Cire grabbed the dagger and started walking, muttering curses about the masked man; beneath his frustration, tension and fear churned in his chest. He crouched, trying to steady himself. Looking at the dagger in his hand, he noticed how unremarkable it was—plain, dull, almost insignificant.
'Am I supposed to kill a beast with this? Kill…' That word lingered in his mind like a heavyweight. He hated conflicts and violence. Memories of his brothers' fights flashed before him—those endless squabbles that always ended with one of them on the floor. He'd always hated those scenes. Now, the thought of taking a life, even an animal's, made his stomach twist.
His grip on the dagger tightened as he tried to suppress his hesitation. 'What choice do I have? I can't think like a boy anymore. It's me or them.' He shuddered. 'And it won't be me.'
Determined, Cire moved forward, his steps light and deliberate as he tried to stay silent. The forest seemed vast and indifferent to his struggle. He glanced around, unsure of how to even find a beast. He didn't even tell me how to use Virtus properly. I can cultivate it, but how do I use it?
The sound of a rustle ahead made him freeze. He squinted through the shadows of the forest until he spotted it: a deer grazing, alone and unaware of his presence.
'Yes, right now, I just need to take it down', he told himself, forcing his body to crouch low behind a bush. His breathing slowed as he prepared for the strike. His body was calm and steady, but his mind wasn't. His thoughts raced. 'If I do it, I need to do it now. Control yourself, fool.'
He leaped from the bush, dagger gripped tightly in his left hand. His movements were faster than he expected, almost unnaturally so. The deer's neck was wide open—one clean strike could end it. He raised the dagger for the kill but faltered. Hesitation froze him for a fraction of a second, and the deer bolted in panic, vanishing into the forest.
Cire collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving. His mood plummeted as shame clawed at him. 'Why? Why can't you do it? Did they hesitate to kill your mother?'
His thoughts spiraled as a wave of exhaustion hit him. His limbs felt heavier, his vision blurred slightly. Strange. I feel tired. He focused inward, sensing his body's energy flow. The realization hit him. 'So I used it. I used Virtus. That's why I moved so fast.'
Before he could dwell on it, a sharp pain ripped through his upper back, sending him sprawling forward with a scream. He rolled onto the ground, dirt pressing into his wounds, and managed to force himself upright. Blood dripped from his back, staining the forest floor beneath him.
He turned toward his attacker, his body trembling. A low, guttural growl answered him. From the darkness emerged a massive white wolf. Its blood-red eyes locked onto him, blazing with unrelenting hunger and rage.
"It's you again." Recognition dawned on him. "You really want to kill me, huh?"
The wolf lunged, jaws snapping. Cire's heart vibrated, and instinct kicked in. He leaped to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. The wolf's momentum carried it into a nearby tree, shattering it with terrifying force. Cire stared at the destruction, panic flooding his mind. 'This is insane. I need to run.'
Pain radiated from his back, and dizziness clouded his thoughts, but just as he turned to flee, he stopped. Memories of his family flickered in his mind. 'Did my brothers run away? Did my father run away?'
Gritting his teeth, Cire turned back to face the beast. The wolf's frenzied gaze locked onto him, its bloodlust unrelenting. Cire's heart pounded, and then, as if answering his resolve, Wish's voice echoed in his mind: "The will to persist, even when everything seems lost."
Her voice resonated within him, and his heart vibrated more violently. His Virtus flow accelerated, and white orbs formed before him, fusing and surging into his heart.
"I will kill you," Cire growled, his voice low and resonant, almost unrecognizable. "You stand in the way of my will—of my wish."
The wolf snarled, opening its massive jaws. Flames began to swirl, forming a series of fireballs. Without hesitation, it launched them at Cire, ready to burn him to ash. Cire lowered himself closer to the ground, his body tense as he focused on the wolf's movements. Stay calm. Control. Watch.
To his surprise, the fireballs seemed slower than the first one that had almost killed him. He dodged the first, jumping to the right, and then used the momentum to spring forward. His legs launched him upward, propelling him over the burning chaos below. He twisted in midair, positioning himself like an arrow.
The wolf leaped to meet him, its jaws snapping open to devour him. Cire gripped the dagger tightly and adjusted his body mid-flight. Kicking upward, he struck the wolf's jaw with his heel and forced it down with unnatural strength. The wolf crashed into the ground, stunned.
Cire followed, landing on its massive frame. He drove the dagger deep into its neck, silencing its frenzied growls with one final, engulfed cry.
He pulled the dagger free and stumbled back, his breath heavy. Blood dripped from the blade as he turned to face the forest's shadows. "Here you go. You have your dinner. Can we go back now?"
Praesul emerged from the shadows, stepping toward Cire with his usual calm. Before Cire could collapse, Praesul caught him, holding him upright.
"Yes, we can," Praesul said, his tone softer than usual. "Good job, Cire."