CHAPTER 44: THE NEXUS OF RESOLVE 3

The Ethereal Forge’s trials had pushed them to their limits, but their bonds had held, their synergy was a testament to their relentless preparation.

They collapsed in the library, the only place that felt like home after such a day, their beasts sprawling nearby.

The bloom, ash, and runic crystal joined the other relics on the table, their glow was a constellation of their journey. Kelvin leaned against the wall and his gauntlet was still warm, Xerion’s fire was a steady pulse in his soul.

"We are pillars now," he said, his voice was hoarse but resolute. "The Inner Sanctum is ours."

Darius grinned, tossing a soulstone with a weary hand. "Told you we had crushed it. Rhoam is the real MVP, though."

Rhoam growled, nudging Darius, who laughed, the sound eased the tension.

Lyra with her amulet glowing softly, stroked Salaris’s feathers and her smile depict tired but it was genuine. "We are more than pillars. We are indeed a unit and unbreakable."

Salaris chirped with her eyes bright, and Xerion’s wings flared outside, casting a shadow through the window.

The library was silent, save for the soft hum of the relics and the steady breathing of their beasts. Kelvin’s eyes drifted to the scrolls scattered on the table, their lessons were now etched into their souls.

The Sanctum’s trials had forged them, but the Inner Sanctum’s heart was a mystery that is still unfolding, its next challenge will be a whisper in the soulstream.

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After some rest they went to the dinning hall for dinner before retiring for the night rest. The following morning, the trio resumed their routine. Master Sylva’s lecture hall was their first stop.

Sylva’s vine-serpent wove through the vines as she lectured on primal empathy, the art of deepening a bond by aligning with a beast’s core instincts. "Your beast is your mirror," she said with a sharp voice. "Understand its heart, and your Convergence will transcend."

Kelvin took detailed notes and linked Sylva’s words to Xerion’s fiery passion, his gauntlet thrumming as he visualized channeling it with precision.

Lyra’s diagrams mapped Salaris’s instincts while her amulet glowed as she worked, her focus was unshaken by the previous day’s intensity.

Darius in his usual restlessness was tempered by the Nexus, took detailed notes, Rhoam’s steady presence anchored him as he connected the lecture to their synergy.

The seminar ended with a practical: sensing a beast’s emotional state through the soulstream under a simulated stress.

Kelvin dove into his bond, feeling Xerion’s fire, fierce, loyal and unyielding strength. Lyra’s bond with Salaris was a steady shadow which shows that her empathy was flawless.

Darius’s connection to Rhoam’s strength wavered briefly, but the panther’s nudge guided him to success which earned him a rare nod from Sylva.

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Midday brought them to the Runic Workshop, where Master Caelum’s forge-like chamber rang with the hum of carving styluses.

The air was hot, thick with the tang of molten soulstones, and Caelum’s stern voice cut through the heat as he guided them through the crafting runes of convergence which is designed to link multiple bonds in high-stakes combat.

"Unity is your strength," he said with his eyes scanning the students. "A flawed rune fractures that unities them"

Kelvin etched a convergence rune into a soulstone, his gauntlet steadying his hand as he channeled Xerion’s fire.

The stone glowed, accepting the rune, and he felt a surge of pride as Xerion’s approval rippled through their bond.

Lyra carved a shadow rune, her amulet amplifying her precision, while Darius, his focus razor-sharp, produced a clean strength rune for Rhoam.

Caelum’s grunt of approval was a small victory, their hands ached but their spirits were high.

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After Master Caelums class they went to the dinning hall for their lunch and there, they had time to discuss about what the learnt at Master Caelums class and there challenges during the Nexus trial that the overcame and how to advance better in another fight.

After which the afternoon was consumed by Master Torren’s drills in the Obsidian Yard, a sprawling arena was alive with the clash of claws and the flare of soulstream energy.

Torren’s obsidian lion loomed behind him with its mane glowing as he barked orders. "Synergy under pressure!" he growled. "Face a horde of constructs and prove your unity!"

The constructs materialized-stone bears, flame wyrms, and shadow hawks showed their relentless movement.

Kelvin, Lyra, and Darius fought as one, their synergy runes amplified their Convergences. Kelvin’s gauntlet blazed with his soullight blade slicing through a bear as Xerion’s flames cleared the path.

Lyra’s shadow runes bound a wyrm, Salaris’s talons stroked its core. Darius’s soulstone detonated, staggering a hawk, and Rhoam’s claws tore through its wings.

A bear’s claw grazed Kelvin’s shoulder, a sharp jolt, but his bond with Xerion dulled the pain. Lyra’s amulet pulsed, healing a nick on Salaris’s wing, while Darius took a hit from a wyrm’s tail and his breath ragged but his bond with Rhoam was unyielding.

Their combined assault reduced the horde to rubble, and Torren’s nod was grudging but clear. "You are learning," he said. "Keep refining."

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Evening brought them to Master Veyne’s advanced seminar in her circular lecture hall and Veyne’s lecture explored the soulstream convergence, the art of merging multiple bonds into a single, resonant force. "You are a triad," she said, her serpent weaving threads of light. "Your harmony is your power."

Kelvin took notes, linking Veyne’s techniques to their Nexus performance, his gauntlet vibrated with potential.

Lyra’s diagrams mapped their convergence patterns while her amulet glowed as she worked. Darius, his discipline sharpened took detailed notes, Rhoam’s presence grounded him.

The seminar ended with a practical: channeling a convergent pulse to stabilize a mock soulstream rift. Kelvin’s gauntlet amplified their pulse, synchronizing perfectly with Xerion’s fire.

Lyra’s amulet enhanced her control with her pulse flawless. Darius’s pulse wavered briefly, but Rhoam’s nudge steadied him, earning a passable result.

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As night fell, the trio returned to the library, their beasts trailed close. The Sanctum’s grind was relentless, but it was their crucible that forged them into something greater.

They collapsed around the table and the relics glowed like stars. Kelvin traced his gauntlet, feeling Xerion’s fire. "The Nexus was our proving ground," he said with a steady voice. "But the Inner Sanctum’s heart is still calling."

Darius grinned, tossing a soulstone with a weary hand and said. "Yeah, and we are gonna answer it. Rhoam got my back."

Lyra smiled, stroking Salaris’s feathers with her amulet casting a soft glow. "We are not just pillars, we are a force that is unstoppable and unbreakable."