Germaine did not sleep.
Not truly. Not peacefully.
Each time she closed her eyes, she saw the creature made of ink and shadow peeling itself out of the heirloom's pages. She heard the echo of its shifting form, felt the sting of the mana she had forced from her body, and saw the silver words glowing on the page: You are acknowledged.
Acknowledged by what? By whom? And for what purpose?
She didn't know.
But the book did.
And that was the part that made her stomach twist with unease.
When dawn finally crept into her room, Germaine pushed herself out of bed with a heaviness in her limbs. Her mana core pulsed faintly, the same tired throb she felt after overusing it. She placed her palm against her sternum, breathing slowly until the ache dulled.
She would need to get used to this—mana exhaustion. Mana strain. Side effects she hadn't even learned names for yet. None of it had been covered in the simple beginner scrolls. Elric was right. Something about her awakening was different.
But she wasn't ready to tell him. Not yet.
She pulled on simple training clothes and slung the satchel over her shoulder. The book inside felt heavier than yesterday. Not physically—just… spiritually. Like it knew she was stepping outside the safety of her room with it.
She slipped down the mansion's staircases quietly, avoiding the main halls and the bustling early-morning staff. The estate was waking up: clinking porcelain, distant conversations, footsteps, the soft hum of mana lanterns being re-lit. But Germaine kept her eyes forward and her steps precise until she reached the back courtyard.
And there—standing beside the fountain—was Elric.
Her stomach dropped.
He was dressed in training armor, light but durable, the kind that only a focused session required. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his gaze was fixed on her the second she stepped outside—as if he had been waiting.
Germaine considered turning around. Considered pretending she forgot something. But his brow lifted slightly, and she knew she wasn't going anywhere.
"You're up early," he said.
"So are you," she replied.
He nodded toward her satchel. "Training again?"
"…Yes."
Elric's gaze sharpened. He didn't look angry. He rarely did. But he looked suspicious—deeply so. "Something's changed since yesterday."
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her satchel. "What makes you say that?"
"Your aura."
Germaine froze.
He continued, stepping closer. "It's stronger. Denser. Condensed in a way that shouldn't be possible overnight, not without guidance or a technique."
"I just practiced, plus my soulpet's mana is mixing with mine" she said quickly—but even as she said it, she knew how weak it sounded.
Elric stared at her for a long moment. Then he exhaled slowly and looked past her, toward the sky-bridges stretching across the horizon. "Germaine… listen to me carefully."
Her chest tightened. She braced herself.
"You need to tell me if something is wrong."
"I'm fine," she replied instantly.
He gave her a look.
"Germaine. Awakening late is already rare. Awakening late with accelerated improvements? That's unheard of."
Her pulse stumbled. She tried to step around him, but he moved subtly, blocking her path—not forcefully, but deliberately.
"I'm not trying to control you," he said, softer this time. "I'm trying to keep you alive."
She hesitated.
That single flicker of hesitation said everything.
Elric's jaw tightened. "There is something."
She swallowed. Her throat felt tight. "I can't explain it yet."
"Then let me help you figure it out."
"I—"
She couldn't.
She wished she could—just tell him everything, hand over the book, and let someone older and more knowledgeable carry the burden. But she remembered the way the book had formed a creature. The way it had acknowledged her. The way it had shown her images meant for her and no one else. If she revealed it now—if she handed it over—she wasn't sure the book would ever open for her again.
And she wasn't ready to lose it.
"I need more time," she said finally.
Elric watched her quietly. His expression wasn't angry or disappointed—just worried. Deeply. "Time is fine," he said. "But secrets get people killed."
Germaine nodded once, unable to speak.
Finally, Elric stepped aside. "At least allow me to observe your training today. If your mana is destabilizing, I need to catch it early."
"Fine," she whispered.
It was the best compromise she could offer.
Without another word, Elric walked with her to the edge of the courtyard. The training grounds were cooler than the rest of the estate, the air thick with ambient mana from generations of cultivators who had trained here. Germaine stepped into the center, inhaling deeply as she prepared to test her core again.
"Begin when you're ready," Elric said, standing several meters away with his arms crossed.
Germaine closed her eyes.
She reached inward.
Her mana responded instantly—too quickly—rushing toward her call like a river breaking free of its dam. She gasped, her knees nearly buckling as the sudden pressure expanded through her body. Elric took a step forward, concern flashing in his eyes.
"Germaine?"
She grit her teeth, holding up a hand. "I'm—fine. Just—too fast."
Slowly, she steadied her breathing until the mana flow calmed. It was like trying to tame a wild beast with nothing but her voice—possible, but barely.
She extended her palm.
Light formed.
But it wasn't the soft, warm glow from yesterday.
It was sharper, brighter—spiraling with faint patterns she didn't recognize. Elric's eyes widened. "That's… not Beginner-level mana."
Germaine swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to—"
The orb pulsed.
Her core pulsed back.
The resonance hit her so hard she stumbled backward. Elric lunged, catching her before she hit the ground. "That's it," he said firmly. "You're done. Something is wrong with your core."
"No—wait—let me just try again—"
"No." His tone was absolute, unyielding. "You're going to tear your mana channels if you force it."
Germaine's mouth opened, but no argument came out. The truth was painful but clear: her core was evolving faster than she could control.
Elric helped her steady herself. Then, quieter, he said, "Tomorrow morning, I'm taking you to the Inner Library to have your core examined."
Germaine froze. The Inner Library wasn't just a study room—it was where ancient relics, sealed scrolls, and powerful appraisal artifacts were housed. If she went there…
The book would react.
It would be discovered.
"Elric—I can't go there."
"You can, and you will. You're not stable."
Her chest tightened with panic. "Elric, please—"
Something behind them crackled.
Both turned sharply toward the sound.
A tiny tear in space—a ripple—hovered above the grass. It was small, no bigger than a fist, but unmistakable. Mana fluctuations spiraled out from it, distorting the air.
Germaine took a step back. "What… is that?"
Elric's eyes narrowed. "A Rift Echo."
Rifts only appeared in places where beasts had crossed from other realms. Even an echo—faint energy left behind—was dangerous. And rare.
But this one was right beside her.
Elric moved in front of her instinctively, his own mana flaring with trained precision.
"Get back," he ordered.
Germaine didn't move.
Because she felt something from the Rift Echo.
A pull.
A call.
A recognition.
It reached toward her—not physically, but spiritually—like something on the other side of the veil was searching.
For her.
The echo flickered.
Elric summoned a blade of condensed mana. "Stay behind me."
But Germaine couldn't look away. The pull grew stronger, wrapping around her core, whispering without sound.
Her breath hitched.
It was the same presence she felt during her awakening.
The same force she felt in the vision.
The same ancient calling from the book.
Something behind the Rift wanted her attention.
Something alive.
And it had found her.
The echo pulsed once—twice—and then—
It expanded.
Elric cursed, grabbing Germaine's arm. "Run!"
But she couldn't.
Something reached through the echo—small, glowing, and fast—
A streak of light shot toward her chest.
Germaine barely had time to gasp before the light collided with her, sinking straight into her mana core.
Pain ripped through her.
Not physical—core-deep, reality-deep.
Her body crumpled.
The world turned to white.
The last thing she heard was Elric shouting her name before everything went silent.