Chapter 15 – Test of the Ancestral Echoes

Class Under the Stars

Night had fallen over the Valmere Academy, but a special class gathered at the edge of the forest. Professor Alden led the group along an infrequently used trail, flanked by moss-covered stones and ancient trees whose canopies nearly concealed the sky.

"This class is optional," he said, his voice firm yet serene. "Only those with the courage to face the unknown should continue."

Ethan remained silent, his eyes alert. He felt the call even before knowing his destiny. Something inside him pulsed, like an ancient compass beginning to point once again.

The Broken Temple

After a silent walk, they arrived at a clearing where ancient ruins lay cradled among tangled roots. Cracked columns, inscriptions faded by time, and a dense aura enveloped the place.

"This was once a temple of ancient tamers. Here, you will feel the presence of forgotten forces," explained Alden. "Those who are sensitive enough may perceive… something more."

While the students spread out, Ethan approached a moss-covered wall. With the tip of his fingers, he cleared a section and revealed a symbol. There was no doubt—it was the same symbol of the eye within the circle.

The Hidden Fragment

Upon touching the symbol, a slight vibration surged through his body. The ground trembled gently. Behind the broken altar at the center of the ruin, a secret staircase was revealed, entangled with roots and darkness.

"Deer… come with me," Ethan whispered.

The Deer of the Ancestral Forest followed without hesitation, its antlers emitting a soft green light that illuminated the path. They descended through narrow corridors until they reached a circular chamber. In the center, floating above a stone platform, was the second Fragment: a small blue jewel, pulsing slowly like a living heart.

But then… the guardian awakened.

The Awakening of Gorthun, the Revered Stone Bear

From a cracked wall, an imposing silhouette emerged. With eyes made of crystal and a body composed of living stone and ancient moss, Gorthun, the Revered Stone Bear, rose with a muffled roar that made the chamber tremble.

It was an ancestral beast—a trial set forth by a Guardian of the Veils.

Ethan took a step back. The Deer positioned itself between him and the bear, ready to act.

"I did not come to take, I came to earn," Ethan declared, staring the creature down.

The bear observed him. It did not attack immediately. It was as if it were judging. Then, it advanced.

The Test

This was no ordinary fight. The Stone Bear tested not only strength but also attunement. Its attacks came like waves, challenging Ethan to read its movements, to feel its rhythm.

Ethan closed his eyes at a crucial moment and used what he had learned from the frenzy of the Steel Feline: he listened to the creature's energy. With the Deer, he invoked a new technique.

"Symphony of Natural Harmony!"

Vines sprouted from the ground, dancing with the Deer's energy. But instead of restraining the bear, they intertwined with its limbs, synchronizing with its movements, slowing it down, guiding it back to balance.

The Bear halted.

Its heavy breathing ceased.

Its eyes shone softly… and it slowly retreated. Gradually, it returned to the wall and merged with it once more.

Recognition

The fragment floated towards Ethan, settling in his hand.

A new symbol briefly glowed on his skin before disappearing.

"Second fragment… acquired."

Silent Return

Ethan emerged back to the surface with the Deer, without uttering a word about what he had found. Alden, who watched from a distance, only looked at him with seriousness.

"Beware of the echoes of the past, Ethan. Sometimes, they do not wish to be awakened."

Ethan merely nodded, feeling the weight of what he now carried.