“Stop thinking so much!” Marcus shouted for the fifth time, just as another needle sliced past my ear, close enough to leave a sting.

Behind me, a jet of water surged from the Alpha Goldmaine, twisting midair unnaturally like a coiling snake.

Turns out, he could control it... I’m a little jealous.

I jumped, startled, just in time to catch Marcus dragging a hand down his face.

Behind you, genius, Luna muttered.

Thump.

Bristle slammed into me again—maybe the tenth time this hour—and took me down. A moment later, his brothers followed, forming a large dog pile.

Marcus jogged over. “What’s going on, Peter?”

My reply came out muffled under fur and weight, but I answered anyway. “Not using any of my abilities to sense my surroundings.”

The dogs peeled off reluctantly, and I pulled myself upright.

“Hm. That’s fine if you’re training your natural senses,” Marcus said, brushing fur off his shirt, “but you should be sharper than this.”

Shows how much you rely on Luna and that domain, Wyrem noted dryly.

Yeah. Got it. I mentally groaned. You’ve said it before.

Marcus extended a burly arm and helped me up. “Let’s go again.”

We repeated the process. I focused on pure evasion and distraction, firing off Spirit Pellets—Drake’s so-called Core Powder—to ward off attacks from the sides I couldn’t see.

No Spirit Sense. No crutches. Just me, going off pure instinct.

I pushed my awareness to its limits, reading shifts in wind, the pad of paws, the sound of claws on dirt. Slowly, I started to improve.

Until, inevitably, I was overwhelmed again.

Flat on the floor, I found myself staring up at a broad-bellied Goldmaine who stood over me with what seemed like smugness.

From the corner of my eye, which was partially blocked by a slimy hide, I'm pretty sure I caught him glancing at Bristle, his wide eyes almost… expectant.

Looking for approval?

“Ruff,” Bristle barked, solemn as a judge, giving a single nod.

The bigger Goldmaine stepped aside, satisfied.

I got to my feet, body sore and brain fogged, and looked over at Marcus.

“Much better this time,” he said, nodding with approval.

I understood why the Alpha had wanted it. Approval felt nice.

“That’s enough fun for me, though,” Marcus added, stretching his arms. “I’ll get back to finishing the boat. Should be done really soon.”

“Really? That feels a bit fast." Sure, they had the carvings and ropes, but still...

“Maybe if I were doing it the old way,” he said. “But now? With your method? I can move much faster. Anyway, look forward to it.”

I slumped down with a groan. “Thank good—”

“What are you doing?” he cut in. “I’ll get Griffith to swap in.”

To my utter horror, he jogged off and returned with an even bigger man.

Marcus walked straight back over and looked at Bristle. “Take charge of your group.”

Okay. I'm sure of it. Marcus has noticed the dogs are getting smarter too. Either that, or he just really enjoys talking to animals.

He grabbed the ropes and vanished into the trees soon after.

Griffith rolled his shoulders, joints cracking like thunder. “Focus on control and movement, Peter. You’ve got the power, but that won’t mean much if you can’t land a hit, or avoid one.”

I nodded.

Use your Spiritual Sense now too, Wyrem instructed.

It’ll be disorienting, I complained. Two layers of sight at once is gonna be a sensory overload while I'm fighting.

The false dragon stirred inside me. Don’t care. It’s a massive boost. Get used to it.

Forget it, Peter, Luna said. He’s impossible to argue with once he gets like this.

The spar resumed with the same routine. Only now I had to dodge the Goldmain, puppy squad, and deal with Griffith himself. He didn’t hold back, either, sending sudden mounds of dirt under my feet to throw off my footing.

They worked.

I’d take a step, and the ground would lurch beneath me, sending me into a half-split just in time to catch a blast of water or a spike of ice that felt far too close to lethal for training.

Several rounds went exactly like that.

On maybe the ninth time I got tripped by a moving rock, I stopped, inhaled.

Don’t get mad. It’s not frustrating. Nope. Not at all…

Poison? Luna offered sweetly. OH! I forgot. Get the big guy’s juices… please. In your own time.

I sighed, grateful I’d grown more flexible lately, and stood. “I need a quick break.”

Griffith didn’t argue probably understanding where I was mentally, so I made my way over to the big sponge-maned monster.

I placed one hand on its flank, the other holding Luna near its mouth.

With a surge of Beast Force, I gave the command.

Spit on me.

I opened my eyes to find the creature staring at me in confusion. But eventually, it drooled onto Luna with a slow, gloppy splat.

It hurts… she complained, completely deadpan.

But the pale pink glow in her veins told me she was fine.

It’s so good to have a curious student, Wyrem said approvingly.

So I can focus on this instead of—

No.

I turned back toward the field, just in time to see Marcus sprinting up a path.

“It’s done!” he shouted.

My heart jumped. Things were suddenly moving fast.

Griffith gave a slow nod. “Good. I’ve decided who will depart.”

That caught me off guard. I’d thought those decisions were already made, but I guess he made new plans.

We regrouped, walking back toward where the others were cultivating, a small train of beasts trailing behind us.

But I froze the moment I saw the group.

Thea wasn’t sitting in her usual meditation pose. She was collapsed sideways on the ground.

I sprinted over without thinking. “Thea?”

No response.

“THEA!”

The others snapped to attention, eyes shooting open.

“Peter, she’s fine,” Lyra said quickly. “She fell over a bit ago.”

“What?” I blinked, confused.

Elric chuckled lightly. “I’m sure she’ll be happy how concerned you are, but she just finished. You know, her foundation.”

The thudding in my ears slowed, and I reached out with my Spiritual Sense to confirm. I’d thought the Voidseed was the only thing that reshaped inner space but clearly, that wasn’t entirely true.

There was no damage inside her. No collapse. Of course no void-blackness, or writhing tentacles. None of what I’d gone through. Only the rearranging was there.

Her Spiritual Root had begun to withdraw, folding inward toward the center, fusing with the channel near it.

The Grand Channel itself was thinning in the center but seemed to widen throughout the rest of the structure.

The tuning scars barely changed except for the small venules weaving around them in crisp geometric patterns, merging with the rest of the system.

Not as orderly as Vel’s, but definitely moving in that direction.

It wasn’t fast, but it wasn’t slow either.

So why had mine dissolved entirely? Had hers already done so and I missed it? But it didn’t look like that.

And why did mine take three days? This definitely didn't look like it would.

I shook the thoughts away. If she was fine, that was what mattered. Everything else could wait.

“We have an announcement,” Griffith said. “Departure will begin as soon as we get a sense of recovery time. Peter took three days, but that’s one case.”

Elric stood, brushing dirt from his pants. “What if others finish during the trip? That could be dangerous. It's already been a few hours.”

“I don’t think she’ll take as long as me,” I offered. “She might even be done soon.”

Griffith nodded. “I’ve decided only four will be leaving. I was considering bridging Sia before, but I think it’s better not to.”

He looked at her with calm seriousness. “If we fail—if we don’t come back—you’re the closest to advancing. And you can still learn from Helen. Her knowledge is invaluable.”

No one seemed upset by the decision.

Miss Star shifted forward slightly. “I don’t know my family’s full repertoire, but I’ll teach what I do know… to anyone.”

“Thank you,” Griffith said with a nod. “The ones staying behind will form the foundation of what we’re building here. Drake, you’ll lead—”

“My kingdom will be grand,” he said without missing a beat.

Guess he’s officially stopped pretending it’s mine.

“Elric. Peter. Myself. And Thea,” Griffith stated, naming us one by one. “Two front-runners. One specialist in disorientation. And me as the defender and coordinator. Thea will be behind Peter at the front line. I’ll manage the battles from the center, stepping in when needed. Elric will assist in any way necessary.”

Elric exhaled through his nose. “I should be done soon with my foundation. Thea told us to stop at fifty punctures, and now I just need to build one more scar.”

“So where do we depart from?” Marcus asked. “I got the boat nearby, but...”

I raised my head, glancing at Trevor and Velea. Trevor looked attentive, not just quiet for the sake of it, but Vel’s head was low.

“I think I know where.” I pointed toward the spot where I’d sensed the energy refracting off the Dragon Vein.

“That way. I think there might be more of these. I think they could be connected, but even if they’re not, there’s definitely something over there.”

Trevor stood, turning to Marcus. “We can move it over there. Make sure everything’s ready before launch.”

The conversation seemed to be wrapping up, and I caught Elric leaning closer to Sia and Lyra, whispering something too soft to hear.

Still holding Thea, I turned to Vel. “Can you show me your room?”

She stood silently and led the way back into the dome without a word.

I followed her through the soil dome until we reached a small dirt-formed cube with a single bed inside. I laid Thea down carefully and sat on the floor, leaning back against a raised section of the wall. Vel sat beside me without hesitation.

Maybe we really were alike in more ways than I realized. A perfect match between student and teacher because right before it felt like it was about to get awkward, the silence would end.

She broke through it first with a single question.

“How long will you be gone?”

Her voice wasn’t soft, but clear. Different from how she’d sounded the last time she was upset.

I brushed loose bangs out of my face, only now realizing Thea had been right. I really did need a haircut.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Maybe after the two weeks, Serith could bring us back here. But… I might not have found what I’m looking for by then.”

I didn’t even know what the first round of the Champion’s Tournament would look like. Would they all be as strong as Kirs? Close to it?

Maybe I’d need to train longer. Maybe the library would be useless, ruined… if we even found it in time.

Vel leaned gently against my arm.

“Is it really that hard for things to just be okay?” she asked. “I was so happy when Thea came back, but then we had to leave. And then my parents... and now both of you are going.”

I shrugged gently. “Honestly? I don’t know. If people Griffith’s age—” Images flashed through my mind. Asumund. Elder Ramus. All of them. Centuries old, and even they— “if they still haven’t figured it out, all we can do is try our best.”

I nudged her with my elbow. “Don’t forget. I’m only five years older than you.”

She smiled. “Yeah. So weird that you’re even allowed to teach me. Or anyone.”

We both chuckled. And maybe sensing a rare moment where it could last comfortably, we let the silence settle between us.

The soft light of a crystal flickered from the corner of the room, casting slow shadows across the walls.

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