Nyxara
The training field was warming under the rising sun. Dew still clung to the grass, sending chilling pricks across my ankles. It was quiet—serene in a way that made it easy to fall into an introspective mindset. That peace shattered when Lux clapped his hands. "Focus. You're not here to meditate. Do that with Aspen and Nimra." I couldn't help arching a brow. "Maybe I was grounding myself."
"Good. You should always be grounded. You never know when the unexpected will happen. That will be part of what I will be training you on." Lux, barefoot and loose-limbed, walked around me in a thoughtful but animal-like manner. I attempted to match his movements, refusing to let him out of my sight. My instincts were telling me to be ready for whatever Lux did.
"What I will teach you will be the first survival lessons we learned from our parents. You caught on quickly then, and I hope you will do the same now. This should be a refresher for your body. With luck, your mind will remember what it has forgotten."
The scent of trees, dew, and grass threaded through my senses as I sank once more into an introspective mindset, but it felt like an active state of being this time versus still meditation. Yeah, if only there were memories to remember, but Grey took those with her when we switched fates. Let's hope between my body and adaptability, I learn quickly what I am taught.
I stopped circling with him. I rolled my shoulders, ready to meet and exceed expectations. My body is mostly healed—flexible, responsive—just gotta stuff the twitch of uncertainty under my skin in a box and heavy-duty duct tape it shut. No time for hesitation.
"First—barriers. Defense is often going to be the best first combat move you can make." Then he muttered softly like he didn't expect me to be able to hear him, "maybe now you won't have the combat instincts of a domesticated turkey."
I couldn't hide the shock on my face at being compared to a turkey. My shock didn't last long. Lux hadn't been waiting for a response. Between one blink and the next, a sleek, fur-like layer of essence wrapped around his body, armor-like. It was subtle, rippling like heat off stone.
"This is a personal shield. I'm making it visible for this demonstration." He did not stop circling. His intense gaze never wavered. "Its purpose is to repel mental intrusion or emotional overwhelm tactics. The secondary core in your hands is where this shield generates from."
The barrier faded back into invisibility just as the sun peeked over the treetops. Lux then, with a snap, conjured an almost identical looking barrier to the personal shield except this one looked most like a full set of light weight armor made of shifting light. "This—" he said, "is a combat barrier. Defense against external threats. It needs to be generated from your primary core outward, fast, and without hesitation."
He now stood before me at a distance due to the pressure the barrier armor was exuding. "Your primary heart core located in your chest is where this barrier generates from. I want you to attempt creating a combat barrier first."
I closed my eyes. Reaching inward, I cycled my breath as I looked for this heart core Lux mentioned. Soon, a soft, warm violin melody threaded through the quiet of my mind. It was faint at first, a whisper beneath my heartbeat, then it swelled—each note brushing along my ribs like a familiar hand, coaxing my breath into sync. Following it, I found my heart core. My inner sight is filled with vapor wisps of silver, pale blush rose, and a hazy lavender. I heard the other cores faintly, but I focused on my current task.
So how do I do this? I found my core, and I can see what I think is my essence. How do I create a barrier? Lux just showing me what one looks like wasn't enough context. Do I visualize? Do I pray to a higher being? Do I need a familiar?
I tried to create a barrier for a whole minute before I opened my eyes and glared at Lux, who is standing there looking expectant. "Are you not casting a barrier right now because you are wondering why I only showed you what a barrier could look like and haven't instructed you on how to actually create one?" He waits for my irritated yes before nodding. "Well, that is because we are testing out demon teaching methods."
Intrigued but still annoyed, I motioned for him to continue explaining. "Azrail shared that for demons, their ascension and development of skills lean towards inspired cultivation. If this method works out for you, your ascension to higher tiers and skills will be akin to inspirational cultivation. Now consider what kind of casting calls to you.
If you weren't trying to do this as you think you should do it but what feels right to you, how would you create this barrier?" His explanation was unexpected. I marinated on the question for a moment before coming up with an idea.
Just as I was about to try out my idea, he opened his mouth again. "You have 5 minutes to create a combat barrier, else we will move on." And there goes my chill. Giving him one more annoyed glare before closing my eyes and clearing my mind. Looking within, I found the violin melody of my heart core. Listening to my instincts, I began to hum, feeling the vibration ripple through my throat and chest like a low, resonant purr.
Each note seemed to settle into my ribs, steadying my breath as it braided itself with the violin melody of my core. Once linked, the connection bubbled like sparking cider in my veins—fizzy, foamy, and delectably refreshing. My essence stirred, sluggish at first, then stretching toward me like it had been starved for the sound.
Continuing to follow my instincts, I hummed but now I held the image of what I want my combat barrier to look like. The violin melody of my heart core shifted to the sound of quiet singing. The words I heard I instinctively knew were a barrier spell.
How strong a spell I didn't know, but I was willing to try it out. I sang the words softly, Thesh'kar Vel'an… Sor'kaiin enthral. (Shield and bind… anchor the nexus. ) The air shimmered faintly in the warm sunlight around my body—a bubble, soft but steady for the most part. I was amazed to see what I had made. I paused in my humming to see if it would hold. The barrier began to ripple, so I continued to hum.
Lux's sudden clap jolted me, the sharp sound bouncing off my barrier like ripples in water. He circled me slowly, his presence brushing close enough that I felt a faint pressure against the barrier—like the feeling of pressing on jello. "Good start. Unique to use sound musically. You are going to have to learn to anchor the spell in your core. You can do that for the spells you will use often. Your academic tutor will go over that with you."
I was beginning to feel exhausted holding this barrier. He didn't appear to be done with his feedback yet either. Please, if anyone is listening, have him finish talking soon before I pass out. "Once it's anchored in your primary core, you will be able to call upon it without having to cast it each time. Also, you will be able to more easily detect its absence or disruption. When that happens, you are most likely under attack or being scanned by a higher-tier individual. Same difference in most cases. As far as corrections: keep it close to your body. Think of it as silk, not a bubble. It should move with you like the armor it is."
Taking the advice, I adjusted. The barrier reshaped to wrap around my body. A tingling sensation coated my bare skin. The barrier felt lightweight, impenetrable, and protective while also feeling flexible enough for intense movement. I think I outdid myself this time. I felt proud of my adaptability despite my growing exhaustion. The continuous use of essence has caused beads of sweat to gather at the base of my neck and the curve of my spine.
The longer I cast, the warmer my body grew — heat pooling under my skin like liquid sunlight. I intentionally adjusted to the warmth because I could sense it was connected to the growing pool of strength inside me. I am taking my first step in Essencecraft right now. I internally squealed with a small smile.The adrenaline and excitement of this moment have pushed some of the fatigue away as I bask in my achievement.
This power surging through me, growing more steady and certain by the moment, as if every hum, every breath, was reclaiming a piece of myself I didn't know I'd lost. After feeling so helpless for so long, it is intoxicating to stand here and feel… unbreakable. Lux nodded with satisfaction at my adjustments. "Drop it. We will work on making it instinctive. You will need to be at that level within the next two weeks so we can move on to other exercises. Now, create a personal shield."