Rain tapped the windows of Murrchel Academy, cloaking the night in a silver mist. The moon hung low, its light distorted by the academy's Murb-infused wards. In the training hall, Abraham stood alone, his reflection staring back from the marble floor.
A faint pulse of light appeared in his vision.
[Awakening Progress: 73%]
[Bond Status: Dormant Hollow Cry Detected]
He exhaled, feeling the familiar power in his chest. Each night since the courtyard battle, he had pushed himself past exhaustion, chasing the instincts of a life that should have ended. The system offered memory fragments, hints from a past that refused to die. Tonight, those hints felt louder, sharper.
The door creaked open. Jennifer stepped in, her cloak damp, droplets tracing her hair. Her eyes found him.
"Still awake," she said.
He smirked. "You say that like I've slept these past three days."
Jennifer crossed her arms, tilting her head. "You're going to burn out if you keep going like this."
"Or I'll break through," he replied. "Something answered me in the courtyard. Something… alive."
Her gaze softened. "I know. I've been feeling it. Every time you channel Murb energy, the air shifts. Like the world's waiting for you to remember."
Abraham froze. Remember.
A voice came from the shadows, calm. "Memory. That's the key to Awakening."
Both turned. Master Song stepped forward, robes dark, hair bound back. His eyes held weight.
"Master Song," Jennifer breathed.
"Sorry for intruding," he said, stepping closer. "But it seems both of you have reached a point where normal training is… not enough."
Abraham's pulse tightened. "You were watching."
"I always watch," Song replied with a smile. "Abraham Benjin… have you ever wondered why your system works differently? Why your Awakening Progress refuses to follow the standard?"
Abraham's jaw clenched. "…You know something."
"I know things," Song said softly. "But knowing is a burden. Maybe it's time you earned some truth."
He raised his hand, tracing a sigil in the air. The ground trembled. Symbols spiraled, encircling Abraham and Jennifer in a ring of light.
Jennifer's breath caught. "This isn't… academy-approved."
"No," Song said quietly. "This is the Hollow Cry Experiment"
The world shattered in a flash of light like the glass shatter.
Abraham opened his eyes to a void—a world of smoke and broken glass shards everywhere with embers of stars reflecting. Jennifer was beside him, her aura flaring like flame.
"What… what is this place?" she almost hooked in the place and whispered.
[System Alert: You have entered in a field of 'Hollow Cry' ]
[Objective: Synchronize your souls. Failure will result in partial memory erosion.]
Abraham's heart thudded. "Synchronize… our souls?"
Jennifer blinked. "Is he serious?"
Song's voice echoed from above. "Every tamer must face the truth that binds their beast. But yours, Abraham… your beast is within. This trial will show you who you are."
Lightning cracked. The ground rippled apart. Through the smoke, a dark silhouette emerged: a horned creature stitched from blue flame and dark shadows.
Jennifer's eyes widened in shock. "That's—"
"The First Beast," Abraham whispered, heart tightening. "The one that died protecting me."
[Hollow Cry Initiated.]
[Warning: Emotional instability detected. Synchronization required to proceed.]
Jennifer reached for him. Her fingers brushed his wrist, and the world twisted.
They were pulled into memory.
Flashes hit Abraham: war-torn plains, the roar of beasts under his command. Jennifer gasped, seeing through his eyes, feeling the grief, the fury.
"I… I can see everything," she whispered. "You were a sovereign…"
"And I failed them," he said. "Every beast I tamed. Every ally I swore to protect."
Jennifer's grip tightened. "Then don't fail."
Their eyes locked—two souls laid bare. The system pulse merged, glowing like a heartbeat.
[Hollow Cry Progress: 47%]
The First Beast roared. Its chains shattered. It charged, eyes burning.
"Jennifer!"
"I'm with you!"
Water spiraled from her palms into a shield, while Abraham summoned fire. The elements collided, steam bursting. Every strike, every movement, synchronized—his flames following her rhythm, her water amplifying his fire.
[Hollow Cry Progress: 69%]
[Emotional Link Established.]
Their power pulsed.
The First Beast lunged—not to attack, but to test. Abraham met its eyes, recognizing the pain.
"You are not my enemy, beast" he said.
The beast trembled in fear feeling the aura of Abraham cold voice. "Then prove it," it growled. "Prove you still remember the bond."
Abraham poured all his fire into a strike, Jennifer wrapping her water around it. Together, their attack exploded.
The void shattered.
When the light faded, Abraham knelt on the marble floor. The training hall returned—silent except for the hum of energy. Jennifer collapsed beside him.
Song stood before them, expression unreadable.
"…Impressive," he murmured. "Seventy-three percent synchronization. Most pairs barely survive forty."
Jennifer exhaled. "What would've happened if we failed?"
"Failure," Song said, "is instructive."
Abraham glared. "You used us."
"Not used," Song corrected. "Guided. Cultivation is unforgiving to those who fear themselves. Abraham, you must tame yourself before you can tame the world."
He turned and left.
Abraham sat in silence. Jennifer leaned against him.
"…That beast," she whispered in Abraham ear softly, "it wasn't just a memory or echo, was it? i think it was something else something more"
"No," he said, staring at his hands. "It was waiting."
Her hand found his. "Then let's make sure it's waiting for the right reason."
The system blinked:
[Quest Updated: The First Hollow Cry Completed.]
[New Title Acquired: Soulbound Tamer.]
[Awakening Progress: 95%]
Abraham smiled. "Guess I passed."
Jennifer mouth curled up drawing a chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder with soft movement. "Barely." she said.
For a moment when she lean, the storm in his chest quieted in sudden wave like the calmness came back.