CHAPTER 120: THE HEALING PROCESS....

Lyra lay on the cot beside Kelvin, her arm, side, and thigh wounds bleed through her bandages, the blood darkening the fabric as she clenched her fist, her shadow-etched gauntlet flickering with Peaks’ dark runes, gloomstalker spores, labyrinth vine essence, griffon feathers, Fenheart obelisk runes, riftwraith claws, shadowdrake fangs, riftclaw pincers, riftbeast scales, psychic crystals, riftlord spines, and riftmonarch scales.

The pain etched deep lines into her pale face, her eyes were burning with determination despite the agony that made her breath hitch, each inhale was a sharp gasp that betrayed her struggle.

Salaris, her shadow-cloaked raptor, perched on a rune-etched stand that is nearby, her iridescent feathers were dulled by blood and scars, her flank wound oozing as she shifted, her talons gleamed with rift monarch essence, their edges are sharp despite the battle’s toll.

The raptor’s vigilant gaze locked onto Lyra, her bond was a lifeline that steadied her tamer’s trembling form, though the visions of her sister’s ghost, conjured by Veyra’s cruel psychic assaults, lingered in her dreams, clawing at her resolve with accusations of failure.

Darius slumped onto his cot, his chest, shoulder, and leg wounds bleeding heavily, the blood pooling beneath him as his concussion blurred his vision, the world doubling and spinning in a disorienting haze.

His soulstone, glowing with Peaks’ soulstream gems, labyrinth runes, griffon feathers, shadow claws, shadowdrake fangs, riftclaw pincers, altar runes, psychic gems, riftbeast scales, psychic crystals, riftlord spines, and riftmonarch scales, lay clutched in his shaking hand, its light faint but steady, a beacon against the pain.

His eyes gleamed with stubborn determination, though pain etched his face, his jaw clenched against the relentless headaches that pounded in his skull.

Rhoam, his iron-plated panther, sprawled beside the cot, his massive plates clinked, cracked and scarred from the Primordial Rift’s battles, blood seeping between them and staining the stone floor.

The panther’s low growl was a quiet promise of protection, his bond with Darius anchoring him through the haze of pain and disorientation, a steady force that kept him fighting to stay conscious.

Healers swarmed the trio, their robes glowing with Sanctum runes, their hands steady but urgent as they applied beast-bonded that infused with riftprimal scales, psychic cores, and Sanctum herbs that gathered from the Verdant Hollow’s sacred groves.

The balm burned as they touched Kelvin’s chest wound, the searing pain that was drawing a grimace as he gripped the cot’s edge, his knuckles were white, his synchronization with Xerion flared to dull the pain of agony, the serpent’s warmth was a steady pulse in his chest that kept him grounded.

The healers stitched his wounds with rune-threaded needles, the threads were glowing faintly with golden light as they sealed the gashes, each stitch was a jolt of pain that tested his endurance, his shoulder and arm wounds throbbed with every movement, his thigh wound was a constant ache that made him wince.

Lyra bit back a cry as the balm seared her thigh wound, while her gauntlet was flickering as she clenched her fist, her breath ragged but was determined, her green eyes blazed with resolve.

Salaris’s soft screech steadied her, the raptor’s bond was a shield against the pain as the healers stitched her arm and side, the rune-threads knitted her flesh with agonizing precision, each stitch draw a sharp gasp.

Darius winced, his concussion flared as the healers bandaged his shoulder, the salves burned his chest wound, his vision doubled as he gripped his soulstone, Rhoam’s presence grounded him, the panther’s growl was a low rumble that kept him conscious through the haze, his leg wound was stinging with every shift.

The beasts were treated with equal care, healers were applying essence-infused balms to Xerion’s gouged scales, the crimson and gold surfaces were shimmering as the wounds began to close, the serpent’s hiss softened with relief as the pain eased.

Salaris’s flank wound was coated with a balm infused with psychic cores, her feathers were regaining their iridescent sheen as she preened, her talons clicked on the stand, with her vigilant gaze that was never leaving Lyra.

Rhoam’s cracked plates were sealed with a riftprimal-scale balm, the iron surfaces gleamed despite the scars, his growl was steadied as the healers worked, his massive form was a silent guardian beside Darius’s cot.

The bonds between tamers and beasts pulsed stronger, their shared pain and recovery deepened their connection, a silent promise that they would endure together, their scars were a shared testament to their survival through the Veil’s trials.

Emotional struggles surfaced as the healers worked, the Veil’s psychic visions lingered like shadows in their minds, twisting their deepest fears into weapons.

Kelvin battled guilt over his father’s death, the image of his burning form accusing him in his fevered dreams, the weight of his failure in the Sanctum’s fall was heavy on his heart, each vision was a stab of pain that was sharper than his wounds.

Lyra’s dreams were haunted by her sister’s ghost, her hollow eyes accused her of letting her die, Veyra’s manipulations twisted the memory into a relentless assault that left Lyra trembling even in sleep.

The healers used psychic shards that were glowing with mental resistance, to counter the Veil’s lingering effects, and they guided the trio through beast-bonded meditation sessions in the infirmary’s quiet hours.

Kelvin closed his eyes, syncing with Xerion’s warmth, the serpent’s amber eyes was a beacon in his mind as he confronted his guilt, whispering, "I will make it right, Father."

Lyra meditated with Salaris’s screeches guiding her, facing her sister’s ghost with defiance, vowing, "I will honor your memory."

Darius focused on Rhoam’s growl, pushing back the flames that were muttering, "I will rebuild what was lost."

The meditations were grueling, each session peeling back layers of trauma, but the beasts’ presence anchored them, their bonds were a shield against the psychic scars.

Days turned into weeks in the infirmary, the trio confined to their cots, their wounds were healed slowly but it left them weak and aching, their bodies were a map of scars that told the story of their battle.