The next morning came like a sigh, cool and overcast—typical of the week after Blooming. Root stood at the edge of the training yard, where sparks danced in the distance and frost clung to cobblestones that shouldn't have been cold.
He hadn't slept.
Not because of nightmares—though he suspected the Simulation Rift would haunt his muscles for days—but because something had changed. Inside. The Veinbind node still pulsed faintly through his arms like silver fire. A new rhythm had awakened in his bones. Controlled. Focused.
And he needed to know if it made any difference out here.
The Academy was never empty, even on rest days. Students practiced their summon synchronization under instructor supervision, or simply showed off. This morning, two familiar faces caught his attention instantly.
Lyra stood in the middle of the ring, her stance calm, loose, and deadly. Her summon—now fully manifested—hovered just above her shoulder: a lightning-hued rabbit, upright like a human, with delicate wings that shimmered like glass. Its ears twitched in sync with Lyra's breath.
"Charge again, Tinta," she said.
The rabbit blurred forward in a flash of yellow and white, striking a wooden target post with a flurry of rapid jabs and spinning kicks. Each hit left crackling indentations in the wood—shallow, but clean.
Tinta backflipped to Lyra's side, wings flaring to catch her landing, then bowed.
"Way faster than yesterday," Lyra whispered, scratching under its chin. "You're syncing faster."
Root stared.
That wasn't a pet. That was a partner.
Across the courtyard, Klem clomped forward with heavy boots, cracking his knuckles. His summon lumbered behind him—a frost-element minotaur, easily eight feet tall, covered in thick ice-etched fur and wielding a blunt axe of translucent glacial stone.
"Coldzone, smash it," Klem barked.
The beast responded with a grunt, then raised the axe and brought it down hard on a reinforced dummy. Ice bloomed from the point of impact, freezing the entire post in place before shattering it in a blink.
Klem grinned and looked over at Root with a smirk that was far too practiced.
"No summon yet?" he called out. "Or did you finally conjure a broomstick?"
Root didn't flinch. "You should worry more about how slow your oversized popsicle moves."
Klem's grin faltered for a heartbeat before he turned back to Coldzone. "He's just jealous," he muttered, more to himself than anyone.
Root's fingers twitched. He wasn't just watching anymore. He was calculating.
His system had given him more than just a boost. It had given him options. Strategy. Timing. Growth.
He wasn't on their level yet—but for the first time, he saw how he could be.
A faint chime echoed in his ear.
⸻
[Hollow Quest Available]
Quest: Walk Among the Binders
Objective: Complete a spar against a summoned combatant without revealing your summon.
Reward: +4 Hollow Points | Bonus Path Choice Unlocked
Failure Penalty: Visibility Surge – Veinbind energy leak (Temporary System Exposure)
⸻
Root smiled faintly.
Now that was a challenge.
And one he'd take head-on.
The courtyard buzzed with low murmurs as Root stepped into the open circle. The practice ring had a silent rule—if you entered, you were inviting a challenge. He didn't have to wait long.
Klem raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"
Root nodded once, rolling his shoulders. "No summons. Just me."
Lyra blinked. "You sure you want to do that? Klem's not exactly gentle."
"Exactly why I'm choosing him," Root replied, tone calm.
Klem's grin was a little too eager. "Alright. No summons, then. Coldzone, stand down."
The minotaur grunted and stepped back, folding its icy arms. A few students nearby perked up, sensing something different about Root's posture, the subtle shift in his gaze.
He wasn't the same.
Klem raised his fists. "Let's see what those library hours taught you."
Root's screen hovered faintly at the edge of his vision, invisible to others but crystal clear to him.
⸻
[Hollow Surge Available – Bone Rush]
Cooldown Remaining: Ready
Reflex Boost: Active (Tier 1)
Veinbind Circuit: Stable (Node 1)
⸻
Klem charged first, swinging with that classic academy aggression—broad arcs, solid footing, relying on size and elemental reinforcement that wasn't present right now.
Root sidestepped with clean economy, ducking under the first jab and redirecting Klem's weight with a twist of his shoulder. A simple move—but fast. Sharp. Efficient.
He'd studied forms. And now, the Hollow Path made them real.
Klem pivoted fast, sweeping low.
Root leapt—his legs moving quicker than instinct should've allowed. He landed behind Klem, tapped his heel, and shoved. Klem stumbled forward with a grunt, catching himself at the edge of the ring.
More murmurs from the crowd.
"He's moving weird."
"No summon, but he's not slow."
"Did he train in secret?"
Klem wiped his mouth and turned back, annoyed now.
"Lucky shot."
Root raised his fists, relaxed.
"You're welcome to try again."
Klem exploded forward with a flurry of punches—quick but unrefined. Root blocked the first, sidestepped the second, then used his shoulder to deflect the third and elbowed Klem in the ribs hard enough to stagger him again.
Then he stepped back.
⸻
[Quest Tracker: 80% Complete]
⸻
Klem growled and reached toward his sigil—out of habit.
Root's voice cut in. "You gonna cheat now?"
That stopped him.
Students laughed, some openly. Even Coldzone snorted.
Klem's face flushed red. "I'm done here."
He stormed out of the ring without a word.
⸻
[Quest Complete]
+4 Hollow Points Earned
Bonus Path Unlocked: Choose one – Hidden Edge or Veinbind Acceleration
⸻
Root let out a slow breath as the crowd around the courtyard buzzed with curiosity. He didn't care about winning. He cared about control.
And now he had more of it.
From the rooftop above the yard, Lyra dangled her legs and whistled down at him, her electric rabbit perched beside her like a spark about to jump.
"You're hiding something," she said, grinning.
Root didn't deny it.
Because she was right.
And Veyr, somewhere deep in his inner space, was probably laughing into a teacup.