Damien lowered his gaze to the nest forming at his sternum. He felt it there now—a damp, malleable mass of energy, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. It wasn't just swirling mana anymore; it was becoming something.
Forming.
He inhaled slowly, deliberately, drawing the ambient mana through his lungs, across his skin—gentle, patient. Then exhaled. He guided the flow into the nest. His fingers twitched as arcs of power looped through his limbs back into the core.
A warmth slid through him, winding around his spine and into his hips. The nest glowed, dim at first, then brighter. It throbbed—like a heartbeat of pure elemental synergy. Wind, stone, flame, water—all pulsing in harmony. He could feel the cool seep of water, the searing spark of flame, the whisper of wind, the steady pressure of earth.
He let them come. One by one, then all together. Tidal, volcanic, airy, grounding—each pulse slid into the nest, settling into its depth.
