Morning sunlight spilled over Ironveil District, warming the cobblestone streets and reflecting off the metallic surfaces of training arenas scattered throughout the city. Unlike Stoneport, Ironveil was designed for testing and observation — wide open plazas, fortified walls, and specially prepared zones where the abilities of the awakened could be safely studied.
Jiro Tensai followed Rein through the streets, feeling the subtle hum of his cores beneath his skin. The egg at his waist pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat mirroring his own. Each step seemed to vibrate with possibility, and yet, a nervous tension prickled at his senses. Today, he would see the true measure of his power.
"This is where you'll begin your first controlled tests," Rein said, stopping at a wide circular plaza in the district's center. The area was dotted with strange instruments, crystalline obelisks etched with runes, some floating slightly above the ground, others anchored into the stone. "The devices here will show you what your cores can do, how they flow, and what abilities you might manifest. They won't interfere — think of them as mirrors reflecting what's inside you."
Jiro's pulse quickened. He set down his pack, removing his shirt. The morning air brushed against his skin, cool but alive with the subtle hum of Ether. Rein gestured to a lotus position in front of the largest instrument, a crystalline obelisk that shimmered faintly.
"Sit," Rein instructed. "Guide the energy from your meridians, your veins, to your heart and brain. Feel it move. Sense each type of energy — Essentia, Aetherion, Vitanova — and understand where it wants to flow."
Jiro inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He felt the familiar thrumming of his cores. Essentia flowed through his heart like molten gold, warm and steady. Aetherion surged in his brain, sharp and crackling like distant lightning. Vitanova stirred deep within his abdomen, pulsing like a living organism, eager to adapt and evolve.
At first, the energies clashed violently. His meridians felt like tangled wires, each pulse pulling against the next. Heat and electricity lanced through his veins, and his body jerked involuntarily. The egg mark at his waist vibrated, its presence both stabilizing and amplifying the chaotic flow.
Jiro clenched his teeth, forcing his focus. One by one, he guided the energies, learning their rhythm, sensing their resonance. Then, instinctively, he allowed the egg to synchronize with his cores. Slowly, the three streams of energy began to harmonize, flowing together in a precise, elegant balance.
The obelisk responded immediately. It glowed, projecting holographic streams of light that twisted and wrapped around him — gold, silver, and pale green, moving in patterns that seemed almost alive. Jiro opened his eyes, astonished. The light mirrored his very essence.
Rein stepped forward, voice calm but sharp. "You've done it. The instrument confirms what I suspected. Your cores are active and fully manifesting. You have the power to manipulate elements, to sense and channel life energy, and — most astonishingly — your body can adapt, evolve, and enhance itself in response to stimuli."
Jiro's breath caught. The realization washed over him slowly. "All… all three? At the same time?"
"Yes," Rein replied. "Most awakened awaken one core, sometimes two. Three is extraordinary. You are walking a path no other has taken, at least in recorded history. What you can do… it's rare even among the Awakened."
The plaza seemed to hum with energy as Jiro felt the cores thrum beneath his skin. He could sense the pulse of life around him, the flow of elemental energy in the air, and the latent power of his body bending to his will. The egg pulsed once, gently, almost approvingly, as if acknowledging his achievement.
Rein's tone softened slightly. "Tomorrow, we begin practical exercises. You'll test each ability individually and learn how to combine them safely. Missteps will be painful, but you need this. For now, rest. Absorb what you've discovered. Understand it. Feel the awakening."
Jiro exhaled, the tension in his muscles easing. He watched the streams of colored light swirl around him, a tangible representation of his hidden potential. The egg pulsed gently at his waist, the cores beneath his skin thrumming in perfect synchrony.
Above Ironveil, the sun rose higher, casting long shadows across the training plaza. For now, the city was safe. But far beyond, in the void of space, the Obsidian Order and alien forces were already taking note of the Awakened. Threads of fate were tightening, pulling worlds and destinies together — and Jiro Tensai stood at the center of them all.
*****