Morning drills at the Central Academy were supposed to start at sunrise.
Kael arrived an hour late.
Captain Iris Valen was already waiting on the sparring field, arms crossed, expression carved from stone. Her black-and-silver uniform gleamed beneath the mana lamps, and the crimson insignia of the Rift Suppression Division shimmered faintly on her shoulder.
"You're late," she said.
Kael stifled a yawn. "I prefer to call it creatively punctual."
"You're also under my supervision for resonance control," Iris replied. "So from this moment, you follow my schedule."
"That sounds suspiciously like discipline."
"Exactly."
Behind them, Professor Thalric cheerfully adjusted his recording devices. "Marvelous! Practical training always brings out measurable chaos."
Kael muttered, "Your enthusiasm is terrifying."
Warm-Up
The training yard was a circle of reinforced stone bordered by containment runes. Ember perched on the outer railing, eyes bright, while Aegros lay on the ground, tail tapping rhythmically.
Iris drew her sword—a curved, silver-edged blade that hummed with compressed wind mana. "We'll begin with a control drill. You'll release mana until I say stop. I'll monitor fluctuations."
"Sounds easy."
"It's not."
Kael exhaled slowly and extended his hand. Golden light flowed outward, rippling like heat haze. The sigil on his wrist pulsed faintly in answer.
Iris circled him, eyes narrowing. "Keep your breathing steady. You're channeling too much instinct into the flow."
"That's my secret—I don't have technique, just vibes."
The air shimmered brighter. Ember chirped anxiously; Aegros rose to his feet.
Iris snapped, "Focus, Draven!"
Kael blinked. The pulse steadied instantly. The sigil dimmed.
Iris lowered her blade slightly. "Better. You respond to voice correction faster than most mages."
"Years of being yelled at," Kael said. "It's an art."
Combat Exercise
"Next," Iris said, "we test synchronization under pressure."
A dozen training golems stepped out from the walls, their cores glowing blue.
Kael groaned. "Everywhere I go, things line up to punch me."
"Show me your control, Summoner."
Ember burst into flight, flames spiraling behind her. Aegros charged forward with a metallic growl. The first golem swung its hammer—only for Aegros to intercept, claws screeching against steel.
Kael raised a hand. "Flare chain."
Ember's fire shot along invisible lines, wrapping around the golems like burning threads. Each detonation was precise—contained within rune limits.
Iris watched intently. "Your output's stable. Impressive."
Kael smirked. "See? Perfectly harmless explosions."
"Don't tempt fate."
At her command, two wind-constructs joined the fray, their blades humming. Kael responded automatically.
"Aegros—cross guard. Ember—counter sweep!"
The wolf spun, deflecting both constructs into Ember's descending fire arc. They vanished in twin bursts of blue smoke.
Iris lowered her sword. "You make chaos look coordinated."
"That's the goal," Kael said.
Aftermath
When the dust settled, Iris sheathed her sword and nodded. "Not bad. But you still rely on instinct. If that resonance mark ever surges again, instinct won't save you."
Kael wiped sweat from his neck. "You mean the glowing tattoo that hums when I breathe? Yeah, that thing's creepy."
"It's power," Iris said quietly. "And power needs boundaries."
"You sound like Varin."
"He trained me," she admitted. "Before I joined the Suppression Division."
Kael blinked. "So you're his favorite student, and I'm his favorite headache. Nice symmetry."
A faint smile flickered across her face before vanishing. "Tomorrow, we train again. Dawn. No excuses."
"Define 'dawn,'" Kael said.
"When the sun considers rising."
"Tragic."
The Corridor Encounter
On his way back to the dorm wing, Kael nearly collided with a group of upper-year summoners. Their leader, a tall blond student with a jeweled collar, sneered.
"So this is the Rift pet the Guild imported."
Kael blinked. "Pet? That's new. Usually they go with 'walking hazard.'"
"We don't need unstable anomalies ruining the Academy's reputation," the noble said. "Keep your beasts on leashes."
Aegros growled low, eyes gleaming silver. Ember flared once, feathers sparking.
Kael smiled lazily. "They don't bite nobles. Too chewy."
The group backed off quickly, muttering insults as they left.
Kael yawned. "Academies change, people don't."
Evening Reflection
As night fell, Kael sat on the balcony outside his quarters. The view stretched across the crystal spires of the Central Academy, their lights flickering like stars.
Ember nestled against his arm; Aegros lay curled nearby.
Kael opened his palm, watching the resonance sigil flicker faintly. The mark pulsed to his heartbeat, but softer now—almost calm.
"Guess Iris knows what she's doing," he murmured.
Ember chirped sleepily.
"Don't tell her I said that."
He leaned back, gazing at the faint mana glow that still lingered over the city. For the first time in weeks, it felt peaceful.
Until a voice echoed faintly in his mind—cold, distant, familiar.
The bond deepens. The gate listens.
Kael's eyes snapped open. "...Yeah, that's not ominous at all."
Aegros lifted his head, ears twitching. Ember's feathers dimmed nervously.
Kael forced a grin. "Relax. If something's watching, let it be bored."
Outside, the night wind carried the same rhythm as his heartbeat—steady, waiting.