Dawn slid over the ridge like a blade honed too fine. Light touched the Lantern Rest Inn first, painting its shutters gold, then spilled through the single cracked window where three figures slept tangled in exhaustion and sweat.
Andy stirred before the women, though their warmth anchored him. Nia lay curled against his chest, her hand spread flat over his heart, her hair damp from both battle and what followed. Aurelia was draped along his side, her leg hooked over his thigh, her lips parted in a grin even in sleep. Their breaths rose and fell against him in rhythm that was no longer coincidence.
The system chose that hour. Not loud, not abrupt—simply inevitable.
[Constellation Sync — Orion]
Nia ⭐ 100% | Aurelia ⭐ 100%
Tier III Progress: 100%
Status: Orion Constellation — Tier III Unlocked
A dozen new panes bloomed across his vision, detail spilling like a ledger finally balanced.
[System Log — Orion Constellation Tier III]
Participants: Andy × Nia × Aurelia
New Skills:
— [Shared Resonance Form] : Allows bondholders to manifest fused aura state.
— [Dragon Resonance — Tier III] : Andy's aura control extended; dominance field refined; corruption resistance +50%.
— [Lumina Constellation — Glyph Ascendant] : Nia can channel high-order runes without vocalization, range extended.
— [Huntress Constellation — Moonveil Crossing] : Aurelia may split into mirrored echoes for brief instants; fusion possible through bond.
Buffs Active:
Corrupter's Bane II (+25% damage vs corrupted)
Bond Saturation (Stable) — regeneration +15%
Inventory Update:
Core Fragment ×2 acquired
Shared Inventory expansion: capacity doubled
Warning: Constellation Tier III resonance unstable until field tested.
Andy closed his eyes, letting the flood settle in bone rather than mind. The Oathblade hummed from where it rested in the ether, quiet as a dragon sleeping but ready.
Beside him, Nia's lashes flickered. Her voice came soft, raw. "It woke us."
Aurelia yawned against his shoulder, then bit him there—softly, teasing. "Correction: it woke you. I was still dreaming of keeping you both too tired to move."
The system chimed once more, sharper this time.
[Threat Proximity Alert]
Designation: Corrupter Tier III — Manifesting
Location: Ridge perimeter
Status: Immediate
The inn itself groaned as if in warning. A low tremor rolled through the boards beneath them, rattling cups downstairs. Someone screamed outside, cut off by the sound of glass shattering.
Andy swung his legs off the bed. The sheets clung to him, heavy with scent, memory, and sweat, but he stood anyway. Tier II aura wrapped him automatically, reflexive as breath. His skin prickled. His shoulder ached with the ghost of the bite, but ember flared clean now, no longer ice-bitten.
Nia rose with slower grace, pulling her robe from the floor and tightening it around her waist. Her staff blinked into her hand from the Shared Inventory, silver light coiling down its length. "Tier III," she whispered, more prayer than boast. Sigils circled her wrists, bright and eager.
Aurelia was already tying her leathers, half-fastened, not caring. Daggers winked into her hands as if impatient. "Finally," she said, eyes gleaming. "Something worth the warm-up."
They pushed into the hall together. Villagers were already fleeing, some shouting, some stunned. Outside, the ridge bent under a shadow larger than a village.
The Corrupter Tier III did not look like a man. Not anymore.
Its crown had fused into a single, jagged halo, burning black against dawn. Ribs jutted from a torso swollen with shadow, each pulsing as if it contained the memory of stars corrupted. Wings spread from its back—not feathered, not scaled, but woven from threads of silence braided thick. Each beat of those wings pulled sound out of the air.
It stood tall enough to make the inn a dollhouse at its feet. Its not-mouth stretched wider than the ridge, and when it breathed, the world itself seemed to stutter.
The villagers collapsed to their knees. One woman whispered, "Maker forgive us," but no one answered.
The system cut across the moment with brutal precision.
[Threat Assessment]
Designation: Corrupter Tier III — Rasi Ascendant
Aura Density: Catastrophic
Dominance Field: Active
Weakness: Resonance Disruption (Tier III required)
Recommendation: Shared Resonance Form — Initiate
Andy's knuckles whitened on the Oathblade's hilt. He stepped forward until the ridge steadied under his heels, until his breath was louder than the silence.
He turned his head just enough to catch both women's eyes. "Tier III form. Together."
Nia's lips curved in a smile small but sure. "Then let us show the sky how to remember."
Aurelia licked her teeth, fire dancing in her eyes. "And make him regret ever stepping into our bed of earth."
They linked hands—Nia's cool grip, Aurelia's hot clasp—and the bond surged so hard Andy swore the stars overhead flinched.
The Corrupter spread his wings of silence. Andy raised the Oathblade, and the world tilted toward war.