The Neo-Demon continued his training. Each day followed the same rhythm: he would walk as far as he could across the blazing surface, stop, endure the crushing pressure for several minutes, retreat, rest for an hour, then begin again.
It was monotonous, tedious, and exhausting, but with every endeavor, he managed to walk a little farther into the Fifth Ring. Each time, the movement of the Light of the Flow grew more natural within him. He was coming closer and closer to the point where it would become a function like breathing or blinking, an innate rhythm of body and soul.
Meanwhile, Meylin and the others split their focus between attuning themselves to the Flow's Fifth Aspect and observing Cain's progress. The teachings engraved into the structure of the Fifth Ring were profound, demanding total mental surrender and harmony.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years.
