Dawnspire sanctum
Stuart Domain, AKA Bastion Pass
Sol Continent
Terra, Gaea, solar system
Luminary star sector
Milky Way Galaxy
21st Vetraeus cycle, 50 New Solaris Prime
The Harmonization stage was the next critical threshold on the path of Ascension, but it was not a simple progression from the Awakening stage—it was a profound leap into a deeper understanding of one's own existence and the metaphysical forces that bound the universe. The Awakening stage, as the first step in the path of Ascension, was when the soul core first manifested within the Ethereal gland—the very essence of the soul itself. This was followed by the appearance of the Star core, which materialized within the consciousness, often bolstered by star rings that circled and empowered it—particularly if one followed the path of the Mage. This process marked the beginning of a soul's transformation, and to ascend further through the realms, an Ascendant would need to continually infuse their cores with Odic energy, which would saturate the cores and force them to grow in both size and density to match the inevitable evolution they were undergoing.
Sam's core had long since reached full saturation—a state where no further increase in size could occur until the next step was taken. This left her at the precipice, on the verge of the Harmonization stage. She had completed the Awakening, her cores fully saturated, but the next transition wasn't as straightforward as before. It was time to take the next step, but it would not be easy.
To enter the Harmonization stage, an Ascendant had to form a Vital core, a necessary process to establish a tri-core system. This tri-core system was the key to harmonizing with the metaphysical plane itself, allowing the Ascendant to merge their essence with the cosmic forces that shaped reality. The Vital core was not something to be taken lightly. It required meticulous cultivation and mastery of both the physical and spiritual realms.
There were several methods to form the Vital core, and among the most revered techniques was the Terra Constellation formula—a method that harnessed the energy flows of Terra itself to empower and guide the formation of the Vital core. This method unfolded in three distinct steps, each one vital to the creation of the tri-core system.
The first step was the creation of the Vortex Nexus. This was not a simple collection of channels within the body; it was a dynamic and living force—a series of meridian whirlpools that spiraled through the Ascendant's body, converging upon the physical heart. These vortexes were not passive—they were miniature gravitational eddies, twisting and turning in a rhythm that mimicked the cosmic flows of the universe itself. The body's meridian system, acting as the conduit, directed these spirals of Essence, infusing them with the very energy that coursed through the cosmos. The alignment of these vortexes wasn't arbitrary—they had to be perfectly synchronized, their flows blending with the natural rhythm of the body and resonating with the frequencies of the Earth. As the whirlpools converged at the cardiac center, they formed the Vital core, a dense reservoir of energy.
This technique was no mere imitation of the body's natural processes; it was a direct reflection of the planetary energy flows of Terra—the very tectonic movements, thermal upwellings, and leyline braids that pulsed beneath the surface of the world. Just as Terra's natural forces flowed in cyclical patterns of creation and destruction, so too did these vortexes mimic and sync with the rhythms of the Earth, allowing the Ascendant's body to tap into the core resonance of the planet itself. In essence, the body became attuned to the metaphysical frequencies of the world, creating a direct channel for the Ascendant to connect with the cosmic forces that governed reality.
The formation of the Vortex Nexus and the Vital core was a delicate balance—one that required absolute focus, alignment, and mastery over the flow of Essence within the body. Only once these initial vortexes had been properly formed could an Ascendant proceed to the next stage of the Terra Constellation formula and truly begin to harmonize with the metaphysical plane itself. But even this was only the first step. The journey ahead would demand far more from Sam than she had ever given.
Sam sat quietly, her body grounded, her mind focused inward. She began the delicate process of mapping out the intricate web of major and minor meridians that crisscrossed her body, honing in on the ones that connected to her chest, spine, and roots. Her internal senses deepened, feeling the subtle pulse of her life force flow through these channels as she prepared for what was to come.
Taking a deep breath, Sam centered herself, aligning her focus with the rhythm of her body. She inhaled, drawing in air with the fluidity of a seasoned practitioner, and began the first step of the Terra Constellation formula: the Terra Pulse Breathing technique. Each breath slowed, deepened, and expanded. The steady inhale matched the slow, ancient cadence of Terra's tectonic rhythm, its pulse as old as the world itself. The ambient flow of mana within her began to align, resonating with the planetary World energy that pulsed through the leylines of Terra. With each breath, her internal mana slowed and thickened, swirling with the energy of the world itself.
Her meridian channels—once simple conduits—began to expand, growing wider as they supported the burgeoning spiral flow of mana and vitality. As she continued, the Bellator Key—still held tightly in her hand—began to hum with a low, resonant energy. Its glow intensified, responding to the subtle ebb and flow of Sam's mana. The more she inhaled, the more the Key seemed to pulse with energy, matching the tempo of her internal currents.
Sam felt the presence of the Bellator Key deep within her. Its power seeped through her being, like warm light spreading through the very marrow of her bones. With each steady breath, her mana and vitality began to circulate through a predetermined, spiral-shaped pathway, following a pattern as old as the stars themselves. As it moved, it drew upon the geometric blueprint of the Terra Constellation, creating a swirling vortex within her. This vortex, an ever-rotating pool of mana and vitality, began to take shape at one of her body's nine key meridian intersections.
The vortex surged, growing stronger by the second, as if it were alive. Sam could feel her mana swelling, the energy pooling into her physical and spiritual center, its quality and quantity skyrocketing. In this moment, her mana reached a level that far surpassed what any Master realm expert should have been capable of. Her body, too, felt the change—her constitution solidified, her physical strength amplified. A wave of energy, vast and cosmic, swept through her, her entire being undergoing a profound qualitative modification. Her connection to the Celestial Keys deepened, and, as if triggered by the Key in her hand, knowledge flooded into her mind—a surge of ancient power, its origin tied to Gaea's spell system. The System whispered to her, unlocking secrets from ages long past.
The voice of the system echoed in her mind:
[Host has unlocked the special features of the Celestial Key, Bellator. The Bellator Key has awakened all the Host's past lives' skills, granting the Host the might of all past Asha'Yee.]
[The Bellator's Sealing Function: Breaks combat-related restrictions, such as sealed weapons, battlefields, or hidden war archives.]
[Hidden Ability: Can awaken ancient automatons and warbeasts from the lost era, and summon them from the Eclipsed Vault.]
[Host must recover the remaining eight Celestial Keys to complete her Vital Core formation.]
Sam's eyes fluttered open as she absorbed the gravity of what had just transpired. The Bellator Key—its essence now embedded within her—was not just a key to power; it was an integral piece of her Vital core formation, one of the vortexes she needed to complete the tri-core system and ascend into the Harmonization stage. To do so, she would need to recover all nine Celestial Keys, each key unlocking a new level of power and stability within her.
Her fists clenched with frustration. She cursed the person who had designed this convoluted cultivation formula. Of course, it was going to be difficult breaking into the next stage. Not only did she need to find the lost Keys—each one a puzzle she had to solve—but she also needed them to stabilize Terra's World energy, a responsibility that now weighed heavily upon her.
But Sam didn't let the frustration consume her. The difficulty of the path ahead did not escape her, but she was not deterred. While she couldn't yet break into the second stage, her cultivation had already undergone immense enhancement. Her War domain had grown stronger, her ability factor more potent, and her skills—wielding both the Bellator Key and the newly awakened powers—had reached levels far beyond what she had ever imagined. Sam now knew, with a certainty born of intense conviction, that if she used everything in her arsenal, she could take on that Sage who had captured June—and possibly even defeat him.
But then, doubt crept in, silent and insidious. She paused, her mind racing with questions. Could she take a life?Was she capable of such an act? Memories of past battles and the Echo field flooded her mind—lives she had ended without hesitation, without remorse. The faces of the fallen, their silent gazes, haunted her for a moment, but then her thoughts turned to June, to the girl who needed her. June, who had been taken so cruelly, right before her eyes. And in that moment, a wave of calm washed over her.
If it came to it... Sam thought, If I have to take a life to save those who need me... I will not hesitate.
With resolve hardening in her chest, Sam gripped the Bellator Key tightly. The instant she touched it, a jolt of electric energy shot up her spine, as if her very soul had been ripped free from her body. Her consciousness surged outward, projecting far beyond her physical form.
The world around her vanished. No longer was she in Terra. Instead, she found herself high above what looked like a massive facility, its transparent ceiling revealing the brilliance of the sun above. Below her, a club building stood, its presence quiet and unassuming, but something felt off. She wasn't alone. There were figures in armor attire standing around her. They were watching, waiting. And then, her eyes locked onto the figure in front of the building—a figure she would never forget.
Leon Haravok.
Her breath caught in her throat. Leon. It had been decades since she had seen him, and she had long ago buried her feelings for him, locked them away in the deepest recesses of her heart. But now, with just the sight of him, those feelings exploded to the surface—raw, unrelenting, and far more powerful than she remembered.
Leon stood there, tall and regal, dressed in a flowing red trench coat, his bronze skin glowing with an ethereal light. His golden eyes shone like two radiant suns, his presence magnetic. He was as handsome as ever, more so, and it hit Sam like a physical blow. Her pulse raced, memories of their past flooding her mind.
But there was something wrong. Leon was holding another key—the same as hers. He stood, gazing upward at the group of armored figures surrounding the club. Sam opened her mouth to call out to him, but before she could speak, a voice rang out—her voice.
"Not now. This is my body, fuck off," the voice said, cold and unyielding.
And then, with a sudden force, Sam's consciousness was yanked back into her body, as if thrown from one realm into another.
She gasped for air, her chest rising and falling with a frantic rhythm as she found herself back in her cultivation room, pale and shaken. The vision had felt all too real—her connection to the Bellator Key, the surge of power, the glimpse of Leon.
Memories from her childhood—those strange moments when she would face a mirror version of herself—began to resurface. The feeling of exchange between the two of them, of shared emotions and thoughts. It had happened again. That voice. Sam's pulse slowed, but the questions still gnawed at her. Where was she? What was the significance of that vision? And why now, after all this time?
Sam's mind was still reeling from the vision of Leon, his image burned into her consciousness. The questions swirled, each one more insistent than the last. What was he doing?Was he thinking about her, too? But Sam shook her head sharply, clearing the haze of distraction. Leon was a galaxy away from her, separated by distance and time. He was a part of her past, but the present demanded her attention—June needed her, and that was where her focus had to lie.
With a deep breath, Sam strengthened her resolve. Her path was clear. She had to reach June, and she had to act swiftly.
She left the quiet solitude of her cultivation room, her footsteps steady and purposeful as she made her way back to the craft lab. There, Ginny was waiting, the faintest hint of concern in her eyes, though she didn't show it.
"Hmm, you're back already," Ginny commented, her voice neutral but observant. Her sharp eyes scanned Sam, noting the subtle change in her aura. Sam still felt like a Master realm expert, but there was an unmistakable strength to her that hadn't been there before—a deeper, more focused energy.
"What do you have for me?" Sam asked, her tone brisk, her mind already racing with possibilities.
Ginny hesitated for a moment, her expression shifting into something more serious. "Well, it's not looking good," she said, tapping a few commands into her console to pull up the data. "I looked into Master Kael like you asked. According to the school's records, he's part Beastman, part human. And he was mentioned in reference to someone from the Thalorin family."
"Thalorin family?" Sam repeated, her voice low and thoughtful. Her mind immediately ran through the possibilities, connecting dots, and recognizing the weight of the name. "Interesting."
Ginny nodded and continued. "Yeah. But there's more. I pulled up footage from the train June was on, like you requested. Start from when June boarded."
Sam's pulse quickened at the mention of June. Ginny dug into the datastream, pulling up the video footage, and began playing it. Sam watched intently, eyes scanning every detail, every flicker of motion.
"Stop it right there," Sam commanded, her voice cutting through the silence.
Ginny paused the footage just as a girl, who seemed to be from the same school as June, was about to board the train. The girl looked immaculate, her raven hair braided with precision, her skin pale like porcelain. Sam's sharp gaze locked onto her, a cold unease stirring in her gut.
"Who is she?" Sam asked, her tone tight with suspicion.
Ginny didn't waste a moment. She sent the image through the datastream, cross-referencing it with other records. A few seconds passed before the results appeared. Ginny's face shifted into a frown, and she delivered the news with a quiet, unsettling tone.
"Leto Thalorin. Apparently, she's the niece of Lord Gorrick Thalorin."
A chill ran down Sam's spine. The Thalorin name wasn't one to be taken lightly—it carried weight, power, and influence. The connection felt wrong, too coincidental to be brushed off. Leto Thalorin, the niece of someone so influential, in the same place at the same time as June. It didn't sit right.
"Something doesn't feel right to me," Sam muttered, her mind working in overdrive. Her gut told her there was more to this than a mere coincidence. It had all unfolded so neatly, too neatly—after she took June from Master Kael, a group of powerful Ascendants descended upon them and took her back. The only person who could have known June was with her, the only one who could have given them that information, was Master Kael himself.
While Kael had appeared to be a Warrior realm expert when Sam saw him, her Empathetic abilities told her otherwise. Through her connection to the soul resonance, she'd felt his presence—and it resonated with the same signature she'd felt from the expert who took June. That was no coincidence.
"What are you thinking?" Ginny asked, her voice sharp, sensing the shift in Sam's demeanor.
Sam didn't answer immediately. Her thoughts churned, piecing together the scattered fragments of the puzzle. Then, as if a thought struck her with the force of a lightning bolt, she looked at Ginny, her eyes narrowed with determination.
"There's a diplomatic summit coming up soon, right?" Sam asked.
Ginny blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in direction. "Yeah, some kind of trade deal with one of the other continents."
"And Lord Gorrick will be attending the summit?" Sam pressed, her voice steady but tinged with purpose.
Ginny paused, processing the shift in Sam's line of thinking. "Yeah, he's supposed to be one of the key figures in the summit."
A small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of Sam's lips as she pieced it together. Her next words came out in a quiet murmur, but they were laced with resolve. "I think it's about time I get involved with the Great families."
The realization hit Sam with clarity—Lord Gorrick Thalorin was a critical piece in this puzzle. His involvement, his family's involvement—it all tied back to Master Kael and the forces that had taken June. She needed to step into the political arena, where the Thalorins played their games, and uncover the truth. Only then would she have the leverage to act decisively and find June.