The night was silent when Stephen returned home. The forge was dark, the faint scent of burnt metal still lingering in the air. His father had already turned in, leaving the door slightly ajar — a silent sign that he was expected to return.
Stephen closed it softly behind him and slipped into his room. The faint gleam of the beast crystal rested in his palm, its surface pulsating with a steady light that almost seemed alive.
The moment he took it out, a flicker of yearning stirred in his soul sea — a call he couldn't ignore. The Azure Sparrow within him trembled, its wings flaring wide as if desperate to consume that light.
Stephen hesitated for a moment, recalling his father's warning: Never cultivate carelessly. But curiosity and instinct overruled caution. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he steadied his breathing and began guiding his energy flow.
The moment his consciousness brushed the crystal — it shattered.
A stream of pure transcendent energy flooded his body, thick and radiant, far denser than anything he had ever felt before. His veins burned; his soul sea roared. The Azure Sparrow let out a sharp cry inside his consciousness, its form brightening as it devoured a portion of that energy. The small blue sprout shimmered in response, absorbing what remained.
Then came the backlash.
His soul sea quivered violently, the energy too wild to control. Stephen gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his forehead as the world around him blurred. For a moment, everything inside him felt like it might tear apart — his very core cracking under the strain.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, the storm subsided.
The crystal in his hand had turned to fine ash. The Azure Sparrow fluttered softly, its feathers glowing with renewed brilliance. The seedling stood taller than before, its leaves faintly pulsing with life.
Stephen slumped backward, gasping for air. His head throbbed painfully — his soul sea felt like it had been scorched dry. It took him the rest of the night, alternating between meditation and sheer willpower, to stabilize his breathing and slowly recover.
When dawn broke, pale light filtering through the window, the ache still lingered — a dull, rhythmic sting behind his eyes. But beneath it all… he felt different. Stronger.
He drew a slow breath and centered his focus inward.
Within his soul sea, both aspect souls pulsed rhythmically — the seedling steady, the sparrow vibrant and alive. A soft tremor rippled through the space, followed by a faint boom.
The blue seedling released a ring of light that expanded outward, harmonizing with the sparrow's glow. The pressure inside him rose, peaked—then snapped cleanly into place.
Stephen's eyes opened wide. The air in his room rippled faintly before settling into stillness once more.
He exhaled, the corners of his lips curving upward in disbelief."Level seven…" he whispered.
His limbs felt lighter, his senses sharper, the flow of energy through his veins smoother and more fluid than before.
He looked down at the ashes in his palm, a tired but satisfied smile tugging at his face."You almost drained me dry," he murmured, shaking his head. "But I guess it was worth it."
Deep within, the Azure Sparrow shimmered faintly — proud, almost smug.
Stephen chuckled softly, closing his hand around the ashes."Guess you're just as greedy as your name implies…"
The forge outside stirred as his father rose with the sun, the rhythmic sound of metal soon echoing faintly through the walls. Stephen glanced toward the door, the weight of his progress sinking in.
He had survived his first hunt.He had awakened a power beyond what he'd imagined.And yet, he knew this was only the beginning.
The hunger of the Azure Phoenix had only just begun to stir.