The forest no longer felt like a place meant for training.
It had changed in a way that could not be seen with the eyes alone, yet could be felt in every breath Aether took. The air, once raw and untamed, now carried overlapping traces of intent—layers of presence that did not belong to nature itself. It was no longer simply a wilderness governed by instinct and survival. Instead, it had become something far more complex… a field of intersecting wills, hidden agendas, and silent pursuits.
Aether walked steadily toward the outer edge of the forest, his steps measured and unhurried. His posture remained relaxed, and his expression betrayed nothing unusual. To anyone observing from afar, he would appear to be nothing more than a young tamer returning from a successful hunt—calm, composed, and without concern.
But beneath that outward calm, his thoughts moved with sharp precision.
