**The Beginning of the Trial**
The sky was now enveloped in darkness, and the training courtyard was illuminated only by dim torches, whose flickering lights cast dancing shadows on the stone walls.
The air was cold and biting, and each breath seemed to condense into a light mist that quickly dissipated.
The governess waited for me at the center of the courtyard, motionless like a statue, her expressionless face partially hidden by the shadows.
She watched me with a gaze that, although devoid of visible emotion, conveyed an inexorable pressure.
"You're late," she said in her usual cold and cutting voice.
Her tone was not one of reproach but rather an observation, as if every second of delay had already been noted in her mind, ready to be corrected.
I nodded, knowing there was no time for excuses or explanations.
I knew why I was there, and I knew that every moment was precious.
I positioned myself at the center of the training area, my feet firmly planted on the ground, and waited for her instructions.
"Before we proceed, I need to see if you are ready to face the next level. Let's begin with the basic movements," she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument.
**Starting with Simple Movements**
I began with the simple movements, the ones that had been taught to me from the start.
I slowly lifted my right foot, maintaining perfect balance, and placed it forward with precision, feeling the ground beneath my sole.
Every step was calculated, every shift of weight executed with the utmost care.
Then, I started moving in a fluid sequence, combining small lunges and torso rotations with lateral and backward steps, as if I were weaving an invisible web of movements that traced a path around the courtyard.
The governess observed in silence, her gaze analyzing my every move, looking for the slightest mistake.
But there were no hesitations, no slips or uncertainties.
Every movement was a declaration of control, of absolute precision.
After a few minutes, her voice cut through the silence.
"Now, show the forms."
**The Dark Intensity of Movement**
As I executed the martial forms, something dark and deep began to awaken within me.
It was no longer just a matter of technique and strength, but a transformation happening in real-time, as if each movement was taking me beyond the limits of the Circle of Perfection.
In the first form, stability and power, I felt a connection with the earth that went beyond simple grounding.
My feet sank into the ground with a force that seemed to want to claim the earth itself, as if my presence overshadowed everything around me.
Every punch unleashed not just power, but a kind of dark energy that vibrated with a sinister lethality.
It was as if my strike was not only aimed at destroying the target but also at corrupting everything it touched.
My bones aligned with cold and calculated precision, and the power that exploded from each blow made the ground tremble beneath me, as if nature itself was reacting to my dark strength.
When I moved to the second form, speed and explosiveness, I felt a shadow slip inside me.
My body moved with the swiftness of a predator hunting in the night, each movement was a flash of deadly energy.
But this speed was not just physical; there was an insidious lethality in every strike, as if time itself bent to my will.
Every attack was a burst of power that left no trace, only a spectral echo that faded into the air.
I was like lightning that not only brought destruction but also an aura of death with it.
In the third form, endurance and duration, the change became even more evident.
My movements became slower and more deliberate, but behind each gesture was a dark and relentless force.
My breathing, deep and steady, seemed fueled by an inexhaustible source of sinister energy.
Blood pulsed powerfully through my veins, and my skin, covered in sweat, emanated a menacing aura.
There was not just endurance in my body, but a power that defied logic itself, as if nothing could stop me.
My energy was a continuous and unstoppable flow, a river of darkness advancing without pause.
Finally, I prepared for the fourth form, recoverability and flexibility.
But it was no longer just a matter of physical elasticity.
My body bent and twisted in ways that would break a normal man's bones, but I moved with a fluidity that defied all natural laws.
Every fiber of my being transformed, becoming a lethal and silent weapon.
I was like a snake hiding in the shadows, ready to strike with deadly precision.
Every movement was a flow of pure darkness, every contortion a signal that my lethality knew no limits.
As I executed these forms, I fell into a state of dark enlightenment.
I was not merely replicating the techniques of the Circle of Perfection—I was surpassing them, transforming them into something more lethal and advanced.
These were no longer just combat forms; they were manifestations of a power I had never imagined possessing.
Every movement was infused with cold and calculated lethality, every gesture a demonstration of my evolution towards a darkness that granted me a new identity.
When I finished the last form, I found myself enveloped in a deep and unsettling silence.
[You have created your own version of the 4 Ryushin martial forms.]
**Consecration in Darkness**
The courtyard was immersed in deep silence, broken only by the sound of my breathing, which became calmer and more regular as I emerged from the state of concentration.
The governess watched me from behind the shadows, her face carved in indifference.
But despite her unmoving expression, I could feel the weight of her gaze, a silent evaluation of what I had just demonstrated.
The torches around us continued to burn, but their light seemed unable to penetrate the darkness now emanating from my body.
I had surpassed the Circle of Perfection, transforming those ancient forms into something completely new, something that belonged exclusively to me.
The governess took a step forward, the sound of her boots on the ground breaking the stillness of the scene.
She approached slowly, each movement calculated, as if she wanted to savor the moment, to weigh the implications of what she had just witnessed.
"You have transcended the limits of the Circle and created your own version of the martial forms," she said, her voice a sharp whisper, laden with meaning.
"What you have done is extraordinary for a child of your age."
There was neither praise nor reprimand in her words, just a cold and detached acknowledgment.
But the very fact that she had recognized it was a sign that I had accomplished something extraordinary, even in her eyes.
I nodded slightly, maintaining the calm that had permeated my entire being.
The transformation had occurred effortlessly, a natural evolution that had led to the creation of something lethal and unique.
The natural evolution brought about by my body and personality.