Kahel sat on the cool stone floor, the fox curled at his side, its small body rising and falling with each breath. The cave felt hushed, the quiet pressing against his ears, yet the old man's presence filled the space like a silent storm.
For a long moment, Kahel couldn't speak. The ember in his chest pulsed faintly, warm but cautious, as if waiting.
Finally, Kahel found his voice.
"Who are you?" he asked, his words barely more than a whisper.
The man regarded him calmly, eyes dark as ink and just as deep. He sat still, hands resting lightly in his lap, his breath steady and measured.
"I am called Thalen Vos," he said. His voice was low, smooth, and resonant, like the deep chime of a temple bell. "I am... what remains of a cultivator."
Kahel frowned, the word strange on his tongue.
"Cultivator?" he echoed, unsure.
Thalen's eyes glinted, a flicker of something behind the calm.
"Cultivation is the path of rising above weakness," he said. "It is the art of tempering the body, the mind, and the soul. It is the forging of the self against the laws of the world."
He gestured, slow and deliberate, to the shelves lined with scrolls, jars, and strange talismans.
"It is the way of those who seek to transcend their mortal limits."
Kahel sat in silence, absorbing the words. The ember pulsed, steady but eager.
"Is that... what I did?" he asked hesitantly, thinking of the flame, the wolf, the strange power inside him.
Thalen's gaze sharpened, but his tone remained even.
"You touched the flame," he said, as if Kahel were a boy who had accidentally struck flint and spark. "But you do not yet understand it."
Kahel clenched his fists.
"I want to learn," he said, voice low and firm.
A long pause.
Thalen tilted his head slightly, studying him.
"You are young, fifteen at most, I would guess," he said.
Kahel nodded.
"And yet you stand here, bearing the ember of something far beyond your station," Thalen continued. His gaze drifted to the fox, curled at Kahel's side, its eyes half-lidded but alert. A faint hum of energy seemed to shimmer in the air around it.
"That creature is not what it appears to be," Thalen said, his voice quieter now, almost thoughtful. "It is no ordinary fox."
Kahel frowned, looking down at the small, reddish shape pressed against him.
Thalen's voice dropped lower, the weight of his words heavy in the air.
"It is a Nine-Tailed Fox, though its power is dormant. It is a beast of legend, a spirit creature that can evolve into a being of immense strength, if it survives long enough to grow."
Kahel's heart raced.
"A... nine-tailed fox?" he repeated, disbelief thick in his voice.
Thalen nodded, the faintest curve of a smile at the corner of his lips.
"That one is young, a cub, barely a spark of what it could become. It has likely been separated from its kin, or perhaps abandoned. A rare creature, and a dangerous one if it awakens."
Kahel's hand brushed the fox's soft fur, a strange sense of connection blooming in his chest. The ember pulsed in response, as if the flame within him recognized the spark within the fox.
"Then... I'll protect him," Kahel said quietly.
Thalen's eyes narrowed slightly, a brief flicker of approval flashing across his features.
"Perhaps," he murmured. Then he sat straighter, his voice firm.
"I should give him a name," he said softly.
The word came to him without effort, as if it had been waiting all along.
"Velka," Kahel whispered.
The fox opened one eye, golden and sharp, and for a heartbeat, Kahel felt the ember inside his chest pulse in response, as if recognizing something in the creature.
Thalen observed them, quiet for a moment. Then he spoke, his voice low and steady.
"You asked about the power inside you."
Kahel straightened, his chest tightening.
"The ember," he said.
Thalen nodded once.
"That energy is dangerous. It is not a simple fire. It is raw, untamed, and if you cannot control it, it will consume you."
The ember stirred faintly at those words, pulsing like a quiet heartbeat in Kahel's chest.
"I don't want it to consume me," Kahel said, his voice steady. "I want to control it. I want to use it."
Thalen's gaze sharpened. There was no hint of softness in his expression, only the weight of expectation.
"Then you must learn the foundation of cultivation."
"I am Thalen Vos, born in the age of war, a cultivator of the Core Formation Realm. I am three hundred and twelve years old, and I have walked the path of flame, steel, and silence longer than you have drawn breath."
His gaze settled on Kahel, sharp and piercing.
"If you wish to learn, I will teach you. But you must understand, this path is not safe. It will test you. It will break you if you are weak. Cultivation is not a gift; it is a furnace, and only those willing to burn will rise from the ashes."
Kahel's breath caught in his throat. The ember in his chest pulsed, steady and strong.
"I'll burn," he said quietly, the words tasting like fire on his tongue.
Thalen nodded once, slow and deliberate.
Kahel leaned forward, listening closely.
"Cultivation is not simply strength. It is the art of forging the self. Your body is the vessel. Your mind is the forge. Your spirit is the fuel. Without these in harmony, power becomes a curse."
Thalen reached into a small pouch and removed a smooth, black stone. Faint lines of gold shimmered across its surface, glowing softly in the dim light.
"This is a Qi Stone. It holds the energy of the world, condensed and pure."
He placed it in Kahel's hand. The stone was warm, its surface pulsing faintly, like a living thing.
"Breathe," Thalen instructed. "Focus on the ember inside you. Feel how it responds to the stone's warmth. Guide the energy. Do not force it."
Kahel closed his eyes, heart racing. He focused on the faint pulse in his chest. The ember stirred, slow and cautious at first, then stronger. It reached for the warmth in the stone, drawing it in like a breath of air into fire.
The energy flowed through him in a faint trickle, subtle but real. His skin tingled, his chest felt warm, and his pulse quickened. It was not easy to hold. His muscles trembled, and sweat formed on his brow.
After what felt like hours, he opened his eyes.
Thalen was watching him, gaze calm but sharp.
"You have taken the first step. That is all. Do not mistake this for power. It is only the beginning."
Kahel nodded, his grip on the Qi Stone tight.
"I understand," he said quietly.
Kahel smiled slightly, his chest tightening with something close to peace.
Thalen spoke once more, his voice cool but firm.
"Your path will be difficult. Power is not given. It is earned, through pain, through loss, through endless trials. The ember inside you is not a gift. It is a weight, and it will burn you if you let it."
Kahel's heart pounded. He met Thalen's gaze, steady and unyielding.
"I'm ready."
Silence filled the cave, the sound of their breathing and the soft flicker of the lanterns the only sound. The ember in Kahel's chest pulsed quietly, waiting for the next spark.