The sanctuary's air hummed with the quiet energy of healing runes, the scent of crushed herbs thick in the warm breeze. Sebastian knelt before the Springshoot Panda, his fingers hovering just above its emerald-and-gold fur. The creature's round face tilted up, its too-intelligent eyes studying him with cautious curiosity.
For the first time since its rescue, it had eaten—a handful of moonbloom berries offered from Sebastian's palm.
Lord Aldric Stormwind, Sebastian's uncle, stood a few paces back, arms crossed over his broad chest. His sharp emerald eyes—so like Sebastian's—flickered with rare approval.
"Springshoots are common in Southhaven's groves," he said, voice low. "But it's rare for one to choose a companion. They're proud creatures. Stubborn."
Sebastian didn't look up, his Beast Whisperer talent pulsing gently, a silent bridge between them. The panda's emotions were a tangled knot of grief and wary hope.
"They bond for life, don't they?"
Aldric nodded. "Once they accept a rune-ring, it's unbreakable. And this one's no ordinary Springshoot." He stepped closer, his shadow falling over them. "Most are born Tier III, but this one? Its runes are *denser*. Look at the markings."
Sebastian's Book of Beast Records flickered open in his mind, confirming Aldric's words:
"Springshoot Panda – Tier III (Flame Warden)"
- Potential: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Peak Evolution)
- Abilities: Nature's Renewal (accelerated healing), Vine Whip (plant manipulation), Photosynthetic Healing (sunlight absorption)
- Compatibility: 97%
- Next Evolution: Willowsage Panda (Tier IV: Arcane Protector)
- Guardian-class: Enhanced protective instincts, terrain manipulation, soul-linked healing with bonded companion
The panda sniffed Sebastian's fingers, then butted its head against his palm—a quiet demand for more berries. A laugh bubbled up in Sebastian's chest.
"Greedy little thing."
Aldric smirked. "It's testing you. Springshoots only bond with those who can provide." He tossed Sebastian a small pouch of shimmering green dust. "Sprinkle that on your beast-ring. It's ground Willowsage bark—helps ease the bonding shock for plant-affinity beasts."
Sebastian unclasped his sixth beast-ring from his wrist—a simple band of silvered iron, unmarked and waiting. He sprinkled the Willowsage dust over it, the particles glowing faintly as they fused with the metal.
The panda watched, ears twitching.
"Ready?" Sebastian murmured.
The creature huffed, as if insulted by the question.
Sebastian grinned and pressed the ring against the panda's forehead, just above its glowing rune-core. A pulse of verdant light erupted, the air filling with the scent of fresh rain and blooming flowers. The panda's fur bristled, its body tensing—then, all at once, it relaxed, a contented rumble vibrating in its chest.
The ring transformed. Silver melted into jade-green metal, the surface etching itself with vine-like patterns that pulsed with life.
"Bond Successful: Springshoot Panda – Tier III (Flame Warden)"
- Bond Strength: ★★★☆☆ (Growing)
- New Ability Unlocked: Grove Guardian's Call (Summon protective vines in a 10-meter radius)
Sebastian exhaled, the panda's emotions now a steady warmth in the back of his mind—like sunlight filtering through leaves.
Aldric clapped him on the shoulder. "Good. Now name it."
Sebastian studied the panda. It stared back, unblinking.
"Verdan," he decided. "After the first Stormwind who tamed a forest."
The panda—*Verdan*—chuffed in approval.
The Stormwind forge roared with heat, the rhythmic *clang* of Master Orrik's hammer echoing like war drums. Kael stood shirtless in the sweltering glow, his Titan Strength muscles gleaming with sweat as he stabilized the anvil for the dwarf's strikes.
Before them, the Millennium Obsidian Wood had been carved into a brutal, elegant haft, its surface inlaid with veins of fulgurite—lightning-struck stone—for conductivity. The hammerhead, a monstrous slab of blackiron and starsteel, glowed white-hot under Orrik's relentless shaping.
"Almost there, boy!" Orrik bellowed, sparks flying as he folded the metal for the seventeenth time. "This beauty'll crack a Boulder Fang's skull in one swing!"
Kael grinned, his eyes locked on the weapon. "Better. It'll crack a Draco Tyrannous' skull."
Sebastian approached, Verdan padding beside him. The panda sniffed the air, then sneezed at the smoke.
Orrik paused, squinting at Sebastian's new companion. "Huh. That's a fighter's eyes for a plant-eater."
"Don't underestimate him," Sebastian said. "He's got Tier IV potential."
Kael raised a brow. "So you've got six beasts now. I've got one." He nodded to the hammer. "Better make this count."
Sebastian smirked. "Oh, it will." He turned to Orrik. "Did you embed the core?"
The dwarf wiped his brow, then gestured to the hammerhead's center—a pulsating Stormheart Shard, wrenched from the same crystal that powered Sebastian's staff. "Aye. One hit'll send lightning through whatever you're smashing. If the lad's strong enough to wield it."
Kael flexed his hands. "Try me."
The training yard was empty save for a single stone pillar, enchanted to withstand Tier IV attacks. Kael hefted the finished hammer—"Worldbreaker"—its obsidian haft thrumming in his grip. The Stormheart Shard flickered like a captured storm.
Sebastian, Aldric, and Verdan watched from a safe distance.
"Remember," Aldric called, "channel your Titan Strength through the hammer, not just into it!"
Kael exhaled, rolled his shoulders—and *struck*.
The impact was thunder given form. A shockwave of force and lightning exploded outward, the pillar shattering into dust. The ground split in a jagged line five meters long, and the air smelled of ozone and crushed stone.
Silence.
Then—
"Damn," Kael breathed, staring at the destruction.
Sebastian's Book of Beast Records updated:
"Obsidian Warhammer "Worldbreaker" – Legendary Tier"
- Material: Millennium Obsidian Wood + Blackiron/Starsteel Alloy
- Core: Stormheart Shard (Tier V Lightning Conduit)
- Effect: Amplifies Titan Strength by 300%, releases stored lightning on impact
- *Compatibility: 89% (Kael's Fury Synergy Detected)
Aldric whistled. "That'll get Theren's attention."
Sebastian's smile was sharp. "Good."
That night, Aldric led Sebastian deep into Sunspire Citadel's oldest vault. The air here was thick with the weight of centuries, the walls lined with artifacts that hummed with dormant power.
At the center stood a petrified tree, its branches frozen in mid-sway, leaves turned to emerald crystal.
"The First Willowsage," Aldric said quietly. "The ancestor of all pandas in Southhaven. It died defending this land a thousand years ago." He placed a hand on the trunk. "Its heartwood still lives. And it *chooses* who can wield it."
Sebastian understood. "Verdan's evolution."
Aldric nodded. "When the time comes, bring him here. A Willowsage's power isn't just strength—it's guardianship." His gaze hardened. "And you'll need that at Mysticrium."
Sebastian touched Verdan's head, the panda nuzzling his palm.
They were ready.
The journey back to Rainmere was a quiet one, the skies above the Greenhollow Basin painted in hues of twilight as the Stormwright knights guided their wyverns home.
Sebastian sat astride his mount, the newly bonded Willowsage panda resting peacefully within its jade beast-ring—a secret known only to him and the pages of the Book of Beast Records. No chronicles spoke of its evolution, no scholars had documented its powers. It was a mystery, one he now carried in the palm of his hand.
Beside him, Kael adjusted the weight of the Umbralwing infant nestled in a sling across his chest. The tiny owl-like creature—no larger than his fist—peered up at him with golden eyes, its feathers a shifting blend of shadow and dusk. Lord Aldric's parting gift had been unexpected, but Kael had already grown fond of the creature, its quiet presence a contrast to his own rough edges.
Master Orrik, perched atop a supply-laden wyvern, grumbled about the weight of his tools. "Should've taken a carriage," he muttered, though the gleam in his eyes betrayed his satisfaction. Kael's warhammer, Worldbreaker, was wrapped in oiled leather and strapped securely to his mount—a weapon worthy of a Titan.
Before their departure, Lord Aldric had pulled Sebastian aside, pressing an enchanted earring into his palm—a delicate silver crescent moon, its surface etched with wind runes.
"Try hearing by activating this," he had said, a knowing glint in his eyes. "You might catch more than just the wind's whispers."
Sebastian had fastened it to his left ear, the metal cool against his skin. When he channeled a trickle of magic into it, the world had *shifted*. Distant conversations in Sunspire's courtyards snapped into clarity—the rustle of leaves three hills away, the murmur of a stream beneath the earth. It was as though the wind itself carried secrets to him.
Aldric had smirked. "A Stormwind tradition. We've always been listeners before we're warriors."
Grand Duke Roderic's farewell had been brief but weighted. "Send my regards to your father and mother," he had said, clasping Sebastian's shoulder. "And remember—Mysticrium won't care about your name. Only your strength."
Stormwright Keep rose from the horizon like a thunderhead given form, its dark granite walls wreathed in banners of sapphire and silver. Duke Galen and Philomena stood at the gates, their postures relaxed but their eyes sharp.
Philomena's smile was warm as she embraced Sebastian. "You've grown," she murmured, her fingers brushing the new earring. "And you've brought back more than just stories."
Galen's gaze lingered on Kael—first on the Umbralwing, then on the wrapped warhammer. "That's not standard issue," he remarked dryly.
Kael grinned. "Neither am I."
The duke snorted. "Good."
The following days were a blur of motion and discipline.
Sebastian trained from dawn till dusk, his body a conduit for the Stormheart Staff's shifting forms. Under Galen's watchful eye, he learned to wield it as both a spear and a quarterstaff, the living wood responding to his touch like an extension of his own limbs. The staff's crowned branches could ensnare, its spearpoint could pierce stone, and when he channeled his War God Body through it, the very air trembled.
At night, he studied the Book of Beast Records, unraveling the secrets of Verdan's evolution. The Willowsage panda's abilities were unlike anything he'd seen—**terrain manipulation, soul-linked healing, a connection to ancient nature magic. But the book hinted at something deeper, something tied to the FirstWillowsage tree in Sunspire's vault. A legacy waiting to be claimed.
Meanwhile, Kael split his time between the training yards and the city. Philomena had gifted his family a sturdy townhouse near the merchant's quarter, its lower floor converted into a modest shop where his mother could sell her weaving. The first time Kael walked through the door, his younger siblings—Erik and Lira—had tackled him with shouts of joy. His mother, her cheeks less hollow than before, had simply pressed her forehead to his and whispered, "You've done well."
By day, Kael trained with Worldbreaker, his Titan Strength forging a brutal harmony with the hammer's lightning core. By night, he bonded with the Umbralwing, which he'd named Shade. The little owl perched on his shoulder during drills, its shadowy feathers ruffling as it observed. Already, it mimicked his movements—diving when he struck, veiling itself in darkness when he feinted.
On the sixth evening, Galen summoned them to the war room. Maps of the empire lay scattered across the table, but one in particular dominated the center—a massive island, its shape like a crescent moon, labeled simply: Mysticrium.
"The academy isn't just a school," Galen began, tracing the coastline with a calloused finger. "It's a sovereign power. No king's law touches it, no army dares threaten it."
Sebastian leaned forward. "Why?"
Galen smirked. "First, the Headmaster. They say he once split a mountain to prove a point. Second, the island itself is a fortress—enchanted, trapped, and warded beyond reason. Third, the students and faculty come from every corner of the world. Nobles, commoners, mercenaries, heirs to fallen kingdoms—all judged by the same measure: **strength**."
Kael crossed his arms. "And the professors?"
"Monsters in their own right," Galen said bluntly. "Any one of them could level a city if they wished. But they're too obsessed with pushing the limits of magic to bother with politics."
Philomena added softly, "It's the one place where you'll be safe from imperial eyes. But remember—safety isn't the same as peace."
Sebastian exchanged a glance with Kael. The unspoken truth hung between them: **Mysticrium would test them in ways they couldn't yet imagine.**
On the morning of the seventh day, the keep buzzed with activity. Servants packed supplies—dried rations, healing salves, spare tunics reinforced with Stormwright steelweave. Master Orrik inspected their gear one last time, grumbling about "noble boys and their tendency to lose good weapons."
Sebastian stood on the battlements, Verdan's beast-ring warm against his wrist. The sun rose over Rainmere's riverlands, painting the world in gold and emerald.
Seven days.
Seven days until Mysticrium's gates opened.
Seven days until the real game began.
Below, Kael hefted Worldbreaker onto his shoulder, Shade perched atop the hammer's head. The Umbralwing let out a soft, trilling hoot, as if in challenge to the coming storm.
Sebastian smiled.
They were ready.
# The Journey to Mysticrium
The farewells at Stormwright Keep were brief, sharp, and heavy with unspoken promises. Duke Galen's hand on Sebastian's shoulder was a vise of granite, his storm-grey eyes boring into his son's emerald gaze.
"Remember your blood. Remember your name. And remember," he added, voice dropping to a low rumble, "the island sees everything."
Philomena's embrace was fierce, her twilight-silver robes smelling of irises and steel. She pressed a small, cold sapphire pendant into Sebastian's palm—a Stormwind heirloom, humming with subtle protective wards.
"For the shadows they won't warn you about, my storm."
Kael's parting was quieter, a crushing hug for his mother and siblings near their new townhouse, his voice thick as he promised Erik and Lira he'd return with stories fit for heroes. His mother, her eyes shining but dry, simply touched the Umbralwing, Shade, nestled in his cloak hood.
"Keep him sharp, little shadow."
The journey to Celesthaven felt shorter than before, the weight of anticipation replacing the wonder of the landscape. As their Stormwright escort delivered them to the designated muster point—the vast, sun-baked Clear Fields on the capital's western outskirts—the scale of Mysticrium's reach became terrifyingly clear.
Hundreds of young people, all roughly between eight and fifteen years old, milled beneath the imperial banners. Royal guards in gleaming sapphire-trimmed armor formed disciplined lines, herding the diverse throng.
Sebastian instantly recognized faces from the Emperor's Test: Prince Theren Arindhelm, radiating arrogance even while leaning casually against a supply cart, his crimson eyes scanning the crowd dismissively. Beside him stood Rathis Duneclaw, Count Sharppeak's bastard, taller and broader than before, his posture rigid, eyes like chips of obsidian fixed ahead.
There was Princess Maelis, serene as a moonlit pond, her Mystic Miragewing a shimmering blur at her shoulder. Hadric Corvain stood like a glacier, radiating cold indifference near his Hibernic Glacial. Kael the Unbroken, already drawing wary glances with his sheer size and the leather-wrapped bulk of Worldbreaker slung across his back, locked eyes with Rathis for a tense, silent moment.
Liora of the Wilds blended with a group of commoner youths, her Thornfang Panther a watchful shadow. Dren the Shadowborn seemed to flicker at the edge of vision, a phantom among the crowd. Tavric Flinthearth preened near his Blazemane Stallion, Sylas Lysmere adjusted the beast-ring on his Geode Guardian, and Coelira Skyfell's twin lynxes wove around her legs.
"Looks like the whole menagerie's here," Kael muttered, shifting Shade on his shoulder. The Umbralwing infant let out a soft, inquisitive hoo.
Sebastian nodded, his Book of Beast Records flickering subtly in his perception, cataloging the sheer density of powerful bonded beasts around him. Tier III Flame Wardens were commonplace. Tier IV Arcane Protectors like Rathis's unseen Draco Tyrannous (likely stored in a ring) or Hadric's Glacial drew clusters of nervous onlookers. The air crackled with latent power, ambition, and the sharp tang of adolescent tension.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant hum vibrated through the ground, growing louder, deeper. The chatter died. Heads snapped upwards. The midday sun blazing over Celesthaven was blotted out. Not by clouds, but by an impossible silhouette descending from the heavens.
A mountain was falling from the sky.
Gasps, shouts, and a few screams ripped through the crowd as the colossal shape resolved. It was a whale, but a whale sculpted from storm clouds and starlight, easily half a mile long. Its skin wasn't flesh, but a shifting tapestry of iridescent scales that shimmered with embedded constellations and swirling nebulae.
Jagged, crystalline spines, glowing with internal light like captured auroras, ran along its back, supporting not cargo, but an entire ecosystem—miniature forests, glittering waterfalls cascading into mist, and jagged peaks wreathed in perpetual rainbows. The sheer scale defied comprehension. Stormwright Keep could have fit comfortably on its broad back.
The air thickened with ozone, damp earth, and the sweet scent of alien blossoms as the leviathan descended with impossible grace, displacing the air with a sound like a continent sighing.
[[Sky Paradise Drifter – Tier VI: Rune Lord – Weather-Controlling Spiral Runic Array
- Element: Air/Cosmic
- Abilities: Atmospheric Dominion (Regional Weather Manipulation), Spatial Drift (Phasing through Storms), Aetheric Ecosystem (Sustains Internal Biome)
- Threat Level: Continental
- Status: Bonded – Mysticrium Academy Transport]]
It landed on the Clear Fields with a tremor that shook the city walls miles away, yet the impact was unnervingly gentle, the massive body settling onto the grass without crushing a single blade. A ramp of solidified light, shimmering like mother-of-pearl, extended from its flank.
From this ramp descended a man.
He looked unremarkable at first glance—middling height, lean build, dressed in simple grey scholar's robes devoid of ornamentation. His hair was short and brown, his face clean-shaven and calm. He held a rune staff of polished, unadorned darkwood, its tip pulsing with a soft, steady light.
Yet, as he reached the base of the ramp and surveyed the hundreds of awestruck, terrified young faces, an aura of profound, unshakeable authority settled over the field. The murmurs died instantly. Even Prince Theren straightened, his usual smirk replaced by wary respect.
"Good afternoon," the man said. His voice, amplified effortlessly, resonated not just in their ears but deep within their bones, calm and clear. "I am Professor Brandon Kingsley, Department of Applied Thaumaturgy and Intercontinental Logistics, Mysticrium Academy."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. "And this," he gestured upwards with his staff, "is The Zephyr Heart, our conveyance. Bit of a show-off, isn't he?"
The massive Rune Lord above them let out a subsonic hum that vibrated pleasantly in the chest.
Professor Kingsley's sharp eyes swept the crowd, counting with unnerving speed. "Fifteen. Good. All present. Boarding commences immediately. Leave any unnecessary sentimentality on the grass; we're on a schedule."
His tone brooked no argument. Royal guards began efficiently directing students towards the pearlescent ramp. "Keep your beasts controlled. Any incidents aboard The Zephyr Heart will result in immediate disqualification and ejection mid-flight. You wouldn't survive the landing."
Sebastian felt a thrill of awe mixed with apprehension as he stepped onto the light-ramp. It felt solid yet yielding, warm beneath his boots. Kael followed, his hand instinctively resting on the wrapped haft of Worldbreaker, Shade's golden eyes wide as saucers.
Inside, the Drifter was a revelation. The entrance hall was a vast, cathedral-like space bathed in soft, sourceless light. The air was fresh and cool, smelling of rain and ozone. Walls curved like living wood, embedded with glowing veins of crystalline energy. Transparent sections of the hull offered dizzying views of the receding Celesthaven and the sprawling landscape below. Students clustered in nervous groups, whispering furiously.
Professor Kingsley reappeared at the head of the grand chamber as the last student boarded and the ramp dissolved into light.
"Stow your gawking," he stated mildly, though his voice carried effortlessly. "Find a seat or a patch of floor. The journey to Eden Isle takes approximately six hours via spatial drift. Use the time to center yourselves. Once we arrive, the real work begins."
He waited until the shuffling and murmuring subsided. "Upon reaching Eden Isle, you will not be proceeding directly to the academy grounds. Instead, you will participate in the Preliminary Assessment Trial. Consider this both a tradition and your first, perhaps most crucial, opportunity."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "You will be teleported to a designated trial island within the Endless Sea archipelago."
A holographic map shimmered into existence beside him, depicting a rugged, forested island dotted with strange symbols.
"The rules are simple, though the execution rarely is. You may bring only the beast-rings you currently wear and the Rune-Beasts bonded within them. No weapons. No supplies. No armor. No pre-packed food or potions. Nothing extraneous."
A wave of dismay rippled through the crowd. Tavric Flinthearth looked aghast. Kael merely grunted, tightening his grip on Worldbreaker's wrappings before reluctantly handing it, along with his pack, to a hovering, disc-shaped construct that zipped forward to collect surrendered items.
Sebastian unbuckled Dawn's Edge and Dusk's Bite, the Stormheart Staff, and his pack, feeling strangely vulnerable. His Book of Beast Records flared internally—it wasn't physical, it couldn't be taken.
"The island," Kingsley continued, "is rich in resources vital to any aspiring student: rare minerals, potent herbs, naturally forming elemental crystals, and even wild Rune-Beasts of varying tiers—some docile, some decidedly not. Your task is to survive, explore, and collect. At the island's center is an exchange terminal. There, you may convert anything you gather—flora, fauna, minerals, artifacts—into Credits."
He let the word hang in the air. "Credits are the only currency that matters on Eden Isle. They are your lifeline. They pay for your dormitory—from a shared bunk in a drafty hall to a private suite with elemental baths. They buy your meals—from basic gruel to mana-infused feasts. They purchase clothing, medical treatment, academic materials, access to restricted libraries, training grounds, and crucially, lessons."
"Professors do not offer their knowledge for free. Advanced beast-bonding techniques, rune inscription seminars, combat masterclasses—all require Credits. Even the reagents needed to catalyze your Rune-Beasts' evolution cycles must be bought."
He surveyed them, his gaze flat. "This trial is your primary, and potentially only, opportunity to amass a significant Credit reserve before the academic term begins in earnest. Competition within the academy for Credit-generating tasks is fierce. Starting poor is a disadvantage few overcome."
He paused, letting the economic reality sink in. "Furthermore," his voice turned colder, "the trial permits... resource reallocation. You may, if you are capable, take Credits, or the resources used to gain them, from other students. Looting is not only permitted; it is an expected strategy."
A sharp tension crackled through the chamber. Glances turned calculating, wary. Rathis Duneclaw's hand drifted towards his beast-ring. Prince Theren's smirk returned, predatory now. Kael's jaw set, his Titan Strength thrumming faintly, a low growl rumbling in his Stoneclaw Grizzly's throat within its ring. Sebastian felt Verdan stir within his jade band, a pulse of protective energy.
"Survival is paramount," Kingsley stated, his voice cutting through the sudden hostility. "But dominance is rewarded. Remember, you are not alone on that island. Mysticrium draws talent from every corner of the known world and beyond. You will face students with abilities, beasts, and ruthlessness you cannot yet fathom. This trial weeds out the weak and rewards the cunning, the strong, and the prepared."
He raised his staff slightly. "You will each receive a standard-issue spatial ring."
Small, grey metal bands materialized in the air before each student, floating gently down. Sebastian caught his. It felt cool and inert.
"Inside is your Mysticrium Student Identification Token and a basic map of the trial island. The map shows major landmarks and the location of the central exchange terminal. It does not show resource nodes or other students. Activate the ring with a drop of blood to bind it."
Sebastian pricked his thumb with a claw from his Storm Hawk ring, letting a bead of blood fall onto the grey metal. It absorbed the blood instantly, warming slightly, and he felt a small, empty pocket dimension open to his senses—inside lay a smooth, sapphire-blue crystal token etched with a stylized 'M' and a complex serial number, and a rolled parchment map.
"Finalize your preparations," Kingsley ordered. "Check your beasts' readiness through your bonds. Submit any remaining non-compliant items to the collection drones now. We teleport within the hour. Your tenure at Mysticrium begins the moment your feet touch the trial island sand. Good luck. You'll need it."
As the collection drones buzzed, gathering the last surrendered possessions, the immense chamber filled with a low thrum of power. The walls of the Sky Paradise Drifter pulsed brighter.
Sebastian closed his eyes, reaching inward. He felt the steady presence of his bonded companions: the crackling energy of the Storm Hawk, the deep earth resonance of the Thunderjaw Wyvern, the humming shield of the Gale Cicada, the stoic strength of the Blairon Giant, the icy power of Frostmaw, and the vibrant, growing life-force of Verdan the Springshoot Panda.
He felt Kael's unwavering presence beside him, Shade's tiny shadow nestled close, the latent fury of his Stoneclaw Grizzly and Boulder Fang, and the terrifying potential of the Draco Tyrannous Rathis possessed.
The air grew thick with ozone and the scent of charged metal. The holographic map flickered, replaced by a swirling vortex of light forming on the chamber floor. Professor Kingsley raised his staff.
"Teleportation sequence initiating. Brace for spatial translation. Destination: Trial Island Theta. Objective: Survive. Thrive. Earn."
The light engulfed them, a sensation of being pulled apart and reassembled in an instant. The opulent chamber vanished. The controlled environment of the Zephyr Heart disappeared.
Sebastian Stormwright opened his eyes to the roar of an unknown ocean, the cry of strange birds, the dense, humid air of a jungle, and the brutal, credit-stripped beginning of his life at Mysticrium.
The trial had begun.