Velian's eighth year marked a time of quiet consolidation and subtle, yet profound, internal change. The raw, untamed energy that had once clung to him now began to move with measured intent, shaped by Elara's patient guidance and his own star-touched instincts. His command of Lesser Telekinesis had advanced significantly. No longer did he fumble or falter—now he manipulated multiple small objects at once with fluid, almost artistic precision. He could stack pebbles into gravity-defying towers or choreograph fallen leaves into complex aerial ballets, their movements controlled with meticulous grace.
Kaelen, ever the pragmatist, directed this growing mastery toward practical training. He arranged small targets in the yard—dangling wooden discs, strategically placed apples—and had Velian strike them with pebbles guided by telekinesis. It wasn't about brute strength, but precision: the perfect unity of thought and motion.
"Accuracy before power, Velian," Kaelen would often say, his tone firm but encouraging. "A well-aimed pebble can bring down a giant if it hits the right place. Power without purpose is just noise."
Alongside this, Kaelen began Velian's physical training in earnest. The regimen was age-appropriate, focused on building stamina, balance, and reflexes. They ran along cliffside paths, practiced footwork and evasive drills, and sparred lightly with blunt wooden swords. Velian—graced with an agile body subtly tempered by starlight—adapted quickly. His movements were nimble, his balance instinctive, and his anticipation of Kaelen's mock attacks bordered on the uncanny.
Meanwhile, Elara had delved deeper into their perilous ancestral lore. She discovered it—a fragmented scroll bearing a complex meditative sequence titled The Weaving of Starlight. It described a method for consciously channeling celestial mana through the Celestial Meridians, cleansing and strengthening them—an essential step before awakening the Star-Forged Core. The warnings were dire: misdirected flow could cause internal harm, and an impure or unfocused mind might suffer celestial dissonance, vaguely described as a shattering of the spirit.
For weeks, Elara hesitated, burdened by the gravity of the risk. Yet Velian's calm progress and clear affinity emboldened her. She simplified the practice, distilling it to its gentlest and most passive elements.
"Today, Velian," she said one clear morning in their sunlit library, "we won't just listen to the stars' songs. We'll try to hum along with them—softly, within. Imagine the starlight not merely falling on you, but flowing through you like a gentle stream."
Velian closed his eyes, breathing steadily. He focused on the familiar presence of Luminaris energy, drawn from the unseen Silver Wolf constellation—a comforting, steady force within his awareness. Following Elara's instructions, he gently encouraged its flow, not by force, but through subtle invitation. He began sensing invisible channels within himself, dim outlines of a deeper structure.
At first, nothing felt different. Then warmth bloomed in his chest, spreading through his limbs—a gentle yet potent sensation. The silvery aura that sometimes shimmered around him flickered and brightened, becoming a steady glow visible even in daylight.
A sudden image burst behind his eyelids—not a dream or memory, but a vivid, direct perception. He saw a network of silver paths inside his body, like constellations mirrored within his form. At the center, near his heart, pulsed a dormant yet radiant light—the seed of his Star-Forged Core. The Luminaris energy flowed along these inner paths, hesitant at first, then surer, like it recognized the way.
[Celestial Meridian Mapping (Partial) Initiated via 'Weaving of Starlight' (Modified)!][Primary Luminaris Conduits Identified and Partially Cleansed.][Mana Flow Efficiency Increased by 3%. Internal Mana Circulation Improved.][Star-Forged Core (Sealed): Resonance Detected. Awakening Prerequisite: Meridian Harmonization Level 1.]
The glowing glyphs etched themselves into his mind with crystalline clarity. He gasped and opened his eyes, the vision fading but its knowledge branded into his awareness.
"Mama!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed. "I saw them! The silver rivers inside me—and a tiny star, asleep in my chest! The words said the rivers are 'conduits' and the star needs 'harmonization'!"
Elara brought a hand to her mouth, eyes wide with both triumph and apprehension. "Meridian Harmonization... The texts described it as the first true gate." She had succeeded—she had guided her son through a dangerous threshold safely. Relief surged through her, tempered by the realization of how far they still had to go.
That harmonization became their new focus. The Weaving of Starlight meditation became daily practice, with Velian gradually learning to guide celestial mana with finer control. The inner cleansing continued, and as a side effect, his telekinetic abilities became smoother, his stamina noticeably stronger.
Around this time, as Velian neared his ninth year, Azuris Keep received a rare visitor—a traveling scholar named Master Valerius. An old man with eyes that held the dust of a thousand libraries, Valerius was charting obscure magical phenomena along the coast. He'd heard whispers of celestial disturbances from nearly a decade ago—whispers that led him here.
Kaelen and Elara were cautious, but Valerius was harmless in demeanor and academic in inquiry. They allowed him a short stay, sharing curated, innocuous tales of the keep.
Velian, however, was fascinated. Valerius carried an ornate brass astrolabe and ancient star charts far more detailed than any in Elara's collection. One evening, noticing Velian's curiosity, Valerius unrolled an especially old celestial map.
"This," the scholar said, voice like wind through parchment, "is a map of the Elder Heavens. It shows constellations unseen by most—paths whispered in forgotten lore."
Velian's eyes locked onto a star cluster on the map. It called to him, echoing the star songs he often heard. "That one," he murmured, pointing. "It sings of forgotten things… and gates."
Valerius's eyebrows rose. He leaned closer to study the spot Velian had indicated—a faint, almost invisible constellation known in old myths as the Key of Andaros, said to guard passage to other realms and hidden truths.
"Incredible," he whispered. "Few even know to seek Andaros's Key—fewer still hear its… song." His gaze lingered on Velian, suddenly thoughtful. "You have sharp eyes, young master. And sharper ears, perhaps."
He asked no more, but the exchange lingered in Velian's mind. For the first time, someone from the outside world had confirmed—however obliquely—the truth of his gifts. It awakened a quiet curiosity in him about the world beyond the keep, a world of ancient maps and forgotten constellations.
A few days after Valerius departed, Velian resumed his Weaving of Starlight meditation. As the Luminaris energy coursed through his cleansed meridians, something shifted—a quiet lock, clicking into place.
[Meridian Harmonization Level 1 Achieved!][Star-Forged Core (Sealed): Awakening Prerequisite Met. Ignition Sequence Available.][New Skill Available for Acquisition: Mana Sense (Basic). Requires conscious activation and practice.]
The world was opening. The path to awakening his Core now lay within reach, close enough to touch. With it came the promise of Mana Sense, a skill that would allow him to directly perceive the energies around him. Though life within Azuris Keep remained unchanged, the gyre was widening, drawing him into a destiny beyond its walls.
Kaelen and Elara exchanged a silent look. The time for larger decisions was coming sooner than they had hoped.