He let the blood fall back into his palm, his gaze unwavering. "We begin not with magic, but with your mind. Before you can command blood, you must command yourself."
Cedar shifted his focus. Meditation and mental discipline became his new weapons. Len pushed him through grueling sessions, forcing him to confront his deepest fears, desires, and chaos within.
At first, it felt foreign, almost pointless. But as Cedar closed his eyes and centered his mind, something began to shift.
This control was the same that had allowed him and Ivan to survive their escape from Alieth. In that hellish battlefield, Cedar had felt the same panic as everyone else, but he had pushed it aside, calculating his next move, finding a way out. Now, in his meditative practice, he applied that same discipline.
Sitting cross-legged, he focused on clearing his mind. He acknowledged his fear, his doubt—but refused to let them control him. Slowly, with each breath, his mind became sharper, more focused.
Hours blurred into days. Cedar sat in silence, breathing steadily, his thoughts quieting with each passing moment.
He learned to feel his fear without succumbing to it, to recognize his anger without letting it consume him. Bit by bit, a calmness settled over him, a clarity cutting through the chaos.
Len watched from the shadows, his approval silent but unmistakable. When Cedar opened his eyes after a particularly intense session, Len stepped forward. "You're making progress," he said, voice low. "Your mind grows sharper, more resilient. This will serve you well."
Cedar nodded. "I'm ready for the next step."
Len's lips curved into a faint smile. "Not yet. Your control must be absolute. The bloodthirst within you is real. One day, it will test the limits of your mind."
The weight of his words hung in the air. Cedar didn't flinch. He had faced death before—this, too, he would face.
Days passed, and Cedar's confidence grew. Yet, the deeper he delved into Len's teachings, the more he sensed something hidden, something darker that Len wasn't sharing. The cryptic hints, the veiled warnings—he wasn't ready for what lay ahead.
That reckoning came sooner than he expected.
The dream was vivid, unsettlingly real. Len stood before him, his pale form blending into the shifting shadows of an endless void. At his feet, a creature glowed faintly red, its twisted form condensed into a pulsating orb, still growling with wild fury.
Cedar's gaze hardened. "What's this for?"
Len's expression remained cold, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "The Magloth wasn't just a creature to test your strength; it was preparation for the training I have in store for you."
He stepped closer. "You've strengthened your mind, but blood magic isn't just about clarity. It's about understanding the will behind the blood. Every drop has a purpose, a memory, a will of its own. Without knowing that, you can never truly wield it."
Cedar's heart quickened, but his expression stayed calm. "And the Magloth's will?"
Len's lips twisted into a grim smile. "It sought power. Chaos. Destruction. The kind of carnage that feeds the deeper forces within blood magic. Now, you will face it."
He gestured toward the glowing orb, the air thick with tension. Cedar stared at it, the dark power radiating from its core. The Magloth's blood carried its essence and will, and now Cedar had to bend it to his own.
Without Len's help, he would have to fight, fuse with it, and absorb it. His mind raced as he stepped closer, his hand reaching toward the pulsating orb. The weight of the task pressed down on him, but he couldn't hesitate.
"If you fail," Len's voice echoed in the void, sharp as a blade, "you'll become what you fear of—a Magloth. You won't look different, but your mind will shatter. You'll believe yourself to be one, and the world will see only madness."
The void pressed in as Cedar stared at the orb. Its pulsing light mirrored the battle he was about to face—a fight against not just the Magloth's will, but his own limits.
Taking a deep breath, Cedar stepped forward, his movements steady even as the weight of the task bore down on him. He reached toward the Magloth's remains, its growls growing into a low, menacing snarl that reverberated through the void.
The Magloth's will surged forward instantly, a ferocious force that tried to overwhelm Cedar's mind. Its wild, primal nature ripped through his thoughts, clawing at his sense of control.
But Cedar was ready. The mental discipline from his training held firm as the two wills clashed—an immense, chaotic orb spinning and pulsing in the void, constantly shifting and surging with violent energy.
Cedar's cold, focused will met the beast's raw, untamed power. His mind remained clear, calm, as the beast's fury raged against him.
Every ounce of his concentration was poured into the struggle, pushing back against the Magloth's relentless assault. The orb of will rolled and spun, an unyielding force that fought to consume him.
But Cedar didn't waver. He fought with every bit of his discipline, every ounce of mental control he had gained. The wild nature of the Magloth's will pressed harder, but Cedar held firm, calmly resisting.
After what felt like an eternity, the Magloth's will was brutally torn apart, separated from Cedar's by an invisible force. The clash of their wills ceased, leaving nothing but the silent void in its wake.
Len stood nearby, his pale figure unwavering, his expression unreadable. Yet the flicker of satisfaction in his eyes was unmistakable. Cedar's form wavered, his presence blurring as if the very essence of him had been shaped by the battle. The Magloth's will, too, seemed weakened, diminished by the confrontation.
Cedar's mind felt fragile, a dull ache spreading through him, but deep within, he sensed something more—a residue from the clash, something that had solidified his will, sharpening it, making it more resilient.
Despite the weight pressing down on him, Cedar stood tall. The fight was over, but he could feel the subtle shift within himself—the transformation had begun.
Len's voice broke through the haze, calm yet approving. "Well done, Cedar. You've made great progress. You've used what you've gained from meditation well." He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. "You'll continue this process until the Magloth's will fades completely. For now, rest. Meditate and recover for three days. Then, we begin again."
"Thank you, Master," Cedar replied, his voice steady despite the weight of the training.
Len nodded once, his form fading into the darkness, dissolving the dream and leaving Cedar alone in the quiet void.
The days passed as Cedar continued his training, his focus sharp, his resolve unyielding. The march toward Operon City was grueling, but he had grown stronger. Along the way, they encountered more beasts—most of them no more than one or two stars, far less challenging than the Magloth. There were no signs of the Imperium scouts either, just as the rumors had claimed.
After two long weeks, the sight of Operon's towering walls came into view, silhouetted against the fading orange of the sky. The city, a dark monument on the horizon, glimmered faintly as the sun dipped lower.
It was a beacon of safety in the distance, and though it brought relief, Cedar knew that their journey wasn't over. The war was still very much a threat.
As they approached the city gates, the tension in the air was palpable. Operon was vital for the Union's defense, its walls strengthened and its military presence known. Still, the shadow of war loomed large.
The group went through the standard registration procedures at the city's military outpost, the usual bustle of soldiers, merchants, and travelers adding to the weight of the atmosphere. But it wasn't until Cedar was standing near the entrance when something caught his eye.
Above the city, a group of five mages soared effortlessly through the sky, their forms graceful and synchronized.
They flew without the aid of surfboards or any visible support, their movements fluid and precise. With a few quick shifts, they reformed into a giant flower cart in the air, their combined magic creating a surge of power that sent the wind howling through the streets below.
Debris scattered in their wake, the force of their magic so overwhelming that it left the city momentarily stunned into silence.
This was high-level magic, a feat only achievable by elite, high-ranked mages working in perfect harmony.
The spectacle was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Cedar felt the raw power radiating from them—speed, control, and mastery over the elements—as their magic seemed to flow with effortless precision. The sound of their combined power cutting through the air was like a sharp screech, reverberating off the buildings and leaving the streets below frozen in stunned silence.
Cedar exchanged a glance with Ivan, both of them silently acknowledging the display. The mages' demonstration had left a deep impression on them both.