The next day arrived without mercy.
No celebration.
No rest.
Only Lunaria standing at the center of the basin again, silver hair catching the morning light, expression calm—as if yesterday hadn't rewritten the limits of what the others believed possible.
Ash, Riven, and Juno stood opposite him.
Kael watched from the side, arms crossed, body still sore, but eyes sharp. He understood now what Lunaria was doing.
He wasn't just training them.
He was remaking them.
"Yesterday changed nothing," Lunaria said. "If you think touching me once grants privilege, you will fail."
Ash clenched his fists. "We don't think that."
Riven grinned. "We just want our turn."
Juno said nothing—only inhaled slowly, grounding his breath.
Lunaria nodded once. "Good."
He raised two fingers.
"Dodging training. Same rules as before."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But today… I will move faster."
The air snapped.
Ash attacked first.
Not recklessly this time.
He didn't rush Lunaria—he shadowed him, predicting movement, cutting angles, forcing Lunaria to choose paths rather than freely drifting through space.
Riven followed instantly, his movements chaotic on the surface but purposeful underneath, smashing terrain not to hit Lunaria—but to limit him.
Stone erupted.
Dust filled the air.
Juno waited.
Then struck.
His mana flared in precise pulses, disrupting flow rather than overwhelming it—forcing Lunaria to adjust mid-step.
For the first time—
Lunaria's foot skidded.
Ash's eyes widened.
Now.
Ash lunged—not with force, but timing.
His fingers brushed Lunaria's sleeve.
Barely.
But unmistakably.
Silence fell.
Riven froze mid-motion.
Juno's breath hitched.
Kael straightened.
Ash stared at his own hand as if it didn't belong to him.
"…I touched you," Ash said softly.
Lunaria looked down at his sleeve, then back at Ash.
"Yes," Lunaria replied. "You did."
He turned to Riven.
"Again."
Riven laughed—sharp, thrilled—and exploded forward. He abandoned finesse, abandoning restraint, pouring everything into speed and instinct.
The ground shattered beneath his feet.
Lunaria dodged once. Twice.
On the third movement—
Riven slid beneath Lunaria's center of gravity, twisting mid-air, fingers grazing Lunaria's wrist.
Contact.
Riven hit the ground laughing. "That's two."
Lunaria turned to Juno.
Juno exhaled, calm returning.
He didn't chase.
He waited.
Then when Lunaria shifted—
Juno stepped into the space Lunaria intended to escape through.
His palm touched Lunaria's shoulder.
Just once.
Just enough.
Juno stepped back immediately, bowing his head slightly—not in submission, but acknowledgment.
Lunaria stood still.
Then—
He smiled.
Just a little.
"You've reached the threshold," Lunaria said. "But touching me is not enough."
Ash's heart pounded. "What comes next?"
"The same process Kael endured," Lunaria replied.
The temperature dropped.
Riven swallowed. "You mean—"
"Yes," Lunaria said calmly. "Withstand one of my skills."
Ash stepped forward instantly. "I'll go first."
Lunaria nodded.
He didn't waste words.
The skill activated.
Gravitational Bind: Silent Field.
Ash felt the weight slam down—less than what Kael endured, but still crushing. His knees buckled instantly, but he roared, forcing mana through his core, stabilizing himself.
His muscles screamed.
His vision blurred.
But he stayed upright.
Seconds passed.
Then release.
Ash collapsed forward, gasping—but smiling through the pain.
Riven went next.
The moment the pressure hit, he cursed loudly, bones creaking under invisible force. He resisted not with control—but fury, forcing his body to obey through sheer will.
He dropped to one knee.
Then stood back up.
Juno was last.
He didn't fight the pressure.
He balanced it—distributing mana through his body like water through channels, minimizing damage.
When the skill ended, Juno was still standing.
Lunaria looked at all three of them.
"You've succeeded."
The words felt unreal.
"From this moment on," Lunaria continued, "I will train you normally."
Riven blinked. "Normally…?"
"Yes," Lunaria said. "Together."
Ash frowned slightly. "Together how?"
Lunaria stepped back and raised his hand.
The basin reshaped itself—stone lifting, forming pillars, platforms, uneven terrain.
"Combat. Speed. Coordination," Lunaria said. "No more individual treatment."
He met their eyes one by one.
"You will fight me as a unit."
Kael smiled faintly from the side.
Ash's chest tightened—not with fear, but excitement.
Riven cracked his knuckles. "Finally."
Juno adjusted his stance, eyes steady.
Lunaria took his place at the center.
"Come," he said softly.
And for the first time—
They charged him together.