When Kieren returned to the clearing, he heard a sound as if an armored beast was trying to cut down trees. He walked to the other side of the clearing and saw Rash striking a tree trunk with his hands, which were clad in claws. Beside him, on the ground, lay another tree trunk—and next to it, the small axe that had been hanging on the wall.

  "I appreciate the redesign you've done for my little clearing," Kieren said coldly, "but I prefer my training axe exactly where I left it."

  Rash turned quickly and said:

  "Sorry... I tried to take one of the other axes, but I couldn't move them. So I took this one... but I could barely move it either, so I used my claws instead."

  "You are clearly manipulating matter," Kieren remarked, "and it even seems you have some talent for it. Why didn't you just temporarily strengthen yourself and take one of the other axes?"

  He raised an eyebrow and continued:

  "And if you already took the training axe, why not use it properly?"

  Rash looked at him with a confused expression and said:

  "With all due respect, I have no idea what you're talking about. What is manipulating matter? How do I strengthen myself? And how do you use a training axe that I can barely lift?"

  Now it was Kieren's turn to look surprised. He pointed at Rash’s hands, which were still covered in scales and claws.

  "How do you do that—and you don't know what energy manipulation is? Or how are you able to heal without knowing how to strengthen yourself? Have you even studied the art of Sylarin?"

  "Sylarin? I’ve never heard of it. What I do is called Spectira," Rash replied.

  "Spectira? What is that?" Kieren asked in astonishment. "You are clearly using Sylarin!"

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  He paused, raised a hand, and said firmly:

  "Wait, stop. I need you to explain everything you know about your 'Spectira'."

  Rash nodded, took a deep breath, and began to explain:

  "Because I am a commoner, they never explained everything to me... but luckily, there was a noblewoman who, while I was serving her, taught me the basics. It goes like this—there is an energy in all of us called Spectira. Without it, we are just animals. Everyone has a different amount (and of course, nobles have much more). When a person has enough energy, they experience an Awakening—due to stress or great effort—and then they can do amazing things.

  But... the Awakening, as amazing as it is, is also very dangerous. If you don't control it, it burns all the energy and turns us into mindless beasts. Therefore, immediately afterward, we are sent to one of the five Holy Kings—and he grants us some kind of 'Gift' (an ability). If we have a lot of energy, we receive two different gifts."

  Rash paused for a moment to catch his breath and noticed that Kieren looked agitated, and the air around them had grown heavier and darker.

  "Is everything okay?" Rash asked.

  "Everything is excellent. Please continue," Kieren hissed back with a metallic coldness.

  Rash nodded and continued:

  "Right... so, the Gifts are divided into five groups, according to the different empires:

  Aurantis: Enhanced senses, increased physical strength, and the like.

  Elementis: Control over the elements.

  Valderis: Camouflage, telekinesis, and creating portals.

  Fangmor: Animal control, shapeshifting, and healing.

  Cryolis: Control over light, illusions, and creation.

  And that’s... pretty much what I know."

  Kieren stood there now, looking as if he was about to explode with rage, and then hissed:

  "Bebuso..."

  "Are you sure everything is okay?" Rash asked, worried.

  "Everything is perfect," Kieren replied with a frozen gaze.

  He took a step forward and said in a command tone:

  "I want you to listen to me carefully—and do exactly what I say. Is that clear?!"

  Rash nodded, too tense to utter a word.

  "I want you to take the training axe, try to lift it, and use it to chop the tree you started cutting."

  Rash lifted the axe with great effort, trying to swing it to strike the tree—but he barely succeeded. Kieren placed his hand on Rash’s back.

  Suddenly, Rash felt as if a foreign energy was entering him—and then, as if a dormant beast within him had awakened at once, pushing the energy out in a massive explosion.

  Rash flew through the air, but Kieren caught him and set him back on his feet.

  "I apologize in advance," Kieren said coldly, "but this is going to hurt like nothing you’ve ever felt in your life."

  And then, Rash felt a sharp shadow arm drive directly into his head—and everything went black