Aetherbound

"Firstly, you must grasp how to efficiently use your temporal energy to form your own Temporal Aura," Selara said as she led Kai to the training grounds. The corridors of the Primarium Castrum seemed to stretch endlessly before them, the architecture was a strange mix of ancient grandeur with a combination of futuristic precision. The walls glowed with a faint, flowing energy, forming patterns that Kai couldn't begin to understand. Towering columns lined the halls, their surfaces carved with depictions of battles fought by the Time-keepers over the millennia. Some depicted the keepers wielding their weapons as the engaged in fierce battles against the leviathans, while others showed worlds being ripped apart after a leviathan managed to break into the planes of reality. The entire structure felt alive, humming with power.

Ahead of Kai, Selara moved with effortless grace, her posture regal yet somewhat relaxed. For the first time Kai took notice of her outfit: it was the complete opposite of his own jet-black suit. Hers was pristine white, accented with an elegant gold at her wrists, waist and heels. Elegant golden designs traced along the edges of her fitted coat, on the upper back of her coat was an emblem of an upright spear, standing tall and unwavering, it's sharp tip pointing upwards. At the point where the blade of the spear met the handle, two daggers crossed in perfect symmetry. The whole emblem glowed with a faint golden light. The lower half of her suit maintained the same elegant yet battle-ready aesthetic, with pristine white fabric reinforced with subtle gold accents that ran along the seams like flowing currents of golden energy. Her boots were similar to Kai's, but with a different color pallet. The were white just like her suit, with the plating around her knees and the soles of her boots a brilliant gold. They seemed to carry more elegance as they seamlessly integrated themselves with the rest of her outfit. The material was sleek and form-fitting, designed for both agility and protection, allowing her to move freely while also keeping her body properly protected.

Selara carried herself with graceful yet authoritative stride, each step deliberate, each motion precise. Kai's felt his unease settle deeper as he realized that the person in front of him was no ordinary warrior, the aura around her gave a sense of someone who has faced countless battles and made irreparable sacrifices.

"You're rather quiet," Selara said suddenly glancing back at him. Kai blinked as he realized that he had been staring at her as he quickly tried to recompose himself. "Just.....trying to wrap my head around.....all this" he said gesturing to the architecture around him. Selara gave him a faint smile. "I remember when I first arrived here. It may feel overwhelming for a while but you'll adjust."

They turned a corner, and the corridor opened into a vast atrium with an open ceiling, the floor beneath them seemed to be made out of polished marble tiles, with swirling designs interlocking into beautiful symmetric patterns. The walls of the atrium stretched high, curving slightly as if warmly embracing the space within. They were made up of an otherworldly material, something between smooth, polished obsidian and polished crystal. Deep within the dark surface of the walls, faint veins of light pulsed, shifting between shades of deep red, violet and ethereal blue, as if the walls were alive, breathing in temporal energy. The subtle glow illuminated the room in an almost dreamlike radiance, casting elongated, shifting shadows across the pristine marble floor.

Massive archways lined the perimeter, each leading down into further corridors that extended to unknow depths within the castle. At the highest points of the chamber, massive crystalline structures hovered near the ceiling, their surfaces reflected glimpses of different places, perhaps at different points in time. The absence of a ceiling allowed a breathtaking view of the vast expanse that lay beyond the castle. Rather than a simple sky, the space above twisted into streams of luminous, multi-colored energy, shifting like a cosmic ocean. Time and space seemed to waver beyond the threshold, flickering between pleasant views of stars, nebulae, and distant realms, like an ever-changing mosaic of existence.

Kai slowed his steps, his eyes wide as he took in an overwhelming beauty and complexity of his surroundings. The castle was more than a mere structure, it was a living, breathing monument made outside the binds of time and reality. As Kai felt the waves of temporal energy around him, his fingers twitched involuntarily, as his body recalled sensation of the energy surging through him for the first time. Selara continued walking, motioning him to follow. "You recovered rather quickly after your first battle, faster than we expected. That however, raises a few questions." "Questions?" Kai hesitated as he resumed his pace beside her.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "How did you manage to manifest your Hex? How did you cross the planes of reality? and most importantly..." She stopped as she turned to face him, her amber eyes bore in Kai's. "How did you manage to open your body to the flow of temporal energy without any proper training?" The weight of her words pressed down on Kai. He opened his mouth, already forming an answer in his mind but right before he spoke, a familiar cold voice rang in his ears.

"Do not mention me." The voice felt sharp, cold and absolute. Kai froze, a shiver ran down his spine as he realized, it was a voice he knew well. It was the same cold, commanding voice of Zayne. Just then, something clicked in Kai's mind, since he woke up here, since it all began, he hadn't seen Zayne at all. Not once. "Listen to me kid" the voice of Zayne continued, "we share a link so we can talk via our thoughts, but right now you are treading on dangerous grounds. The less they know about me, the better."

Selara was still watching Kai, waiting for an answer. "Well?" she said, raising an eyebrow at his hesitation. Kai forced himself to keep his expression neutral, swallowing the questions clawing at his throat. "I.....don't know" he said, choosing his words carefully. "It just.....happened. I didn't really put much thought into it. It was like something in me just knew exactly what I had to do." Selara studied him for a long moment, the silence felt deafening to Kai. Then finally, she nodded, "Very well, I guess that answer will suffice for now."

Something in her tone told Kai that she wasn't entirely convinced, but luckily she didn't press further. "Alright then, let us begin" Selara said, her tone commanding, as she closed her eyes and extended her hand. With a simple flick of her wrist, the space around them shifted. The atrium dissolved, as if it had never been there to begin with. The marble tiles beneath their feet melted into soft, vibrant grass, the faint hum of the castle was replaced by a gentle whisper of wind. Above, a brilliant blue sky stretched endlessly, the sun blazed, bathing their surroundings in warm sunlight.

Kai stumbled slightly, his mind racing to catch up with the sudden shift in his surroundings. The warmth of the sunlight on his skin, the scent of fresh air in his lungs, all of it felt indistinguishable from the real deal, back when Kai was still a mortal. Selara turned to face Kai, "Your recovery was quite impressive," she began, her voice carrying effortlessly across the open field. "But always remember, when in battle, survival isn't all about offence. Defense is equally as vital."

Selara raised her arms to her sides, her palms facing outward. "Watch closely," she said as she clenched her fists. Immediately, a pulse of golden light erupted from her chest, spreading outwards, like golden flames. The radiant glow wrapped around her body, forming and aura of golden light that seemed to dance with the wind around them. The aura didn't just feel like a protective barrier, it was an extension of her own will, alive and breathing. "Temporal Aura," Selara explained, her voice steady. "It is more than just a mere shield. It can heal and strengthen your body to be able to last longer in battle. In order to manifest it, you must reach out to your inner temporal energy and draw it out, while commanding it to form a protective barrier around your own body."

Kai nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Alright, it sounds simple enough," he thought to himself. It wasn't. He closed his eyes, trying to grasp the rhythm he felt in his soul. He managed to grasp it but when he tried to pull it out, it seemed to slip out of his grasp. Minutes felt like hours as he strained himself, his muscles tensed under the pressure. The energy was there, but it felt like he was trying to grasp water through his fingers. "What's wrong with me, why can't I do this." Kai muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth. "Don't try to force it out" the calm voice of Selara washed over Kai, like a gentle embrace in a violent storm. "If you try to force it out, it will disrupt your inner rhythm. Just let it gently flow out of you, you cannot command the tides but you can flow with them."

Kai glanced at Selara, she nodded at him, her expression reassuring. Kai stopped straining himself, as he closed his eyes and reached within himself. "Focus.....focus.....focus," Kai repeated to himself in his mind. When he found the rhythm, he didn't try to force it out, instead he commanded it to flow freely around the channels of his body, like a river flowing through a dam. "I've got you now" Kai thought as he let the energy flow without restraint. A surge erupted from within him, as Kai opened his eyes, a brilliant azure aura blazed around him. It roared to life as it grew bigger, like an untamed storm, raging on without restraint. The ground under him shuddered and cracked open, as his Temporal Aura grew bigger and bigger, just like an azure wildfire.

Selara's eyes widened, not with surprise alone, but with something else. A flicker of concern? or was it....fear? Kai panted, his chest rising and falling as the azure aura coated his body. Selara's own Temporal aura felt insignificant now, compared to his. "You grasped it much faster than I had expected," she murmured, almost to herself. Then her amber eyes locked onto his. "How?" her question hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Kai forced a smile as Selara approached, her gaze sharp and probing. "I guess...it just happened.....again." Kai said, trying to mask the turmoil he felt inside him, but deep down he knew there was something more, and so did Selara.

"Okay then" Selara said at last, recomposing herself. "I guess we can move on the next lesson. Good work creating your Temporal Aura."