The next day did not begin with rest.
It began with pain.
Eris barely had time to steady his breath before Kaelion's fist slammed into his guard, sending him skidding across the marble floor. The impact rang through his bones.
"Up," Kaelion commanded. No anger. No mercy. Just urgency.
Eris pushed himself up, teeth clenched. "You said we'd refine control—"
Kaelion was already moving.
"Control comes after survival," he said, appearing in front of Eris in a blur. "And survival requires adaptation."
He struck again—this time with the flat of his palm. The force wasn't meant to kill, but it was enough to rattle Eris's core. The Sevenfold Crest on his chest flared instinctively, reacting on its own.
Kaelion stopped mid-motion.
"That," he said quietly, "is the problem."
Eris steadied himself. "The Core reacted without me thinking."
"Yes," Kaelion replied. "And the Watcher noticed."
The name alone made Eris's stomach tighten.
Kaelion paced in a slow circle. "Listen carefully. Watchers do not interfere directly. They observe fractures in destiny—beings who evolve faster than the world allows."
Eris frowned. "Like me."
"Exactly like you."
Kaelion stopped and faced him. "From this moment onward, your training will no longer follow the Clan's old methods. We are abandoning safety."
Eris hesitated. "What does that mean?"
Kaelion raised his hand.
The air split open.
Not shattered—peeled, like reality itself was being opened layer by layer. Beyond it lay a crimson wasteland, skies cracked with black lightning, ground littered with broken weapons and colossal skeletons half-buried in ash.
Eris stared. "Where is that?"
Kaelion's voice dropped.
"A battlefield from the First War.
Preserved in time."
The heat hit Eris immediately. His skin prickled. His instincts screamed.
Kaelion stepped through the tear.
"If you wish to live long enough to face Asmodeus—or survive the Watchers' attention—then follow me."
Eris swallowed… and stepped through.
---
THE WAR-TORN ECHO
The moment the rift closed behind them, Eris felt it.
Pressure.
Not physical—existential.
The air itself resisted him, as if the world didn't want him there. His Sevenfold Core pulsed violently, struggling to stabilize.
Kaelion observed him closely. "This place rejects anything weaker than a warlord. Good. It will force your Core to adapt."
A distant roar echoed across the wasteland.
Eris turned slowly.
Far away, something massive moved—its silhouette barely visible through ash storms.
Eris's voice came out tight. "Tell me that's not—"
"An echo-beast," Kaelion finished. "Yes. And it's already sensed you."
Eris stared. "You brought me here to fight that?"
Kaelion shook his head. "No."
He drew his blade—an ancient weapon forged from fractured light.
"I brought you here to run."
The ground shook.
The creature roared again—closer now.
Kaelion placed a firm hand on Eris's shoulder.
"Lesson Four," he said.
"There are battles you cannot win yet.
Learn when to retreat… without breaking."
The beast burst from the ashstorm—a towering mass of bone, flame, and screaming faces fused into one horrific form. Its footsteps alone cracked the land.
Eris's instincts screamed to fight.
Kaelion shouted, "Move!"
Eris ran.
Tarnis's speed flared, carrying him forward as the creature's roar chased him across the broken battlefield. Shockwaves tore through the ground behind him.
He leapt over shattered pillars, ducked under collapsing ruins, blink-stepped instinctively through warped space as Zephros's power flared uncontrollably.
But something was wrong.
The Sevenfold Core was overheating.
Eris stumbled.
The beast closed in.
Kaelion appeared beside him instantly, slicing the air and creating a temporary barrier.
"Focus!" Kaelion shouted. "You're letting the Core control you!"
Eris gritted his teeth, forcing his breathing to slow.
One breath.
Then another.
He reached inward—not for power, but for balance.
The Core stabilized.
The heat receded.
Eris moved again—this time with intent.
They reached a broken cliff's edge. No path forward.
The beast charged.
Kaelion turned to Eris.
"Jump."
Eris's eyes widened. "There's nothing there!"
Kaelion met his gaze calmly.
"Trust Zephros."
Eris leapt.
For a terrifying second, there was nothing—
—then space folded.
The world bent.
Eris landed safely on solid ground meters away, heart hammering.
The beast roared in frustration, unable to cross.
Kaelion stepped beside him.
"You survived," he said. "Barely."
Eris collapsed to one knee, breathing hard.
Kaelion looked toward the distant sky, where the clouds twisted unnaturally.
"The Watcher is still observing," he said quietly. "And now it knows you can adapt."
Eris looked up. "Is that good… or bad?"
Kaelion didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"It means the game has truly begun."