Gathering everyone, even those who likely wouldn’t gain much from the joint lesson, caught off guard. Still, it was refreshing to finally see all those I hadn’t greeted since returning. Watching them approach stirred sothing warm in my chest, their smiles mirroring my own in genuine, almost infectious enthusiasm.
When the last of them gathered before , I searched for sothing aningful to say, but all that erged was a simple, “It’s nice to see everyone.”
Marcus chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with an easy grin. “Good that you’re back. Getting all these animals to listen to is getting difficult.”
“Is the Royal Goldmane linked to your blessing?” I asked, curiosity prickling as I watched him.
He didn’t bother with words. Instead, he raised his palm. From his pores, a viscous green liquid seeped out, threading over his skin before dripping to the earth with a hiss that burned the grass away.
“You should’ve seen him when that monster appeared,” Helen groaned, motioning toward the massive snake nearby. “You’ve brought so terrifying things back.”
I smirked, suspecting she wasn’t just referring to the creature. “Right. And today, those terrifying people will be sharing their thods of practice with us.”
Lyra perked up imdiately, her excitent barely contained. I guessed Elric must have given her a preview of the news, but explaining the basics still seed worthwhile.
“We’ll be explaining Force in its entirety as we understand it. How to temper the body, nurture the spirit, and expand energy reserves. They will—” I paused, leaving the rest for the man who had orchestrated the gathering.
“If you give us everything, then naturally we won’t hold back,” Sei finished smoothly, his tone calm yet edged with authority. “Of course, as with any power, misuse is possible. I can only caution you against poor decisions.”
I nodded at his warning, unconcerned. “We all have much to gain here, so don’t let suspicion build. If we wish to stand independent, hiding away won’t be enough.”
Drake gave a sharp nod, his gaze narrowing on with silent understanding.
I let the quiet stretch, then glanced toward Thea, silently pleading for her to take over. She caught my eye, barely suppressing a laugh, and stepped forward.
“I’ll explain the fundantals of Force Cultivation.”
As she began, I moved beside Drake, taking a place next to him and Griffith. Thea had changed. The once andering teacher who filled every silence with needless detail now spoke with precision and purpose, guiding her audience through the essentials of training.
“What was that look for?” I murmured to Drake through Phantom Whisper.
He stiffened slightly, an uncharacteristic tell. For once, the man who always masked his emotions through strange behavior seed uneasy.
“I need to discuss new information,” he admitted at last, his voice low and reluctant.
Folding my arms, I inhaled slowly, already bracing for bad news. “Now a good ti?”
Drake’s eyes flicked across the group, ensuring they were absorbed in Thea’s lecture. Most were, though Elric appeared restless—earning a few sharp pinches from Lyra whenever he started whispering to her and Sia.
“Lucan has been confird as the new King of the Kingdom of Stars,” Drake said finally.
The words hit harder than expected. Both the certainty of his tone and the two nas themselves. “Kingdom of Stars?” I echoed, brow furrowing. “You an the State?”
He shook his head, expression unreadable. “Was a foolish na anyway, probably sothing ant to appease the people long before I was born.”
“So, forming a core is necessary for elental training?” i asked, edging closer to Thea with Vel trailing behind her like a shadow.
Thea nodded. “Yes. Each elent will require its own core.”
Before Drake and I resud our conversation, I briefly interrupted the lesson to add my own note. “Multiple core formation may not be possible. A stable core manifests above the Nexus and is uncombable. Only with my—” I stopped myself, unwilling to reveal Drybel’s existence to everyone just yet, though I knew I should eventually tell the main group. “—my special constitution allows for the formation.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Thea smiled faintly, her expression neither dismissive nor skeptical but instead reinforcing my point. “Even for us, there’s a great deal still to learn. We’re treading into unknown territory. Whether what we do is invention or rediscovery, nothing we hold is certain.”
The crowd nodded in unison, her calm tone soothing their montary confusion.
As the lesson continued, I turned back to Drake. “How could you possibly know that?”
He paused, Thea’s steady voice filling the space between us. He twiddled his thumbs, looking nervous, until the mountain of a man beside him groaned and nudged him, making Drake nearly stumble into .
He exhaled sharply, conceding. “I had a spy. While you were gone, we t.”
My brows rose, waiting for the rest.
He read my unspoken question. “I left the island. We talked there.”
For soone so cautious, revealing our location seed far too dangerous. “And where is this spy now? With what you’ve said about Lucan, what if he gets compromised?”
Drake’s response ca calr this ti, clipped and final. “It’s been taken care of.”
The implication hit hard, a grim reminder of the necessities in this world. Yet even so, the knowledge unsettled . Drake’s own ally…
I shook my head, trying to convince myself it was for us. For this group. Maybe I couldn’t do it myself, but… I guess having soone willing to take action like that wasn’t necessarily a weakness.
I hope.
“One more thing,” Drake continued, his voice darkening. “A manual was discovered. Cultivation has made great advancents due to it.”
My heart gave one heavy beat and then seed to stop as I turned to him, eyes wide.
It was my mistake. I’d left it behind. My negligence from before we fled here.
“Where a source provided so knowledge, there’s bound to be more,” he finished grimly.
Then they would co. I didn’t know much about Lucan, but pursuit of power was no alien concept. Drake’s words weren’t simply a statent, they were a warning. If the interest was deep enough, and the manual for the Circuit System was sure to generate it—they would co looking for more.
For .
Us.
Thea concluded her explanation and stepped back. Sei imdiately rose, taking her place with a bow before speaking. “I’m astounded by the sheer breadth of knowledge… and ashad. What you’ve given —us—far outweighs what I can offer. The advancents this will bring to my people defy description.” He paused, letting his gratitude sink in. “Yet, I will share what I know about Animora.”
His explanation echoed much of what i had already taught —Extraction, Ring Forming, Transformation, and the perils of siphoning from highly conscious beings without sufficient strength.
Yet his presence lent an undeniable authority, drawing rapt attention.
Unfortunately, as he continued, Lyra’s initial excitent dimd, though it flickered back slightly when he clarified that, although slower, killing the beasts was not necessary.
I seized the chance to break away from regret and offered my idea. “Could Extraction be used to numb the senses, not just physically, but… spiritually?”
Elric blinked nearby, comprehension dawning instantly as he supplied the reasoning. “Lyra can’t form the foundation because the process needs her to alter her own current state. If—”
He trailed off, waiting for confirmation.
Sei folded his arms, his gaze sharpening. “It is possible, but Extraction upon humans isn’t sothing to be taken lightly. Resistance can make it dangerous… for both parties. Only with willingness, power, and exceptional expertise, can it be considered even moderately safe.” He let the warning hang in the air a mont before adding with a self-satisfied half-smile, “But, I am a genius. It should be fine.”
Lyra’s fingers brushed her stomach, worry flickering across her face. “There’s more to worry about than just .”
Sei cocked his head for an instant, then gave a small, surprised sound. “Oh! Hmm. I see… It should be fine.” He glanced toward Ai almost as if seeking confirmation; she looked troubled for a beat before nodding.
“If it’s you, it’s alright,” she affird, lending a steadiness I hadn’t realized she could provide. Even now, his power was a complete mystery to .
The man inclined his head and turned back to Lyra. “There will be a period of recovery, and your ability to act independently will be limited. We’ll need to determine how much must be done before I can give a firm tifra. And, of course, whether the process will even work for what you need.”
The conversation moved on without , and my input suddenly felt unnecessary, so I shifted my attention back to Drake. “How likely is it that he can co here?”
Griffith, who’d been listening, answered flatly for him. “Let’s err on the side of caution and say certain.”
“The danger increases if he sends a Starborn,” Drake clarified. “Which, given your ability to dispatch my last brother, is likely.”
“Should we move to the second island then?” I asked. “It is safe now there. It wouldn’t be an issue.”
Drake shook his head. “That’s only a temporary fix. Peter, that man is hardly human. Strength doesn’t begin to describe him. Buying ti isn’t a bad idea, but…”
I glanced at Sei, ntally filing a question about Lucan. After all, if they were both champions, they should have crossed paths at so point, right?
“So?” I pushed.
Griffith sighed, the sound tired and resigned. “Best case, a truce can be made. The other?”
“He must die,” Drake said, his voice flat and final, leaving no room for debate.
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