Alita and Oni stared at Cain, uncertain what he would do. The young man stood motionless, his expression unreadable. He gazed down through the mirrored floor, watching the soul-forged soldiers and the trembling villagers beyond them.
Neither Alita nor Oni dared to speak. They knew better than to interrupt him when he was listening to the world, to the Flow, to something deeper that only he seemed to hear.
Yet that didn't mean they simply waited.
Sharpening their focus, both cultivators reached out with their senses, forming mental bridges with their own soul-forged soldiers. Through the connection, they could feel the soldiers' turmoil: hesitation, guilt, unease.
Alita and Oni each responded differently but with equal resolve.
Oni's aura expanded like a storm, powerful yet measured. He spoke to his soldiers with calm authority, aligning their thoughts, soothing their doubts, and reigniting their purpose.
