The wind grew colder as night wrapped itself around the forest, carrying the distant howl of spirit beasts and the rustle of unseen movement. The world felt heavier, as if holding its breath after witnessing the birth of a new power.
Shadow exhaled slowly, unaware of the unseen eyes withdrawing into the treetops below. His heartbeat, still loud from the flame's awakening, began to settle. The Shadow Flame flickered faintly around his fingertips before disappearing completely, leaving the moonlight as his only companion.
The warmth faded, replaced by an aching exhaustion that sank into his bones.
He wasn't hurt—just drained.
Rebirth had given him talent, but talent meant nothing without control. And he had barely managed to handle the flame even once.
Shadow wiped sweat from his forehead, staring at his trembling hands.
The flame's heat still lingered there, like a pulse waiting to be called again.
"So this is only the beginning," he muttered.
From the ridge, he could see the faint lights of his village in the distance. He thought of his old life—weak, ignored, beaten down by fate. And then he thought of this new chance.
No.
He wouldn't repeat the past.
The power inside him demanded strength, discipline, and mastery. It wasn't something he could just rely on blindly.
"I need to train… seriously train."
His voice sounded soft but determined, echoing slightly in the cold night air.
Shadow turned away from the edge of the cliff and started walking, boots crunching softly against the stone. He descended the narrow path toward the forest clearing below—the one place he knew he could be alone, away from the village, away from curious eyes, and far from whatever had been watching him earlier.
As he walked, a strange awareness prickled at the back of his mind.
The forest felt different.
Alive.
Listening.
Observing him.
But nothing attacked, nothing followed.
The presence had vanished—at least for now.
Shadow dropped to the clearing floor and sat cross-legged beneath an old cedar tree. The bark was rough, the branches heavy with dew, and faint moonlight filtered between the leaves, painting silver patterns on the ground.
He inhaled deeply.
Then again, slower.
He began to focus inward, tracing the flow of spiritual energy through his dantian. It swirled in chaotic motions, as if struggling to find order. His veins tightened as he tried to direct it.
The Shadow Flame responded immediately—too immediately.
A small spark snapped to life on his palm, then exploded outward before he could restrain it.
Boom.
The ground beside him cracked, smoke curling upward.
Shadow looked at the scorch mark, jaw clenched.
"Still too unstable."
He closed his eyes again, ignoring the throbbing in his temples.
The flame was powerful—stronger than anything a normal child his age could handle. But it was also unpredictable. If he trained carelessly, it could kill him before any enemy got the chance.
He slowed his breathing, guiding the spiritual energy more gently this time. He tried to remember the sensation he felt during the awakening—the calm in the midst of the storm, the moment the flame had obeyed.
What did he do differently then?
Shadow replayed it in his mind.
The fear…
The desperation…
The instinctive push…
But that wasn't enough. He needed clarity, not emotion. He needed technique.
He placed both hands on his knees and straightened his spine.
This time, he approached the flame differently.
Not as a weapon.
But as an extension of himself.
The energy responded. The swirl in his dantian softened, no longer fighting him. A faint glow rose from his palm—stable, warm, and obedient.
Shadow's eyes widened.
"I… did it."
It wasn't perfect. The flame flickered and trembled, but it didn't explode.
Progress.
He held it for a few seconds before releasing it. The flame dissolved into a small mist of red-black particles that faded in the breeze.
Shadow allowed himself a small smile.
Then he kept going.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The night around him deepened. Hours passed unnoticed. The moon shifted overhead, and the forest fell silent except for the steady rhythm of Shadow's breathing.
Every time the flame appeared, it was a little smoother.
Every time it faded, it was a little easier to summon back.
His clothes grew damp with sweat. His arms shook from strain. His throat felt dry. But he didn't stop.
He couldn't stop.
This power…
This rare second chance…
This world that finally gave him a path…
He wasn't about to waste it.
When his energy eventually ran dangerously low, Shadow collapsed backward, staring up at the star-filled sky.
His chest rose and fell rapidly. His vision blurred at the edges.
But the fire in his eyes burned brighter than the stars above.
"So this… is training," he whispered with a tired grin.
For the first time since rebirth, he felt alive.
A twig snapped in the distance.
Shadow sat up instantly, senses sharpened again. His body ached, but he was alert. The forest was still too quiet. Too expectant.
He scanned the trees.
Nothing moved.
But then he heard it—
a low, distant growl.
Not hostile.
Not close.
Just… observing.
Shadow narrowed his eyes.
"Still watching?"
He didn't know who or what it was, but he wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.
The presence faded once again.
Shadow pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his clothes. Dawn's first light began to touch the edges of the sky, washing the forest in pale gold.
A new day.
And with it—
the true beginning of his journey.
He clenched his fists, feeling the faint warmth of the Shadow Flame flicker deep inside him.
"Let them watch," he murmured.
"When I'm done, this world will never forget my name."
The forest winds swirled around him as if answering the declaration.
Shadow stepped forward, ready to face whatever awaited him next.
The path of the Shadow Flame had begun.