The sun had barely pierced the early morning fog that clung to the estate's training grounds. Every blade of grass shimmered with dew, reflecting tiny sparks of residual mana from the previous day's Rift Echo test. Germaine stood at the center of the main courtyard, her shoulders straight, back tense, and pulse synchronized with the subtle hums of her SoulPets.
Solaryn perched on her right shoulder, feathers bristling faintly, wings flicking in anticipation. Lumira floated above her second slot, silver-gold pulses emanating like soft ripples across the air. The dual lattice of her mana was awake, alert, and thrumming with energy.
Her core's status: Adept-Novice. Purity high. Lattice stabilized. Two SoulPet bonds active. Physique enhanced. Reflexes sharpened. She could feel every thread of mana flowing through her body — and every reaction from her bonded partners.
Elric stood across the courtyard, white mana coiling along his staff like living smoke. His gaze swept over her, scanning, calculating, anticipating.
"Today," he said in a low, controlled tone, "we begin dual SoulPet combat exercises. You will not only control your core and lattice but also coordinate your partners in real offensive and defensive applications. Precision, timing, and adaptability will be tested."
Germaine inhaled slowly. "I understand."
Elric moved first, gesturing with his staff. The courtyard transformed subtly. Crystalline barriers rose to define the combat space. Floating sigils traced along the ground, pulsing faintly with neutral mana.
"First," Elric instructed, "we integrate your SoulPets' energy into offensive patterns. Solaryn — defensive reinforcement. Lumira — analytical pulse. Germaine — coordinate, adjust, and anticipate. The lattice is your bridge. Your core is the anchor. Understand?"
"Yes," Germaine replied, closing her eyes for a heartbeat. She inhaled deeply, letting the dual pulses of her SoulPets flow into her awareness. She felt the lattice expand subtly, flowing like a second skin over her nervous system.
Golden warmth, silver-gold insight. Pulse, resonate, stabilize.
Elric raised his staff, and from the sigils on the floor, shimmering constructs of mana sprang forth. They took the form of humanoid combat dummies, but their movements were erratic, unpredictable.
"Begin," he said sharply.
Germaine exhaled. The lattice pulsed. Solaryn leapt slightly, wings flaring outward, coating her torso in a radiant shield. Lumira hovered above, sending out analytical pulses that probed the constructs' weak points.
"Focus on reaction time, anticipate trajectory, adjust core output."
The first dummy lunged. Germaine shifted her weight instinctively, moving her arms in tandem with Solaryn's shield. The golden pulse absorbed the strike, dispersing it across her lattice. Lumira's feedback reached her instantly, and she pivoted, redirecting her mana to destabilize the dummy's balance.
Strike after strike came, faster, more erratic. Every time, she felt the lattice absorb, adapt, and counter. Two SoulPets, one core, one Shard, all moving in synchronization.
"Elric…" she whispered between breaths, "it's… easier than I expected with both."
"Not easier," he corrected, "precisely manageable. You're coordinating two sentient entities in combat. That is rare at your Rank. Don't underestimate the strain."
The lattice pulsed again. Each pulse increased her core output slightly, and her body responded. Reflexes sharpened, muscles coiled and extended with precision beyond normal limits.
Physique: Beginner-Peak. Strength and reflex enhancement fully active.
Elric waved his staff, and the dummies began launching mock attacks in swarms.
"Now, offensive applications," he commanded. "Use your SoulPets' energy as extensions of your attacks."
Germaine's fingers flicked instinctively. Solaryn's wings released arcs of golden energy, striking several constructs simultaneously. Lumira's pulses broke through mana barriers, destabilizing shields and exposing core weak points.
Her own mana flared in tandem, amplifying their output without disrupting their lattice synchronization. Every movement, every strike, every pulse of energy, was woven together — her lattice serving as the conductor, her SoulPets as instruments, her core as the rhythm.
The dummies fell one after another, each dissipating into harmless wisps of mana, leaving the courtyard eerily quiet except for the soft hum of her lattice.
Elric's staff slammed to the ground, sending a ripple through the arena. "Good. But now… reaction tests. Predict, adapt, survive."
With a low hum, the courtyard air warped. A small Rift Echo simulation appeared, phasing in and out with jagged, erratic movements. Unlike the dummies, this Echo didn't just follow patterns. It tested perception, agility, and core stability.
Germaine's lattice pulsed immediately. Solaryn's shield flared defensively. Lumira's pulses lit up the Echo, mapping its phasing trajectory.
The Shadow construct lunged toward her shoulder. Solaryn countered instantly. Lumira sent out a pulse to unbalance it. Germaine adjusted the lattice, channeling subtle flows of mana to redirect both SoulPets' energy.
A flicker of golden-silver light. A heartbeat later, she countered with an offensive strike. The Echo staggered, phased erratically, but adapted quickly.
"Elric!" she shouted, voice tight, "it's changing patterns! Faster!"
"Then change faster!" he responded sharply. "Your lattice is stronger than its adaptation. Use it. Use your SoulPets. Predict. Don't react — control."
Her heartbeat synchronized with the lattice pulse, syncing golden and silver-gold threads, integrating the Shard's subtle guidance. She felt the Echo's next move before it fully formed, Solaryn deflecting, Lumira destabilizing, her core amplifying the feedback loop.
The Echo's final attack collided with the lattice. Sparks of golden and silver light erupted, and Germaine exhaled sharply. The pulse passed through her, unbroken, absorbed, redirected. The Echo dissipated with a silent shudder, leaving no trace.
Germaine sank to her knees, sweat dampening her robes. Solaryn nuzzled against her neck, wings folding slightly. Lumira pulsed softly, hovering in the second slot, signaling satisfaction and stability.
Elric approached, staff in hand. "You've surpassed expectations. Managing dual SoulPets in offensive, defensive, and adaptive combat at the Adept-,Novice rank— almost unheard of. The lattice held perfectly, your core output was stable, and your reflexes… optimal."
Germaine exhaled, closing her eyes briefly. "I… I could feel them, like they were part of me. Not tools. Not weapons. But… alive. Responding, predicting, protecting."
"That's the key," Elric said. "Your lattice, your SoulPets, your core — they are one system. If you treat them as extensions, you gain coordination beyond normal limits. If you ever treat them as separate… that is when mistakes happen."
Her gaze fell to her hands, still tingling from the combined pulse. Two SoulPets. Two slots. Beginner-Advanced. Physique heightened. Reflexes sharpened. Core purity intact.
"Elric," she murmured, "the Watcher… it saw me yesterday. And the Echo today… do you think it's learning from me?"
His expression darkened. "Yes. And it will continue to learn. The Watcher doesn't just observe — it adapts. That's why we cannot stop here. Your lattice must grow stronger, your SoulPets integrated deeper, and your core… must be tempered further. Tomorrow we will begin tempering exercises designed to increase both output and endurance. That is when your Beginner-Advanced rank will begin to approach the midpoint of Advanced."
A flicker of golden warmth surged through her lattice as Solaryn and Lumira pulsed in anticipation.
"I… understand," Germaine said softly. "And we'll train. Until the lattice is perfect. Until the SoulPets respond before I even command them. Until… the Watcher doesn't even know where I am."
Elric nodded. "Good. Begin rest and recovery. Dual-bonded lattice exercises are taxing. Tomorrow, we start early."
As she sank to the stone bench, both SoulPets hovering close, Germaine felt a quiet satisfaction — tempered with the weight of vigilance. She had survived her first true dual-bond combat exercise. The lattice was stable, the SoulPets responsive, and the Watcher's shadowed influence now a distant—but persistent—threat.
Her Shard pulsed faintly beneath her skin, subtle but steady. A reminder, it whispered silently, that the path ahead will demand more than strength. It will demand unity.
And for the first time, Germaine understood. The lattice, the SoulPets, and her Shard were not separate forces. They were one.
Together, they would face whatever came next.