arix paused.
Then corrected himself.
“Actually…” A small smile appeared.
“I want to do it again.” Veyr said nothing.
Arix looked toward the forest.
He had entered it knowing almost nothing about the place.
He had left knowing only a little more.
But that little more mattered.
He had learned how to find food.
How to find water.
How to navigate unfamiliar terrain.
How to read tracks.
How to avoid unnecessary fights.
How to recognize danger.
And, perhaps most importantly— how to live without someone standing beside him.
Arix looked at Veyr.
“What happens now?” Veyr turned away.
“Rest.” “That’s it?” “For today.” Arix sighed.
He walked toward the house.
Behind him, Veyr remained still.
For a moment, his gaze shifted toward Arix’s back.
Toward the place hidden beneath the boy’s hair.
Then his expression returned to normal.
Arix didn’t notice.
He kept walking.
The second test was over.
But whatever Veyr had been preparing him for…
was only beginning.