The Guild's central training dome gleamed under morning light, its walls layered with mana seals strong enough to contain a dragon. At least, in theory.
Kael Draven wasn't convinced.
He stood at the center of the dome, arms folded, as several Guild engineers adjusted glowing arrays around him. Ember perched on a rail, feathers flickering gold. Aegros sat by the entrance, his metal tail thumping in irritation.
"This feels suspiciously like another experiment," Kael said.
Guild Officer Lira smiled a little too brightly. "Not an experiment. A simulation. We're testing your resonance control under mild stress."
"Define 'mild.'"
"You'll fight three low-level Rift projections."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "And if something goes wrong?"
"That's what the reinforced dome is for."
Kael sighed. "You mean the same reinforced dome that exploded last month?"
Lira hesitated. "We… upgraded the runes."
"Comforting."
The Simulation Begins
Varin's voice echoed from the observation deck. "Draven, remember—this is about control, not destruction. No excessive mana output."
"I'll try," Kael said. "No promises."
With a flick of Varin's hand, the dome darkened. Blue light surged across the floor, forming three glowing rifts. From them emerged translucent creatures—wolf-like shades with hollow eyes and claws made of mist.
Kael cracked his neck. "Simple enough."
Ember ignited in a burst of flame, her heat chasing away the cold light of the projections. Aegros bared his fangs, ready to strike.
"Formation two," Kael commanded.
The phoenix soared upward, leaving trails of golden fire that wove into radiant lines. Aegros dashed through them, each step absorbing fragments of heat into his steel claws.
The first projection lunged.
Aegros met it head-on, his claws slashing through the creature. It dissolved into blue dust.
Kael smirked. "One down."
But as the other two advanced, the air changed. The dome's temperature dropped, and Kael's mana core pulsed painfully in his chest.
The Surge
Varin frowned from above. "His readings are spiking—again!"
Lira checked the gauges. "Mana synchronization—unstable! Rift resonance detected!"
Kael gritted his teeth. "Not… now."
His vision flickered blue. Ember's flames turned azure, Aegros's fur glowed silver-white. The bond lines between them brightened, forming visible chains of light.
The remaining two shades lunged simultaneously. Kael moved on instinct, his voice echoing louder than before.
"Resonance Burst!"
Light erupted. For a heartbeat, everything froze—flame, air, even sound. Then the dome detonated in a shockwave of blue fire.
The projections vanished instantly. Every rune in the room flared white before shorting out.
When the smoke cleared, Kael stood alone in the center of the arena. Ember and Aegros knelt beside him, unharmed but glowing faintly blue. The floor beneath them was scorched clean through the top layer of runes.
Varin's voice came over the comms, tight and strained. "Draven, report."
"All good," Kael said calmly. "Nobody's dead. Yet."
Lira exhaled in disbelief. "That blast registered at mid-B tier power output."
Varin's eyes narrowed. "And you weren't even trying, were you?"
"I sneezed," Kael said.
Aftermath
When the alarms finally stopped, Kael found himself sitting in the observation lounge, wrapped in a mana-stabilizing blanket. Ember rested quietly on his shoulder, her flames dimmed to embers. Aegros lay nearby, still faintly shimmering with Rift energy.
Lira stood by the window, tablet in hand. "You created a resonance pulse, Kael. The same energy signature as the Rift anomaly from the mission."
"So I duplicated it?"
"More like amplified it," Varin said. "That kind of energy shouldn't exist inside a human channel."
Kael frowned. "You're making it sound like I broke magic."
"You might have," Varin said seriously. "Your mana pattern is mimicking Rift energy—without destabilizing reality."
"That sounds good."
"It's not," Lira said. "If you can do it accidentally, others might learn to replicate it. And if Rift entities recognize it…"
Kael sighed. "Then I'll start getting fan mail from monsters."
Varin shot him a look. "I'm serious, Draven."
"So am I," Kael said. "Those claws looked like they had handwriting."
Lira rubbed her temples. "He jokes when he's nervous."
"I joke when I breathe," Kael corrected.
A Temporary Solution
Varin set a small crystal orb on the table. Inside, faint blue light swirled gently.
"This containment focus can absorb a portion of your excess resonance. Carry it with you during missions."
Kael picked it up, watching the glow pulse to his heartbeat. "And if it breaks?"
"Then we run," Varin said dryly.
"You've been hanging around me too much," Kael said.
Varin smirked. "Maybe. But remember, Draven—power without control isn't strength. It's just noise."
Kael pocketed the orb. "Good thing I'm fluent in noise."
Later That Night
Back at his dorm, Kael stared at the orb sitting on his desk. Ember and Aegros were asleep nearby, faint blue rings still shimmering around them.
The orb pulsed quietly, echoing his mana rhythm. For a moment, Kael could almost hear it—like a distant heartbeat in the air.
He frowned. "You again, huh?"
The pulse quickened, then faded.
Kael leaned back, arms behind his head. "If some cosmic Rift god is trying to talk, please make an appointment. I'm busy tomorrow."
Outside, lightning flashed across the horizon. For an instant, the clouds split open, revealing a faint blue fissure far in the distance—like a wound in the sky.
Kael didn't notice. Ember stirred, eyes flickering open, and watched the Rift light fade. Her feathers glowed blue for a second, then returned to gold.