Toflann jumped in alarm when he felt a strong presence appear next to him with his battle axe appearing in his hands. Liam also jumped up in alarm with his hands held up at the ready, but they both looked at Jack in confusion. Jack sat cross-legged, his brows furrowed in concentration as the wind around him erupted violently. His hair whipped with the wind, and he floated off the ground while the dirt around him scattered away as the pressure waves off of him. Then the presence disappeared along with the massive amount of wind virya that gathered around him. Jack gently floated back to the ground, still in meditation.

  “What was that? I’ve never seen such an explosive transition to Forged. ”Liam asked, his hands still up in preparation for something to go wrong.

  It took a moment for Toflann to find his words. “I believe we just witnessed enlightenment.” Liam turned to Toflann in disbelief. It seemed to Toflann that Liam’s placid demeanor was a mask, and he was slowly showing more of himself as the days passed.

  “Enlightenment? That can only be achieved in the Enlightened cycle! How is a Forged soul able to reach that point?”

  Toflann rubbed his chin. “It’s not impossible. There are few who can find enlightenment in the stages before Enlightened. It is very rare, but not unheard of.”

  Liam crossed his arms and stared at Jack. “I was taught that Enlightens can use virya that is not of the elements. Does that mean Jack would be able to as well this early in the cycle?”

  Toflann shook his head. “His soul does not have the capacity or strength to do that. Though he has an advantage over most of the Forged souls, the only benefit he would have from enlightenment is a stronger will, tougher body, and stronger intent. Though when he reaches Awaken, all of that will improve, and more benefits will come to him. It would only advance further into the Enlightened cycle.”

  Liam dropped his mask of placidity, replaced with a look of consternation.

  “So he would always stay a step above each cycle as he advanced? Why don’t more people try to find enlightenment sooner?”

  Toflann circled around Jack, trying to find any clue as to what that presence was. Jack’s enlightenment was a shock, but in no way should he be able to showcase such a strong aura. Not only that, the aura was eerily familiar.

  “Yes, he would have an advantage against other souls of the same cycle, but he can die the same, given a strong opponent. And enlightenment is not easily achieved, especially when you are young. Enlightenment requires you to look deep within yourself and find the core of yourself. Why you trudge the path of life. Why one fights. Jack must have reached deep within himself and found that answer. It’s not easily achieved when a soul has many desires.”

  “If that’s the case, what happens when his desire or sense of self changes in the future? Jack is only 14, it is bound to happen.” Liam asked as he eyed the minotaur circling Jack.

  “His reasons to live or to fight can change - true. But naturally, no matter the reason, he chooses to fight or to live will always coincide with who he is down to his core. Enlightenment tends to be a broad scope of who you are as a whole. Take, for example, a soul who reaches it with their core desire to be strong. At first, it could be strength to protect family. But then let us say their family is slaughtered, then their reason would change to strength for vengeance. Once vengeance is achieved, then that strength would be for a different reason. Point being, no matter the struggle, their enlightened revelation will always be their motivator.”

  Liam nodded slowly as he slowly took in the knowledge. “What happens if there is no struggle relating to their core enlightenment?”

  Toflann liked Liam. He asked good questions. “I’ve seen souls shattered and become husks of themselves. I’ve also seen souls mindlessly try to achieve their core enlightenment obsessively. That would be the drawback of finding enlightenment so early. He did not have enough life experience to truly be set in his ways, and if he has no reason to chase his desire, then he will not live long. But his desire, the core of why he lives, must be strong if he reaches it, advancing to Forged.”

  “I wonder what his desire is.”

  Toflann wondered that as well. In the many years that Toflann had lived, he had only seen one other soul who had found enlightenment going into Forged.

  A man long gone in his past.

  After the green light went away, Jack was met with Toflann’s cabin, except it was more suited for a human. It still had the same purple logs that made up the cabin, but instead of it being two stories tall, it was closer to one story. He walked up the human-sized door that bore an intricate design of a weirdly shaped sword.

  The handle was normal enough, but the guard and the blade itself was odd. The guard was thick and straight until the curved on the end, but the other side of the guard looked like a brake handle. Then the blade itself was barely a blade at all. The spine was at least 5 feet and ended in a curved point, but that was it. There was no edge or body to the sword. Jack pushed open the door to see an exact replica of Toflann’s cabin, but everything inside the cabin, like everything else, was downsized to fit him perfectly. The only difference was the design on the front door, other than the size of it all.

  “I have got to still be in my own soul.”

  You still are. The clone of himself walked out of the bedroom and turned to him with a grin.

  “You’re still here? I thought you were just there for the process of finding this place. What are you really here for?”

  The clone jumped back on a patch of fur and then laid on his side, holding his head up. Surely you can find the answer yourself?

  Jack thought back to his revelation. “Is it because I don’t want to be alone and I somehow subconsciously made you so I wouldn’t be alone in here?”

  The clone put his finger up as if to tell him he was wrong, but he stopped with an open mouth. That is a pretty good reason. Lets go with that.

  Jack felt a vein in his forehead pop. “What do you mean, lets go with that? Are you seriously not going to tell me?”

  The clone laid back and stretched. I’m part of your soul. Is that not a good enough reason to accept me? Plus, it is great to have a second opinion on things, right?

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  Jack didn’t know if he trusted this clone of his, but if it was essentially part of his soul, wouldn’t that make it himself? His inner desire, maybe? If it came from him, then it can’t hurt him without hurting itself. Made enough sense, right?

  You keep referring to me as it. Or you as an it in our case. The clone let out a laugh at his own joke.

  “Well, it’s hard to refer to you as me! It’s weird talking to yourself.”

  Then, how about you give me a name? Make it easier on yourse- us.

  Jack considered a name for the clone. It was literally just him, so calling him Jack would be easy, but he figured he’d confuse himself eventually. Maybe..

  “What about Jay? First letter of my name. It would be honestly weird to give you any other name.”

  Jay smiled softly at the suggestion. I think that’s a wonderful name.

  Jack sat down on the wooden chair in front of the fireplace that was already lit. It was odd to think about, but even though he is inside his Inner Sanctum, he felt the heat from the fire like it was real.

  “So I guess this means I’m Forged now? Can I start making skills and learn a second technique?” Jay pulled up a chair next to Jack. He didn’t even hear him carry or drag it. It was almost as if he pulled it from thin air.

  Probably. You’d have to decide which technique you want to start with. As for skills, you’ll need essence for that.

  Jack stretched in his chair and leaned back. “Right, right. Every time I kill a cultivator or tiered beast, I get an essence of their soul, which would give me the opportunity to forge skills with them?”

  It really depends on the technique. You really don’t pay attention, do you?

  Jack shrugged. “My mind wanders easily.”

  The clone shrugged. I feel you on that one. Well, lets just focus on what you want for your second technique. We wouldn’t be able to get essence from a beast cause of this prison anyway.

  Jack balled his hands into a fist. He forgot that beasts somehow don’t give anything upon their death. How is he going to fight without essence to make skills? Getting strong just to escape this prison just keeps getting more and more difficult.

  “ I already know I want it to be Weaver. I need power fast, and Armament requires time and materials to make items.”

  Jay chuckled. Yeah that sounds about right. Well, it’s time to leave. You have training to do.

  Jack’s face grew somber. Jay knew what Jack was thinking. He was a part of him after all. You want them to like you even though you're insufferable.

  Jack nodded his head. Jack usually would have snapped back with some remark, but Jay felt how serious it was to Jack. Jack now truly knows what he wants, and the first step is with the people around him who have shown nothing but kindness. But Jack was sure Toflann didn't care any mind for him, and Liam most likely only tolerated him because he was tasked to watch over him.

  I wouldn't change a thing. You'd come off as ungenuine otherwise. But definitely get to work on that Annoid hate thing you got going on. And maybe be less of an asshole.

  Jack looked up at Jay with a grin and snot running down his nose.

  "Thanks. You might be right." Jay flicked Jack in the forehead.

  I'm always right. Now let them know you found your Inner Sanctum and get stronger.

  "See you later." Jay waved him bye, and Jack opened his eyes.

  Jack had no idea what to expect when he opened his eyes. No, that’s not entirely true. He fully expected Liam and Toflann to be locked in a conversation about Intent or for them to stand around him and be awed by his advancement. What he did not expect was to be encased inside a sphere of ice with sounds of battle happening outside of it.

  “Liam? Toflann!” Jack yelled, but it was blocked by the ice dome and muffled sounds of battle.

  Jack figured the blood moon had started while he was advancing. He knew Toflann could handle himself, but he was more unsure of Liam. Regardless, he was not going to sit here and wait until everything was done. Jack held his palm up to the ice and started to concentrate the air in his palm. The wind came to his beck and call much easier than before, and he felt a greater connection with the wind than he had before. He couldn’t quite tell exactly what, but he just felt closer to the element.

  He copied the same exact move he did when he shot a spike at the Komo earlier. He concentrated the air in front of his palms and tried to crack the ice dome. Instead of the ice dome cracking a little like Jack expected, the entire dome shattered like glass. Jack sat in shock for a moment. He meant to weaken the ice dome, but he blew it to pieces. He checked his reserves and was sure he had used most of it, but it didn’t use up his whole reservoir! His reservoir must’ve expanded with his soul, and it must’ve strengthened for him not to pass out controlling concentrated air like before. Forged is an entirely different playing field.

  Jack stood up to gather the situation, though he was quickly confused. A blizzard was currently going on, and all he could see was explosions in the distance going off here and there.

  “Toflann! Liam!” Jack yelled into the storm, but heard nothing but the roar of battle.

  Jack couldn’t see or hear due to the blizzard, and he had had enough of it. He closed his eyes and poured all his concentration into the wind around him. It howled and twisted to the chaotic nature of the blizzard, but Jack held onto it. The wind fought his attempts at control, but Jack refused to give in. It felt as if he held several ropes attached to several horses running in different directions.

  He pulled his connection to the wind and commanded the wind to bend to his will. But still the wind blew wildly with no owner to reign it in. Jack breathed deeply and released it slowly. He gripped control of the wind with all his strength. He felt as if his body was going to be ripped up and fly away in the blizzard. A guttural scream came from him.

  The taste of iron filled his mouth, and he opened his eyes with blood dripping from them. He looked up to see the blizzard come to a complete stop. He figured his radius of control expanded further than 3 feet, but this seemed to be too much. The entire backyard of the cabin was stopped along with the battle between many Annoids.

  “I can see why you want this human child to yourself, Toflann. Don’t be selfish!” A grey wolf Annoid yelled as his claws slashed down at Toflann. Toflann parried the wolf’s claws with his battle axe and knocked him away with the butt of his axe in one motion.

  “I will kill you where you stand, Olaf.” Toflann promised.

  The wolf Jack assumed was Olaf cackled. “I am now the strongest Annoid in this place! You’d have killed me soon as I got here if you really could have.”

  Olaf launched himself at Toflann again. Toflann moved to position himself, but the ground suddenly formed around his legs, locking him in place. Toflann parried another claw attack, but Olaf did not relent. He dashed towards Toflann again without missing a beat, and Toflann would parry a blow every time. But this put Toflann on the back foot.

  “What are you fools waiting for! Grab the human child!” All the Annoids looked at Jack like a crazed, hungry beast. Jack wanted to stand his ground and fight a to help Toflann, but there’s no way. He may have just hit Forged, but all of these Annoids are definitely Forged.

  He would be overwhelmed in an instant. Jack breathed deep again. It didn’t matter. Toflann had done nothing but help him, and even now he was fighting to protect him. With his recent advancement, Jack felt like he could take on the world. Even if he knew he couldn’t, he couldn’t just run. Jack lowered into a stance with only his hands to his side and the wind to his beck and call.