The training hall hummed with muted energy, the kind that thrummed just beneath the bones, felt more than heard. Holo-panels lined the walls, flickering in soft bursts as Riftlight bled through the tall, fractured windows above. Each beam painted jagged streaks across the polished stone floor, casting long, trembling shadows that seemed to writhe and twist at the edges of perception.
Ren stood near the center, royal blue eyes narrowing on the floating energy nodes before him. His fingers twitched involuntarily, tracing arcs of violet light in the air as his pulse threaded outward. A subtle rhythm, almost imperceptible, intertwined with Lucien's presence—a tether neither student nor teacher could see, but Ren felt it pulsing at the base of his skull, curling around his ribs.
Lucien moved along the perimeter with his usual uncanny grace, very light brown eyes calm, precise, untouchable. The shadows clung to him at his feet, rippling as though alive, obedient and waiting. His coat fluttered faintly in the unnatural currents of Riftlight, but the composure in his posture belied the tension beneath the surface.
Then—a disturbance.
A vibration rose from the floor, low and insidious, threading up through the stone slabs into the arches above. At first, it was faint, like the hum of distant machinery—or a heartbeat not his own. But it intensified, vibrating in sync with the Riftlight. The very air seemed to shiver, carrying a static charge that made Ren's hair prickle and his pulse leap.
Kael's dark green eyes darted toward the windows. "Do you feel that?" he hissed, voice tight, muscles coiling.
Selene's amber gaze sharpened, lips pressing together. "Something's coming… and it's not subtle."
The holo-panels flared violently, images of energy nodes and training grids glitching as the Rift above tore open, jagged and black, spilling corrosive, writhing energy into the hall. The floor vibrated beneath every step, and a chill wind swept in, carrying a metallic tang that made Ren's stomach twist.
From the Rift emerged the creature.
Its limbs were impossibly long, ending in jagged claws that gleamed with Rift residue. Its skin was mottled with black veins of energy, pulsing faintly as though it were alive in some horrific, conscious way. Eyes, black and infinite, seemed to swallow the light around them. The air grew heavier, more oppressive, as the creature's low growl reverberated through the stone, a sound that penetrated bone and made Ren's teeth chatter.
Ren barely had time to react. The creature lunged with impossible speed, and his pulse flared instinctively. Pain ripped through his side as its claws raked across his ribs, knocking him off balance. Violet arcs of energy erupted from him in a chaotic, uncontrolled spray, lashing at the creature but scattering ineffectively across the hall.
Lucien's calm shattered like glass.
"Ren!" His voice rang sharp and urgent, echoing against the walls. Shadows exploded from his boots, swirling like living smoke, aggressive, writhing, tangling around the creature with unrelenting force. For the first time, the mask of composure slipped: his movements were fluid and precise, but the energy around him hummed with menace, raw and lethal.
The Riftbeast screamed, thrashing as the shadows impaled it, constricting it like a vice. Sparks of Rift energy hissed and crackled, feeding into the shadows that coiled tighter around it.
Ren's chest tightened, pulse racing with fear, awe, and something unfamiliar—a thrill threading through his veins. He'd never seen Lucien like this: not the golden-boy, not polite and cordial, but something primal, something dangerous and alive.
"You… stay back," Lucien hissed, voice low, a blade of warning cutting through the chaos. Shadows wrapped around Ren's feet protectively, tight, tense, almost suffocating in their insistence.
Ren stumbled, instinctively extending his pulse outward. Energy threads shot forth, coiling and tangling with Lucien's shadows. The Riftbeast screamed again, thrashing violently, as arcs of violet light and black energy collided, filling the hall with sparks, heat, and the smell of ozone.
Chaos erupted. Students scattered, some frozen in awe, some in terror. Holo-dummies toppled as stray pulses collided with them. The air was thick with the taste of static, the crackle of energy, and the faint metallic tang of blood from Ren's side.
Pain shot along Ren's ribs. He dropped to his knees, breathing ragged. "I—I can't—"
"You can," Lucien growled, dark and low. He knelt beside Ren, shadows coiling around him like claws and petals, protective yet threatening. "Focus—your pulse, your intent. Now."
Ren swallowed hard, forcing himself upright. The tether between them thrummed violently, his pulse syncing with Lucien's shadows in a rhythm both terrifying and exhilarating. The energy flared, weaving around the Riftbeast, constricting it with precision for the first time.
Lucien's light brown eyes softened slightly as the creature faltered, flickers of vulnerability crossing his usually impenetrable gaze. "Good… keep it. Don't fight it—let it flow."
Ren extended his hands fully. The violet arcs now moved with intent, threading cleanly around the Riftbeast, guided by Lucien's darkness and his own instinct. The creature convulsed violently, screeched, then dissolved into Riftmist with a final echoing wail.
The hall fell silent.
Students were frozen in place, breaths shallow, eyes wide. Some approached cautiously, others kept their distance, unsure if they had witnessed triumph or disaster.
Ren sank to his knees, ribs burning, pulse still thrumming. Lucien knelt beside him, shadows lingering like a cage and a cradle at once.
"You're… okay," Lucien murmured softly, voice edged with something both dark and protective.
Ren's chest tightened. "You… you were—"
"Focused," Lucien corrected, gentler now, but still carrying that dangerous undertone. "Scary when necessary."
The whispers began immediately. Selene's amber eyes widened, Kael's dark green gaze a mixture of awe and something sharper, and Jorin muttered under his breath, impressed and unsettled.
Ren exhaled slowly, feeling the pulse beneath his skin still alive, aware, and vibrating in response to the residual energy. And in the quiet aftermath, he understood:
This was not the end. It was only the beginning.