Calen awoke slowly, the next afternoon light brushing his skin.
He felt… different.
Stronger.
He didn't know why. He didn't understand it.
But he just did.
He tossed the blanket aside—then froze, shocked to find himself completely unclothed. He didn't remember undressing. Was this… his mother's doing? The shame of the thought made him leap out of bed in a panic.
But Calen, unaware of his strength, moved too fast. The bed frame cracked beneath him, splintering apart.
The sudden destruction distracted him from the embarrassment. What's going on? Why did the bed shatter?
He barely had time to process the questions—his thoughts still sluggish, his body humming with unfamiliar energy—when footsteps thundered down the hall.
Cali burst into the room, eyes wide with alarm.
Calen scrambled to cover himself, face burning with embarrassment. "Mom!"
"It's alright, son," Cali said, quickly turning away. "I'm sure it's normal for young boys your age to… do that."
"Just go, Mom!" Calen groaned, even more embarrassed.
Cali chuckled and left, but the feeling lingered—something about her son was different today.
Faint as it was, she thought she sensed qi from him. But that couldn't be. Calen had no spirit root. Maybe she was imagining things, worn down by stress and sleepless nights.
Still… something was off.
He'd slept in. That alone was strange. Her son was always up before dawn, practicing his mortal forms with quiet discipline. But today, he hadn't stirred. She'd hovered outside his door for hours, debating whether to wake him. The air inside had felt… heavy. Like the room itself was holding its breath.
She'd let him rest, thinking it better not to disturb whatever peace he'd found. But when she heard something break—wood splintering like thunder—she rushed in without warning.
Little did she expect to see her boy like that.
Naked. Flushed. Radiating a subtle heat, like the embers of a forge.
She chuckled again, shaking her head.
A few minutes later, Calen stepped out of his room, fully dressed but still flustered. He didn't dare meet her eyes. Honestly, he wished the floor would swallow him whole. No such luck.
"I made breakfast earlier, but you were asleep," she said gently. "Come eat."
He obeyed.
Just as Calen finished his late breakfast—closer to lunch, really—a pair of guards arrived. A pair of guards arrived to inform Cali that she needed to prepare for the wedding at the main family building.
Calen wanted to protest, but his mom stopped him. She then instructed him to stay inside and avoid trouble until she returned.
Calen nodded, though he was against this. But he was powerless. He watched his mother leave with the men.
Left alone, Calen wandered the house, bored and restless. He didn't know what to do. He tried to think of ways to help his mother, but nothing came to mind.
Then a voice echoed in his mind.
"I've given you power. Now you will be my slave."
Calen froze. "What?"
"Don't tell me you're going back on your word now," the voice said.
"Of course not. But… I don't feel powerful."
"Then calm down. Focus inward. Try to channel your qi."
"Is this some kind of illusion? Am I losing my mind? If you are a real person, then why don't you show yourself?"
Jalen appeared before him like a ghost.
Calen stumbled back, heart racing. Though he sensed no energy from the man, Jalen's presence was overwhelming—like standing beneath the sun. Invisible pressure crushed down on him.
"Still think you're losing your mind?" Jalen asked.
"No," Calen stuttered.
That meant the conversation hadn't been a dream—and the pain, though hazy in his memory, had been real. He'd drifted in and out of consciousness during the process, but now he knew: something had changed.
He sat down in a meditative posture and did as Jalen instructed. After a few minutes, he felt something—qi flowing through his veins.
He jumped up seconds later, startled. "What is this? How?"
"That's power," Jalen replied. "And it will continue to grow stronger as you cultivate."
"I'm… a cultivator?" Calen said in disbelief. Then he laughed—half in joy, half in madness. "I'm a cultivator. I'm not trash."
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I don't have to be a burden to my mother anymore."
Jalen nodded. "Though I've broken the seal on your body and enabled you to cultivate, you're still not strong enough to take on your clan."
"Wait—what seal?"
Jalen explained everything. How Calen had been sealed as an infant. Why he couldn't cultivate. Why the energy had to be released carefully, or it would have destroyed him. He didn't mention his suspicion that Calen's father was behind it.
Calen was dumbstruck. It all sounded unreal.
Then a thought struck him. "You seem powerful enough. Can't you help my mother?"
"What's in it for me?" Jalen asked—not because he needed anything, but to see how far the boy's heart would go.
Truthfully, he had already decided to help. Their situation was a tragedy, and Jalen, ever the cultivation fanatic, couldn't resist the mystery. Calen's construct was unlike anything he'd seen. Rare. Intriguing. Worth studying. But more than that… it deserved saving.
Calen's eyes narrowed. Why are cultivators always so arrogant? Why do they look down on others?
"I already swore myself to you. What more do you want?"
"Would you give your life for your mother's?"
"If that's the requirement… then yes. Take my life for hers. My soul, my everything. Just please—save her."
Jalen smirked. "Do you really think I went through all this trouble to save you just so you could die? You're not breaking out of your slave contract that easily."
"Then what do you want, Senior? I have nothing else to give."
Jalen's expression softened. "Though there is no greater love than dying for a friend or a loved one. Don't just offer your soul and your life to someone you don't even know."
Calen was puzzled. "Does that mean you're going to help?"
"Prepare yourself. I'll be taking you with me when I leave this place."
And with that, Jalen vanished.
Calen stood there, confused and frustrated. He still didn't know if this mysterious cultivator would help him—or his mother.