Base

The distortion in the alleyway pulsed like a living thing, warping and unraveling the space around it. Sol narrowed his eyes, his instincts on edge. He had seen strange things in the Luminara District, but this was different—this felt deliberate. It wasn't some glitch of the city's chaotic nature; something was waiting.

He exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to walk straight in. The Archive would find him, that much he was certain of, but was this it? Or was this some trick of the district, a lure set by something else entirely? He couldn't afford to rush in blindly.

Instead, he filed the information away and turned his attention back to his original goal—finding a place to train. The lower district was his best option, an abandoned stretch of metal corridors and floating debris caused by unstable gravitational pockets. Few ventured there, and fewer stayed.

With a subtle flick of his wrist, he urged Peach forward, the disguised bear moving effortlessly through the shifting streets. As they moved, Sol kept his gaze sharp, half expecting something—or someone—to emerge from the rippling alleyway.

But nothing followed. Not yet.

Reaching the outskirts of the district, the once densely packed streets gave way to vast, open spaces where artificial structures hovered in strange, weightless configurations. Sol dismounted from Peach, his boots making no sound against the floating platforms beneath him. The air here felt thinner, the hum of the city distant.

But he needed somewhere even more secluded. Sol took his time, carefully navigating the outskirts, scanning for any hidden alcoves or dead zones where even the occasional wanderer wouldn't stumble upon him. He moved deliberately, ensuring no one was watching, doubling back at times to make sure he wasn't being followed. Every so often, he paused, listening, letting the stillness of the area guide him.

Eventually, he found it—an isolated pocket between two fragmented buildings, partially hidden by drifting debris. It was tucked away just enough that only someone actively searching would find it. Satisfied, he glanced around one last time, ensuring he was alone before stepping inside.

The moment he entered, his instincts kicked in. Sol's eyes flickered to every corner, every shadowed crevice, scanning for anything out of place. He moved with quiet precision, checking for small indentations in the walls that could hide micro-cameras, feeling along the surfaces for any sign of artificial modifications. Even the air itself—was it too still? Too clean? Anything could be a trick.

Not taking any chances, he activated his system. "Scan for any electrical fields, active surveillance, or unknown transmissions."

A brief pause, then the system responded, its voice smooth and analytical. "Initiating scan. Standby."

Sol watched as a faint overlay appeared in his vision, detecting heat signatures, electronic signals, and any anomalies in the environment. He held his breath as it ran its sweep, waiting for confirmation that he was truly alone.

"Scan complete. No surveillance or active signals detected. The area is secure."

A smile tugged at Sol's lips. First thing's first—security. He waved his hand in a slow, hypnotic motion toward the entrance he had come through, his Illusion Affinity bending light and space. The air shimmered as a false image settled in place, making the entrance appear as though it had collapsed inward, blocking off any potential intruders. Just in case.

With that done, he turned his attention to the space around him. The building was larger than he expected, resembling what once might have been an old hotel lobby. The structure was deteriorating, walls covered in peeling metal plating, ceiling lights flickering dimly despite no obvious power source. Dust and debris coated the floor, broken furniture lay scattered like forgotten relics of another era.

Before he could train, he needed to make the space usable. Rolling up his sleeves, he set to work, shifting heavy debris, clearing out old furniture, and sweeping aside broken metal scraps. Peach, eager to help, started moving debris as well, but his enthusiasm quickly turned into chaos. The oversized bear sent dust flying, knocked over already precarious structures, and dragged what looked like a metal support beam across the floor, creating a terrible screeching noise.

Sol sighed, rubbing his temple. "Alright, buddy, I appreciate the effort, but you're making more of a mess than you're cleaning. Just… go play in the corner."

Peach let out a low grumble but obeyed, retreating to a cleared section of the room where he flopped onto his back and started batting at floating debris like a cat with a toy.

With the chaos temporarily contained, Sol returned to his work. Hours passed in quiet solitude, each movement deliberate, each object repositioned with care. The only sounds left were the occasional groan of unstable metal shifting under its own weight—and Peach's soft huffs of amusement as he entertained himself in the corner.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sol stood back, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. The space wasn't perfect, but it was his. And more importantly—it was ready.

He cracked his knuckles, inhaling deeply. "Alright," he murmured to himself. "Let's see what I can do."

First, his Plant Affinity. He needed control and precision.

He sat down on the floor, closing his eyes and focusing inward. As he reached for his affinity, he felt something deep within himself—something fundamentally different from the sensation of his Illusion Affinity. When he used Illusion, he felt shifting waves and pulses, a strange sensation of something freely forming and deforming, weaving seamlessly between perception and reality.

But this… this was something else entirely.

With his Plant Affinity, he felt raw energy coursing through him, brimming with vitality. Warm pulses of light moved through his body, awakening something dormant inside him. It wasn't just power—it was life itself, a force intertwined with nature and growth. It felt ancient, steady, yet endlessly vast. The warmth coiled in his chest, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat, urging to be released.

Curious, he decided to play around with the energy. Slowly, he guided it, moving the warmth from his core up through his chest, down his arm, and finally, concentrating it at the tip of his index finger. He opened his eyes, watching intently as a soft green glow flickered to life at his fingertip.

A small seed materialized, hovering just above his skin.

Sol's lips curled into a wide grin, excitement bubbling in his chest. He instinctively pushed more of the green life energy into the seed, watching as it responded. At first, the growth was slow—a fragile stem emerging hesitantly. But as he fed more power into it, the process accelerated. The stem lengthened, sprouting tiny leaves before blooming into a deep crimson rose, its petals unfurling with an almost ethereal glow.

His heart raced with exhilaration. He did it. He had created life from nothing.

A mischievous thought struck him, and he willed the rose to change colors. The deep red shifted into a vibrant blue, then a rich emerald green. He pushed further, and the flower glowed a brilliant golden hue before settling into a dazzling, otherworldly purple.

Sol let out a breathless chuckle, spinning the glowing flower between his fingers. "This… this is incredible."