CHAPTER 63: FALTERED BEAST

In the morning Kelvin felt in his chest as he navigated the busy corridors of the Sanctum, Xerion’s fiery aura casted a fierce glow beside him.

Lyra and Darius kept pace with him, as well as their beasts, Avian Salaris move above in the air with her moonlight feathers and Rhoam padded with iron-plated steadiness which added weight to their presence.

As paragons of the Inner Sanctum, focus was the Tide’s Crest which is now a beacon of mentorship that draws tamers across years.

Kelvin, an Adept Rank 3, with a 69% synchronizing ratio and a very high stability bond with Xerion, the Level 8 Legendary End-Tyrant, was a foundation he sought to strengthen, but the Tide’s Crest’s growth brought new pressures.

Veyra, the third-year student with her Level 6 Nightserpent, had faltered in their last session with her bond destabilized and sparked a rift that tested Kelvin’s patience and resolve.

The day began with Master Salome beast intuition seminar in an open-air courtyard, where vines pulsed with faint soulstream energy, their glow casted a dappled patterns on the stone.

Salome, a wiry woman with a gaze that pierced to the soul, stood at the center, her Level 10 Verdant Lynx, that lounged nearby with its emerald fur rippling with latent power.

The seminar focused on sensing beasts’ instincts under stress, a skill that is very vital for battle and bonds.

Salome’s voice was soft but commanding. "Your beast’s emotions are like a current, so learn to ride it, not to fight it.

Today, you will simulate stress through a resonance duel, synchronize with your beast while countering a construct’s pulse."

Kelvin paired with a second-year student, Joren, whose Level 5 Duskwolf prowled restlessly.

The construct was a glowing orb that pulsed with chaotic soulstream energy that hovered before them, its hum was unsettling Xerion, whose flames flickered in response.

Kelvin closed his eyes and dove into his bond and felt Xerion’s fierce loyalty that tinged with a restless urge to dominate the chaos.

He channeled a flame pulse, steady and controlled while synchronizing with Xerion’s instincts to counter the construct’s erratic energy. The orb dimmed, its pulse that faltered.

Immediately Master Salome echoed. "Sharp work, Kelvin. You are indeed listening to Xerion’s fire." His empathy grades are already high and this time it edged upward which was a testament to his focus.

Lyra, paired with a first-year student, excelled, her bond with Salaris was a shadow-wreathed current that neutralized the construct’s pulse with surgical precision.

Salome praised her finesse. "Your control is indeed a model, Lyra. Share it with others." Lyra’s grades in intuition were flawless, her analytical mind thrived though she jotted a note to refine her shadow pulse rune for stress scenarios.

Darius struggled initially but Rhoam’s blunt instincts clashed with the construct’s chaos, but Salome’s guidance was a saviour "Feel Rhoam’s earth, not just his charge," that helped him to stabilize which earned him a pass grade and a grin. "You are getting there," Master Salome said.

As the seminar had ended, Kelvin lingered, approaching Salome as other tamers dispersed. His gauntlet glowed faintly and Xerion’s was a fire a quiet pulse.

"Master Salome, I need help," he said, his voice low but steady. "Veyra’s Nightserpent is destabilized in our Crest session, and it’s fracturing the group. I am not sure how to reach her."

Sylva’s gaze was softened, her lynx’s tail flicked. "Empathy is a forge, Kelvin, it tempers both you and your tamer. My bond with Sylis wavered early on but her instincts were too wild for my fear. I learned to listen, not to force.

Meet me after classes; we’ll work on sensing Xerion’s instincts under stress, and you will be able to guide Veyra from there." Her story was raw and honest and that sparked a resolve in Kelvin, which was a path to mend the Crest through empathy.

--------

The next class was Master Caelum’s runic seminar, a forge-hot chamber where the tang of molten soulstones filled the air. Caelum lectured on adaptive runes, sigils that shifted in battle.

Kelvin carved a resonance rune for Xerion with its lines pulsing with a fiery energy but his thoughts drifted to Veyra’s pale face during the Crest session which was her Nightserpent’s scales dimming as her bond faltered.

Caelum paused by his bench and inspecting the rune. "This is a solid work, Kelvin, but your focus is split," he grunted. "Clear your mind, runes demands full presence."

Kelvin nodded and doubled his effort, the rune glowed brighter which earned him a grudging nod. His runic grades remained high, but Caelum’s words echoed Sylva’s call for empathy.

Lyra’s shadow rune were intricate and layered which drew Caelum’s praise. "You are pushing boundaries, Lyra," he said, urging her to share her designs. Her grades soared, her shadow pulse rune nearing completion, a testament to her innovation.

Darius’s strength rune for Rhoam was bold, its lines were cleaner than before and his grades climbed as his discipline grew. "You are thinking now, Darius," Caelum noted with a smile.

In the corridor after class, Kelvin spotted Veyra who leaned against a wall, her Nightserpent coiled at her feet, its scales were dull and her eyes avoided the crowd.

Riven and Lia whispered nearby with their glances sharp, the Crest’s rift is evident. Kelvin approached with his gauntlet glowing. "Hey, Veyra," he said. "Yesterday’s session was tough. Would you want to talk?"

Veyra’s jaw was tightened, with her voice low she said. "I froze, Kelvin. Sereth, my Night serpent felt my panic, and our bond slipped. Everyone saw it. They think I am weak." Her hands clenched, Sereth’s tail twitched and a faint shadow curled from its scales.

Kelvin crouched, with his voice steady he drew on his early struggles with Xerion’s fire. "I have been there, Veyra. Xerion’s flames overwhelmed me at first, but it is not about strength but it’s about trust.

Come to the Crest session tonight and we will work on it together." Veyra hesitated with her eyes searching for his, then nodded, a flicker of hope in her gaze.

Kelvin’s bond with Xerion pulsed with a spark of progress, but the Crest’s unity hung was fragile.