Kai's eyes fluttered open.
"Haa... haa..."
He gasped for breath, his entire body drenched in sweat.
With a weary sigh, he let himself fall back, lying on the ground with his arms spread out to the sides. His chest rose and fell heavily.
[Papa, are you okay?] Luna's concerned voice echoed as she nuzzled him with her nose.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Luna," he said, patting her head.
{Congratulations! You are now officially awakened, boy.} Zer's voice caught Kai's attention.
"What? Really?" Kai snapped upright, his eyes wide.
{Yes. Didn't you notice the changes in yourself?}
"Now that you mention it... I do feel a bit different," he muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
{Alright, now it's time for you to form your Essence Core.}
Kai's expression turned serious as he crossed his legs, sitting in a lotus position.
{Ready?}
Kai gave a firm nod.
{Okay then, calm your mind and try sensing your Soul Essence within your body.}
Taking a few deep breaths, Kai followed Zer's instructions.
Hmm... so these tiny dots are my Soul Essence.
He could feel small, ethereal, grain-like particles drifting wildly inside his body. He tried to move them all at once…
But—
Failed.
He tried again…
But failed.
{Don't force them. Let them flow naturally.}
Zer's voice echoed in his mind. Kai stopped forcing the particles to move and instead focused on a single dot, calmly guiding it toward his dantian.
After successfully guiding and placing one particle, he repeated the process with the others.
Just as he was guiding the umpteenth particle, all those gathered in his dantian suddenly scattered.
But he didn't let it discourage him.
He started again, guiding a single particle toward his dantian—then another, and another.
As he grew comfortable with moving one at a time, he began guiding two… then three… then four.
It was slow. Painstakingly slow. But with each success, the process became smoother. The once wild, scattered particles gradually started converging, forming a faint, swirling vortex in his dantian.
Luna watched curiously, her tail wagging slightly.
[Papa, you're glowing a little!] she exclaimed.
{Nice. Now try compressing it into a small, dense sphere.} Zer instructed as Kai finally gathered his Soul Essence at a single point.
Kai focused, attempting to compress it into a tiny sphere.
But the moment he applied even a little force—
It repelled instantly.
He tried again… and again.
Eventually, it shrank—just a few millimeters.
Letting out a sigh, he steadied himself and resumed compressing.
But just as the swirling vortex compressed slightly, a burning sensation shot through his chest.
Kai groaned, nearly losing control of the process until—
{Don't give up. This is the last step. Hang in there.}
"Argh!" He gritted his teeth but didn't stop. It felt like thousands of needles piercing his heart, his body being torn apart.
[Is Papa okay?] Luna asked worriedly.
{Don't worry, he'll be fine.}
"Argh…" Kai clenched his fists, his entire body trembling as the agonizing pain spread like wildfire.
With every fraction the vortex shrank, the pain intensified.
But he endured it, clutching his knees as he forced himself to continue. Minutes turned into hours, and his suffering only worsened.
{Looks like you're about to pop. Should I step back?} Zer teased, but his words barely registered. Kai was drowning in sheer torment.
Then—just as the vortex shrank to the size of a small ball—
He gave one final push, and—
A sudden warmth spread through his dantian. The swirling essence compressed one final time—
And then, it clicked.
An orb, small yet dense, no larger than a marble, floating in the center of his dantian. Wisps of Soul Essence swirled inside, like faint threads of mist trapped within glass.
It pulsed faintly, like a quiet heartbeat, radiating a soft glow.
Kai gasped, staring inward at the tiny sphere. It was... beautiful. Almost unreal.
Thud!
He collapsed, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
His vision blurred, and the world around him spun.
{Not so fast, boy. Hurry up and absorb all the essence that's leaking and store it in your core.}
Kai quickly straightened up and resumed meditating, pulling the stray essence particles back into his core before they dissipated.
"Phew..."
He exhaled in relief after stabilizing the flow.
{Good. Now listen.} Zer's voice caught his attention.
{Your Essence Core is still unstable. You'll need to refine it daily and continue compressing your essence to stabilize it.}
Kai gave a brief nod in response and leaned back.
{Alright, let's call it a day.}
[Papa!] Luna cheered, leaping into his lap.
Kai smiled and patted her head as they began chatting.
As night fell, they had dinner and prepared for sleep. Zer settled into his usual spot, Kai lay beside him on the ground, and Luna nestled comfortably on Kai's chest.
{You ready for tomorrow?} Zer asked.
"...Hmm," Kai hummed, barely awake.
{...Rest well then. You won't be getting much from now on.}
And with that, they drifted off to sleep.
--
"Hmm?" Kai groaned as he felt something wet on his cheek. He turned onto his side, trying to ignore it.
But Luna didn't stop—she kept licking his cheek.
"Just five more minutes… Aaah!"
A sharp nip on his ear jolted him awake.
[Good morning, Papa!] she greeted cheerfully.
"Good mornin'... yawn..." he mumbled mid-yawn, his ear.
"Can't you wake me up in a simpler way?"
[Hmph! I tried, but you wouldn't wake up.]
{Alright, you two, that's enough. You should get ready.} Zer's voice chimed in.
They both nodded.
After completing their usual morning training routine.
They had breakfast and rested a bit, enjoying the peaceful silence of the cave.
Then—
There was a shift in the air.
It was stuble—barely noticeable.
Luna's ears twitched. Kai felt an inexplicable chill creep up his spine. Zer, however, remained still, as if he had expected this.
Then, the sound came.
A single, deliberate footstep.
The entrance of the cave, which had been empty just moments ago, now housed a lone figure standing in the shadows.
"Greetings, Lord Zerathies!" a deep, composed voice broke the silence.
The man bowed his head in respect and stepped forward, the dim light barely illuminating his frame.
He was lean, wiry, and clad in dark, loose-fitting robes that barely made a sound as he moved. A single dagger rested at his waist, and and a full black mask concealed his face, leaving only space for his cold, calculating—crimson eyes.
{You're late!} Zer's voice rang out.
"I'm sorry, Milord. I was delayed—got attacked by some wild mutts on the way."
{I assume you dealt with them?}
He chuckled, in a quiet, eerie tone, "Of course, Milord."
Zer then turned toward Kai and Luna.
{I think it's time, brats.}
Kai's chest tightened, eyes became moist, but he held back his tears. Meanwhile, Luna burst into tears.
[Boohoo! Uncle Zer, I don't want to leave you...] She lunged at him, pressing her small body against his large form.
Zer let out a sigh, {It's for your own good. Don't you want to meet your Mama?}
At the mention of 'Mama,' her sobbing lessened. With a deep breath, she straightened herself, nodding firmly.
[Okay, I'm ready! Let's go.]
Zer let out a small huff, clearly amused.
Kai, on the other hand, found himself unable to speak. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His throat felt dry.
Kai's mind drifted back to the day he first met Zer—how terrified he had been at first, only to grow close over time.
He remembered the moments they shared in the cave—the training, the struggles, the laughter.
The bond they had built.
And now, he was leaving it all behind.
A thousand words sat on the tip of his tongue, but none came out.
Instead—
He bowed deeply.
"Thank you… for everything," Kai whispered, his voice barely above a breath.
For a moment, Zer was silent.
Then—
{What? Getting emotional now? Don't worry, you can cry on my paws if you want.} Zer teased.
Kai scoffed. "Go cry yourself."
Zer chuckled as they turned and began walking toward the cave exit.
The robed man bowed to Zer one last time before joining Kai and Luna.
{Take care, brats.} Zer muttered, resting his head down.
The man motioned for Kai and Luna to come closer.
"Touch me."
Without hesitation, they both placed their hands on him.
The man then pulled out a strange-looking crystal and crushed it.
A brilliant white light washed over them.
In an instant—
They were gone.
Zer remained still for a long time, staring at the empty spot where they had been.
Then, with a slow exhale, he closed his eyes.