The forest beyond Iridius was denser than Abell expected.

  Western Eudora Forest pressed in on all sides, Tall thick trees with roots clawing up through the dirt, and the constant rustle of things moving. Sunlight barely reached the forest floor, filtering down in scattered beams that shifted with every breeze.

  Abell kept his hand near Genevieve’s blade.

  "Relax," Hugo said without looking back. "No, need to stay on high alert right now. Malignants usually come out at night anyway. "

  "I know, but–"

  "Abell." Hugo glanced over his shoulder, smiling, "Loosen up."

  "I–I’m fine."

  Hugo laughed, "I didn’t know you’d be so scared without Keeko…maybe I should take you back.”

  Abell flashed him a cold glare. “Haha, very funny.” He flinched at a sudden sound, tracking movement that wasn't there.

  Hugo sighed. "First time this far from home, huh, kid?"

  "Yeah."

  "Are you nervous?"

  "No."

  "You don’t need to lie to me."

  Abell scowled but didn't argue. The truth was, his stomach had been in knots since they left Iridius. Everything felt... weird without his mother and the others.

  Hugo slowed his pace, falling into step beside him. "It's normal, you know. Being nervous."

  "I'm not nervous."

  "Right,” Hugo smirked. "Look, it’s normal to feel nervous your first time away from home. I was the same way…The trick is not letting the feelings get to you."

  Abell glanced at him. "Where is your hometown?"

  "I’d rather not talk about that, “Hugo said, with a sheepish smile.” But, if it helps, you remind me of myself when I was younger. So I know you can overcome this."

  "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

  "Did it?"

  Abell thought about it. "...Not really."

  "Eh, I tried." Hugo picked up the pace again. "Now stop looking like you're about to fight every tree we pass. Save your energy for when it matters."

  They walked in awkward silence after that, the forest pressing in around them. Hours slipped by, marked only by the shifting light and the occasional bird call overhead.

  As they walked the finally saw something besides trees, forest, and dirt.

  The road split ahead.

  Two paths diverged at a stone marker, its surface worn smooth by decades of rain and wind. One road stretched to the left, paved with smooth cobblestones, lined with evenly spaced lanterns that gleamed even in daylight. The other veered right, narrow, rutted, little more than packed dirt and exposed roots.

  The hell is this? Two different roads?

  Hugo stopped at the fork and gestured toward the sign.

  "There are two paths to Hallion," he said, nodding toward the marker. "This one—" He pointed to the cobblestone road. "—is called the Via Regalis. It's protected by contracted Luminaries and is only for use by merchants, nobles, and some Luminaries."

  He turned to the dirt path.

  "And this is Via Populi. For everyone else."

  Abell eyed the overgrown trail, then looked back at the pristine road. "Let me guess which one we're taking."

  Hugo's mouth quirked into a smile. "Consider it part of your character building."

  "Of course."

  They took Via Populi.

  For the next hour, the forest closed in tighter. The path was a mess—rutted, washed out, barely holding together. Roots jutted up through the dirt like grasping fingers, and the undergrowth crept in from both sides, threatening to swallow the trail entirely.

  Abell stumbled over a fallen branch and caught himself against a tree. "Damn, what is this? Was it always like this?"

  "No," Hugo said. "Twenty years ago, there was only one main road that connected every major city in Eudora, but priorities changed."

  Abell tripped again, kicking a rock loose. "What does that mean?"

  Hugo glanced back at him. "Sols became important, and having commoners walk along the same path as nobles and merchants was too risky."

  "All for money.. It's like that, huh?"

  "Yeah, it plays a factor in a lot of affairs, sadly," Hugo said, dejectedly

  The trail climbed upward, steep enough that Abell's legs started to burn. When they finally reached a ridge, the forest thinned, and both roads came into view.

  From here, the contrast was apparent.

  Via Regalis cut clean through the trees below, smooth and straight, flanked by guards stationed at regular intervals. A caravan moved along it—three wagons pulled by sturdy horses, loaded with crates and barrels. Two figures rode alongside, cloaks white with gold trimming that caught the sunlight. They sat tall in their saddles, still and alert, untouched by the dirt and heat.

  Abell couldn't see their faces, but something about them reminded him of Hugo.

  Their own path, meanwhile, was cracked and overgrown, sinking back into the brush with no one in sight.

  "See them?" Hugo said, pointing toward the caravan.

  Abell nodded.

  "They’re hired Luminaries," Hugo continued. "Some Luminaries earn more in a week of escorting nobles than a month of hunting Malignants."

  Abell frowned. "But Luminaries are supposed to fight Malignants. Isn’t that the whole point?"

  "That's the idea," Hugo said. "But not reality."

  Abell stared down at the clean road. Then, at the two guards dressed in white.

  Cowards…

  "Come on," Hugo said, turning away from the ridge. "We've got a long way to go."

  They descended from the ridge, the Via Populi growing worse with every step. Abell's boots sank into mud more than once, and branches snagged at his clothes like they were trying to hold him back.

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  Hugo moved through it all effortlessly, barely seeming to notice the obstacles.

  After another hour of silence, Hugo spoke up.

  "So …Abell," he said, not breaking stride. "What do you actually know about Lustrous Orb and Luxes?"

  “I know how to summon my sword."

  "And?"

  “And what? Is there more I need to know?” Abell said.

  Hugo stopped walking and turned to face him. "You gotta be kidding me, Keeko.”

  "Hm?" Abell crossed his arms. "What else is there to know?"

  "Unbelievable." Hugo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your mother never explained any of this to you?"

  "She taught me how to fight."

  "That’s obvious," Hugo shook his head. "Alright. Listen up, I’ll give you the basics."

  Abell shifted his weight, uncomfortable under Hugo's stare.

  "All people have a Lustrous Orb," Hugo said, tapping the right side of his chest, “It's where your Lux and your Luminous energy come from. Everyone has an orb, but not everyone has a Lux.

  "Really? Why?"

  “Honestly, we aren’t sure why that is, but everyone still benefits from having the orb… It’s something like a second heart.

  “A second heart? I don’t get it.” Abell said, frowning.

  "It’s okay, that’s not the point of why I’m telling you this. Hugo paused.

  “When you use your Lux, your energy flails," Hugo said. "There's a difference. Using your orb properly means channeling your energy through your body—arms, legs, wherever you need it. Master that, and your Lux becomes way more effective.

  "Eh, what—?" Abell said.

  "What I’m saying is when you fight, the energy explodes out of you like a firecracker," Hugo said flatly. "Which isn’t bad, but you aren’t in tune with your body or orb."

  Abell opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He couldn't exactly deny it.

  "When you fight," Hugo continued, "you're supposed to feel the orb in your chest. Pull the energy from it, guide it where you need it. You understand?"

  "I think so?" Abell tilted his head.

  "You'd better. Because when you face a Malignant, you don't just swing harder and hope for the best. You target their orb. That's their core, their weakness. Hit that, and they go down."

  "I know that part," Abell muttered.

  "Do you?" Hugo raised an eyebrow. "Because from what I saw back in Iridius, you were more interested in hitting them anywhere you could reach."

  Abell scowled. "I killed them, didn't I?"

  "Through sheer luck and brute force," Hugo said. "But luck runs out, kid. And brute force only gets you so far."

  Hugo's eyes flicked to the trees.

  "Speaking of which," he said, his tone shifting. "You're about to get a practical lesson."

  "What do you—"

  The rustling started low, a faint scrape of claws on bark.

  Then it grew louder.

  Abell's hand went stiff.

  Hugo didn't move. He just stood there, watching the trees with that same calm expression he always wore.

  "Relax and watch me," Hugo said quietly. "And remember what I just told you."

  Something massive stepped out from between the trees.

  The forest around them went quiet.

  Then suddenly, a Malignant emerged from the shadows between the trees, easily six feet tall on two legs. Thick limbs wrapped in dark, matted fur. And covering its face, a cracked white skull mask, eye sockets glowing faint red.

  Through gaps in its chest, between the fur—a pulsing magenta orb.

  “Geez, another Grade-B? I know your buddy rounded up a lot of you guys, but still.” Hugo said.

  He let out a deep breath. A faint yellow light emanated around his body —barely visible beneath his shirt.

  The Lustrous Orb was channeling energy through his body.

  Down Hugo's right arm like water following a stream, gathering in his fist until it shone with concentrated energy.

  The Malignant charged—deceptively fast for something so heavy, closing the distance in three powerful strides.

  Hugo stepped forward and threw a punch.

  His glowing fist met the creature's massive claw.

  The impact echoed through the forest like thunder.

  The Malignant staggered back, its weight leaving deep gouges in the dirt as it tried to catch itself. It snarled—a distorted, rattling sound from behind the mask.

  "See that?" Hugo called back, not taking his eyes off the creature. "My energy flows to one arm. Concentrated to a single point. No wasted power."

  The Malignant recovered faster than expected—agile despite its bulk—and lunged from the side with claws extended.

  Hugo’s changed his stance. The glow faded from his right arm, reappeared instantly in his legs. He sidestepped the strike, then the light moved again—up to his left fist this time.

  A clean counter punch connected with the Malignant's shoulder, sending it stumbling.

  "See, this is called Resonance," Hugo said, voice steady even mid-combat. "You move the energy where you need it. Arms, legs, wherever. This is something that even Non-Lux users can do."

  The creature recovered again, circling now. Its red eyes tracked Hugo's movements.

  Then it lunged—full commitment, both claws slashing toward Hugo's chest in a pincer attack.

  Hugo didn't move.

  Not until the last possible second.

  His legs lit up—not with the steady glow from before, but bright, concentrated, almost blinding yellow light.

  Abell barely saw it. One moment, Hugo was in front of him. The next, the was behind the Malignant, three meters away, as if he'd simply appeared there.

  The creature's claws hit empty air.

  Before it could turn, Hugo's fist—already glowing with channeled energy—drove into its back.

  Straight through the fur into the orb.

  The Malignant shrieked and collapsed forward. Its body began to dissolve, breaking apart into black mist that faded into nothing.

  Hugo straightened, exhaling slowly. The light faded from his body, disappearing back into his chest.

  He turned to Abell.

  "See that—You can flood your legs with everything you've got for one explosive step. This is especially convenient for travel.” Hugo chuckled.

  Abell stared, still processing what he'd just seen. "That looked like—"

  "Teleportation?" Hugo smirked. "It's not—. But it feels instant when you do it right." He tapped his chest. "It drains your energy fast, though.”

  "And the other thing—moving the energy around—"

  That's what you need to learn to be a great fighter." Hugo walked over, picking up his pack. "Right now, when you fight, you only use your Lux, but you don’t know how to maximize it

  Abell looked down at his hands, smirking, remembering every fight he'd been in. The way his whole body would surge with energy.

  I still have so much to learn, but… You know this is exciting

  "How long did it take you to learn that?"

  "Resonance? " Hugo started walking again, not breaking stride. "For me, it was like a year, but I’m a special case. Most people like five to ten."

  "Five to ten years?" Abell's voice came out flat.

  "For mastery, yeah. But you'll learn faster at the academy. They've refined the training methods. And—" Hugo glanced back. "—you've got something most warriors don't."

  "Your Lux, like keeko, works well with Resonance."

  “Like Mom?

  “I won’t get into everything, but she’s a special case as well.

  "Anyways. Once you learn to control your foundation, that ability of yours will become a real weapon. Right now it's just a party trick."

  Abell scowled but didn't argue.

  Party trick?

  “Anyways.” Hugo said, “Shall we get going? Since you can’t use resonance, we’ll have to walk it the old-fashioned way.”

  “Don’t make it sound like I’m slowing ya down, dammit,” Abell yelled.

  “Uh, you kinda are, but it’s fine. We’ve got plenty of time and think of it as extra time to prepare.” Hugo laughed.

  The two continued walking, their destination was clear: Hallion, the capital of Western Eudora.

  I feel like if I stay with Hugo, I’ll learn a lot more

  Abell relaxed his shoulders, walking with a freedom he didn’t have earlier in the day. He found himself drifting closer to Hugo's side, matching his pace.

  Hugo chuckled internally and kept walking.

  "Hey," Abell said after a moment. "What can I do to train? To get resonance, I mean."

  Hugo didn't answer right away. Just kept walking, eyes on the road ahead.

  "Control your breathing and clear your mind."

  Abell blinked. "That's it?"

  "For now? Yeah." Hugo glanced at him. "You can't force it.. It's about awareness—feeling the orb in your chest. The rhythm of it. Most people can't even do that because they're too busy thinking about everything else."

  "So just... breathe?"

  "And pay attention." Hugo tapped his own chest. "Every step we take to Hallion, I want you to focus on your breathing. In and out. Feel for the pulse inside you. Don't try to DO anything with it yet. Just notice it's there."

  Abell frowned but nodded slowly.

  It sounded too simple. Almost stupid.

  But Hugo had just killed a Grade-B Malignant with his bare hands, so maybe he knew what he was talking about.

  "Alright," Abell said. "I'll try."

  Hugo smirked. "Good. you've got plenty of time to start."