The next morning dawned bright—and blue.
Not the normal, peaceful blue of the Valenhardt sky, but an eerie hue that shimmered faintly like mana waves.
Across the city, people craned their necks upward, whispering and pointing.
A faint scar of light stretched across the clouds, glowing the same color Kael had seen during the simulation.
Inside his dorm room, Kael squinted through the window and sighed.
"Perfect. Even the sky's joining the drama now."
Ember chirped softly from her perch, her feathers glinting faint azure.
Aegros lifted his head, ears twitching toward the faint hum vibrating through the air.
"Don't tell me you two are picking up signals again," Kael said. "I'm not explaining another energy surge to the Guild."
Aegros gave a low growl that sounded suspiciously like agreement.
The dorm door burst open, nearly slamming into the wall.
"Kael!" Ryn shouted, holding up a glowing communication stone. "Please tell me that thing in the sky isn't your fault!"
Kael hesitated. "I plead the fifth."
"We don't have a fifth!"
"Then I plead the concept."
The Guild Summons
Not an hour later, Kael found himself once again standing before Guildmaster Varin in the council chamber. Lira was there too, alongside several nervous-looking researchers.
Varin didn't bother with greetings. "The Riftlight appeared over Valenhardt at dawn. We confirmed it's not a natural phenomenon."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You needed confirmation for that? The sky's glowing blue, Varin."
Lira shot him a look. "We traced the epicenter to this district—directly above your dormitory."
Kael blinked. "Okay, that one's not my fault. I was asleep. For once."
"The timing matches your resonance pulse from last night," Lira said. "The residual mana reached atmospheric level."
"So I accidentally painted the sky," Kael muttered. "That's new."
Varin leaned forward. "We're containing the energy, but the Riftlight is… responding."
Kael frowned. "Responding how?"
"It pulses when you channel mana," Lira said.
Kael stared. "So the sky glows when I sneeze now? Fantastic."
Varin sighed. "Draven, this isn't a joke. If this connection continues, the Riftlight could become a beacon—for whatever's on the other side."
A Sudden Test
The Guild's alarm crystal flashed red. A holographic display flickered to life, showing live mana readings from the city perimeter.
Energy spikes, rhythmic and fast.
Lira paled. "The Riftlight's intensifying! Mana concentration—doubling every minute!"
Varin snapped to action. "Activate containment wards! Draven, outside—now!"
Kael blinked. "Wait, what? Why me?"
"Because it's reacting to you," Varin said.
"That's not a good reason!"
But he was already running.
Outside, the wind howled unnaturally, pulling toward the glowing scar above. Blue motes drifted through the air like snow. The hum was louder now—low, rhythmic, almost like breathing.
Kael stopped at the center of the plaza. "You've got to be kidding me. The sky's alive?"
He felt the resonance pulse deep in his chest again. Ember screeched, wings igniting in blue flame. Aegros crouched low, claws sparking silver.
"No, no, no—don't you dare evolve mid-city," Kael warned.
Too late.
The Riftlight pulsed once—bright as a second sun—and a beam of energy struck the plaza. The ground cracked, mana scattering in a storm of blue and gold.
Kael threw up a barrier. Ember and Aegros shielded him instinctively, their forms outlined in twin rings of power.
"Containment mode!" Kael shouted. "Do something subtle!"
Ember screeched. Aegros roared.
Subtlety died instantly.
Blue fire and silver wind exploded upward, colliding with the Riftlight beam. For a second, the entire city froze in a blinding flash—then the light shattered, scattering harmlessly into the sky.
Silence.
Then cheering.
Citizens peered out of windows as the unnatural hue faded, replaced by the ordinary gold of morning.
Kael groaned, brushing dust off his coat. "If anyone asks, I meant to do that."
Ember chirped proudly.
Aegros wagged his tail.
Back Inside the Guild
Varin met them halfway back, expression torn between exasperation and awe.
"You just neutralized a sky-wide anomaly with two beasts and no preparation."
Kael shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a morning person now."
Lira crossed her arms. "Your mana output registered at mid-A rank during the pulse. Do you realize how absurd that is for Level 11?"
"I'm special," Kael said. "It's a curse."
Varin sighed. "We've quarantined the area for analysis. The light is gone, but it left behind Rift dust—small fragments of mana crystalizing midair. That's never happened before."
Kael frowned. "Meaning?"
"Meaning the Rift is trying to anchor itself," Lira said quietly. "It's not just leaking—it's learning."
"Learning to what? Glow prettier?"
Varin gave him a look. "Learning to reach you."
Kael stared. "...Okay, that's creepy."
The Warning
Later, Kael leaned against the tower balcony, watching the clouds slowly return to normal. Ember perched beside him, wings tucked in. Aegros lay nearby, eyes half-closed.
"First the ground cracks, now the sky tries to high-five me," Kael muttered. "What's next? Talking stars?"
Varin joined him quietly. "You laugh, but you're at the center of something the Guild hasn't seen in centuries."
"Lucky me."
"If this continues, we'll need to relocate you to the Central Academy for deeper research. They specialize in mana anomalies."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "So, exile with extra homework."
Varin chuckled. "Think of it as a promotion."
"Still sounds like work."
"Draven," Varin said softly, "you're dangerous—but not because of your strength. Because the world itself is reacting to you."
Kael glanced up at the fading sky. "Then the world needs to chill."
Nightfall
That night, from the top of the Guild tower, faint lines of blue light still glimmered along the horizon.
Kael sat with Ember sleeping against his shoulder and Aegros curled at his feet.
He opened his status panel for the first time in days.
Copy code
[Name]: Kael Draven
[Level]: 11
[Profession]: Summoner (SSS Rank)
[Beast Slots]: 2 / 2
[Resonance Status]: Unstable
[Unique Trait]: (Hidden) — Ancestral Covenant
[Note]: Mana frequency deviation detected.
Kael stared at the flickering [Note] line for a long time, then sighed.
"Guess we're in trouble, huh?"
Ember chirped softly in her sleep.
Aegros rumbled quietly.
Kael smiled faintly. "At least we'll look good doing it."
Outside, lightning danced once more along the horizon—like a heartbeat in the sky.