The hall was quiet now. The shattered stone from the dummies littered the floor, glowing faintly from the lingering Azure Spark that still clung to Vemy's body. He knelt, panting, chest heaving under the weight of his own aura. Even now, the subtle curves of his frame, highlighted by the flickering blue light, gave him an otherworldly presence that the other trainees couldn't look away from.
Samaki's cloak flared as he approached, boots striking sparks from the stone floor. He stopped a few meters away and crossed his arms. His gaze was cold, unflinching, but there was a trace of curiosity—an acknowledgment that Vemy's spark was something rare.
"You survived your first awakening," Samaki said, voice like grinding steel. "But don't flatter yourself. That was nothing. The Azure Spark barely scratches the surface. Do you understand what your Soul Rings are, Vemy?"
Vemy swallowed, still catching his breath. "I… I think so. They're… my power?"
Samaki's lips curved into a sharp smile. "Not power. Essence. Soul. Life itself. A ring isn't just strength—it's your will, your pain, your choices made manifest. And each ring you awaken will demand more than just your body. It will demand your mind, your heart, even your identity. Fail, and it consumes you. The Ring Beasts are not merciful."
The air thickened as Samaki spoke, and Vemy felt it press down on him like molten lead. He had seen fear before, but this was different—this was the weight of a world that didn't forgive weakness.
"I… I understand," Vemy said, voice shaking slightly. Yet inside, a fire burned hotter than the Azure Spark still flickering along his arms.
"Good." Samaki crouched, bringing himself eye-to-eye with Vemy. "Then we begin."
The first exercise was simple in words, brutal in reality: channel your Azure Path into control, not chaos.
Vemy clenched his fists, feeling the flames lick his skin, warm and threatening. When he tried to focus, the blue aura sputtered, uncontrolled, and the floor beneath him cracked. A shard embedded itself in his palm.
"Stop," Samaki barked. "You're fighting the ring. The ring isn't your enemy—it's your body, your soul, your essence speaking back. You must listen, not dominate."
Vemy gasped, tasting blood as he tried again. He forced himself to relax, letting the blue energy flow around him instead of through him. Slowly, the flickering flames steadied, wrapping his fists in smooth, controlled fire. The shard on the floor melted into the air, absorbed by his aura.
Samaki nodded once. "Better. But still far from perfect."
The lesson escalated quickly. Samaki's training was merciless, designed to strip away hesitation, fear, and weakness. Push-ups with energy sparks that seared his arms, sprints through hallways that seemed to stretch into infinity, and strikes against dummies that would erupt into blue fire if misaligned—all while maintaining focus.
Hours passed—or maybe days; Vemy had lost track. His body screamed, muscles trembling under the strain. Yet with each strike, his aura grew, and the subtle curves of his body, accentuated by the blue flame, only added to the sense that he was something more than human.
"You are learning," Samaki said finally, voice carrying both approval and warning. "But strength is meaningless without understanding the ring system. Each ring you awaken is a step. Each step carries cost. Are you ready to learn the Codex?"
Vemy nodded, exhaustion not dimming his burning curiosity.
Samaki extended his hand, palm glowing with shards of broken azure light. "Listen carefully. Your first ring is awakening—raw energy, unrefined. You have felt it. Your second ring, surge, grants a signature ability: a manifestation of your essence. Your third, flow, refines movement, aura, and reflex beyond human limits. Your fourth, manifestation, allows the ring to take shape outside your body: beasts, weapons, or constructs of pure essence. And so on. Each ring demands more than muscle—it demands your life, your choices, your sacrifices. Push too fast, and the ring will consume you."
Vemy's eyes widened, absorbing every word, feeling the weight of the system like chains and wings at once.
"Understand?" Samaki asked.
"I… I think so," Vemy breathed, aura still flickering with controlled sparks. "Each ring… grows with me. Each ring… can destroy or save."
Samaki nodded. "Good. Then your first trial begins."
The next task was merciless: a series of Ring Beasts summoned to test his skill, strength, and control. Each one was a twisted reflection of failed rings, massive and snarling, glowing with corrupted energy.
Vemy squared himself, aura blazing, chest heaving. The Azure Spark roared along his arms, highlighting every curve and line of his form. Even in the face of death, even in exhaustion, there was an undeniable allure and danger to his presence.
The first beast lunged. Vemy ducked, spinning his body with unnatural grace. His fist met the beast's skull, igniting in a controlled burst of blue flame. It howled and disintegrated, leaving a cloud of azure sparks.
The second was faster. He barely dodged its claws, feeling the heat from his own aura brushing against his skin, the sensation almost intoxicating in its intensity. Yet he adapted, letting the flames flow around him, moving in sync with his essence.
By the fourth beast, his aura had stabilized fully. He moved like liquid fire, striking with precision, speed, and beauty. Each strike left faint blue trails in the air, each movement hypnotic yet deadly.
Finally, as the last beast disintegrated, Vemy stood alone, chest heaving, aura crackling with controlled power. He was burned, bruised, exhausted—but victorious.
Samaki approached, his cloak flickering in the residual flames. "Azure Spark. Controlled. Not merely unleashed. That is your first lesson, Vemy. The path ahead will be harsher. The rings will demand more. And the world… the world will not forgive weakness."
Vemy nodded, chest rising and falling rapidly. His flames dimmed slightly, leaving a subtle glow over his body, highlighting both his strength and his otherworldly, slightly feminine features.
For the first time, he felt it: the raw thrill of power tempered by mastery, the dangerous allure of becoming something more than human.
And deep inside, a spark ignited—a spark that whispered: I will rise. I will burn this world blue.