Rain woke up, his head still spinning from the sudden change of view. As he opened his eyes, he saw essence all around him, glowing a vibrant white. He could only stare in wonder, captivated by the sight.

  His admiration, however, was cut short when the sharp stench of blood filled his nose.

  He analyzed his body, feeling the dried, sticky sensation clinging to his skin.

  ‘I almost forgot—I’m still covered in wolf blood. I should get cleaned up.’

  As he stood up, he looked ahead and saw the entire group gazing at him, their eyes filled with curiosity.

  Emily scoffed, crossing her arms. "Not better than me, but that doesn't matter."

  Diego smiled, waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, Ms. Four Hours, let the kid have his moment to shine."

  Emily could only chuckle.

  The group was eager to jump into the conversation, their eyes filled with curiosity. How did it feel? What happened? What did you see? These questions burned in their minds, and they were ready to bombard Rain with them.

  One had finally built up the courage to ask. It was Grayson. "What happened while you were sleeping?"

  With that one question, the dam broke. The others chimed in, drowning Rain in a flood of eager voices.

  The group bombarded Rain with questions:

  "What did it feel like?"

  "Did you see anything strange?"

  "Was it painful?"

  "How did you break through?"

  "Could you hear anything?"

  "Did you see the essence?"

  "Do you feel any different now?"

  "Can you use essence already?"

  "Was it scary?"

  The curiosity in their eyes was undeniable—they all wanted to know what it was like to step into the world of an Essence Whisperer.

  Rain didn't know where to start. Every time he tried to recall what had happened and form an answer, another question would cut in, overwhelming him.

  Diego’s voice cut through the chatter. "Let him clean himself up first before bombarding him with questions."

  Rain took a step toward the spring but hesitated. The eager eyes of the group bore into him, their curiosity practically tangible. He let out a sigh before turning back.

  "No, it's alright, Captain. I can tell them what happened."

  Rain sat down, the group's eyes locked onto him, anticipation thick in the air.

  "Alright," he said, his voice steady. "I'll only tell this once, so listen closely."

  He took a deep breath before continuing. "When I entered my inner realm, at first, it was nothing but utter darkness, but—"

  The group hung onto his every word, their expressions filled with curiosity, wonder, and even a hint of jealousy. Some leaned in, eager to catch every detail, while others exchanged gnces, their minds racing with the possibilities of what Rain had experienced.

  "My inner realm began to crack, and everything was swallowed by darkness. Just before my vision faded completely, I heard my inner self say that we would meet again. Then, I woke up," Rain said, finishing his story.

  As Rain finished his story, a hush fell over the group. For a moment, no one spoke, each person absorbing the weight of his words.

  Some sat in quiet awe, their minds racing as they tried to picture the vast glowing ocean, the endless sky filled with stars, and the towering moon that he described. A few exchanged gnces, their expressions a mix of curiosity and envy—this was something only a rare few would ever experience, and Rain had just become one of them.

  Grayson leaned forward, rubbing his chin. "A wisp that called itself your inner self…? That’s wild." His voice was tinged with fascination.

  A younger member of the group muttered under his breath, "So that’s what happens when you awaken…" His eyes burned with longing, as if imagining himself in Rain’s pce.

  Emily, sitting with her usual composed demeanor, smirked. "Not bad, Rain. At least you didn’t come back crying about how scary the darkness was." Though teasing, her tone held a hint of approval.

  Diego remarked, "So, you already know how to use Essence." He then added, "Get cleaned up—we'll begin training in an hour. The rest of you, get ready as well. The opportunity the Forest of Vitality has given us is an opportunity we can't afford to waste."

  The group scattered at Diego's command, each member moving with purpose. Some checked their weapons, ensuring their bdes were sharp and their bows strung tight. Others stretched and warmed up, rolling their shoulders and testing their agility. A few sat cross-legged, closing their eyes in quiet focus, preparing their minds just as much as their bodies.

  Despite the casual chatter and the rustling of gear, there was an unspoken intensity in the air. The Spring of Vitality had revitalized them, and with Rain's awakening fresh in their minds, everyone was eager to push themselves further. This was an opportunity they couldn’t afford to waste.

  Rain watched as the crowd around him gradually dispersed, their excited murmurs fading into the background. He let out a sigh, rolling his shoulders as he stood. The weight of their curiosity still lingered in his mind, but at least the flood of questions had subsided.

  Looking down at himself, he grimaced at the dried wolf blood clinging to his skin. The stench was unbearable. With a shake of his head, he muttered, "Now that that's done, I should get myself cleaned up."

  Without wasting another moment, he turned toward the Spring of Vitality, eager to rid himself of the sticky, congealed mess covering his body.

  Rain grabbed a nearby bucket and dipped it into the Spring of Vitality, watching as the crystal-clear water filled it to the brim. He lifted the heavy bucket and stepped away from the edge, positioning himself a few paces back.

  With a deep breath, he tipped it over his head. The cool water cascaded down, washing away the dried blood in rivulets of red. The thick, caked yers loosened and dissolved, revealing his skin beneath. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the grime disappear as the st of the blood was carried away.

  Rain was a bit surprised at how quickly the blood washed away. It seemed the spring water had cleansing properties as well. He ran a hand over his skin, feeling no trace of the dried blood. "Guess this water really is special," he muttered to himself.

  Letting out a relieved sigh, Rain shook his head, droplets flying in all directions. "Much better," he muttered, rolling his shoulders as the st remnants of the ritual were cleansed from his body.

  Rain walked back to the spot where the ritual had taken pce and picked up his clothes. Now clean, he quickly put them back on, adjusting them as he prepared for the training ahead.

  Rain gnced at the sky, noting the time. ‘Still more than half an hour before training… I should use this time to practice handling essence.'

  Rain sat down cross-legged, taking a deep breath as he focused inward. He could still see the faint traces of essence lingering in the air around him, like shimmering dust caught in the sunlight.

  'Alright... Just like the wisp said,' he thought, recalling the lesson. 'Tilt the bucket, guide the flow.'

  He concentrated, trying to gather essence into his palm. At first, it was sluggish, like water refusing to pour. But as he steadied his breathing and sharpened his focus, the essence slowly began to respond.

  As Rain focused, he wondered, ‘How can I shape this into a spell like Emily?’

  Lost in thought, his concentration slipped for a moment. The gathered essence in his palm shot forward, striking the tree in front of him.

  A small dent formed in the bark, but before he could even process what happened, the tree healed itself, erasing any trace of the impact.

  Rain focused, experimenting with different ways to gather essence into his palm, trying to shape it into something recognizable. But no matter what he did, nothing worked.

  In the distance, the sound of approaching footsteps broke his concentration. He recognized them instantly—Diego.

  By the time Rain opened his eyes, Diego was already standing in front of him, a slight smirk on his face.

  "Are you trying to copy Emily?" Diego remarked.

  Rain didn’t respond.

  That was all the answer Diego needed. He let out a short chuckle before saying, "I'll have Emily teach you ter, but for now, you're training with me. Get up and get ready—we’re starting soon."

  Rain gnced up at the sky and thought to himself, ‘More than half an hour already?'

  With a sigh, he looked back at Diego. "Yeah, yeah, I’ll get ready."