CHAPTER 67: AGONIZING CHANGE

In the male dorm, Kelvin shared his victory, his voice steady. "It was chaos, but your rune and stones saved me. The Crest is stronger for it." Their bonds deepened through shared triumph.

In the female dorm, Lyra sat on her bunk, her journal open, refining her shadow veil rune. Her roommates’ laughter warmed the air although her ambition was mirrored by Kelvin’s resolve. The trio’s unity held, a beacon across the dormitory.

The day came to an end with Kelvin lying down on his mattress awake with Xerion’s fire a radiant crest in his soul. He traced his gauntlet and felt his bond at 76% synchronizing ratio, a testament to his growth.

The villagers’ gratitude, Kaelus’s nod, and the Crest’s strength lingered and forged his resolve. The Sanctum was a crucible, but Kelvin’s mission of facing the Veil, refined his bond, and lead with courage was his own, a fiery crest that would carry him, Lyra, and Darius forward, their bonds burned brighter with each shared victory.

In the morning, Kelvin leaned against his dormitory window with Xerion’s fiery aura a warm glow beside him. His arm were still bandaged from the Veilspawn mission which throbbed faintly, but the villagers’ grateful faces, their hands clasping his, their voices were thick with relief that burned brighter in his memory.

Lyra and Darius joined him in the hall with their beasts, Avian Salaris gliding with moonlight grace and Rhoam padding with iron-clad resolve.

The Tide’s Crest which is their mentorship movement, stood stronger after Kelvin’s triumph, but a new challenge loomed which is integrating third-years who saw the Crest as beneath them.

Kelvin’s Adept Rank 5, with a 76% synchronizing ratio and a very high stability bond with Xerion, the Level 8 Legendary End-Tyrant, was a foundation he leaned into, yet the weight of diplomacy and recovery pressed hard, a fear of overreaching or declining at his resolve.

The day began with Master Veyne’s soulstream seminar, a chamber where glowing runes cast an ozone-scented haze, the air were sharp with focus. Veyne, lectured on resonance depth, urging tamers to align their soulstream with their beasts’ core instincts.

"A deep resonance can shift hearts," she said with a clear voice. "Today, you will craft a soulstream pulse to inspire a construct and synchronize your bond’s essence."

Kelvin sat at his station with his gauntlet thrumming as he reached for Xerion’s fire, feeling its fierce loyalty tempered by a quiet strength which is forged in the outpost’s chaos.

The construct was a crystalline figure that pulsed with neutral energy and stood before him, its aura was a blank canvas.

Kelvin channeled a soulstream pulse that weaved his fire with a radiant calm, but it flickered while his pain lingered and doubt disrupted the flow.

Veyne paused with a gentle gaze. "Your heart is heavy, Kelvin. Let Xerion’s strength carry it." He tried again to synchronize his fire with a steady resolve and the pulse ignited the construct with a warm glow.

Veyne’s nod was warm. "You are touching their essence," she said. His soulstream grades edged higher, but the third-years’ resistance loomed in his mind.

Lyra’s shadow pulse was flawless, a silent current that inspired the construct with a graceful aura which earned Veyne’s praise. "Your depth is unmatched, Lyra," she said, her grades soared as her shadow pulse rune neared completion.

Darius’s earth pulse wavered, Rhoam’s blunt aura clashed with the construct’s neutrality, but he steadied, earning a passing grade. "You are finding harmony, Darius," Veyne noted and her approval sparked his grin.

After class, Kelvin approached Veyne, his gauntlet glowed faintly while his voice was low with vulnerability. "Master Veyne, the third-years won’t join the Crest because they think it’s for novices. I am still recovering, and I am scared that I am pushing too far."

Veyne’s eyes softened with her hand resting on his shoulder. "When I was young, I united tamers who despised each other, my bond with Lirien faltered under their scorn.

Resonance is not just power, it is connection. Meet me this afternoon and we will deepen your pulse to reach them." Her story was raw and human which lit a spark in Kelvin, a path to bridge the Crest’s divide.

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The next class was Master Caelum’s runic seminar, a forge-hot chamber where molten soulstones filled the air with a metallic tang. Caelum lectured the students on tactical runes, sigils that adapted to allies’ bonds.

Kelvin carved a fire-soullight rune, its lines meant to bolster group Convergences, but his arm ached, his focus wavering as he thought of the third-years’ smirks. Caelum paused and said.

"Your rune is solid, Kelvin, but your mind is elsewhere," he said. "Focus, or it will be an ash." Kelvin nodded and steadied his chisel, the rune glowed brighter and earned him a nod. His runic grades remained high, but the challenge ahead felt heavier.

Lyra’s shadow-wind rune was intricate which boosted Salaris’s agility and earned him Caelum’s rare praise. "You are redefining runes, Lyra," he said, her grades soaring as her shadow pulse rune became a tactical marvel.

Darius’s earth-soullight rune was bold and its lines were cleaner as his grades climbed. "You are thinking right now, Darius," Caelum said and his approval was a boost to Darius.

In the corridor, Kelvin spotted a third-year, Lirra, with her Level 6 Emberdrake, her eyes were cold as Riven and Lia passed, their whispers hinted at the Crest’s divide.

Kelvin approached, his gauntlet glowed. "Lirra, the Crest is open to all. Join our session tonight and see what we are building."

Lirra’s smiled and said. "It is a first-year game, Kelvin. Third-years don’t need your lessons." Her words stung and the rift deepened but Xerion’s fire pulsed, urging Kelvin to persevere.

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From there the three friends split, Lyra headed to the female dormitory to test her shadow pulse rune and the courtyard was alive with beasts and laughter.

Her bunk was lined up with journals which glowed under an orb as she channeled the rune, Salaris’s talons sliced with enhanced agility which earned cheers.

"You are unstoppable, Lyra," her roommate Mara said with her bond deepened as she prepared to lead the Crest in Kelvin’s recovery.

Kelvin and Darius trained in the male dormitory’s courtyard, a space of sparring and soulstone bets. Their room was cluttered with gear and scorched leather which was a chaotic haven.

Darius worked with Rhoam on a soulstone blast, its earth was shocked with a force that was sharper and his grades climbed. Kelvin sat down with his legs crossed while meditating with Xerion, his arm ached but his bond was steady as he prepared for Veyne’s training.

Over the lunch in the common room, Kelvin shared his struggle with Darius. "Lirra is leading the third-years against us. I am meeting Veyne to deepen my resonance, but I am scared that I will fail the Crest." Lyra’s eyes were steady.

"You faced a Veilspawn alone, Kelvin. You will definitely reach them." Darius tossed a soulstone and said "Rhoam and I will hype the session—Lirra has got no chance." Their support warmed Kelvin and their bonds were a united pulse.

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In the evening Kelvin went to Veyne’s training chamber and its walls etched with resonance runes. Veyne guided him through a deep soulstream pulse and instructed him to synchronize Xerion’s fire with his deepest resolve.

"Feel their hearts, not just your own, she said. At that time Kelvin channeled a pulse but it wavered, his doubt and pain disrupted it. Veyne’s voice was gentle.

"Let your triumph echo." He tried again with synchronizing his fire with the outpost’s gratitude and the pulse ignited the chamber with a radiant warmth.

"That is it," Veyne said, her eyes were bright. "Use this tonight." Kelvin’s bond surged and his soulstream mastery grew.

Master Torren’s combat seminar followed, where Kelvin’s suppression Convergence with Xerion was sharp and that earned him a high marks despite his injury.

"Your mission has honed you," Torren said. Lyra’s shadow tactics shone and her grades soared, while Darius’s soulstone charges improved with his boost as a spark.

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In the evening the Tide’s Crest gathered at the Obsidian Yard, the air was thick with tension. Lirra stood with her Emberdrake, her eyes were skeptical while Riven, Lia and others watched.

Kelvin stepped forward, his gauntlet glowed, his voice was steady despite his aching arm. "We are here to grow as one. Lirra, show us your drake’s fire and let’s build a Convergence."

Lirra hesitated because her bond flickered, but Kelvin channeled Veyne’s pulse to a radiant warmth that touched her Emberdrake’s aura which inspired a flame burst.

Lyra stepped in with her shadow runes and enhanced the group tactics, cloaking Riven’s sparrow and Lia’s hare for a coordinated strike.

Darius rallied the group, his soulstone blasts and Rhoam’s charge shake the yard while boosting morale. "We are a tide!" he roared, sparking cheers.

Lirra’s eyes softened and her voice joined the Crest’s. "I was wrong," she said, as she gave her nod firm.

The third-years joined, the Crest expanded and Kelvin’s synchronizing ratio reached 78%, as a triumph born out of diplomacy.

In the male dorm, Kelvin sat with Darius, "Lirra is in now and the Crest is ours," he said, his voice was warm with relief.

Darius grinned and tossed a stone as he said. "You are a legend, man. Let’s keep it roaring." And their bonds deepened through shared victory.