Ray sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor of their shelter, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees. His breath came slow and steady, but his mind was anything but calm. He had spent months fighting, bleeding, and surviving—but this was different. This was something he couldn’t brute-force his way through.

  Alkan sat across from him, his posture relaxed but his expression sharp. Though his body was still weakened, his presence remained steady, unwavering. He had spent the past month retraining himself to move without sight, learning how to use his ability without relying on his lost vision. And now, he was here to guide Ray through the final step.

  “Close your eyes,” Alkan instructed. “Forget the world around you. Focus inward.”

  Ray exhaled, pushing aside the lingering exhaustion from the day's hunt. He had done this countless times before, trying to sense the soul essence inside him. For weeks, it had been nothing but frustration, like reaching for something that wasn’t there. But after absorbing over a hundred soul fragments, something had finally changed.

  He could feel it.

  It wasn’t much, just the faintest sensation—like a ripple through his veins, a flicker of warmth beneath his skin. But it was there. And that meant he could learn to control it.

  “Don’t force it,” Alkan said, his voice low. “You can’t command soul essence like you do your limbs. It’s not muscle or bone—it’s something deeper, something tied to your very existence.”

  Ray nodded slightly, focusing on that flicker of warmth. He let his mind drift, trying to follow the sensation. It moved sluggishly, unfocused, like scattered embers in the wind. Every time he tried to grasp it, it slipped away.

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  Frustration crept in.

  He grit his teeth, trying harder, forcing himself to concentrate. But the more he pushed, the more it faded.

  Alkan sighed. “You’re thinking about it too much. That’s your problem.”

  Ray opened his eyes, frowning. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  Alkan smirked, shaking his head. “Stop trying to control it. You’re not the master of your soul essence yet—you’re just someone trying to listen to it.”

  Ray’s frown deepened, but he shut his eyes again.

  'Listen to it.'

  He forced himself to relax, letting go of his frustration. Instead of trying to grab hold of the essence, he simply let it exist. And slowly—very slowly—he felt it again. That warmth, that ripple.

  For the first time, he didn’t try to control it. He simply let it flow.

  Minutes passed. Maybe hours. He didn’t know. But the longer he remained still, the clearer the sensation became. He could feel it moving through his body, not as a single entity but as countless tiny strands, weaving through him like an unseen river.

  Alkan’s voice broke the silence. “Now, guide it.”

  Ray swallowed, focusing. He didn’t try to force the essence—he nudged it, like coaxing a flame instead of smothering it. It was sluggish, uncooperative, but after what felt like an eternity, a single strand of essence moved.

  It was the smallest of shifts, barely anything at all.

  But it was real.

  His eyes snapped open, breath unsteady. Alkan grinned. “There. You felt it, didn’t you?”

  Ray nodded, his heart hammering in his chest. He had done it—he had actually moved his soul essence.

  Alkan leaned back, stretching his sore limbs. “Good. Now do it again. And again. And again. Until you can move it at will.”

  Ray stared at him. “That’s it? Just… keep doing this?”

  Alkan chuckled. “Did you think it was going to be easy? You have to guide your soul essence throughout your entire body before you can even start gathering it. It will take time.”

  Ray sighed, rubbing his temples. “How long are we talking?”

  Alkan shrugged. “Weeks. Months. It depends on how quickly you learn.”

  Ray clenched his fists. He had expected difficulty—but not this. Still, there was no other choice. He had already come this far.

  “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll do it.”

  Alkan smirked. “That’s the spirit.”

  Ray took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more. The road

  ahead was long. But for the first time, he could truly see it.