Dawn broke over the forest in ripples of gold and red, sunlight catching the lingering smoke from last night's explosion. Birds were silent. Even the insects seemed to give the clearing a wide berth.
Aren stood shirtless near the charred remains of a tree, arms outstretched, palms trembling. Red heat shimmered across his skin — faint, uncontrolled, and dangerous.
"Too much," Mira warned from a nearby rock. "You're channeling more Qi than your body can handle."
Aren grit his teeth. "If I slow down, the cycle breaks."
"And if you burn out, you'll be nothing but ash."
He exhaled sharply, trying to release the pressure. Fire flared around him, wild and uneven. A wave of heat rolled across the clearing, setting grass aflame.
"Stop!" Mira hissed, leaping to his shoulder. She slapped his forehead with her tail, and the flames winked out like a snuffed candle. "You're trying to control fire by fighting it. Foolish. Fire must be guided, not resisted."
Aren sank to one knee, panting. Sweat ran down his chest. "Then how?"
"Remember what you felt when the pendant saved you — the moment between burning and peace. That's the balance you need."
He took a deep breath. "Show me."
Mira's eyes glowed gold. "Watch."
The air around her rippled, and a small flame bloomed at the tip of her tail. It danced gracefully, perfect and contained, burning without consuming. "Fire isn't destruction," she said softly. "It's transformation. Feed it too much, and it devours. Feed it too little, and it dies."
Aren stared at the flame, entranced. "So I have to… listen to it?"
Mira's grin returned. "Exactly. Fire is a conversation, not a battle."
He nodded slowly, sat back into stance, and began again.
This time, he didn't force the Qi. He breathed in, let it flow. The heat gathered in his core, rising through his meridians, gentle at first — then steady. When he exhaled, faint red vapor escaped his mouth, forming spirals of light.
Mira's tail flicked approvingly. "Good. Keep that pace. That's the Ember Cycle."
The morning passed in rhythm. Inhale. Exhale. Heat. Calm.
Bit by bit, the wild energy inside Aren began to obey. The air around him shimmered with waves of warmth, but it no longer burned him.
By noon, a soft glow pulsed along his forearms — a visible current of Qi. He opened his eyes, and for the first time since the mines, his body didn't ache.
He smiled faintly. "I think I'm getting it."
"Barely," Mira said, but her tone carried pride. "You've refined the first stage of the Ember Cycle. Your Qi is stable enough to condense. Next, we strengthen your channels."
Aren blinked. "By doing what?"
"Painful things."
"Of course."
She hopped down, pawing through the ash until she unearthed a small, gray stone that shimmered faintly with silver veins. "A Qi Crystal. A weak one, but it'll do."
Aren took it carefully. It pulsed with faint warmth. "So this is what the miners died for."
"Indeed. Condensed energy of the world itself." Mira's tone grew solemn. "Place it near your dantian and let it dissolve through your breath. It'll accelerate your absorption — but your cursed channels will resist."
Aren sat again, crystal between his palms. He began the cycle, breathing deep.
At first, nothing. Then the stone cracked, releasing streams of white light that spiraled into his chest. Power surged through him — too fast, too strong.
Pain ripped through his nerves. The world blurred.
"Steady!" Mira barked. "Balance it!"
He focused, sweat pouring down his face. The Qi tore at him like claws. His vision darkened — then stabilized. The fire found a path, merging with his internal flame.
A click echoed in his body. Another meridian opened.
Light flared briefly beneath his skin, outlining his ribs in red fire.
Then silence.
He gasped, lungs burning, but alive.
Mira blinked. "You opened a third one already? Reckless idiot."
He managed a shaky grin. "Reckless works."
Thunder boomed faintly in the distance. Both froze.
Mira's fur bristled. "Heaven's watching again."
Aren looked up at the swirling clouds. "Let them."
"You don't understand," she hissed. "That reaction means something's coming. Each breakthrough feeds your curse."
He rose slowly, flexing his fingers. "Then it can come. I'm done hiding."
Mira stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. If you insist on courting death, you'll need to be faster."
She leapt back onto the rock. "We'll continue tonight. I'll teach you to move with Qi — not just channel it."
"Move with it?"
"Think of fire again," she said. "It spreads wherever there's fuel. You must learn to move like it does. No hesitation, no fear. If you falter, the fire dies."
Aren nodded. "Then I won't falter."
"Good," she said, eyes gleaming. "Because the Heavens never tire."
Later that night
The moon was full, silver light spilling through drifting clouds. The forest around their clearing was too quiet. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Mira's ears flicked. "They're here."
Aren tensed. "They?"
"Your first hunters," she murmured. "Heaven's little reminder that you don't belong."
From the darkness beyond the trees came a low growl — deep, resonant, unnatural. Two red eyes glowed in the shadows. Then a massive shape stepped forward: a wolf-like creature, its body wrapped in black mist, claws trailing sparks across the soil.
Mira hissed softly. "A Condemned Beast. Rank Two. Fast and vicious. Perfect test."
Aren swallowed hard. "And if I fail?"
"Then you die, and I leave your ashes where they fall."
He glanced at her, saw the faint smile on her feline face, and couldn't help but laugh. "Encouraging as ever."
"Fight, boy," she said simply.
The beast lunged.
Aren's instincts took over. He dropped low, Qi flooding his limbs. Heat surged down his arms, fire erupting from his palms. He struck the creature's side; it screamed as flames ate through the black mist.
But it didn't stop. It turned, claws slicing through the air, catching his shoulder. Blood sprayed.
He stumbled back, pain flaring. The fire around his hands flickered.
"Focus!" Mira's voice cut through the panic. "Flow, not force!"
He inhaled sharply, centered himself, and let the Qi move freely. The flame responded, wrapping his arms in crimson light. When the beast lunged again, he sidestepped, pivoted, and slammed both palms into its chest.
A column of fire erupted skyward, engulfing them both.
When the light faded, the creature was gone — only ashes remained.
Aren collapsed to his knees, trembling. Mira padded over, her golden eyes warm. "Not bad for a cursed mortal."
He smiled weakly. "It tried to kill me."
"It will always try." She looked at the empty air above them, where faint threads of lightning flickered. "Heaven never forgives rebellion."
He stared at the ashes, chest heaving. "Then I'll keep burning until it does."