Chapter 15: The Path of Control

The woman led Karima deeper into the forest, her steps light but deliberate, as though she had walked these paths many times before. The moonlight barely penetrated the thick canopy above, casting eerie shadows that flickered with every movement. Karima's body still buzzed with stolen energy, but it was different now—wild, unstable, waiting for release.

The ring pulsed faintly against her finger, a quiet but persistent reminder of its hunger.

After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a secluded clearing where a fire had been built within a circle of stone markers. The woman gestured for Karima to sit by the flames while she moved around the perimeter, adjusting symbols carved into the stones. Karima hesitated before finally settling on the ground, her muscles tense and alert.

The woman crouched across from her, the firelight reflecting in her knowing eyes. "Tell me, what does it feel like?"

Karima frowned. "What?"

"The ring," the woman clarified. "How does it feel when it takes?"

Karima exhaled slowly, staring at the silver band that had become an uninvited extension of herself. "It feels like a pull. Like something inside me is being drained, but at the same time… I get stronger. Faster. I should be exhausted after what happened back there, but instead, I feel—"

"Like you could take on an army," the woman finished for her.

Karima nodded, unease curling in her stomach. "Yes."

The woman reached into a satchel and retrieved a small vial filled with dark liquid. "Aura isn't just power," she said, swirling the liquid before setting the vial between them. "It is life. And life isn't meant to be stolen."

Karima's jaw tightened. "Then why is the ring doing this?"

The woman studied her for a long moment. "Because it was made to."

Silence stretched between them. Karima's mind raced with the implications of those words. If the ring had been designed to take Aura, then it wasn't just a relic. It was a weapon.

And she had no idea how to wield it without losing herself.

The woman leaned forward. "I can help you control it. But first, you need to understand what you're dealing with."

Karima met her gaze. "Who are you?"

The woman hesitated, then finally spoke. "My name is Lira. And a long time ago, I was like you."

The training began at dawn. Lira wasted no time, pushing Karima into exhausting drills meant to test her limits. They started with control exercises—meditation, breathwork, attuning herself to the Aura around her. It was frustrating, slow, and unlike any training she had done before.

By midday, Karima was drenched in sweat, frustration gnawing at her patience. "This isn't working."

Lira remained unshaken. "Because you're fighting it instead of listening to it."

Karima scowled. "I don't want to listen to something that steals life from others."

Lira stepped closer, her voice softer but firm. "The ring doesn't choose to take. You do."

Karima's breath caught in her throat. "What?"

Lira pointed to the silver band. "It responds to you. To your instincts. When you fight, when you kill, it amplifies your desire to survive. That's why it takes."

Karima swallowed hard, looking down at her hands. Could it really be that simple? Had she been feeding the ring without realizing it?

Lira continued, "I trained under someone who once carried a ring like yours. He thought he could control it with brute strength. He was wrong."

Karima frowned. "What happened to him?"

Lira's expression darkened. "It consumed him."

A chill ran down Karima's spine.

Lira turned and gestured toward the fire. "Try again."

Karima exhaled and sat cross-legged before the flames, closing her eyes. This time, instead of fighting the sensation, she allowed herself to feel it. The pull of the ring was there, but now she recognized it for what it was—an extension of her own will. When she had fought those enforcers, she had wanted to survive. And the ring had simply responded.

She steadied her breath. Control it. Don't let it control you.

The energy within her body shifted, settling instead of flaring wildly. For the first time, she felt a sliver of balance.

Lira's voice was calm. "Good. Now, hold it there."

By nightfall, Karima was exhausted but exhilarated. She had learned to slow the ring's pull, to keep it from draining her beyond what she allowed. It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.

Lira stood beside her, arms crossed. "Tomorrow, we see what you can do in real combat."

Karima turned to her, startled. "You mean fight?"

Lira nodded. "You won't always have the luxury of choosing your battles. If you can't master your power in a fight, then you don't really have control."

Karima clenched her fists, determination settling in her bones. "Then let's do it."

Lira gave a small smile. "That's what I wanted to hear."

The night stretched on, the fire crackling between them as the stars bore witness to the path Karima was now set upon. She wasn't just running anymore. She was preparing.

Because soon, she would have to face the High Council again.

And this time, she wouldn't be the same girl they had hunted.

She would be something more.