CHAPTER 78: THE SPARK OF RESOLVE

The Sanctum’s training yard were filled with tamers that were going through their training, Kelvin stood at the yard’s edge, his staff was planted firmly in the packed dirt, its rune-etched surface was warm under his grip.

Sweat was seen on his brow, tracing paths down his temples as he watched the younger tamers train with their beasts, their movements were raw but eager.

The faint scars on his left arm were pale reminders of the Shadowfen Marshes’ zombie claws, itched faintly, but it was the memory of the grove’s wraiths that burned freshest in his mind.

Those spectral figures, with their glowing eyes and despairing whispers, had been a stark warning: the Veil was stirring was its hunger far from sated.

Xerion, his End-Tyrant beast paced beside him, the beast’s fiery scale were flared with it’s restless energy, as if it was sensing the unease that churned in Kelvin’s chest.

"We will be ready," he murmured, more to himself than the beast. His bond with Xerion, now at an 80% sync ratio, was a blazing anchor, but the rift’s whispers still echoed in his dreams which is sowing the seed of doubt.

Lyra approached, her braid was swinging with each purposeful step she took with her gauntlet gleaming with freshly etched shadow runes that pulsed faintly in the sunlight.

Lyra’s green eyes were sharp as ever, softened slightly as they met Kelvin’s. "You look like you are planning a war," she said, her tone was light but laced with a knowing edge.

"Maybe I am," Kelvin replied, though his voice was low. He gestured toward the bustling yard, where a young tamer’s windfox darted around a training dummy and its claws sparked against the wood. "That rift in the grove, it is just the start. The Veil is not done with us, Lyra and I can feel it."

She nodded and replied. "I felt it too, when we closed the anchor. The energy... it wasn’t gone, it just pushed back. We need to be sharper and stronger."

Darius’s heavy footsteps announced his arrival before his voice did. "What is with the doom and gloom?" he called, striding over with his usual swagger, though his hazel eyes held a new seriousness beneath the grin.

Rhoam, his iron-plated panther, moved behind him with his massive paws leaving shallow prints in the dirt and his iron plates gleaming like polished armor.

Darius tossed a soulstone between his hands, its green glow caught the light. "We took down a rift, didn’t we? No shadow is gonna catch the Tide’s Crest off guard."

Kelvin managed a smile, Darius’s bravado was a familiar balm against the tension knotting his shoulders. "You are right," he said, though the weight of the Veil’s threat lingered. "But we will train harder this time. No slacking."

Darius mock-saluted, the soulstone glinted as he caught it. "Aye, aye, Captain. Let’s get to it."

The memory of the grove battle was clung to them, the wraiths’ chilling whispers was was still echoing in their minds. Kelvin had felt the Sanctum’s monitoring device tracking their every of their move, its runes glowing in his pack as a constant reminder of their visibility.

But it was their unity that forged through fire, shadow, and earth, that had carried them through. They needed to hone that strength, so as to be ready for whatever the Veil threw at them next.

Master Torren’s voice boomed across the yard, cutting through the din like a thunderclap. "Form up, tamers! Today, you will face a Level 10 construct!" He stood at the center of the yard with his towering frame as a pillar of authority, gesturing to a massive, rune-etched golem that loomed like a stone giant.

Its surface was pulsed with a chaotic soulstream energy, a swirling mix of violet and black that made Kelvin’s skin prickle. "Work as teams. Anticipate, adapt and survive!"

The Tide’s Crest exchanged glances which was a silent agreement that passed between them. They stepped into the ring with their beasts at their sides, Xerion’s flames roared and Salaris’s form flickered in and out of the shadow, Rhoam’s iron bulk was a steady anchor.

The other tamers parted and their eyes was a mix of awe and skepticism which was whispers that rippled through the crowd. "The Crest’s taking it on," a girl murmured. "Think they will crush it?"

Kelvin took point, his staff raised, the runes along its length glowing as he channeled Xerion’s fire into a blazing Convergence that aimed at the golem’s core.

The flames roared which was a torrent of orange and gold that lit the yard, but the construct countered it with a blast of chaotic energy which was a wave of force that sent dirt flying and forced Kelvin to brace himself.

Lyra moved swiftly with her hands weaving shadow runes that coiled around the golem’s limbs, binding them in dark tendrils.

Salaris darted from the shadows and her talons raked across the construct’s flank, leaving glowing scars.

Darius fired soulstone blasts with each explosion a burst of green light that cracked the golem’s stone hide, while Rhoam charged, his iron-plated bulk slamming into the construct with a resounding crash.

The battle was a test of their coordination, each move a dance honed by months of trust. But the construct was relentless, its chaotic energy pulsing faster, countering their attacks with precision.

Mid-battle, a misstep—Lyra’s rune faltered under the strain, her gauntlet flickering as a blast grazed her shoulder, sending her staggering. Kelvin’s heart lurched, fear spiking through him as he shouted her name.

"Keep going!" Lyra gritted out, her voice sharp with pain but fierce with determination. She re-wove her rune, shadow tendrils snapping back into place, pinning the golem’s arm as Salaris struck again.

Kelvin rallied, his Convergence burning brighter, a fiery vortex that engulfed the construct’s core. Lyra’s runes locked it in place, and Darius aimed a final soulstone blast, the explosion shattering the golem’s heart in a spray of stone and light. The construct collapsed, dust rising in a choking cloud, and the yard fell silent, the tamers staring in awe.

Torren’s nod was grudging but proud, his voice carrying a rare warmth. "You’re learning, Crest. But don’t get cocky. There’s always a bigger fight."

The crowd erupted in cheers, younger tamers rushing forward to congratulate them. A boy with a sparrow-like beast tugged at Kelvin’s sleeve, eyes wide. "How’d you sync like that? It was like you were one mind!"

Kelvin smiled, catching his breath. "Practice. And trust."

As the yard cleared, Kelvin sought Torren, his voice low and earnest. "Master Torren, the Veil rift—we closed one, but more are coming. How do we prepare for something that... feeds on fear?"

Torren’s eyes softened, a shadow of old pain crossing his weathered face. "I faced a rift once, years ago. Lost my first beast, a stormhawk named Veyra, to its shadows. It’s not just power that wins—it’s will. Train your heart as much as your skills, Kelvin. Doubt will break you faster than any wraith."

The words struck deep, a truth that resonated with the journal’s warnings. Kelvin shared Torren’s advice with Lyra and Darius that evening in the common room, the air thick with the scent of roasted meat and cider.

They sat around a scarred wooden table, their journals open, pages marked with notes and sketches. Lyra traced a rune in her book, her brow furrowed. "The tamers who survived the Veil—they all wrote about resilience. Pushing through fear, no matter the cost."

Darius leaned back, tossing a soulstone idly. "Sounds like us. We’ve got the guts, just need to keep the skills sharp." He paused, his grin fading. "But yeah, those wraiths... they got in my head. Made me think of home, of losing everything."

Kelvin nodded, the confession echoing his own fears. "They hit me too. Made me see the Sanctum falling, all of us... gone." He shook his head, forcing the image away. "But we’re stronger than that."

Lyra set her journal down, her voice quiet but firm. "We are. And we’ll prove it."

Their evenings became a ritual of study and strategy, the journals their guide. Lyra crafted new shadow runes, her fingers deft as she wove patterns that amplified Salaris’s stealth, her bond with the raptor deepening with each success.

Darius refined his soulstone techniques, his blasts growing more precise, Rhoam’s charges syncing seamlessly with his commands. Kelvin focused on his bond with Xerion, their sync ratio climbing to 80%, the wolf’s flames burning brighter with every training session.

One afternoon, as they sparred in the yard, a commotion drew their attention. A crowd gathered near the eastern gate, voices raised in excitement.

Kelvin, Lyra, and Darius pushed through, their beasts trailing close. At the center stood Taren, the boy from Willowreach they’d met in the marshes, his face beaming. Beside him was a girl, maybe fourteen, her dark hair tied back, her eyes bright with gratitude.

"You saved our village," Taren said, rushing forward to hug Kelvin, his small frame trembling with emotion. "This is my sister, Lila. She’s safe because of you."

Lila stepped forward, her voice soft but steady. "Thank you. All of you. Willowreach is rebuilding, and it’s because you stopped the zombies."

Kelvin’s chest warmed, the weight of their mission lifting slightly. "We’re just glad you’re okay," he said, ruffling Taren’s hair.

Darius grinned, kneeling to meet Taren’s gaze. "You gonna be a tamer one day, kid? Got a beast picked out?"

Taren’s eyes lit up. "A firewolf, like Xerion!"

Lyra laughed, a rare, unguarded sound. "Good choice. Train hard, Taren."

As the crowd dispersed, Kelvin noticed a flicker in the shadows near the gate—a cloaked figure, their face hidden, watching with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine. The figure vanished before he could point it out, but the unease lingered, a whisper of the Veil’s presence.

That night, in the common room, they discussed the figure. "Could be nothing," Darius said, though his tone lacked conviction. "Or it could be trouble."

Lyra’s eyes narrowed, her fingers tracing a rune on the table. "The journals mention spies—tamers who turned to the Veil’s side. We need to stay vigilant."

Kelvin nodded, his hand resting on Xerion’s warm fur. "We train, we watch, we stay together. Whatever’s coming, we’ll face it."

The weeks passed in a blur of training, their skills sharpening, their bonds deepening. One evening, as Kelvin stood on his balcony, Xerion at his side, the Sanctum sprawling below, he felt a spark of resolve ignite within him.

The Veil was stirring, its shadows creeping closer, but the Tide’s Crest was ready. Their unity, forged in fire, shadow, and earth, was a flame that would burn through any darkness.

He turned back inside, the night cool against his skin, the journals waiting on his desk. The future was uncertain, but with Lyra, Darius, and their beasts, he felt ready to face whatever lay ahead.