Chapter : 6 Finding Suitable Place For Training

In the dimly lit room, Sarah and Hiroshi lay fast asleep, their son Vali nestled beneath Sarah's protective arm. Vali, however, was wide awake, gazing up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting back to what had transpired just half an hour ago. The Shiroyoku family had finished their dinner and prepared for a night's rest.

Vali, brimming with enthusiasm, made his way toward the stairs, eager to retreat to his own room. Yet, just as he was about to ascend, he found himself abruptly halted by his mother, Sarah, who had been watching him with a mixture of affection and determination.

"Sweetie, we're going to sleep together tonight," she declared, her voice filled with a mother's love. "I know I told you yesterday that you could sleep alone in your room, but I know you missed me terribly."

Vali, wanting to assert his newfound independence, responded, "No, Mom, I'm perfectly fine sleeping alone."

The smile on Sarah's face quickly faded, and she scooped Vali up, determined to have him by her side. "You know, that was just for yesterday, for the experience. Besides, my work is already finished, so you're going to sleep with your mom tonight."

Vali, perplexed, asked, "What work?" As he did, the door to the room clicked shut, locking them in.

Now, in the present moment, Vali lay wide awake, everyone else in the room lost in slumber. He couldn't help but think, "Seriously, what's with Mom? I wanted to sleep in my room so I could test out the wings to fly."

"You can rest today; there's no need to hurry."Albion reassuring voice echoed in his mind.

The next day..

The sizzling sound of breakfast cooking by Sarah filled the air as Vali eagerly anticipated testing out his wings. However, he knew he couldn't leave home without eating breakfast first, not wanting to disappoint his mother. It was Sunday, a school-free day.

Regrettably, Vali's father had to rush off to work without breakfast due to an urgent matter.

After finishing his meal, Vali hurried outside and made his way to a different hill, one that was covered in lush trees and teeming with small creatures. It took about 30 minutes to reach the hill, as he followed a carefully crafted path.

"Hey, Albion," Vali exclaimed, "You said I could fly with these wings. Why don't I give it a shot right now?"

Albion, with a reassuring tone, responded, "Well, you can take flight without the wings also, but it'll require some good training. Since it's your first time, let's find a suitable spot where you won't crash into trees while soaring."

As Vali ascended along the path, moving higher above the hill, Albion chimed in with guidance, "Vali, why don't you try to learn how to sense your surroundings while we ascend?"

Curious, Vali inquired, "Sensing? How do I do that?"

"Simply close your eyes and use your demonic energy to perceive the objects and lifeforms around you," Albion explained.

Vali halted, closed his eyes, and found himself enveloped in darkness. "Hey, I can't see anything," Vali said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Focus, Vali. You'll be able to sense everything around you," Albion reassured him.

Vali concentrated, and though he couldn't see as he could with his eyes open, but slowly he started to sense the trees around him and the presence of small birds and squirrels. "Whoa! I can 'see' it even though I'm just standing here," Vali exclaimed with excitement.

"You're learning fast. Well, I shouldn't expect anything less from my wielder," Albion said with pride.

"Wait, I see something over there. Somebody is sleeping behind those bushes. Wait! actually, there are two of them lying on top of each other," Vali remarked.

" Ahem..Ahem...Vali, I think we should continue our ascent."Albion suggested, urging Vali to make his way up.

As Vali continued his ascent, relying solely on his heightened ability to sense his surroundings. Initially, it presented a formidable challenge, particularly with the small rocks and obstacles posing difficulties in his path to way up. However, Vali persisted, slowly but surely advancing along the path.

As they finally reached a spot suitable for Vali to train, the area was quite small, perhaps no larger than Vali's own room. Surrounded by a thick forest of trees, it offered the perfect seclusion for training, ensuring that nobody would notice their activities.