The next half-year in the Ashen Dimension passed in a strange, almost domestic tranquility that was completely at odds with the chaotic power now housed within its starlit void.
Rhys's days fell into a predictable rhythm, a cycle of learning, practice, and dealing with the increasingly complex dynamics of his new, bizarre family.
His mornings were dedicated to his own cultivation.
He would sit atop the highest crystalline tower of his newly built city, a silent fortress named 'Cinderfall', and absorb the pure energy of his domain.
He did not need to push for breakthroughs anymore; his foundation was set. Instead, he focused on control, on mastering the immense power now flowing through his 108 Ascendent Cores.
He learned to isolate the energy of each core, to feel the unique signature of every element he had bonded with, from the simple, solid strength of Earth to the mind-bending complexity of Time.
His afternoons, however, were for his lessons with Seduction.
