The training grounds of Woewyn stirred with motion. Soldiers moved in rhythm, their Eterna flaring in bursts of color across the dusk air. Caelith stood at a coner, his hand cutting sharp arcs as he demonstrated forms to a cluster of younger soldiers1, each motion precise enough to silence their chatter.
On the far side, Serenya sparred lightly with a trainee, her whip of light snapping just short of his chest. She corrected him mid‑stride, her voice calm but firm, guiding his balance until his movements aligned with hers. Sparks of Eterna scattered across the stone floor, fading like embers.
The atmosphere was alive — discipline woven into every gesture, the hum of power threaded through every breath.
And in the middle of it, Damon tilted his head, muttering under his breath: "So what else can Daichi even do?"
Solaren folded his arms. "That's for you to figure out in your downtime. Right now, we take advantage of your speed in training." His tone sharpened. "As I said before — to master light, you must move in unison with it. At the same speed. Without that, there are abilities you'll never unlock."
Daichi, still in wolf form, sat with paws stretched forward, ears pricked as if listening.
Damon frowned. "How's that even possible? On Earth only massless things move like that."
Solaren's eyes glinted. "Then you will have to become massless."
Damon blinked, confused. Solaren chuckled. "Of course not. Stop trying to frame everything in your nerd's concept of Eterna. If you want to, you've got Tolrex at your beck and call."
Damon sighed. "Fine. What do I need to do to reach that level?"
Tolrex stepped forward. "For one, you're very slow for a light user. We excel in speed. To do more, you must be faster."
Solaren grinned, faking a drum roll with his hands. "Which brings us to… Resonant Stride." He gestured dramatically to empty air.
Daichi's voice echoed telepathically. *I think one of your tutors has gone senile.*
Damon squinted. "What is Resonant Stride? And you're pointing at nothing."
Solaren turned, saw only the dark blue wall separating the Natural Ones from the Suited Knights, and face‑palmed. "One moment."
Damon and Daichi exchanged looks as Solaren typed furiously on a holographic keyboard. Then he spun back, arms wide. "Tadaaaa!"
A projection bloomed — plans, inscriptions, start and stop markers, grades from 0 to 100. The bar hovered at 10. Icons Damon couldn't read, letters he half‑understood.
Solaren plucked one hologram from his palm, minimized it, then tossed it forward. It expanded into a 4D display.
Damon's eyes widened. He'd seen countless technologies since stepping into Woewyn, but this one made him whisper, Finally… something out of the movies.
Solaren waved him on. "Don't bother with the icons. Read the letters."
At the top: Initial Assessment Log. Damon tapped it. Empty. Then he saw a play button. He murmured, "So some icons are the same everywhere." He pressed it.
The canyon opened in 4D — a wound in the earth, walls carved by winds so violent they could strip flesh from bone. Across the ground, glowing veins of Eterna pulsed, each beat echoing like ancient drums.
A small holographic figure shimmered into existence, clutching a weighted relic — a shard of condensed firestone. Fragile, determined.
It sprinted forward. Each step struck the Eterna lines, resonance rippling beneath its feet. The stride faltered. The canyon roared. A shockwave hurled the figure back, scattering it into fractured light.
It rose again, trembling, relic heavy in its arms. This time, it stilled. Heartbeat syncing with the canyon's pulse. Stride aligning with Eterna's rhythm. Step after step, the resonance flowed into its muscles, no longer resisting but channeling. The hologram surged forward, speed blazing, light trailing like fire across the veins.
At the far edge, it skidded to a halt. Raised one hand. A glowing thumbs‑up. Then dissolved in a sudden splash, as if dropped into unseen water, ripples spreading across the canyon floor.
The Eterna lines dimmed. Trial complete.
Tolrex leaned in. "You can replay it if you want."
Damon shook his head. "So… to get faster, I have to move at the same speed as that?"
Tolrex nodded quickly, smiling.
Daichi barked, sharp and mocking. "I thought I was gonna die before. Looks like it's your turn."
Damon shot him a glare, then turned to Solaren. "How fast is this canyon exactly?"
Solaren's temper flared. He grabbed Damon's shirt. "Are you mocking me?"
Damon raised his hands, palms out like a suspect. "No, no — I meant...wait how does that relate?—"
Solaren snapped. "Just because I don't know your fancy tech terms doesn't mean I'm stupid. I'll have you know I'm the strongest among your three light tutors, second only to Bravira—"
"Wake up, Solaren." Serenya's voice cut through, sharp.
Soldiers training their Eterna control burst into laughter. One sparring warrior even shot water Eterna at him.
Caelith added, stern. "I agree with Serenya."
Solaren barked at them to stop or he'd worsen their training. The laughter died. He turned back to Serenya. "You wanna go?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she shaped light into a whip, wrapped it around him. His skin sizzled, smoke rising. Solaren didn't cry out — he blushed as she pulled him closer.
Damon muttered to Daichi, "Is love really that powerful? He's blushing at hot light."
Daichi smirked. "You tell me. Maybe Natsuki should try it on you." Damon turned away.
Serenya's face hovered inches from Solaren's. "Do you still wanna go?"
Caelith's voice thundered, each word sharper. "This is no place for that. You two can display your affection outside the warriors base."
The whip vanished. Solaren collapsed, still smiling.
Damon cleared his throat. "So… when are we going?"
Solaren, dazed, still stared at Serenya. Damon snapped his fingers to break the trance.
Daichi leaned over Solaren's shoulder, eyes narrowed. "Why did your heartbeat spike? Hormones skyrocketed?"
"What did he say?" Solaren asked Damon.
"He sensed your hormones skyrocket."
Solaren bristled, pointing at him. "What does a dog — a wolf — whatever. What do you know about a man's hormones?"
Damon cut in. "We should really get going."
They moved.
The canyon loomed ahead — sacred, jagged walls carved by winds that could flay stone itself. The ground glowed with veins of Eterna, pulsing brighter and heavier than the holographic trial. Each beat shook the air like thunder. The resonance here was no faint echo but a storm, far more brutal than the softened test. Even shadows trembled under its rhythm.
Damon reached for the relic Solaren held — a weighted crystal forged with condensed light. His hands trembled as he lifted it, the weight dragging his arms down, but after a strained breath he finally raised it to his chest.
Solaren's voice was calm.
"You may begin at any time."
In Damon's mind, a reckless thought flickered. Well… how bad could one shockwave be?
He sprinted forward.
The canyon's veins of Eterna pulsed beneath his feet, each step shaking with resonance. His stride faltered, barely holding together. He didn't even reach a quarter of the canyon before the crystal shattered in his grip. The canyon roared — a shockwave hurled him back, slamming his head against the wall, his spine taking the brunt.
Groaning, Damon pushed himself up. His outline was carved into the stone where he had struck. He stared at it, thinking, How will I ever pass this?
Tolrex raised a hand, summoning a 4D hologram. Numbers flickered: -1%
Daichi tilted his head, growling low. "Is that the distance… or how bad he did?"
Solaren's reply was steady. "It represents his performance. In terms of how good… or how poor. We have a long, long way to go." His eyes narrowed. "Try again."
---
Damon staggered back to the cliff edge, pain bending his back. He tried once more — shorter this time, but the canyon struck him down again. The hologram remained unchanged: -1%.
Climbing back up, Damon winced. "How bad did I do?"
Solaren's tone was almost clinical. "You got a minus one the first time."
Damon's eyes shot wide.
"And when you tried the second time…" Solaren paused. "…it remained the same."
Damon spat blood, shaking his head. "But that was without the heavy diamond you asked me to carry."
Solaren placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rest. Today has almost ended. You can—"
But Damon cut him off, dragging himself back down into the canyon. His back slammed against the wall again. He rose, went again. Same result. Again. Same result.
Daichi's growl deepened into a wolf‑bark. "This is insanity. Remember — you promised Natsuki you'd speak to her tonight!"
Another crash. Damon groaned, half‑laughing through pain. "Oh… yeah, I did." His body ached, but he felt something strange — his frame beginning to adapt, the shockwaves no longer breaking him as they had before.
Solaren's command was firm. "Get up. We have to go now."
Damon staggered upright, chest heaving. His voice was raw but resolute.
"I need to get stronger."
The words carried into the canyon, echoing across the veins of Eterna. They did not fade — they lingered, etched into the air like a vow, resonating long after Damon's voice fell silent.