Riven noticed the change before the system acknowledged it.
It was subtle—so subtle that if he hadn't already been watching himself so closely, he might have missed it entirely. His breathing felt smoother, deeper, as if his lungs were drawing in more than just air. When he stood, there was less stiffness in his joints, less hesitation in his balance.
Not strength.
Efficiency.
He flexed his fingers slowly, watching how naturally the movement came. The bond hummed faintly in response, a low, steady presence that had become almost familiar.
The beast shifted beside him, heavy body rolling its weight from one forelimb to the other. The molten fissures along its armor brightened briefly, then dimmed again, like embers stirred by a passing breeze.
"You feel it too," Riven said quietly.
The response came not as words, but as alignment. Their awareness settled into the same rhythm, as if both of them had adjusted to the same invisible current.
The interface appeared a heartbeat later.
[Prime Bond – Active]
Synchronization: 7%
Status: Stable
Below it, a new line resolved, faint but readable.
[Threshold Detected: 10%]
Riven's eyes narrowed. "So that's the first wall."
He crouched, tracing a line in the soil with a stick. "Which means whatever changes happen… they don't happen gradually. They happen at milestones."
The system didn't confirm or deny it, but the logic fit. Everything so far had been gated. Restricted. Controlled.
This wasn't a system that rewarded impulsive growth.
It rewarded survival.
The forest around them shifted as they moved deeper, the terrain gradually sloping downward. Roots gave way to stone, moss clinging to cracked surfaces that looked worn smooth by time rather than erosion. Mana pooled more densely here, flowing in slow, visible currents.
Riven moved carefully, letting the bond guide his awareness outward. He wasn't seeing through the beast's eyes—not fully—but he felt when its attention sharpened, when its instincts focused.
That awareness saved him.
The ground ahead gave way without warning.
Riven yelped as the earth collapsed beneath his foot, sending him sliding down a steep incline of loose stone and soil. He barely managed to turn his body before slamming into a jutting rock, the impact knocking the air from his lungs.
Pain flared sharp and immediate.
Before he could react further, the bond snapped tight.
A massive weight hit the slope above him. Stone cracked as the beast dug its claws into the incline, anchoring itself. Its tail lashed downward, curling around Riven's torso with careful precision.
Not crushing.
Supporting.
Riven felt the beast's muscles strain, its balance adjust. The sensation translated through the bond, grounding him even as his own body screamed in protest.
"Okay," he gasped. "Okay… got it."
The beast hauled him upward with controlled force, setting him back on stable ground. Riven collapsed to one knee, clutching his side, breathing hard.
Nothing felt broken. Bruised, yes—but intact.
The interface flickered.
[Damage Registered: Minor]
[Shared Mitigation Applied]
Riven stared. "You… absorbed part of that?"
The bond warmed faintly, neither pride nor concern—just fact.
"Right," Riven muttered. "So injuries aren't isolated anymore."
That was important. Dangerous, too. Reckless behavior would cost both of them.
He pushed himself upright again, slower this time. The beast remained close, posture lowered slightly, alert.
They continued on.
The forest opened abruptly into a wide clearing, the canopy thinning enough to allow pale light to spill across the ground. At the center stood a stone structure—half-buried, circular, its surface etched with faded markings.
Riven slowed. "That wasn't made by nature."
The interface responded.
[Artificial Structure Detected]
Analysis unavailable.
Condition: Synchronization below threshold.
Riven sighed. "Of course."
Still, something about the place felt… anchored. Stable in a way the forest wasn't. Mana flowed around the structure rather than through it, pooling gently at its base.
The beast circled the clearing once, then stopped at Riven's side. No alarm. No tension.
"Not hostile," Riven murmured. "But not meaningless either."
He approached cautiously, stopping just short of touching the stone. The markings looked deliberate—interlocking lines, worn smooth by time. Not a script he recognized, but not random.
When he stepped closer, the bond pulsed sharply.
A warning.
Riven halted instantly.
"Too soon," he said softly. "Whatever this is, we're not ready."
The beast remained still, but the molten cracks along its armor flared slightly, reacting to something Riven couldn't sense directly.
They backed away together.
As they reached the edge of the clearing, the forest reacted.
The mana currents shifted violently, spiraling inward toward a single point near the far treeline. The drifting motes dimmed, then vanished altogether.
Riven's pulse spiked. "That's not natural."
The interface appeared, its text sharper than before.
[Hostile Entity Detected]
[Classification: Riftspawn]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
Riven swallowed. "That's higher than before."
The Riftspawn emerged slowly this time.
It was larger than the last—broader, its form more stable, less warped. Its movements were deliberate, its glowing eyes fixed on the beast with unmistakable intent.
Predator recognizing predator.
The beast stepped forward, placing itself squarely between the Riftspawn and Riven. Its posture lowered, molten fissures brightening steadily as heat built beneath its armored hide.
Riven felt the preparation through the bond. Controlled. Focused.
"No rushing," Riven said, forcing his breathing steady. "We don't need to kill it fast. We need to survive it."
The bond tightened in agreement.
The Riftspawn lunged.
This time, the beast didn't meet it head-on. It sidestepped with surprising agility, letting the creature overextend before slamming its shoulder into the Riftspawn's flank. The impact sent both skidding across the clearing.
Riven staggered as the shared sensation hit him—strain, impact, resistance—but he stayed on his feet.
[Synchronization Sustained]
The Riftspawn recovered quickly, slashing with elongated claws that scraped sparks from the beast's armor. Heat flared as the beast retaliated, jaws snapping shut on one of the creature's limbs.
The Riftspawn screamed.
Riven felt it all, but the sensations were muted now, filtered. Not weaker—clearer.
He wasn't drowning in it.
"Better," he muttered through clenched teeth.
The fight dragged on longer than the last. The Riftspawn adapted, striking smarter, retreating and advancing in bursts. The beast responded in kind, movements precise, conserving energy.
This wasn't a slaughter.
It was a test.
Finally, the Riftspawn overcommitted.
The beast caught it mid-lunge, slamming it into the ground with crushing force. Heat surged once, concentrated and controlled.
The Riftspawn dissolved, energy dispersing into the air.
Silence returned.
Riven dropped to one knee, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his spine. The beast remained standing, breathing heavier now, but steady.
The interface appeared immediately.
[Synchronization Increased]
Current Synchronization: 10%
Riven froze.
The text shifted.
[Threshold Reached]
For a moment, nothing else happened.
Then the bond flared—not violently, but deeply. Something settled into place, like a lock turning.
Riven felt it in his bones.
The interface updated.
[Threshold Effect: Shared Perception – Partial]
Bonded entities may now exchange limited sensory awareness during heightened focus.
Riven sucked in a sharp breath.
The world sharpened.
For just a moment, he saw the forest from a higher vantage point—wider, clearer. Heat signatures. Mana currents. The fading residue of the Riftspawn's presence.
Then it receded, leaving him blinking.
He laughed softly, exhausted and awed. "So that's what ten percent gets us."
The beast lowered its head slightly, molten eyes bright and steady.
They weren't powerful.
Not yet.
But they were no longer fumbling in the dark.
Far away, beyond forests and realms, systems that had governed the world for centuries logged an anomaly they could not suppress.
A bond had crossed its first threshold without oversight.
And it was only just beginning.