The forest was silent, with only a slight breeze rustling through the leaves. Small pearls of morning dew moistened the damp grass and refracted the dim light of the sun piercing through the canopy, which was slowly drying under its warmth.

  A pack of wolves stood near a small pond, a smell of iron wafting from it, coming from the slight streaks of red that had yet to dissolve within. However, those wolves ignored it, opting for an even more appetizing prey.

  A large wolf, easily twice the size of the others, with teeth as sharp as a knife and piercing eyes, slowly approached the body lying on the wet ground, blood soaked into the fabric. A single scar ran the length of its face down to its muzzle, bisecting the empty orbit of one of its eyes. Despite the meal before him, the wolf remained cautious, advancing a single step at a time, ready to pounce.

  It now stood before the seemingly lifeless body, yet its nose told it otherwise. It could feel the slight breath coming out of the body's slowly moving chest, almost imperceptible to the human eye, yet the wolf's sensitive ears picked up on the subtle motion.

  When it opened its large maw, rows of sharpened teeth shone under the sunlight. Just as it was about to leap, snapping its teeth down into the body's neck and severing the slow pulsing arteries, it abruptly stopped, hair raised upon its back, muscles tensed.

  It felt something was wrong, yet couldn't pinpoint it. The best it could do was to jump backwards, avoiding a strong gale that blew through where it was but a moment ago. The wind was sharp and deadly, laced with a murderous intent, yet confined to a small area around the body.

  The wolf's eyes narrowed as his agile feet touched the ground after its leap. Head down, as a low growl released from its mouth, the wolf faced its invisible foe as it glanced backwards, eyeing the few smaller wolves standing a short distance away, hidden by the tall grass underneath towering trees.

  Two were slightly smaller than it was, female in their nature, while three cubs followed after them. They were by no means thin. In fact, they all could be seen as rather plump, especially one of the females. Her abdomen was bulging. She rested on the ground, her gaze fixed on the large wolf, with confidence in her eyes, while the other female stood before her, her teeth clenched but showing. A low growl, almost silent, spread throughout the surroundings.

  Another gale blew, sharpened blades of wind striking at the wolf, yet it leapt once again, avoiding it all. All that remained were severed blades of grass and dead fur dancing in the wind as the wolf touched the ground once again, even further away from the body lying on its stomach, immobile.

  With one last growl of frustration, the large wolf backed up, keeping its eyes on the wind’s origins even as they all disappeared behind the tall grass, leaving nothing but a slight bestial scent and a long howl that resonated throughout the forest.

  Once silence returned, a green outline descended from the sky, down from the canopy of leaves, only to hover over the body, caressing every inch of its skin with its wind. Although its features were undefined, one could feel a shift in the wind, changing from bloodthirsty to concerned, then to relief and finally playful.

  Another strong gale blew near the pond, but this time, its sharpness was contained in a single area. It cut the nearby flowers, flooding the world with an herbal scent that lingered for a while, creating a soothing environment that masked the scent of blood and iron that hung over it all.

  “Major! There was a mana fluctuation in the south-east. I think we are getting closer!”

  Despite its feminine nature, the voice was sharp, cutting through the newfound peacefulness like a knife through a morsel of meat. Fearing its discovery, the green outline offered a last glance at the unconscious body collapsed onto the muddy soil before dissipating into the wind, only leaving behind its signature playful laughter.

  A small woman emerged from the overgrown vegetation surrounding the isolated pond, wielding a long, sharp blade resembling a machete. She swung it back and forth, cutting a path through the tall grass as her heavy boots sunk into the wet soil, creating deep imprints within.

  She was short but stout, but none was from excess fat. In fact, not even her thick military uniform could keep her muscles from bulging out. Her hair was black, falling just below her ears, yet was slightly unkempt, marred with dirt and sweat from a few days of rummaging throughout this forest.

  Her cheeks were slightly sunken, and deep black bags hung under her eyes, yet she planted each step into the ground with uncanny force and vigour as if exhaustion were but a concept she could ignore at will.

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  Cutting through the last of the vegetation hindering her view, she finally stumbled upon Ethan's body. Yet, instead of feeling relief at the thought of her quest finally ending, she couldn't help but frantically rush to his side, dropping to her knees. She didn't even bother with the mud staining her already dirty black and white uniform as she pressed a single hand to his neck.

  Only when she felt the weak pulse hidden within did she finally let out a sigh of relief, yet such relief was short-lived, for Ethan's state was less than encouraging—at least externally. Although hidden by patches of dried-up mud and dirt, she could clearly see the rip and tears of his robes and a large piece missing from it attached to his arms. It was soaked in red, as were the numerous red stains scattered throughout. From the amount of blood alone, she could barely believe he still drew breath.

  “Corporal! Report!”

  Another female voice cut through the lingering wind, shattering the silence. Although it possessed the same sharpness, the two were barely in the same realm. It was as if comparing a legendary sword with a butter knife. In fact, the short-haired woman felt a shiver down her spine as her hair stood on end despite this being but a casual demand. She could scarcely believe what would be the result were she to have been that woman’s enemy.

  "Over here, Major! We've found him, and thankfully, he still draws breath! However, his condition seemed critical. He's lost a lot of blood and seems dehydrated."

  Ethan's skin was indeed dry, and his lips were chapped. He had baked under the sun, unconscious for at least two days. Thankfully, the thick canopy of leaves overhead bore the brunt of it, yet his situation wasn't optimistic. Even a day later, the short-haired woman wouldn't have known whether he could have survived. Even now, she couldn't see how he could.

  Less than a moment later, following the same trail, two other women emerged to be faced with Ethan's unconscious body. One was tall, sporting the same military uniform as the short-haired woman, yet much more luxurious and decorated. But despite it all, it paled to the beauty of her face. This was his sister, Gloria Lancaster. Surprisingly, there was no relief in her eyes at the sight of Ethan, just a sharp intent directed at the countless beasts eyeing the scene from afar.

  Despite its earlier encounter, the wolf and its mates had remained just out of reach, able to pounce once again were they to be given the chance. However, such a chance never came as they were soon struck with Gloria’s bloodthirsty intent.

  Small rodents and many birds emerged from the thick foliage before scattering to all corners of the forest, leaving the cacophony of their departure behind. Despite it all, the wolf remained stationary, eyeing the meal it had left behind. Soon, it felt overwhelmed by Gloria's presence. It reluctantly chose to leave with its mate and offspring, not before engraving Gloria's features in its mind.

  “Something wrong?” another woman by her side said, looking confused.

  Unlike Gloria, this woman was much colder. She didn't even bat an eye at Ethan's collapsed body; she merely glanced at it to acknowledge its state. This was Elizabeth, Ethan's former fiancee, wearing her usual school uniform. It remained pristine despite how deep into the forest they were. But upon closer look, one could see a thin film of ice covering the fabric, which fell like snow every time dust or dirt fell upon it.

  “It’s nothing,” Gloria said, yet her gaze didn’t leave the departing wolf, even narrowing further at the sight. “It was right to come to you. Without your input, it would have taken much longer to find him. How did you even know about this place?”

  Once she ensured the wolf was finally gone, Gloria turned to face Beth, her gaze finally softening as if looking at an old friend. Beth gazed slightly at the reddish pond behind Ethan, remembering the night they encountered themselves in its vicinity.

  Elizabeth related everything she knew, leaving no detail uncovered as Gloria merely listened silently while she went to check on her brother. She had many questions about what he was doing in the forest in the middle of the night, yet none of it mattered. All she could think about was that he lived still, but she also thought of the strange report from the Academy's guards. She couldn't help but think the peculiar phenomenon they described was somehow involved with Ethan.

  Unaware of all that was happening, Ethan remained trapped in his mind, gaze fixed on the two symbols slowly melding into each other. He had long lost track of time, only watching the minute changes to be found within, trying to understand the intricacies.

  However, this quest was mainly futile. It was like trying to decipher a foreign language with only a half-destroyed text as a reference. No matter how many times he tried, he only hit a dead-end. This new concept was much more complex than anything he had ever witnessed. He almost had a headache merely gazing at it.

  The two symbols had long stopped fusing into each other; only a third seemed to have done so, yet it seemed far from stable as if an unknown force blocked the process. The longer they stood in place, unable to advance, the more they threatened to shake themselves apart, returning to the two distinct concepts. Only when Ethan fixated on the whole, seeking the essence of what it could be, did it stabilize, if only temporarily. It was almost as if trying to understand was what kept them together.

  Unfortunately, the strain of it all soon mounted, shattering Ethan's concentration as time passed. Slowly, the two characters separated, returning to what they were before, separate but whole.

  The black character was something new, the blending of shadows. Ethan now had an almost thorough understanding of its meaning, possibly enabling him to use the same power the young boy once possessed with some practice.

  On the other hand, the white character had changed slightly; some parts he didn't recognize. He believed this was the reason the two characters were unable to meld. As long as his knowledge remained something he didn't acquire himself, he would never be able to unlock the depths of their possibilities.

  Once the two characters were entirely separate, they exploded into countless lights before being reformed into two rings, each possessing their own characters inscribed on their surface. However, something differed with one of them. A single obscure character had been added to the white band, glowing slightly dimmer than the more prominent one.

  Just as he wished to observe the change, the two black and white rings picked up speed before ramming Ethan in the chest, passing right through his exposed ribs, stopping where his heart should have been. Mere moments later, a mass of flesh grew in the centre of those rings, transforming into a bloody heart.

  Veins and arteries sprouted from the mass, travelling to every part of his body. Blood sprouted from his bones, scattering through this newborn network and fuelling this regenerative process. New organs and flesh sprouted from the void in mere seconds, nourished by this flow. Muscles grew anew, more perfect than before, and then skin enveloped them all.

  The process brought him no pain. In fact, he felt a slight soothing warmth, allowing him to almost forget his earlier agony. In less than a minute, he had returned to his optimal state, armed with the knowledge of this new form of shadow magic. If pain was the price of gaining access to this new realm of power, Ethan was more than willing to pay it. Still, much of it remained uncovered; many more mysteries were waiting for him to unveil.

  With this trip within the void of his own mind over with, Ethan finally opened his eyes.