The air in the chamber seemed to shift with Ethan's words. For a moment, Selene stood perfectly still, her crimson gaze locked with his as though measuring the weight of his resolve. The faint torchlight cast shadows across her sharp features, accentuating the cold distance that still lingered beneath her surface.
"Learning to control the void's mark is not like harnessing mortal strength," she said at last. "This power doesn't obey the laws of our world—it comes from beyond the veil, where nothing follows the rules of life or death."
"I don't care," Ethan replied, his voice steadier than he expected. "If I don't learn, I die. If I do nothing, the veil breaks, and everyone dies. So teach me. I don't have a choice."
Selene's eyes flicked over him, assessing every breath, every faint tremor that still lingered beneath his skin. Finally, she nodded once.
"Very well. But understand this—" She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If you lose control even once, I will end your life before the void can take you."
Ethan swallowed hard but didn't look away. "Deal."
Selene studied him for a moment longer, then turned sharply toward the far side of the chamber. A faint pulse of energy rippled through the air as she murmured a few words under her breath, and a hidden doorway slid open with the sound of stone grinding against stone.
"Follow me."
Ethan obeyed without hesitation, stepping through the narrow passageway that led beyond the ritual chamber. The corridor beyond was colder, the air heavy with the scent of old stone and faint traces of something metallic that Ethan couldn't quite place. Shadows clung to the walls, moving faintly in the corners of his vision as though the darkness itself was watching.
At last, they emerged into a smaller chamber lit by only a single torch set high in the wall. The room was bare except for a circular platform of black stone at its center, carved with symbols different from those in the previous room. These runes glimmered faintly with a dark blue light, their patterns flowing together like veins of midnight beneath glass.
"This will be your training ground," Selene said as she stepped onto the platform. Her movements were fluid and precise, each step measured as though she stood on the edge of a blade. "The runes here will suppress the more dangerous aspects of your power... to a point."
Ethan stepped onto the platform beside her. The air changed the moment his foot touched the stone—he could feel it beneath his skin, a faint hum of pressure just beyond the edge of sensation. It wasn't painful, but it was... there, like the distant pulse of something waiting to break through.
"What do I do?" he asked.
Selene turned to face him, her posture straight and unyielding as though carved from the same stone beneath their feet. "First, you must understand what you're trying to control. The void's power isn't like mortal strength—it doesn't come from your muscles or your mind. It comes from the connection between your soul and the space beyond the veil."
Ethan swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. "How am I supposed to control something like that?"
Selene's expression didn't soften. "By learning to control yourself first. The void feeds on chaos—fear, anger, doubt. If you can't control your emotions, you'll never control the mark."
Ethan opened his mouth to argue but stopped himself before the words could escape. She's right, he realized. His fear, his panic—it had only made the mark stronger when it awakened.
Selene stepped closer, her eyes locking with his. "Close your eyes."
"What?"
"Close. Your. Eyes."
Ethan did as she said, heart pounding harder in the darkness behind his eyelids.
"Focus on your breath," Selene instructed. "Inhale slowly. Hold. Exhale."
Ethan forced himself to follow her rhythm, though the hum of power beneath his skin made it difficult to concentrate.
"Now," Selene continued, her voice calm but firm, "reach for the mark. Don't fight it—just... acknowledge it. Feel where it rests beneath your skin, like a second heartbeat."
A shudder ran through Ethan's body as he did what she asked. The heat that had nearly consumed him before stirred faintly beneath his chest—a distant ember, not yet awake but still there, waiting.
"Good," Selene said, her voice softer now. "Now, imagine a thread of silver light running between the mark and your heart. This thread is your control—it's the boundary that keeps the void at bay. Can you see it?"
Ethan frowned, sweat beginning to gather on his brow. The ember within him pulsed faintly, as though aware of his attention. "I... I think so. It's faint, but—"
"Hold it steady. Don't let it slip."
Ethan's pulse quickened as the ember stirred again, pushing faintly against the silver thread in his mind. His breathing hitched. "It's... trying to break through—"
"Focus." Selene's voice cut through the rising tension. "Don't force it down—guide it. Let the power flow, but only along the path you choose."
Ethan clenched his fists, sweat trailing down his back as the heat pushed harder against the thread of control he held in his mind. The silver light wavered, flickering dangerously as the ember's pulse grew stronger.
"I—I can't—"
"Yes, you can," Selene snapped. "The void is not stronger than you. It can only take what you give it. Don't give it anything."
Gritting his teeth, Ethan forced himself to breathe slower, deeper. He focused every ounce of his will on holding the silver thread steady, refusing to let the ember push past it. The heat writhed beneath his skin, but little by little, its pressure began to lessen... until at last, the ember faded back into dormancy.
Ethan's eyes flew open as he staggered back, gasping for breath. The air around him felt colder than before, as though the warmth of the void had leeched away even the heat of his own body.
Selene stepped forward, her eyes scanning his face with unreadable intensity. "You did better than I expected," she said at last.
"Better?" Ethan laughed breathlessly, wiping sweat from his brow. "That felt like trying to hold back a wildfire with my bare hands."
Selene's lips curved faintly—not a smile, but something close. "It will get easier. But remember—losing control even once could cost you everything."
Ethan took another shaky breath and forced himself to stand straighter. "Then I'll just have to make sure I don't lose control."
Selene's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. Then she turned away, the faint whisper of shadows trailing her footsteps as she moved toward the chamber's exit.
"Rest for now," she said without looking back. "Your next lesson begins at dawn."
Ethan stood alone on the platform, the faint hum of the runes beneath his feet still echoing through his bones. Despite the exhaustion pulling at his limbs, one thought burned clear and steady in his mind:
I will survive this.