I stepped outside.
Fresh air rushed against my skin.
Cool.
Gentle.
Almost soothing.
It should have calmed me.
Instead—
It irritated me.
A faint unease lingered beneath my thoughts.
Subtle.
Persistent.
Like something scratching at the back of my mind.
Trying to get out.
I frowned.
"…What is this feeling?"
I couldn't place it.
And that made it worse.
Then—
Footsteps approached from behind.
My brother stepped outside shortly after.
"Velzahar…"
His voice carried caution.
Concern.
"What's wrong with you today?"
I turned slowly.
"Nothing."
My voice came out flat.
Too flat.
Azharyon stopped.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me.
"…You've been off since morning."
He took another step closer.
"Your energy…"
His gaze sharpened.
"Your presence…"
A pause.
"…It's different."
I said nothing.
He hesitated.
Like he wasn't sure whether he should continue.
But eventually—
He did.
"…Your pupils just flashed red."
Silence.
My expression didn't change.
"…Are you sure nothing's wrong?"
He watched me carefully.
"Are you angry?"
A pause.
"At someone?"
Another pause.
"Or at something?"
His voice softened.
"You can tell me."
He wasn't accusing me.
He was concerned.
"You can take a break from training. Or go for treatment—"
"I said nothing is wrong."
My voice snapped.
Sharper than I intended.
For a brief moment—
My vision tinged red.
Not imagined.
Not subtle.
Real.
BOOM—
A faint pressure burst from my body.
Small.
But violent.
Azharyon's expression changed.
"…Velzahar…"
I turned away.
"Drop it."
Then—
BOOM!!!
I blasted off the ground.
The air split behind me as I accelerated forward.
Wind tore past my body.
My speed continued rising.
But my thoughts—
Were louder.
Control it.
My father's words echoed through my mind.
Control it.
My fists clenched.
What did he mean?
What exactly was I supposed to control?
Then my eyes narrowed.
These eyes…
Red.
That wasn't normal.
"…What's happening to me?"
BOOM!!!
Another explosion erupted behind me.
I didn't need to look.
I already knew.
My brother had followed.
His aura flared white.
Dense.
Stable.
Controlled.
He closed the distance quickly.
"Velzahar!"
He matched my speed, flying beside me.
His expression was more serious now.
"…Sorry to push."
He glanced at me.
"But this isn't normal."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"…Even Dad reacted."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"He told you to control it."
A pause.
His gaze shifted toward me.
"…Control what?"
Silence.
I could feel it again.
That irritation.
Growing.
Spreading.
Like something beneath my skin was slowly becoming aware of itself.
"…Can I help?"
I exhaled sharply.
"It's nothing."
Still—
I didn't look at him.
He opened his mouth again.
Then stopped.
The words never came.
He had noticed.
Every time he pressed—
My aura shifted.
Every time he got closer—
My eyes threatened to change.
Red.
Longer.
More frequently.
Azharyon finally sighed.
"…Alright."
His voice carried resignation.
But his guard didn't drop.
Not even slightly.
We continued flying in silence.
Until—
The training grounds appeared ahead.
I slowed.
Then landed smoothly.
My breathing remained steady.
My pupils—
Back to black.
For now.
I walked inside without saying a word.
---
The gravity chamber was already active.
Most of the group had arrived.
I moved toward a corner.
Sat down cross-legged.
Closed my eyes.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Calm it.
Suppress it.
I focused inward.
My breathing became slower.
My heartbeat steadier.
The irritation remained.
But I pushed it down.
Deeper.
Deeper.
Until—
Something resisted.
Not violently.
Not yet.
But it resisted.
Like a beast refusing to be caged.
My brow tightened.
Stay down.
The thought came instinctively.
Cold.
Controlled.
I didn't fight the feeling.
I simply forced it beneath my awareness.
Slowly—
The irritation faded.
Not gone.
But quieter.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then—
I felt it.
A presence.
Caelion.
My eyes opened instantly.
Something felt wrong.
I scanned the room.
Counted.
One.
Two.
Three…
My gaze moved across the chamber.
Nineteen.
Twenty.
I stopped.
That was everyone.
Twenty trainees.
Caelion wasn't here yet.
Then why did I feel—
My eyes narrowed.
The door remained closed.
No one had entered.
Yet the atmosphere already felt different.
A presence.
Faint.
Almost impossible to detect.
Then—
The door opened.
Caelion walked in casually.
Like nothing was wrong.
Like he hadn't already been noticed.
He stepped into the chamber.
And immediately—
The count became twenty-one.
Twenty trainees.
And Caelion.
My gaze remained on him.
Someone else seemed to notice the shift too.
A faint tension passed through the room.
Subtle.
Almost invisible.
But real.
Caelion walked toward the center.
Then turned toward us.
"Seems everyone's here."
A light smile rested on his face.
"Sorry for being late."
No one responded.
"Good morning."
He looked across the room.
"How's everyone feeling?"
Still—
Silence.
His smile widened slightly.
"Good."
SNAP—
Chairs appeared instantly.
Arranged neatly across the chamber.
No one sat.
Not immediately.
Everyone remained standing.
Watching.
Waiting.
Caelion sat first.
His position elevated slightly above the others.
His eyes swept across the room.
"Please."
His voice remained casual.
"Have a seat."
Something about his smile—
Was wrong.
Calculated.
Testing.
I glanced at the chair.
Sensed it.
No immediate danger.
Worst case—
A trap.
"…Fine."
I sat.
One by one, the others followed.
Slowly.
Reluctantly.
The chamber settled.
Then—
Caelion leaned forward slightly.
"Let's begin today with something…"
His smile faded.
"…important."
His tone changed.
No longer playful.
Serious.
"Education."
A pause.
"Today's topic…"
His eyes swept across the room.
Then stopped—
On me.
Only for a second.
But I noticed.
"…The Path to Godhood."
The room changed instantly.
Curiosity replaced tension.
Focus sharpened.
Even I leaned forward slightly.
This—
Was important.
"Before that," Caelion continued, "we need to talk about cultivation."
A simple word.
But heavy.
"Power doesn't come from strength alone."
His voice was calm.
"It comes from understanding how to grow it."
He raised one finger.
"There are different paths."
"Energy cultivation."
"Body cultivation."
"Law comprehension."
His gaze moved across us.
"Most of you…"
A faint smile appeared.
"…are doing all three."
A pause.
"But not correctly."
Silence.
"Energy cultivation strengthens your output."
"Body cultivation strengthens your vessel."
"Law comprehension defines your authority."
He leaned back.
"Neglect one…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…and you limit everything."
I listened closely.
Because now—
It made sense.
My body.
The pain.
The transformation.
The hunger.
Everything I'd experienced recently.
It wasn't random.
It was connected.
"…Body cultivation…"
The thought formed quietly in my mind.
The pain.
The destruction.
The reconstruction.
The hunger.
My body had been changing because it had to.
But—
It was incomplete.
"Now," Caelion continued, "the path to Godhood…"
His voice lowered.
"…is the balance of all three."
Silence filled the chamber.
Heavy.
Meaningful.
"Too much power…"
"…and your body breaks."
"Too much body…"
"…and your growth slows."
"Too much law…"
"…and you collapse beneath your own authority."
A pause.
Then—
He smiled.
"…Or worse."
Something about that smile—
Sent a chill down my spine.
"…Worse?"
Someone muttered.
Caelion didn't answer.
Instead—
His eyes shifted.
Back to me.
"…Some of you," he said slowly, "are already walking dangerous paths."
My pupils flickered.
Red.
Just for a moment.
But this time—
I felt it.
It wasn't irritation.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't emotion.
Something else.
Something beneath all of it.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
My fingers tightened slightly against my knee.
Caelion noticed.
His gaze remained fixed on mine.
And then—
His smile deepened.
"…Good."
The word was quiet.
Almost approving.
My eyes narrowed.
For the first time—
I wasn't sure whether Caelion was teaching us…
Or watching me.
— End of Chapter 37 —