That morning, the Luma Mist felt thicker than usual, even within the walls of the Pillar of Dawn. Yet for Kael, the air felt clearer. Not because the mist had thinned, but because its burden had shifted. Now, that burden was Ryu.
Kael stood in the Academy's cold training yard, still in his old clothes. The other students, clad in their academy uniforms, glanced at him with a mix of curiosity and disdain. They were children from prominent families or those who had shown stable Lumen talent from an early age. Kael was neither.
Silas stood among another group of students, eyeing Kael with a cynical smirk. He gracefully twirled his Lumen sword, its blue light blade flickering. Silas clearly relished his superior position.
"I hear you've caught Ryu's attention," Silas taunted, loud enough for Kael to hear. "Be careful, he has a reputation for 'breaking' students, even the talented ones. Especially those like you."
Kael ignored him, choosing instead to stare at the entrance where Ryu was supposed to appear. Tension tightened in his stomach. He knew Ryu's reputation: a legendary Lumina Explorer now known for his brutal methods and indifference to 'feelings.'
Precisely at 'Light Ascent'—the time marker in the Pillar of Dawn when the main Lumen lights reached their peak intensity—Ryu appeared. He wore no academy uniform or official Lumina Explorer robes, only worn common clothes, with fingerless leather gloves that revealed scars on his hands. His tired eyes swept the yard, pausing briefly on Kael.
"Follow me," Ryu commanded, his voice raspy like grinding stone. He didn't even stop to speak with other students or instructors.
Kael immediately followed him. They walked through the bustling academy halls, then headed towards a more secluded training area at the back of the Pillar of Dawn. The area was grimmer, with damaged training targets and walls scarred by Lumen explosions. The air felt colder here, and the whispers of the Luma Mist were clearer.
Ryu stopped in an open field covered in frozen mud. He turned, looking at Kael.
"I don't care what Valerius sees in you," Ryu began, without preamble. "I don't care how 'special' your Lumen is. What I care about is whether you can survive. Out there, in the Mist, 'special' just means you'll die faster if you're foolish."
Kael frowned.
"Your Lumen," Ryu said, raising his hand. "I saw it. Wild, formless. Like a raging fire without fuel. It will consume you if you don't master it."
Ryu then produced a piece of raw Lumen crystal, palm-sized. The crystal emitted a faint, slowly pulsating glow. "Focus. Feel it. Summon a little Lumen. Stabilize it."
Kael tried. He closed his eyes, attempting to feel the energy that usually erupted from him. He imagined a small, stable light, like the one emitted by the crystal in Ryu's hand. But only small, disappearing sparks or uncontrolled bursts that merely made his hand tremble emerged.
"Too much emotion," Ryu said sharply. "Lumen isn't an outburst of anger. Lumen is control. If you're angry, it will burn. If you're afraid, it will extinguish. If you're desperate, it will attract the Shadows."
Ryu walked closer, his gaze piercing. "Close your eyes. Imagine yourself as a vessel. Lumen flows. Don't force it. Feel the current."
Kael tried again, calming his pounding heartbeat. He imagined himself as an empty vessel, waiting to be filled. Slowly, something pulsed in his palm. This time, a small, stable sphere of light, the size of a marble, appeared between his fingers. The light flickered gently, yellowish.
"Good," Ryu's voice, for the first time, didn't sound contemptuous. "Now, hold it. Maintain it for as long as possible."
Kael maintained the sphere of light, fully focused. It felt like holding his breath for a long time, requiring complete concentration. After a few minutes, the sphere began to tremble and vanished. Kael staggered, his head spinning.
"That's just the beginning," Ryu said. "That's the most basic 'Lumen Stream.' You must be able to do it at all times, without thinking."
The following days turned into a living hell. Ryu's training was not only intense, but also unconventional. He didn't use academy methods.
Instead of target practice, Ryu would throw Kael into a pitch-black room filled with weak Shadow illusions created by Ryu's own Lumen. "Shadow Detection! Feel them! Don't use your eyes!"
Instead of simulated combat, Ryu would force Kael to run across self-made obstacles in the Pillar of Dawn's most secluded areas, sometimes with weights, amidst the cold air and the occasional whispers of the mist penetrating the defensive walls. "Your Flash Step is useless if you're out of breath!"
Ryu never praised, only pointed out mistakes. He would kick Kael if he was too slow, slam him if his shield was too weak, and force Kael to keep getting up every time he fell. Kael felt physically drained, and his spirit was tested. He often wondered why Ryu bothered with him.
One afternoon, as Kael tried to master the "Lumen Grip"—shaping Lumen into a tentacle to pull objects—he kept failing. His hand trembled, and his Lumen dispersed.
"Weak," Ryu said. "You can't hold it. Concentrate your mind, Kael. Not just strength."
"I've tried!" Kael frustrated.
Ryu approached. "You want to be a Lumina Explorer, don't you? You want to go out there? The Luma Mist won't care about your 'trying.' The Shadows won't wait." Ryu suddenly grabbed Kael's arm and pulled him to an open ventilation shaft, revealing a glimpse of the swirling Luma Mist outside. "You see that? That's the world you'll face. Cold. Cruel. Unforgiving. If you don't master yourself, the Mist will swallow you."
Ryu released Kael, his gaze deep. "Your Lumen is a manifestation of your soul. If your soul is fragile, your Lumen will also be fragile."
That night, Kael couldn't sleep. Ryu's words spun in his mind. If your soul is fragile, your Lumen will also be fragile. He closed his eyes, summoning his Lumen. No longer a wild explosion, but a small, stable spark. He tried to calm his mind, casting off anger and frustration. He imagined himself beyond the walls, in the mist, facing the Shadows. He had to be strong. Not just for himself, but for those within the Pillar of Dawn.
Months passed. Ryu's training didn't soften, but Kael began to adapt. His muscles tightened, his speed increased, and his Lumen control, though still far from perfect, had rapidly developed. He could summon a "Lumen Stream" without thinking, and his "Lumen Grip" was strong enough to pull small objects. Even his "Solar Burst," though still energy-draining, could now be directed a little better.
His relationship with Ryu hadn't become warm, but a kind of understanding grew between them. Ryu no longer called him "outcast child," but "student."
One morning, Ryu stood before Kael in the same training field. "You're ready enough," Ryu said, expressionless. "We're going out."
Kael stared at him, surprised. "Out? Where?"
"Beyond the walls," Ryu replied. "Your first mission. I'll test you there. It will be the real test."
Kael's heart pounded. This was what he had been waiting for. This was his chance to prove himself, not just to Ryu, but to himself. Yet, beneath the excitement, there was a cold wave of fear. He was about to step out of the light, into the darkness he had always feared.
"Tomorrow morning, when the first Artificial Dawn illuminates the defense towers," Ryu said. "Be prepared. And don't be late."
Ryu turned and left, leaving Kael alone in the field. The Luma Mist beyond the Pillar of Dawn's walls seemed denser, more menacing. Kael extended his hand, and a small Lumen sphere, now brighter and more stable, pulsed in his palm. He gripped it tightly, trying to calm himself. The real test was about to begin.