CHAPTER 37: THE CALL TO ORDER

Kelvin, Darius and their beasts sprawled in the aftermath of their latest triumph.

The relics from the Proving Grounds, the Apex Stalker’s fang, the mirror shard, and the runic orb that rested on a table, their faint pulses releases a reminder of the trio’s ascent toward the Inner Sanctum.

Xerion, the End-Tyrant, curled in a corner with his obsidian scales shining, while Rhoam, Darius’s thick-armored panther, sprawled near the door, his iron-like plates clinking softly.

Lyra, however, was conspicuously out of place, her hair splayed across a makeshift bed of blankets on the floor, Avian Salaris perched nearby where Lyra is.

Kelvin sat against the wall with his gauntlet warmed up against his wrist, tracing Xerion’s sigil as he reviewed the notes from Master Sylva’s seminar.

Darius lounged on his cot and tossed a soulstone idly, while Lyra, despite the late hour, read through a scroll on shadow runes, her amulet, was glowing faintly.

For days, Lyra had been missing in her dorm, the trio’s bond forged through battles and late-night study sessions making the arrangement feel natural. But the Sanctum’s rules were strict, and the oversight had not gone unnoticed.

A sharp knock on the door caused them to stand up. Rhoam growled while his plates shifted and Salaris’s talons clicked as she snapped awake.

Kelvin stood, exchanging a glance with Lyra, who frowned, sensing trouble. Darius caught his soulstone as inquired, "Who is knocking at this hour?"

Darius stood up and opened the door which revealed Master Veyne face and her serpentine beast that coiled around her arm, its scales reflected colors in the dim light. Her eyes were sharp as a blade, fixed on Lyra.

"Miss Lyra," she said with her voice cold but sharp, "you are aware that female students are not permitted in the male dormitories after curfew, right?"

Lyra’s cheeks got twisted but she met Veyne’s gaze with her hand was resting on Salaris’s feathers. "I... we were studying, Master Veyne. After the Proving Grounds, we needed to prepare for....."

"Excuses do not bend rules," Veyne cut in with her serpent hissing softly. "You have been seen here for more three nights.

The Sanctum values discipline stands above all and your bond with Salaris is exemplary, but flouting regulations risks your standing."

Kelvin stepped forward with his voice steady. "It is my fault, Master. We have been pushing hard and I asked Lyra to stay please it won’t happen again."

Darius nodded while dropping his soulstone down. "Yeah, we got carried away. Lyra is one of us and we didn’t think it was a big deal."

Veyne’s gaze softened slightly, but her tone remained firm. "Your unity is commendable, but the Sanctum’s order is not negotiable. Lyra, return to your dormitory.

Tomorrow, you will report to Master Sylva for a disciplinary review. Do not test our patience further."

Lyra nodded, gathering her scroll and amulet. "Understood, Master." Salaris chirped, nudging her, and Lyra managed a small smile. "I will see you two at dawn," she said to Kelvin and Darius and her voice was low but resolute.

As the door closed behind her, Kelvin felt a pang of guilt, but Xerion’s voice rumbled in his mind: "She is strong this won’t break her."

Darius flopped back onto his cot, felling bad. "Well, that was awkward. Guess we’re back to just us guys and our beasts."

Kelvin shot him with a look. "Focus, Darius. We have got a full day tomorrow with lectures, drills, and whatever Sylva’s got planned for Lyra. We need to be sharp."

Rhoam growled in agreement, and Darius sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Let’s get some sleep before the Sanctum chews us up again."

---

After the night rest Kelvin and Darius joined the morning drills with their beasts at their sides, while Lyra’s absence was a quiet void. Master Torren oversaw the session, his obsidian tortoise was looming like a fortress as he barked orders.

The yard was a whirlwind of motion: a flamehawk’s fiery vortex clashed with a frostwyrm’s icy breath, while a stonebear’s roar shook the ground.

"Convergence relays!" Torren shouted. "Pair with your beasts and synchronize your strikes and do that without hesitation!"

Kelvin and Xerion moved seamlessly with their bond a blazing thread of fire and will. Kelvin’s gauntlet flared, channeling a soullight blade as Xerion’s flames engulfed a runic construct, reducing it to ash.

Their synchrony was fluid, a testament to their relentless training. Darius and Rhoam charged, the panther’s armored hide deflected a construct’s blows as Darius hurled a soulstone, its explosion shattered the target.

Torren’s nod was grudging, but his critique was sharp: "Darius, your timing is off. Rhoam is carrying you."

Darius winced, but Rhoam’s steady presence kept him focused, and they adjusted which made their next strike to be cleaner. As the drill ended, Kelvin’s muscles burned, but his heart raced with the thrill of pushing their limits.

He glanced at the stands, hoping to spot Lyra, but she was still with Sylva.

---

After Torren drill the midmorning brought them to Master Caelum’s lecture hall, a stark chamber that is lined with runic tablets that hummed with latent power.

The air was heavy with the scent of polished stone and ozone, and Caelum’s stern voice was cut through the arena as he lectured on advanced rune weaving.

"Runes are the language of the soulstream," he said, his hands tracing glowing patterns in the air. "A single misstep can unravel your bond."

Kelvin took a detailed note of class, linking Caelum’s techniques to his gauntlet’s amplification.

Darius was seated nearby and took notes haphazardly, his focus split between the lecture and Rhoam’s soft growls.

Lyra slipped into the hall midway with her expression composed but her eyes were tired. Salaris perched on her shoulder with her feathers ruffled, and Kelvin caught her gaze, offering a subtle nod. She returned it, sliding into a seat beside them.

"What did Sylva say?" Darius whispered, earning a sharp glance from Caelum.

Lyra kept her voice low. "She gave me extra duties for a week—cleaning the beast stables. She said discipline is as vital as strength but I’m fine."

Kelvin frowned, but Lyra’s resolve was unshaken, her bond with Salaris was a steady anchor.

The lecture ended with a practical: weaving a rune of stability to balance a mock soulstream rift. Kelvin’s gauntlet guided his rune, its lines were precise, while Lyra’s amulet enhanced her focus, her rune was flawless.

Darius struggled with his rune wobbling until Rhoam’s nudge steadied him, earning a passable result.

---

The afternoon was consumed by Master Sylva’s seminar in the greenhouse-like hall, its walls draped with glowing moss.

The air was humid, thick with the scent of earth and wild magic. Sylva’s vine-serpent wove through the vines as she lectured on beast synergy, the art of aligning multiple bonds in combat.

"Your beasts are not solitary," she said, her voice sharp. "In the field, you fight as a unit. Learn their rhythms, or you’ll falter."

Kelvin absorbed her words, envisioning Xerion’s fire syncing with Salaris’s agility and Rhoam’s strength.

Lyra’s notes were detailed, her diagrams mapping synergy patterns, while Darius, chastened by Sylva’s earlier reprimand, focused intently, his quill steady.

The seminar ended with a group exercise: pairing with another tamer to simulate a joint attack. Kelvin and Lyra teamed up, their beasts weaving a dance of flame and shadow that shattered a runic target.

Darius paired with a flamehawk tamer, Rhoam’s charge complementing the hawk’s fiery strikes, though his timing lagged slightly.

---

After the group exercise they went for break and later returned to the Runic Workshop, where the heat of the forge stung their skin.

Master Caelum guided them through the process of crafting soulstone amplifiers, tools to enhance a beast’s natural abilities.

Kelvin etched a flame rune into a stone, his gauntlet steadied his hand as Xerion’s approval warmed his soulstream.

Lyra carved a shadow rune and her amulet glowed, while Darius, determined to prove himself this produced a clean rune of strength for Rhoam. Caelum’s rare praise—a curt nod—felt like a victory.

As the day ended, the trio gathered in the Obsidian Yard for a final drill under Master Torren’s watchful eye.

Torren’s tortoise shifted, its shell glowing as he announced a new challenge: a mock battle against runic constructs mimicking apex predators. "Show me your synergy," he growled. "No lone wolves."

Kelvin, Lyra, and Darius fought as a unit, their bonds were intertwining. Xerion’s flames cleared a path, Salaris’s talons struck from above, and Rhoam’s charge broke the constructs’ ranks.

Kelvin’s gauntlet flared, Lyra’s amulet pulsed, and Darius’s soulstones exploded, their combined assault reduced the targets to rubble. Torren’s nod was grudging but clear: they were a force.

-----

In the male dorm, Kelvin and Darius retired to their room, their beasts sprawled near them as they lay on the mattress.

Lyra, who is now in her own dormitory, sent a note via Salaris: Keep up the grind. I’m with you.

The relics glowed on the table as the symbols of their journey. Kelvin touched his gauntlet while feeling Xerion’s fire. "The Sanctum is shaping us," he said with his voice low.

Darius grinned, tossing a soulstone. "Yeah, and we are shaping it right back."

Rhoam growled, and Xerion’s eyes blazed. The Inner Sanctum’s trials loomed around the corner, but with their bonds and relentless discipline, they were ready to rise and become.