The caves Drifted in silence, breathing with the rhythm of a sleeping beast.
Cool drafts made their way through the narrow mouth, crept along the walls carrying the scent of pine needles, damp earth and distant water. Vernon was closest to the entrance, curled within the soft makeshift bedding Derek arranged the night before.
Bruce slept deeper inside, sprawled on his stomach, his cheek pressed against the soft silky fabric of their enhanced clothes. The garments-woven by Alice's careful hands - they glowed faintly with an internal warmth as the spell "Clean" quietly worked to remove the mud, sweat and blood of the previous days. Every so often, a shimmer of mana flickered over the cloth and settled again, like a mother a blanket around a child.
Vernon cracked one eye open.
The outside world waking up along with him the rustling of leaves, the clicking of insects, the low hum of a distant waterfall that echoed across the forest like a heart beat.
He glanced at the Light coming through the mouth of the entrance, feeling a small ache behind his ribs. He sat up, Looked around before taking a deep breath and sighing.
Bruce snored once - loudly, Vernon almost laughing, Almost.
Vernon got up and let out a big~ yawn, through that he had felt the scent of smoke lingering about even though Derek had made sure that their fire was extinguished before dawn. Vernon followed it outside and saw Derek's silhouette just outside the cave, crouched near the treeline.
Even from behind, Derek looked exhausted.
His father's broad shoulders rose and fell with a deliberate, controlled steadiness - his breathing technique for calming the body after an over night scouting. The morning light caught up to his messy dark hair streaking it in gold.
Vernon rubbed his eyes, stood, and padded over quietly.
"You're up early," Derek said without turning. His voice sounded worn, but warm.
"I woke up because.. the world decided to be noisy today." Vernon murmured.
Derek smiled faintly. "That's because you finally slept deeply enough to hear it."
Vernon sat beside him. Together, they looked out over the forest. the trees stretched far-tall, ancient and covered in moss that glowed faintly blue with residual night mana. Mist threaded through the roots like silver threads. Birds moved between branches, their soft chirps echoing like scattered bells.
"Where did you go last night?" Vernon asked.
"Around," Derek simply replied. "Scouting. Mapping routes. Making sure nothing dangerous is nesting too close. Making sure we weren't followed."
The last thing Derek mentioned made Vernon hesitate to ask "....Were we..?"
"No," Derek said and explained that the fire made the track too chaotic for them to read, "And even if they tried to force their way into the forest, the mana saturation here would make it difficult for anyone who doesn't understand the terrain."
Vernon let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
"I'm glad." he uttered
Derek nodded, reaching into his pouch on his hip pulling out a folded piece of bark- thin and flexible covered in charcoal markings.
"What's that?" curiosity peeking through Vernon.
"A plan," Derek replied. "A list of what i need to teach you and Bruce. Strength, survival, awareness. And... other things."
Vernon blinked. "Other things?"
"Not yet." Derek said softly. "You'll understand soon."
Inside the cave, Bruce finally stirred.
A groan echoed through the stone chamber - Long, dramatic, and completely unnecessary.
Vernon and Derek both glanced back, Before glancing at each other.
Bruce sat up like an injured animal, his hair sticking out at every possible angle. His eyes were half lidded, his mouth open in a perfect circle of confusion.
"...where.. are we?"
Vernon snorted. Derek gave a helpless shrug.
"The cave, Bruce," Vernon answered. "You know-our new home?"
Bruce blinked slowly. "...Oh. Right."
He rubbed his face aggressively, then stood and stretched like a cat. His clothes shimmered faintly, dusting off dirt and smoothing out wrinkles. Bruce looked down at himself and grinned.
"I still cant believe Mom made clothes like this."
Derek's expression softened. "She wanted them to protect you. Even when she couldn't."
Bruce's grin faded into something more quiet. Vernon looked away.
The silence that followed was gentle, not heavy - like a shared breath rather than a burden.
Derek clapped his hands once.
"Alright. Both of you follow me."
The boys followed him to the forest clearing just outside the cave. Dew glittered on the grass. A breeze stirred the leaves, carrying the scent of wet bark and something sweet - wild berries and peaches growing deeper in the forest.
Derek crouched and used the flat part of his hand to smooth an area of dirt, creating a small, level patch. He placed the bark map on it and weighed it down with stones.
"This," Derek began, "is where we start."
Bruce leaned forward, curious. Vernon stood close enough to feel the warmth from his father's arms.
Derek directed towards the first section of the bark with his finger.
"Survival," he said. "Fire, water, shelter and awareness. Before you can train strength, before you can learn techniques, you need to understand how to stay alive. This forest is rich - but dangerous. Wildlife won't ignore you. Mana anomalies won't stand by either, most importantly if you ever encounter a spirit you shouldn't look back and you should run with all your strength."
Bruce's gulp could have been heard even across the world. Vernon nodded silently taking each word to heart.
Derek tapped the second section.
"Physical conditioning. Strength, flexibility, coordination. Bruce - your body is still soft, meaning that if you start now your body will grow with the martial arts in a "pure" vessel. Vernon your stamina has always been rock bottom.. as harsh as it may sound i don't think its because of your physical condition."
Bruce made a noise of protest. Vernon elbowed him.
Derek ignored them both and moved to the third section.
"Combat fundamentals. Not real fighting yet. Just how to stand, hold your weight and move without tripping over your own feet."
Bruce looked up at Vernon. "...That last part was aimed at you."
"Shut up."
Derek smiled faintly, then tapped the final section.
"And last.. personal paths."
The boys blinked
"What does that mean?" Vernon asked.
"It means that both of you have a different body. Different strengths. Different limits." Derek's eyes warmed, but his tone grew serious. "Vernon, I dont feel an ounce of Qi coming from you.. it would seem that your mother's blood runs strong in you. On the other hand, Bruce, Your body responds to Qi instinctively - even if you don't know how to use it yet."
Bruce's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Its faint," Derek said, "but its there."
Vernon looked down at his hands.
"And.. me?"
"you're different. Your mother.. wasn't finished studying your constitution. However that does no mean you do not have a path. It simply means we need to to understand the said path."
Vernon's swallowed, a cold prickle forming in his chest. "so.. i have nothing right now."
Derek placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You have potential. And more importantly - you're alive. Everything else can be built."
Vernon didn't look convinced. But he nodded.
"That's enough explanation for today. The first Training will start tomorrow morning. You two need one more day to rest, recover and explore around the cave."
Bruce perked up in an instant. "Explore??"
"Yes," Derek said. "But stay close by. And dont touch anything glowing unless you want a mutation."
Bruce froze. "A what?"
Derek walked away without elaborating.
Vernon leaned toward Bruce. "He's joking."
"... You sure?"
"No."
Bruce paled.
Later in the afternoon, the boys wandered the perimeter of the clearing, letting their senses open to the world around them.
Soft moss cushioned their steps. Birds hopped through the branches above, shaking the droplets of water down. With a few brief gusts of winds passing by the clearings, bringing with it the distant roar of the waterfall - deep, thunderous, comforting.
Vernon closed his eyes. For a moment, he felt as though the forest itself was breathing with them Bruce reached out and touched the trunk of the massive old tree that towered above them, he marvelled at the cool, rough texture.
"Vernon," He whispered. "Do you think.. we'll really get stronger?"
Vernon thought of the forest.
The research.
Their Mother's sacrifice.
The warmth of their clothes.
The faint, unexplainable ache inside his chest.
"...We have to," he said softly
Bruce nodded and smiled - the kind of smile that said he believed in Vernon more than anything else in the world.
The forest rustled in agreement.
And far above them, hidden within the canopy, something shifted - watching.
Not with hunger.
Not with malice.
But with interest.
For the first time in a long time, the forest had new children.