Kaelen reached his dorm after the halls had quieted. The lights had dimmed to a soft amber glow, and the building felt emptier than usual. It was as if the day had wrung everyone out and left only shadows behind. His footsteps were sluggish and unsteady. His shoulders throbbed, his legs ached, and even lifting his arm to slide the key card over the door lock's screen to open it felt like effort.
Once the door slid shut, he didn't bother turning on the lights. His body moved on instinct alone, guiding him toward the bathroom. His mind was thick and fogged, the pressure behind his eyes pulsing with exhaustion.
The bathroom's soft green light strip glowed to welcome him.
He stripped, dropped his clothes somewhere near the laundry basket, and stepped straight under the shower. The water hit him with enveloping heat, a wave that pushed a low breath out of him. Steam rose in clouds, curling around his face and settling onto his skin.
The heat soaked into his muscles slowly. His back loosened. His tensed shoulders began to soften. The soreness from the training didn't leave, but it was eased. He pressed his right hand gently against the wall,and wrapped his left hand around his pendant. He lowered his head under the steady stream of the water, feeling the soothe of the pour.
For several long moments, he stayed motionless. He wasn't thinking about Jax, or the mission timer, or the doubtful stares he'd received. He was just feeling the relief currently.
He stayed like that until the heat almost stung.
Only then did he finally straighten, turn the water off, and reach for a towel. Once he dried off, he pulled on simple sleepwear: soft grey pants and a dark shirt that didn't cling too tightly.
His bed practically welcomed him the moment he laid down. His head hit the pillow, managing to wrap himself in bedsheets. Within seconds,his consciousness slipped away, and sleep claimed him.
…
Light was already filtering through the window, bright enough that he had to squint. His body sank deeper into the mattress before he jolted upright, realization hitting him in the chest.
He checked the display on his wristband.
10:42 AM.
He had overslept.
His first thought was Sera.
"Oh, no..."
It took only a second for him to remember, today was Sunday. He had no training with Sera today. She had told him that she'd be busy and that he should take the day to rest or train lightly.
Still, he didn't like the idea of him oversleeping, even if his body asked for it.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood, stretching until his joints popped lightly. His muscles complained, but last night's rest had eased the worst of the strain.
His second thought went to someone else entirely.
He lifted his wrist and tapped away on his wristband.
> Kaelen: Hey Lira. Are you free today?
>Kaelen: I wanted to know you if you're free. If you are, let's meet at the western wing.
He stared at the message for a second, wondering if it sounded too eager.
A soft ping answered before he could overthink it.
The response was surprisingly quick.
>Lira: I'm free. Western wing is fine. Don't keep me waiting.
Kaelen exhaled in relief.
He got ready quickly—a rinse of cold water to wipe off sleep, a fresh shirt, simple trousers, boots. Nothing fancy. Just practical.
He left the dorms and walked through the campus at a light pace, taking in the weekend calm. It was surprising to see the morning was quieter, for an academy that was always busy and noisy. Some students trained; others lounged around with friends. The usual edge of competition had softened for the day.
He made his way toward the western wing, one of the more pleasing areas of the academy, dotted with tall windows, small gardens, and shaded walkways.
And there she was.
Lira stood near one of the raised platforms, tall and composed, her arms relaxed at her sides. Her copper hair was tied into a loose braid draped over one shoulder as always, catching glints of sunlight in soft, warm strands. She wore a dark blue tunic fitted to her frame, stitched with delicate gold leaf patterns that shimmered when she shifted. Soft black leggings and sturdy boots gave her a grounded, ready look. A light cloak draped over her shoulders, swaying quietly in the breeze.
Her silver eyes cut straight to him the moment he came into view.
"You missed me this much?" she said.
Kaelen tried not to look embarrassed. "I,uhh..."
"So I guessed." Lira crossed her arms, the motion subtle but sharp. "With everything you piled on yesterday, I'm not surprised."
He approached her fully, stopping a step away.
"You look half dead, upclose..."She said.
"Well, I've being busy," he replied.
"Busy, training?"
"How did you—"
"I wanted to talk to you, before you contacted me, that is" she said,her voice firm. "And lecture you, a little."
He winced. "That sounds serious."
"It is."
She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Kaelen, accepting Jax's duel? Are you aware how reckless that is?"
His shoulders tensed, but he kept quiet as she continued.
"He's a sentinel-ranked and a year three. You are an unranked. He has experience, training, and advantage stacked on every angle. You defending that boy was admirable, and I understand why you stepped in, but you picked a fight unreasonably. Your mother would be proud of you stepping in for someone, but accepting a duel?"
Kaelen rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… I know."
"I'm not asking you to back out," she added, surprising him. "Just to understand the risk you chose. There's bravery, and then there's foolishness. You're sitting right on the line."
He nodded slowly. "I know. I just didn't want Daniel to get crushed like that."
"You are friends with him, now?"
"It's a complicated relationship," he replied.
Lira sighed, her posture softening. " I respect you for standing, for this Daniel guy. He needed someone. But next time, think before you act."
"That's why I'm not yelling," Lira continued. "You did the right thing for the right reason. But it doesn't erase the risk." She let out a slow breath. "I won't pretend you made a smart choice, but it was a brave one."
He gave her a small smile. "Yes, ma'am."
She elbowed him lightly. "Don't start with that."
The tension eased between them, replaced by quiet familiarity. Their steps drifted into sync as they began walking along the stone path.
Kaelen continued after a moment."I know I might lose."
"You will lose if you stay at your current state," she said honestly.
"Thanks for the encouragement," he muttered lightly.
She cracked a small smile. "I'm only dealing in reality. And this reality says you need every edge you can get."
They continued to talk as they walked slowly toward one of the stone benches. Their conversation drifted from the duel to small academy stories, minor annoyances, even a few jokes at their past. For a moment, Kaelen let himself enjoy Lira's presence. It always felt so easy, speaking to her.
When Kaelen finally asked, "Can you give me some advice on cultivation?" Lira paused mid-step and turned to him.
"Advice," she repeated. "That's what you really wanted today?"
She pouted,"And here, i really thought you missed me."
"Partially," Kaelen said with a shrug. "I just… want to grow faster. And properly."
Lira studied him for a moment. "Sit."
They settled on a bench under the shade of a tall tree. Lira rested one ankle over the other and leaned forward slightly.
"Aether flow is like water," she began. "But structure comes before flow. Without structure, water spills everywhere and accomplishes nothing."
Kaelen nodded. "Professor Nyra said something similar."
"Then you already know that latent, bond, and channel points don't function individually, even if they are a point of thier own. They rely on their connections to make a whole level complete." She lifted a finger and traced imaginary lines in the air. "Latent point gathers. Bond shapes. Channel distributes."
"I've been trying to link them," Kaelen said. "It's slow."
"It's supposed to be slow," Lira replied. "For most people, reaching the channel point takes weeks. Sometimes months. You only recently got to the bond point at that..."
Kaelen hesitated. "Is there a way to speed it up?"
"Not by forcing it. But…" She reached into her cloak pocket. "There is something you can use."
She pulled out a small artifact.
It was shaped like a smooth pebble, no larger than a thumb. Pale white with faint veins of blue, it glowed softly as if holding a quiet breath of energy.
"This is a harmonizing stone," she said, placing it in his palm. "It's low-grade, only F-ranked. But it is effective. It stabilizes fluctuations in your internal energy pathways and helps your points align more naturally."
"Something like this exist?"
"How so you think families with large names grow strong?" She asked.
"Resources?" Kaelen replied.
"And this is one of them," she said with a smile.
"But why do you conveniently have this on you?" Kaelen asked.
"It's what my mother gave me when i first awakened. It's a memento." Her voice trailed silently."it keeps me calm."
"I am sorry Lira, i didn't mean to bring it up..."
Lira laughed, patting Kaelen on his back,"Bring what up silly~"
"I shouldn't be accepting..."
"Yes, you should."
"No, i can—"
"Would you stop arguing with me and accept it," she clicked her tongue. "Think of it more as borrowing and you will pay me back with interest."
"Kaelen... you need it more than I do." Her silver eyes softened. "And I want you to survive long enough to make better decisions."
He laughed under his breath. "I'll try."
"Good." She tapped the stone in his hand. "Use this when you cultivate. It won't make you stronger, but it will make the process smoother. Sometimes smoother is all you need."
Kaelen felt a warm spark of gratitude. "Thank you, Lira."
She stood, brushing off her cloak. "Just promise me you'll be careful."
"I will."
"And don't do anything stupid before the duel."
"No promises."
She gave him a pointed look.
"Fine," he corrected quickly. "I'll try not to."
"That's better."
"Lira, I—thanks. Seriously."
"Don't thank me yet," she said, smirking. "Break through first."
Kaelen pocketed the artifact gently.
"I will."
"I hope so. I'd rather not watch you get flattened by Jax in under ten seconds."
"Five seconds," Kaelen corrected. "Sera says I move like a liability."
"Well, a friend of mine. Remember the girl we met on the first day?"
"The green one?"
"No,The light brown one..."
Lira rubbed her cheeks,"Hmm, it seems i can't recollect."
"That's bad..."
Lira pointed him a look, "There are lot of people with different colors passing by daily, how do you expect me to know?"
"Well... she leaves an effect on people. She's the one with cropped silver hair."
Lira jolted,"The one that acts like a ghost lives in her."
"Your way of recollecting i—"
"I am not lying though. Did you get in a fight with her?"
"Wha– No,no. She's the one training me." Kaelen said, crossing his arms.
Lira laughed softly. "Relax, i was pulling your legs. At least she didn't lie."
They both smiled.
They talked for a while longer—small things, the training, thier classes and what each of them had experienced coming the first week.
She rose dusting off her black leggings. "I should get going. Send me a message if anything happens."
He nodded. "I will."
Lira waved lightly before walking off, her cloak trailing behind her. Her copper braid caught glimmers of sunlight until she disappeared around the corner.
Kaelen watched her go for a moment.
Then he reached into his pocket pulling out the harmonizing stone.
He stared at it. Its faint glow pulsed softly, almost in rhythm with his heartbeat.
He didn't waste any more time.
…
He practically jogged back to his dorm.
Once inside, he closed the door and sat cross-legged on the bed, exhaling slowly. His muscles were relaxed, his exhaustion was faded from his healing perks.
He took out the harmonic focus stone, set it lightly in his palm, and closed his eyes.
The crystal's faint light pulsed.
He inhaled.
[Aether Manipulation Lv.2]
[Energy Resonance Lv2]
Aether gathered in his core, swirling gently at the latent point.
He exhaled.
The energy smoothed out, spreading upward toward the bond point.
Each breath aligned with the rhythm of the artifact. Slow, controlled and steady.
Kaelen visualized the three core points clearly; his latent point was glowing at the abdomen, the bond point pulsing steadily at his sternum, and channel resting like a dim spark at the base of his neck connecting to both arms.
He guided the aether along the veins between them.
He wasn't forcing it. If he did, it will come down crashing.
He inhaled—condense.
Exhaled—expand.
The aether moved like warm water being poured through clean, carved paths. There was no resistance. No rough edges. The crystal in his palm warmed, synchronizing with the energy pulsing through him.
It really did work as Lira said.
[Artifact use detected]
[Non-harmful artifact]
He ignored the system and continued. Time went by.
He felt the bond point brighten, its rhythm strengthening.
Then the aether moved upward.
Toward the channel point.
A faint ache flickered in his chest, spreading subtly toward his throat. The sensation didn't hurt. It warmed. Like the body preparing to open a long-dormant door.
Kaelen kept his breathing steady.
Inhale.
Condense.
Exhale.
Expand.
The flow lifted.
The channel point glowed brighter behind closed eyes, a pale-blue spark growing into a steady light.
The warmth spread to his arms, his back, his head, like a clear tide rising within him.
Then—
A soft click echoed through his senses.
Aether flowed through him in a smooth, controlled wave.
It wasn't violent. It was like the final piece of a structure locking into place.
Kaelen's breath left him in a slow exhale, the warmth fading into a steady, quiet hum under his skin.
He opened his eyes.
His room looked the same, but his body felt different—lighter, aligned, awake.
A small, almost reluctant smile tugged at his mouth.
[You have reached the Channel stage of the Latent Level]
[Progress toward Latent Breakthrough: 66%]
He had broken through.
Latent level. Channel point.
The second step complete.
Not luck.
Not a sudden miracle.
Just work. Guidance. And clarity that came from people who believed he could reach it.
He closed his eyes again briefly, letting the quiet satisfaction settle.
He wasn't strong enough to defeat Jax.
Not yet. But he was gaining more chance.
"Jax, thanks for being a motivation." Kaelen said letting a smile touch his lips.