Azrael's surroundings melted away. The fire, the cave, the frost, and the world itself faded into nothingness.
All that remained was a dark place holding the beating heart of his own power.
Before him hovered his mana core. Small, no larger than a clenched fist, yet its presence dominated everything.
Its surface was obsidian black, smooth and reflective, absorbing all light around it.
Three stars of condensed mana orbited it, glowing pure white, suspended in slow, deliberate motion.
Each spin sent faint ripples across the void, vibrations he felt in his chest, in his bones, in the very marrow of his being.
The space around the core was infinite, yet intimate. Streams of raw mana drifted lazily through the void, some thick and heavy like molten metal, some thin as spider silk, each curling and spiraling toward the core.
They shimmered faintly, icy blues, violet streaks, even faint orange threads, threads of the world's energy converging and dancing just out of reach.
Azrael felt them brush against his mind and body, not gently, but insistently, like cold fingers sliding along his spine.
Each strand pulsed with a rhythm older than time itself, carrying the weight of mountains, rivers, storms, and entire worlds.
Some were thick and slow, laden with centuries of accumulation; others were sharp and thin, darting like lightning along invisible lines.
He inhaled slowly, drawing in the faint trickle of mana that naturally seeped toward him. It filled his lungs with a frost that was almost painful, sending shivers down his spine, brushing against the skin of his chest like whispering steel.
But the flow was too small, too faint. If he didn't take hold of it, it would dissipate before filling the core.
He focused deeper, reaching inward, not with his hands, but with the invisible sinews of spirit.
The void trembled. Threads of mana responded, spiraling toward him, stretching themselves across the nothingness like liquid light.
The core itself pulsed, sending waves outward that bent the streams, pulling them in arcs that he could almost, but not quite, command.
The first wave of mana struck him like plunging into ice-cold water. It burned through his veins, a searing cold that left frost crawling along his arms and neck.
Pain and power coiled together, twisting his senses, demanding attention, demanding control.
"Steady…" Olivia's voice echoed in his ears, though he couldn't see her. "Let it flow, but do not drown. Control, not force. Breathe it inward, feel its pulse."
Azrael clenched his teeth. He let his body absorb the shock, guiding the raw threads of mana with careful precision.
Slowly, the chaotic streams began to yield to him. Thin silver-blue lines spiraled from the void into his chest, winding around his blood and bones, weaving themselves into the channels of his body, into his core.
The three white stars of his core shone brighter with every heartbeat, spinning faster, but not violently, each rotation a deliberate metronome to the rhythm of the energy he was drawing in.
His obsidian core flickered faintly, reflecting the threads of mana like a dark pool catching starlight.
The void around him pulsed as if alive. Every mote of energy, every drifting wisp of cold power, seemed to hesitate, leaning closer, testing the boundaries of his focus.
They brushed over him, under his skin, threading between his bones, whispering secrets that were too old to comprehend. And he listened.
Each breath was a symphony. He inhaled, the mana surging toward him; exhaled, the flow settling, intertwining with his core.
Frost formed along his arms, then melted away, replaced by thin veins of glowing light, pulsing with every beat of his heart.
He was no longer a man drawing mana, he was a conduit, a vessel, a nexus for the flow of the world itself.
The void bent subtly, the streams of mana arcing around him as though in recognition. The stars of his core rotated in perfect synchronicity now, the pulse steady, rhythmic, resonating through the blackness.
He could feel the heartbeat of the world, faint but undeniable, mingling with his own.
Seeing his body go completely still apart from his rhythmic breathing Olivia could finally start on her own Breakthrough.
Turning her focus inward, sharp and unwavering. The threads of mana around her quivered, bending, swirling, responding to her intent.
Her core, a light gray slightly bigger than Azrael's, pulsed stubbornly, reaching toward the threshold of breakthrough.
She did not look. She did not turn. All awareness of her faded into the periphery of her consciousness. Her world was this core, these stars, these threads of mana.
Every inhalation, every controlled movement of spirit, drew her further toward the edge of her breakthrough.
The void held its breath. The streams of mana twisted and spun, surrounding the obsidian core and its white stars like a cage of light and shadow.
Azrael sat cross-legged, every fiber of his being attuned to the spiraling energy. He was still.
The world around him might have been infinite, but inside, he was concentrated, a singular point of unyielding focus.
And elsewhere, in her own consciousness Olivia mirrored his determination. Her core pulsed stubbornly, the red stars flickering like candle flames in the vast blackness.
Her breaths drew the streams of mana inward, pulling them toward her center, coiling them like threads around her heart. She had begun.
The void waited.
The stars spun, the streams bent, and the world seemed to pause in anticipation.
Azrael's core pulsed, a black orb suspended in the void, and the three bright stars of mana orbited it like furious satellites.
He inhaled deeply, feeling the threads of mana around him shiver in response to his focus. The stars' light flared, spilling into him, licking along the inside of his skin like cold fire.
The first wave hit his feet. Tiny arcs of silver-white light penetrated the soles, coursing upward through bone, sinew, and muscle.
Every step of the energy pathway was precise, delicate, yet merciless. His veins shimmered faintly, glowing with pale blue sparks as the dark impurities, stagnant energy, toxins, fatigue, were burned away.
The pain was exquisite, unbearable, yet necessary.
The surge climbed to his calves, muscles trembling under the force. Light arced through tendons, threading along fibers like lightning dancing over polished steel.
His knees buckled slightly, but his mind remained locked in focus. The storm inside him demanded surrender, yet he guided it with meticulous precision.
Through his thighs, the energy roared.
Every bone became a conduit, veins like rivers of molten ice carrying the purifying current upward.
A metallic tang filled his mouth as his blood seemed to hum under the pressure. The mana wasn't merely flowing, it was alive, conscious, seeking every impurity, every hesitation, and obliterating it.
His hips and core became the battlefield. Light coiled in spirals around his spine, snaking into his chest, wrapping around organs, threading into each chamber of his heart.
The pulse of the mana synchronized with his own heartbeat, hammering in rhythm, echoing through every cell.
Pain lanced along his ribs, through cartilage and bone, yet every strike purified, burned away residues of fatigue and fear.
His arms were next. White-hot streaks ran along sinew and bone, igniting every nerve with electric clarity.
Each finger trembled, yet he held them steady. The pulse of light moved into his shoulders, collarbones, threading into the core of his chest.
With each exhale, he felt a thousand impurities forced from his pores, vaporized into the void. Sweat froze instantly, glinting like diamonds in the storm's light.
Azrael's neck and jaw shivered under the surge. His teeth clenched as energy flowed upward into his skull.
Lightning-like veins of pure mana illuminated the interior of his skull, streaming through his brain, igniting neurons with piercing clarity.
Thoughts sharpened, sensations intensified. The light consumed weakness, purged hesitation, and fused with his very consciousness.
Finally, the crown of his head shone. The storm flowed through him entirely, from soles to crown, heart to mind, inside and out.
Every bone, every artery, every nerve became a channel, glowing from within with pulsing white fire.
His body was a prism, refracting the pure mana through every vein, every fiber, every sinew.
And the core responded. The three stars collapsed into him, fusing completely, vanishing into a brilliant surge that rattled his entire being.
His obsidian core expanded subtly, a black sun swallowing the white threads, consolidating power, growing aware, alive, ravenous for the ambient mana.
Streams of energy from the void began to flow in, drawn irresistibly toward him.