I walked the path toward the unknown, my steps slow and heavy as days seemed to blend together. Time drifted by, and no matter how far I traveled, my body refused to fully recover. The wounds I carried still throbbed faintly beneath my skin, and although the pain had dulled over time, it remained a constant reminder that I was far from healed. My body had mended only slightly, barely enough to keep me moving, yet every attempt to circulate my soul power ended the same way. Each time I tried, sharp pain surged through my chest, burning fiercely as if molten iron had replaced my blood. It left me gasping for breath, clutching my ribs as though my heart might burst.
And so, a year passed.
