Forged in Resonance

Griggs led Kade and Julia into the forge room, his heavy boots echoing against the concrete floor. The space smelled of iron, oil, and smoke, remnants of a workshop that had once melted down stolen gold and reforged weapons in the name of business. Now, it was about something far more pressing—survival.

Julia trailed behind, taking in the heavy steel counters, the rows of tools, and the massive industrial furnace that still radiated a lingering heat. Her eyes landed on a collection of medieval-style weapons hanging on the wall—old, but well-maintained. She raised an eyebrow, then shot a glance at both men.

"What sort of business were you two in before all this?" she asked, arms crossed.

Kade and Griggs exchanged a look, a brief but telling moment of awkward silence. Then, almost simultaneously, they chuckled—low and knowing, like two men who had long accepted the nature of their work but preferred not to elaborate.

"Import and export," Griggs finally said, smirking as he walked over to the forge station.

"Yeah," Kade added, running a hand through his hair. "Let's call it that."

Julia didn't press further, but the amused skepticism on her face made it clear she wasn't buying their vague answer.

Griggs exhaled, focusing back on the task at hand. "Alright. Enough chit-chat. If we're gonna survive out there, we need weapons that won't shatter after a few fights. Riftsteel's our answer."

He pulled the tablet of knowledge from his pocket, tapping his temple. "The Rift Merchant left us a hell of a lesson—this isn't just metal. This stuff reacts to resonance energy, which means only a Riftborn—" he shot Kade a look, "—can refine it."

Kade eyed the blackened chunk of Riftsteel on the table. It looked like crystallized ore fused with metal, jagged and almost organic in its shape. "So how does it work?"

Griggs picked up a crucible and set it on the forge platform. "First step, we melt it down. But regular fire won't do the trick. This metal's infused with resonance energy, and that means it fights back unless you use the right catalyst." He pulled out a Tier 1 Core, its dim purple glow pulsing faintly. "This little guy here is what makes the whole process possible."

He dropped the Riftsteel chunk into the crucible and carefully placed the Resonance Core beside it. "Now, here's where you come in, kid. You need to trigger the core with your own resonance energy. That'll activate the reaction and break the metal down."

Kade frowned. "And if I screw it up?"

Griggs grinned. "Then we find out how big of a crater you leave behind."

Julia let out a short laugh before realizing Griggs wasn't joking. "Wait—seriously?"

Kade sighed. "Great."

Griggs stepped back. "Don't overthink it. Just breathe—same way you did when you absorbed that core. Focus on guiding the energy out of you slowly. Too much at once, and you'll detonate the whole batch."

Kade exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. The resonance energy within him was always there, like a second pulse beneath his skin. But controlling it? That was another story.

He extended a hand over the crucible, inhaling deeply. A faint blue glow flickered from his palm. The Resonance Core trembled, responding to his energy. Then—a surge.

The Riftsteel began to vibrate, shifting in color as the energy reverberated within it. The air grew thick with static, the forge crackling like a live wire. Beads of sweat formed on Kade's brow as he struggled to keep the flow steady.

The crucible trembled violently, but just before it could overload, Kade pulled back. The reaction had stabilized.

Griggs wasted no time. "That's it! Step back." He grabbed the crucible's handle and poured the liquid Riftsteel into a prefabricated mold. "What shape?"

Kade wiped his forehead, catching his breath. "Morning star."

Griggs nodded. "Smart choice. You don't know how to use a proper weapon yet, so better to stick with brute force."

The molten Riftsteel hissed as it settled into the mold. With practiced hands, Griggs lifted it with heavy tongs and plunged it into a trough of oil. The forge hissed and sputtered, steam rising in violent bursts.

Julia, who had been watching the process closely, crossed her arms. "Think I could get one made?" she asked.

Griggs let out a short chuckle. "Not unless you wanna blow yourself up trying to refine it. You're not a Riftborn, remember? Without controlled resonance energy, you wouldn't even be able to lift a properly forged Riftsteel weapon."

Julia frowned but didn't back down. "Then I'll learn."

Kade shot her a sideways glance. "You sure about that?"

She didn't hesitate. "I've survived this long. I'm not stopping now."

Griggs pulled the morning star from the oil, its dark Riftsteel spikes gleaming under the forge's flickering light. It looked brutal—a weapon that could shatter bone and split skulls with a single swing.

Griggs handed it to Kade. "Try it."

Kade gripped the handle, feeling the solid weight settle into his palm. It was dense, heavier than anything he had used before, but somehow it felt right. He stepped forward, exhaled, and swung it downward.

The impact sent a shockwave through the room, cracking the cement floor beneath him.

Griggs let out a low whistle. "Well, damn."

Julia took a step back, watching the weapon with new respect. "You could probably take down a building with that thing."

Kade rolled his shoulder, testing the balance. "Not bad."

Griggs folded his arms. "And that's just entry-level Riftsteel. It's the lowest tier of what this metal can become."

Kade looked up. "You're saying it gets better?"

Griggs tapped the tablet of knowledge in his pocket. "Much better. If you evolve to the next tier, you'll be able to inlay gold filaments into the handle. Gold acts as a resonance conductor, letting you channel energy directly into your weapon."

Kade tightened his grip on the morning star. He had barely scratched the surface of what was possible.

For now, though, this was enough.

For now, he had a real weapon.

Kade adjusted his grip on the Riftsteel morning star, feeling the weight settle in his hand like an extension of himself. The weapon pulsed faintly in his grasp, still cooling from the forge's heat. This was different. The pipe he had used before was a desperate, makeshift tool, and the mace be narrowed from Griggs was already showing signs of disrepair just from half a day of hunting... This was a weapon. A real one. One that could take down whatever the world threw at him.

Griggs wiped the sweat from his brow, stepping back to admire his work. "That's the first Riftsteel weapon forged on this planet," he mused, shaking his head. "We're making history here."

Kade glanced up. "You sound too proud of that."

Griggs smirked. "Hell, kid, if we're gonna be stuck in this nightmare, might as well get some bragging rights."

Julia, still watching from the side, crossed her arms. "Alright, I'm convinced. When do I get mine?", turning to Kade she said sternly, "Kade, you saw how I fought out there. I can hold my own. If I'm going to keep up, I need something better than an old rapier that bends every few fights."

Kade turned to her, leaning the morning star against his shoulder. "You're still not a Riftborn."

Julia met his eyes, unwavering. "Then I'll evolve."

The room went silent for a beat.

Griggs let out a long breath. "Alright, let's assume that happens. Even then, Riftsteel takes precision. We only have so many cores yall brought back that's left in stock to work with."

Julia's expression didn't change. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Kade smirked. "Damn, you're stubborn, we just got back!"

She offered a tight, determined smile. "You'd be dead without me. I think that earns me a real weapon." Every word carried the sharp edge of her resolve, as if her conviction alone could cut through steel.

Kade chuckled, shaking his head. "Fair enough."

Griggs rubbed his chin. "If she gets there, I'd say a rapier wouldn't be the worst choice. Lightweight, sharp, could be reinforced with gold inlay down the blade for energy conduction." He turned back to Julia. "But that means you need to evolve first."

Julia nodded. "Then I better start collecting cores."

Kade exhaled. "Great. Another reason to hunt." Though he said sarcastically, he too was feeling the urge to tempt fate once more after learning of the newfound uses for energy cores.

Griggs clapped his hands together. "Speaking of which—" he gestured to the heavy blacksmithing manual on the worktable. "This thing's got more than just weapons in it. I've been looking through it, and there's something else you might want to consider."

Kade narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Griggs flipped a few pages. "Armor."

Kade leaned in, scanning the roughly drawn sketches and diagrams. "Riftsteel armor?"

Griggs nodded. "Tough as hell. Adaptive to Resonance Energy. The more you push yourself, the stronger it gets. But here's the kicker—it needs to be custom-forged for the wearer. If you want to start working on armor, you're gonna need more cores. A lot more."

Kade raised his chest with a grin on his face. "Well of course I do."

Griggs laughed. "Hey, I don't make the rules. I just read 'em."

Julia smirked, her confidence evident. "Ever since I started practicing the breathing technique, I can feel my body changing—lighter, stronger. I think I'm almost there… maybe absorbing a core could push me over the edge."

Kade considered her words, weighing the risks. But in the end, he couldn't deny her right to fight for her own survival. She had already absorbed so much resonance energy; perhaps this was her moment. And if she did reach Tier 1, she'd be a powerful ally.

"I won't stop you," he replied, his tone resolute. "I've shown you what I know. The rest is up to you."