Trials of Destiny: Way of The Sword

Jin stood amidst the blaze, eyes narrowed as he absorbed the heat radiating off the black and blue flames that flickered across the scorched landscape. The inferno crackled with an insatiable hunger, and with each passing moment, he felt the technique pulse, its dark ki stirring a challenge within him.

"One hour," Belford had said, but Jin knew better. Within this space, surrounded by ki-forged flames, time twisted and expanded, stretching that hour into something longer—a year of relentless, unforgiving training. Jin took a deep breath, feeling the heavy weight of both time and flame pressing down on him as he prepared to master Abyssal Chains and Inferno Abyss.

The first day—if it could be called that—was a brutal awakening. Jin began with Abyssal Chains, summoning his flames to form spectral bindings. As he tried to control their length and direction, the chains dissipated as quickly as they formed, escaping his grasp. Again and again, he summoned them, struggling to extend their reach, to bend them to his will, to make them strike where he envisioned. With each failure, the flames seared his skin and drained his energy, as if testing whether he was worthy of wielding them.

Days bled into weeks, and Jin's muscles ached with an exhaustion that went beyond the physical. His focus became sharper, his mind adapting to the grueling pace as he pushed himself to understand the technique. He set fires across the landscape, positioning them so that he could experiment with the range of the chains, seeing how far he could stretch their reach. Over time, he gained a sense of command. The chains moved with a flick of his wrist, binding invisible enemies in his mind, his focus sharpening until the chains were an extension of himself.

Once Abyssal Chains felt natural, Jin turned to Inferno Abyss. Here, control was not the challenge; it was restraint. This technique was relentless, consuming everything within his sight, even the air he breathed. On his first attempt, he felt his lungs tighten as the flames spread, robbing the air of oxygen until he was gasping, his body rebelling against the searing heat.

But he continued, day after day, his resolve hardening as he grew accustomed to the blistering atmosphere. He learned to let the flames surge outwards without letting them consume him, to set boundaries and maintain a fine line between the inferno and himself. Each time he activated Inferno Abyss, he pushed his limits further, until the flames responded to his thoughts, bending to his will and becoming a living weapon under his control.

Seasons passed within the compressed time, each moment refining his mastery. With each strike, each burst of flame, Jin found himself reaching deeper into the dark ki within him, the black flames transforming him as much as he molded them.

Finally, after what felt like a year, Jin emerged from the relentless training, flames still smoldering in the wake of his steps. He stood stronger, a flicker of satisfaction in his gaze as he looked over the charred landscape. Abyssal Chains flowed like water through his ki, and Inferno Abyss felt as natural as breathing, no longer a consuming force but an extension of his own power.

When the hour elapsed, Jin opened his eyes to the world outside, where Belford waited, an unreadable expression on his face. Jin felt the weight of his growth, of a year's worth of struggle compressed into an hour.

"Impressive," Belford said with a hint of pride. "You've mastered them both."

Jin met his gaze, a new depth in his eyes. "I'm ready for whatever I need to do next."

Belford broke the silence, his voice laced with genuine admiration. "You've come a long way, Jin. To think you'd master techniques of this level within a single year…" He crossed his arms, studying Jin with a critical but satisfied gaze. "These flames, this control—it's like they've become part of you."

Jin gave a small nod, his breathing became steady despite the intensity of the training. "It's like the flames are… alive," he murmured, glancing at his hands. "They obey my every thought. It was a cruel ong training experience, but I understand now what you meant. I can feel the strength behind the flames, like an extension of my own will."

A smile tugged at Belford's lips. "Good. That's what I wanted. I didn't bring you here to half-ass learn these techniques. I wanted you to be the master of them, no matter the cost."

Jin clenched his fists, feeling the surge of dark ki ripple within him. "So what's next?"

"Next, is whatever you need to do out there. The training is complete with just this." Belford smiled slightly and nodded looking at Jin.

As Jin opened his eyes, an unsettling darkness flickered within them, his pupils now a deep black tinged with a subtle hue of red that seemed to pulse with his ki. His hair had taken on a darker shade, the strands almost absorbing the light around them. Without a word, he lifted off his shirt, revealing a physique that was more muscular and defined than before. The transformation was impossible to ignore, and his party's reactions were a mix of awe and confusion.

Kael's eyes widened, his hand unconsciously moving toward his sword. "Jin… what happened to you?"

Jin looked at them calmly, his expression unreadable. "I trained hard. I learned what I needed to."

Kade tilted his head, examining the change with a raised eyebrow. "Trained hard, huh? Looks like you went through something beyond hard training."

As Jin settled himself, Luna's gaze locked onto him, her usual composure slipping for just a moment as her eyes traveled over his transformed appearance. She didn't say anything, but her attention lingered on the strength that radiated from him, her thoughts wandering somewhere far beyond the battlefield.

Kade caught her expression, smirking as he leaned over and nudged her with his elbow. "Luna, if you keep staring at him like that, he might start thinking you like him."

Luna snapped out of her trance, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "As if," she muttered, though the faintest hint of a blush betrayed her. She huffed and, with a quick movement, sat down next to Jin, folding her arms and acting as if nothing had happened.

An hour passed, and soon the caravan slowed, coming to a stop. They had arrived at the ruins of the Lion Clan. The party stepped out, taking in the eerily quiet surroundings. The ruins stretched before them, remnants of ancient stone walls and broken pillars casting long shadows across the ground. Despite their careful search, they found nothing of significance, so they decided to set up camp nearby, waiting for any sign of life in the darkness.

Night fell, and as the others slept, Jin remained alert, his senses heightened from his training. Suddenly, the quiet was broken by the faint sound of footsteps echoing from beyond the camp. Jin's eyes snapped open, his gaze sharpening as he stepped outside the caravan. The others followed, each of them gripping their weapons as they scanned the shadows.

Emerging from the darkness was a figure with blue hair, her strides steady and graceful, a katana resting at her side. Her piercing dark blue eyes glinted under the moonlight. Jin's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Stella…" he whispered, almost unable to believe his eyes.

The rest of his party instinctively went on guard, weapons raised as they stepped between Jin and the newcomer. Kade's voice was tense. "Who is she, Jin?"

But Jin raised a hand, signaling them to lower their weapons. "It's alright. I know her." He took a few steps forward, his gaze never leaving Stella.

As he approached, she stopped, looking him over with an unreadable expression. "You've changed, Jin."

Jin's voice was steady, though an undercurrent of emotion slipped through. "So have you."

The two of them stood there, surrounded by silence as their eyes held each other, memories and shared history passing between them without a word. The others exchanged glances, each sensing the weight of whatever connection Jin and this woman shared, but remaining silent out of respect.

Stella tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a faint smile. "I was hoping I'd find you here."

Then, without another word, Stella closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Jin in a tight hug. He returned the embrace, holding her firmly as if grounding themselves in the familiarity they shared.

Not far away, Luna's gaze was fixed on the two of them, a flash of jealousy flickering in her eyes that she quickly tried to mask. But Kade, noticing the look, smirked, nudging her slightly. "Jealous, Luna?"

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in defiance. "Hardly," she muttered, though her gaze couldn't help but drift back to Jin and Stella. She scoffed, sitting down near the fire with a huff, but the hint of annoyance lingered in her expression.

Meanwhile, Jin and Stella finally broke apart from the hug, Jin giving her a quiet smile. The reunion carried a sense of unspoken understanding, as if their clash had conveyed more than words could, rekindling the bond that had remained even through their time apart.