The sun was rising on the fifth day of Elios in the forest. The young boy, sitting near the clearing, contemplated his reflection in the water. His cheeks had hollowed, and a new light shone in his eyes. Water and mushrooms had sufficed until now, but his body demanded more.
"I need meat," he murmured, gripping the blade Merlione had left him.
Elios stood up, his legs trembling slightly. He ventured deep into the forest, his heart heavy. Soon, a small hare crossed his path. Elios's hand clenched on the blade's handle, but he could not bring himself to strike.
"It's easier when Merlione comes back with something," he sighed, sitting heavily on a tree trunk. "Killing to live, is that really life?"
Dark thoughts assailed him. "If I don't eat well enough, I'll end up dying or being saved and then abandoned by Merlione."
Suddenly, a shrill cry tore through the air. "Skiiiik!" It was the hare he had seen earlier, now in the jaws of a hungry wolf.
Instinctively, Elios crouched behind a large tree trunk, his heart racing. He watched, fascinated and horrified, as the wolf tore apart its prey. The predator, fully absorbed in its feast, had not yet noticed his presence.
Elios tried to calm his breathing, aware that the slightest noise could attract the beast's attention. But fate decided otherwise. His blade, poorly secured in his pocket, slipped and fell to the ground with a metallic clang that resonated like a knell in the forest's silence.
The wolf suddenly raised its head, its yellow eyes scanning the surroundings. In an instant, it spotted Elios. Abandoning the hare's remains, it turned towards this new prey, far more interesting.
Elios didn't wait. He leaped from his hiding place and dashed through the woods, zigzagging between the trees. The wolf followed closely, its powerful paws hammering the ground in a frenzied chase.
The boy dove under a fallen tree trunk, rolling in the dead leaves. The wolf, too large to pass underneath, had to jump over, offering Elios a few precious seconds of lead.
But the forest seemed to close in around him. Low branches whipped his face, brambles snagged his clothes. Elios could feel the wolf's hot breath on his neck, getting closer and closer.
In a final effort, he climbed onto a steep rock, hoping that the height would put him out of reach. But the wolf, determined, began to climb the rocky wall.
Cornered, Elios realized he had no more escape. Merlione's words came back to him: "If you don't kill, you'll end up killed." A new determination seized him. He firmly gripped his blade, his eyes fixed on the approaching wolf.
"I'm not afraid of you!" he shouted, his trembling voice betraying his terror.
The wolf leaped. In a reflex born of desperation, Elios cast a fire spell. A jet of flames burst from his free hand, momentarily blinding the predator.The wolf howled in pain, frantically shaking its head to regain its vision.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Elios jumped from the rock, landing heavily on the wolf's back. The beast, surprised, tried to shake off its attacker, spinning around.
Elios clung with all his strength to the thick fur, seeking to maintain his position. With a clumsy but powerful gesture, he struck his blade down on the wolf's left front paw. The blade sank deeply, cutting muscles and tendons.
The wolf's pain-filled howl echoed through the entire forest. It collapsed, unbalanced, throwing Elios to the ground. The boy rolled several meters before hitting a tree, his breath knocked out.
Despite its wound, the wolf was not finished. Limping heavily, it lunged at Elios, its fangs seeking the young boy's throat. Elios raised his arm to protect himself, and the powerful jaws closed on his forearm.
The searing pain wrung a cry from Elios. In a surge of adrenaline and pure terror, he plunged his blade into the wolf's throat. Once, twice, three times. Warm blood gushed, splashing his face and hands.
The wolf's eyes, initially filled with rage, slowly dimmed. Its grip on Elios's arm loosened, and the beast collapsed, inert.
Silence fell over the forest. Elios remained motionless for long minutes, panting, covered in blood and mud. Gradually, the reality of what had just happened struck him. He had killed. He had survived.
Trembling, he painfully rose to his feet. His arm hurt, but the wound was not as serious as he had feared. He looked at the wolf's body, a mixture of pride and horror overwhelming him.
Elios slowly returned to where it all began. The hare's body still lay there, half-devoured. He picked it up, then went back to retrieve the wolf. This would be his first real meal in days, and a trophy of his victory over death.
Carrying his two prey, Elios started the path back to his camp. Each step was painful, each movement a reminder of the battle he had just fought. But something had changed in his heart. He was no longer the same boy who had left the camp that morning. He had faced death, and he had emerged victorious.
As he approached the clearing, Elios murmured to himself: "Wolves will now be my prey." These words tasted bitter in his mouth, but he knew this was the price to pay to survive in this merciless world.
In the days that followed, Elios quickly adapted to his new life. He used the dried fur of animals to protect himself from the cold. Each day brought its share of challenges: other wolves, a giant boar, hyenas. Elios fought, fled, survived, developing his instinct with each trial. Gradually, the anticipation of Merlione's return faded from his mind.
An entire year passed thus. Elios, transformed by his experience, finally decided to return alone. He then understood that the true lesson was not to wait for Merlione's return, but to learn to survive and find his way by himself.
When he crossed the threshold of the house, he found Merlione apparently asleep. Without a word, he sat next to her, as if nothing had happened.
"You got me good, old lady," he said simply.
Merlione, who was feigning sleep, could not contain an irritated growl at her student's audacity.
And so Elios finally returned home, forever transformed by this ordeal, ready to face the challenges awaiting him on the path to becoming the ultimate Flame Mage.