By the third week in the Tower of Light, the group's training had reached its most brutal point. Brynja no longer called them "students"—she called them "soldiers." And soldiers had to learn not only how to fight, but how to survive. That was why, when they descended to the courtyard that morning, the scene awaiting them was unlike any before.
The courtyard floor had been completely transformed. In place of the hard black stones lay a vast arena of desert sand. Across the sand were scattered sharp crystal shards, rusted metal traps, and pits bristling with venomous thorns. And in the center of the arena stood six creatures, bound in chains and fitted with iron masks over their muzzles. Crystal panthers. But these were different from the wild panthers they had faced in the desert. They were larger, darker, more... corrupted. Their eyes glowed red. The crystals in their fur were coated with a black ichor that oozed poison. The touch of the Shadow Legion had turned these creatures into living weapons.
Brynja stood at the edge of the courtyard, arms folded. Theron and Zephyros flanked her. "Today's lesson: Prey and Predator. These creatures were captured by servants of the Shadow Legion, corrupted, and brought here to be used against you. You must defeat them. But this time, the rules are different."
Torin pulled his axe from his back. "What are the rules?"
"You cannot protect one another. Each of you will fight a panther alone. If one of you falls, the others cannot intervene. This is the Shadow Legion's battle tactic. They separate you, then hunt you one by one. You must become accustomed to it."
Finis felt his stomach turn. Sirius stood at his feet, ears erect, growling. The cub had grown; he was now the size of a large wolfhound. His golden coat gleamed, and a small mane was just beginning to become visible. But the greatest change was in his eyes. He no longer looked with mere curiosity, but with a predator's instinct. The moment he saw the crystal panthers, his fur bristled and he bared his teeth. He recognized his mother's killers.
"Sirius, stay back," Finis said. But Sirius ignored him. His eyes were locked on the panthers. His lips curled back, and a deep growl rumbled from his throat. It was the most savage sound a cub could make.
"Let him," Brynja said. "He is part of this battle. Avenging his mother is his right."
The chains were released. All six corrupted crystal panthers were freed at once. And they attacked the group directly.
Torin met the first blow. The largest panther had targeted him directly. The creature was twice the size of a normal leopard and three times as fast. Torin gripped his ancient axe with both hands and swung. The axe bit into the panther's shoulder. But the crystal armor softened the blow. The panther roared in pain and raked its claws across Torin's chest. Dwarven armor tore apart with the screech of rending metal. Blood gushed from Torin's chest, and he staggered backward.
"Damn it!" he bellowed, swinging his axe again. This time he aimed for the panther's head. The axe shattered the crystal mask and split the skull beneath. The panther collapsed to the ground, convulsed, and lay still. But the wound on Torin's chest was deep. His ribs were visible. His face had gone pale, and his breath came in ragged wheezes.
"Torin!" Liriel shouted, wanting to run toward him. But Brynja's voice stopped her.
"No! Fight your own battle! He will tend his own wound!"
Torin clenched his teeth and looked at the wound. He planted his axe on the ground, pulled a dirty cloth from his pocket, and pressed it against the gash. "I'm... fine. You... worry about yourselves."
Liriel faced her own panther. The creature had cornered her, advancing with black, venomous saliva dripping from its jaws. Liriel drew her bow and loosed an arrow. The arrow pierced the panther's eye. But the creature did not even seem to notice the pain. It was as if it felt nothing. The corruption had destroyed its nerves.
Liriel stumbled backward in panic. Her foot caught on a crystal shard, and she fell. The panther leaped on top of her. At the last moment, Liriel raised her bow and shoved it into the creature's mouth. The panther bit down, snapping the bow in half. Liriel was left holding only a broken piece of wood.
"Sing the song!" Zephyros shouted from the edge of the courtyard.
With trembling lips, Liriel began to murmur the Lament of Light. The first notes were weak and shaky. But then, a power rose from within her. Her mother's voice blended with her own. The song filled the courtyard. The panther froze in place. The red light in its eyes flickered and died. For a moment, the creature returned to its true nature. It moaned in pain, then toppled onto its side. Its chest still rose and fell, but it no longer attacked. The song had suppressed the darkness within it.
Liriel rose to her feet. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the panther. "Those who did this to you are the true enemy."
Mira danced with her own panther. The royal seal at her throat glowed gold, granting her the agility and strength of her ancestors. The panther tried to catch her, but Mira slipped away like a shadow each time, plunging her swords into the creature's vulnerable points. Yet the panther's hide was so thick and encrusted with crystals that her blade strikes opened only superficial cuts.
Mira was gasping for breath. The seal's power made her faster but also drained her. Her heart pounded wildly, her muscles burned. The panther seized a moment of distraction and sank its claws into Mira's leg. Mira screamed in pain and fell. Her leg was deeply gashed, blood spurting out.
"Don't give up!" Kael shouted from the midst of his own battle.
Mira clenched her teeth. She used the seal's power to suppress the pain. She rose, limping toward the panther. The creature lunged at her. Mira ducked at the last instant and thrust her sword upward. The blade entered beneath the panther's jaw and reached its brain. The panther hung suspended in the air for a moment, then collapsed on top of Mira. She struggled out from under the creature, gasping for breath.
Kael faced the darkest panther of all. This creature was unlike the others. It was not only corrupted, but also armored by the Shadow Legion. Black metal plates encased its body like a coffin, leaving only its eyes and claws exposed. And in those eyes burned pure malevolence. It was as if a demon lived within it.
Kael drew his sword. But his hand trembled. This creature reminded him of his past. The years he had spent in the Shadow Legion, the sins he had committed, the innocents he had killed. The panther seemed to sense his fear and grinned. And it spoke.
"Kael... Did you truly believe you had escaped us? You will always be a part of us. Now, it is time to come home."
Kael's eyes widened. That voice... It was the voice of his commander in the Shadow Legion. The voice that, years ago, had ordered him to kill that little girl.
"No," Kael said, his voice trembling. "I... I am no longer one of you."
"You are a killer. Your hands have been washed in innocent blood. No light can cleanse those stains. You belong to us. Forever."
The panther lunged at him. Kael reflexively raised his sword, but the blow was so powerful that the blade flew from his hand. The creature pinned him to the ground, pressing its claws against his chest. Kael lay helpless. He closed his eyes and waited for death.
But then, a voice rose from within him. Theron's voice. "Forgive yourself. Your light still burns."
Kael opened his eyes. Yes, he was a killer. Yes, his hands were stained. But now, here, he was fighting to protect his friends. He could not change his past, but he could choose his future. And this time, he chose the light.
Kael clamped both hands onto the panther's head. And he released the light he had suppressed for years—the pale light deep within his heart that Theron had taught him to find. The light burst from his palms and enveloped the panther's head. The creature roared in agony. Its black armor cracked, the corrupted flesh beneath burned and melted away. The panther tumbled off Kael, convulsed, and lay still.
Kael rose to his feet. He was gasping for breath. But in his eyes, for the first time in years, there was peace. He had forgiven himself.
Finis faced the final two panthers. One was smaller than the others but faster. The other was a massive male; its fur was almost entirely covered in black crystals, and a toxic green vapor seeped from its jaws. The two of them had flanked Finis and were attacking in perfect synchronization.
Finis gathered light in his palms. But he remembered Zephyros's warning: "Light, if uncontrolled, will destroy you as well." So he shaped the light carefully. Like a shield. Like a sword.
The smaller panther suddenly leaped, aiming for Finis's throat. Finis raised his light shield. The panther slammed into it and was hurled back. But the giant panther seized the opportunity and sank its teeth into Finis's leg. Finis cried out in pain. The teeth tore his flesh, and venom seeped into his veins. His leg immediately began to swell and turn purple.
Sirius shot out from a corner. He leaped onto the giant panther, sinking his small teeth into the creature's ear. The panther roared in pain and tried to shake Sirius off. But Sirius, with the stubbornness inherited from his mother, held on. He raked his claws across the panther's eye. The creature shrieked and recoiled.
Finis seized the moment. He used his healing energy to mend the wound in his leg. The venom was neutralized at the touch of the light, and the wound closed. Then he rose to his feet. He brought both hands together and shaped the light into a spear. The smaller panther lunged to attack again. Finis hurled the light spear. It pierced the panther's chest and pinned it to the ground.
The giant panther had finally managed to throw Sirius off and turned back toward Finis. Pure hatred burned in its eyes. The toxic vapor from its jaws thickened, trying to choke Finis.
Finis held his breath. He spread the light throughout his entire body. His skin began to glow gold. The toxic vapor evaporated the moment it touched the light. Finis walked slowly toward the giant panther. The creature backed away in fear. But Finis showed no mercy. He shaped the light into a massive hammer and brought it down on the panther's head. The crystal armor shattered, the skull cracked. The giant panther collapsed to the ground and did not rise again.
The battle was over.
The courtyard was strewn with blood and crystal shards. Torin, despite the deep wound in his chest, was still standing, leaning on his axe and gasping for breath. Liriel knelt beside the panther she had calmed with her song, stroking the creature's head. Mira struggled to bandage the wound on her leg, clenching her teeth against the pain. Kael stood over the panther he had killed, praying silently. And Sirius had climbed onto the corpse of the giant panther, trying to roar in triumph. The sound that came out was still not a true roar, but a powerful growl. Yet it was clear that soon he would roar like a true lion.
Finis called Sirius to him. The cub leaped off the corpse and bounded into Finis's arms. He was covered in blood but uninjured. Finis pressed him to his chest. "Well done, little friend. Your mother would be proud of you."
Brynja descended into the courtyard. A rare smile graced her face. "Today, you passed your first true test. But this is only the beginning. The Shadow Legion is a thousand times more powerful than these panthers. To fight them, you will need much more training."
Theron approached Finis. "Has the wound on your leg healed?"
Finis nodded. "Yes. But the venom... it had spread through my body. My healing energy cleansed it."
"Good. Because tomorrow, we begin a new phase of your training. Beneath the Tower of Light lies an ancient crypt. There, a trial created by the last mages of Albaris awaits you. If you pass that trial, you will attain your true power as the Bearer of Light. But if you fail..."
"What happens if I fail?"
Theron's eyes darkened. "The light will consume you."
That night, as Finis wrote in his journal, his hands trembled. Tomorrow, he would either rise as the Last Seed of Albaris or be extinguished into nothingness. Sirius slept in his lap as always, his purring a balm to Finis's soul.
"Today, I saw how strong my friends truly are," he wrote. "Torin fought to the death. Liriel calmed a monster with her song. Mira surpassed her own limits with the royal seal. Kael confronted his past and won. And Sirius... Sirius avenged his mother. But tomorrow, it is my turn. In the crypt beneath the Tower of Light, I will face my own darkness. And if I succeed, perhaps we will have a chance against the Shadow Legion. If I fail... at least I know they will take good care of Sirius."
He closed his journal, stroked Sirius, and shut his eyes. Outside, the desert wind battered the tower walls, filling the ancient stones with whispers. Tomorrow, everything would change.