The academy's training grounds were unusually serene the next morning. Students moved quietly, focusing on refining their skills rather than showing off, their earlier energy subdued by the lingering tension of the vault disturbances.
Lyn walked along the central courtyard, Umbra padding silently beside him. The pendant from the cloaked figure still glimmered faintly in his palm, as though whispering reminders of the unseen presence at the forest's edge.
"We've grown stronger," Lyn murmured, "but something is coming… something bigger than we've faced before."Umbra's amber eyes glimmered. "And the academy may not be ready."
The subtle calm allowed moments of connection among the students.
Classmates gathered to practice, some timid, some brimming with competitive energy. One pair of younger tamers stumbled over their Dual Resonance formation, causing a chain reaction of magical sparks that drew laughter from the group.
"Focus, Rina! Don't let him distract you!" a student shouted.Lyn chuckled quietly, watching the small chaos. Even in times of tension, life at the academy carried its moments of lightness.
Arden Veyne approached again, this time with a more neutral expression.
"I don't like this calm," he muttered."Calm doesn't last forever," Lyn replied softly. "But it's a chance to prepare."
Meanwhile, Kaelen moved among the lower vaults, reinforcing wards and checking for irregularities in mana flows. Small shadows flickered in corners, harmless for now, but enough to test the new barriers.
"Umbra, check this side," Lyn instructed.The wolf leapt gracefully, weaving protective threads of golden-violet mana. Even a small shadow disturbance scattered at his presence.
The vaults seemed to breathe with tension, every rune and ward humming faintly as if aware of the changes stirring beyond the academy.
As dusk settled, the forest bordering the academy shimmered faintly. Lyn sensed movement between the trees — more deliberate than before. The faint glow of amber eyes appeared, then disappeared.
"Umbra… it's getting closer," Lyn said.The wolf's hackles rose. "Soon, we'll have to face more than shadows. And we must be ready."
Students, unaware of the distant threat, continued training, laughing, and practicing — their innocence a stark contrast to the quiet tension Lyn and Umbra felt.
Lyn sat beneath the willow tree once more, Umbra resting his head on Lyn's knee. The pendant glimmered faintly, reflecting the last rays of sunlight.
"The calm is brief," Lyn murmured. "But it's the calm that will teach us how to fight when the storm arrives."Umbra's eyes met his. "And our bond will be stronger for it."
The shadows beyond Eldara's forests waited patiently. The academy's calm would not last. Change was coming — subtle now, but inevitable.