The mornings passed, each one filled with simulations, guardians' guidance, and Scarlett weaving the lattice stronger than ever. She could feel her focus sharpening, her ability to anticipate attacks improving, and her connection with the threads deepening.
Yet a shadow loomed. The rifts had begun to pulse again, subtle tremors at first, but increasingly aggressive.
Vailtest's mane bristled. "Scarlett… the Shadow King is testing the lattice again. Not with probes. He is striking directly."
Ikkibess's molten eyes glowed red. "He has been patient, observing your growth. Now he challenges it. This is his first major coordinated attack. All threads will be tested simultaneously."
Gutheimiereh's wings stretched, claws scraping the stone. "And he will not attack randomly. He will target critical points, forcing you to choose which dimensions to defend first. Your planning will be tested to its limits."
Scarlett's scar flared, anticipation tightening her chest. "Then we act. We don't just react, we predict, we control the flow, and we protect what matters most."
A sudden tremor shook the cliffs. Shadows poured from multiple rifts at once, ice storms, molten
eruptions, and violent gusts of razor-sharp wind. Scarlett's lattice flared in response, threads stretching in every direction.
"Vailtest! Purify the air rifts!" she shouted.
Vailtest dove, horn glowing silver-blue, dispersing icy winds and deflecting the worst of the storm.
"Ikkibess! Control the magma rifts! Contain the eruptions!"
The guardian's rocky fists slammed into lava currents, reshaping them into controlled flows that fed Scarlett's lattice.
"And Gutheimiereh! Reinforce the upper rifts! Ice and air together!"
The dragon dove, slicing through frost and redirecting air currents, guiding them into a controlled pattern that Scarlett threaded through the lattice.
For the first time, Scarlett wasn't merely reacting. She anticipated where the next wave would strike, weaving defensive threads into traps, redirecting shadows into dead ends, and using the guardians' strengths in precise, preplanned ways.
She split her focus across the multiple dimensions, predicting the Shadow King's movements like a chess master.
A massive shadow surged from the central rift, faster, smarter, attacking the strongest lattice point. Scarlett felt it test her reaction, probing for weakness. She paused, letting the shadow advance, then triggered a counter-thread, diverting the attack into a reinforced lattice node. The shadow screamed in frustration, dissolving harmlessly.
"You see, Scarlett," Vailtest whispered, "he anticipates you anticipating him. But you have learned to anticipate the anticipation itself."
Ikkibess rumbled. "Do not underestimate the strain. Your threads can hold, but only if your focus does. You must remain sharp."
As the shadows retreated, a chilling voice echoed across dimensions, low and calm.
"Impressive, Keeper. You have grown… faster than I expected. But every lattice you fortify only sharpens the battlefield. Every decision you make, every dimension you protect… brings you closer to the moment when choice itself will become your enemy."
Scarlett's scar flared. "I am ready. You may test me, Shadow King, but I will not falter. I am the Keeper. I protect all threads, all dimensions, and I will stop you."
The shadows dissipated, leaving lingering tremors, and the distant rift pulsed with dark energy, the Shadow King's presence watching, calculating, and learning from her actions.
Gutheimiereh landed, wings folding. "This was no ordinary attack. He has shown his hand, but only partially. The real battle is coming, and it will test every lesson you've learned."
Ikkibess's molten body glimmered. "You survived the first strike, Keeper. But remember, he will adapt. He will grow stronger. He is patient, but relentless."
Vailtest's mane shimmered with pride. "And so will you. Each battle teaches you. Each lattice you weave strengthens you. This is the path of a Keeper."
Scarlett stood tall, scar glowing steadily. "Then I will learn, adapt, and protect. No matter how many strikes, no matter how patient he is. The Shadow King may plot in darkness, but I am the light guiding these dimensions."
The blood moons glimmered crimson overhead, casting long shadows across the rift-strewn valley. The Shadow King's presence lingered, patient and intelligent, preparing for the next phase of his grand design.