The rift had quieted. Shadows and fractured fragments of void energy lingered like the remnants of a storm, but within the calm, Lucien and Kairo stood before Vaeltherion. The Keeper of the Rift's presence was still overwhelming, yet for the first time, Lucien felt guided rather than tested.
"Your trial has ended," Vaeltherion said, voice echoing across the void's suspended platform. "But mastery of the White, and your respective void affinities, is only beginning." He gestured, and the rift's chaos reshaped itself into a controlled arena, shifting constantly—walls folding, gravity skewing, light bending. Every environmental law was malleable, a perfect crucible for teaching control, adaptability, and teamwork.
Kairo stepped beside Lucien, his calm aura contrasting Lucien's restless energy. "So this is what the White and Temporal Void can really do… together?" he muttered, his shadows flickering in tandem with Lucien's.
Vaeltherion's gaze swept over them. "The two of you complement one another, yet you will clash often. Your affinities—time for Kairo, shadows and pure void energy for Lucien—must learn to synchronize. Only then can the White respond fully to your intent."
Training began with simple exercises: controlling constructs to the millimeter, bending shadows and void energy around objects, and responding to illusions generated by the rift itself. But Vaeltherion quickly escalated the difficulty—shards of void erupted unpredictably, temporal loops created traps, and gravity twisted mid-flight. Every exercise forced adaptation, precision, and cooperation.
"You must anticipate one another," Vaeltherion instructed. "Lucien, you manipulate the White with thought. Kairo, your Temporal Void allows you to accelerate, decelerate, and project yourself through brief time gaps. Together, you create opportunities that neither could achieve alone."
As hours—or perhaps days in the distorted time of the rift—passed, the two began to synchronize. Shadows moved in tandem with temporal accelerations, energy constructs appearing precisely where needed. Vaeltherion nodded in approval. "This is only the beginning. True mastery comes when you understand the rules of all voids—and the bonds that connect those who share the same source of power."
Then Vaeltherion spoke quietly, almost as a whisper, yet loud enough for them to hear. "Your parents are not gone. Your mother walks a path you cannot yet follow, but she is near, bound to a void not unlike the White. Your father—he chose to remain in hiding to guide you indirectly. And… there may be others of your bloodline yet undiscovered. Siblings, perhaps, who carry fragments of your power, waiting for the right moment to awaken."
The words struck Lucien with a mixture of shock and resolve. His training was no longer about personal power alone; it was about understanding a legacy, a bloodline, and preparing for a generation of threats that extended far beyond him.
Weeks—maybe months—passed in the rift. Every trial, every exercise, every simulated battle honed not only their individual void affinities but also their combined strategy. Shadows danced in harmony with temporal loops, constructs became extensions of instinct, and every movement reflected understanding rather than raw force.
Finally, Vaeltherion stepped back. "Enough for now. You are ready to return." The rift's edges pulsed, reshaping to reveal a path back to the world. "When you leave, seek the other Revenants. Confront them, yes—but understand this: the bond you share cannot be broken by death alone. Kinship, the voids themselves, and the legacy of the White prevent a killing blow between you. Allies or rivals, you will sense one another as extensions of your own lineage. Only through understanding and unity will the true threat—yet unseen—be faced."
Lucien and Kairo exchanged a glance, each silently acknowledging the weight of what awaited them. They had grown beyond what either had imagined. Shadows and temporal edges pulsed around them like a heartbeat. And now, the world awaited.
The first step was finding the Revenants—either to recruit, confront, or forge bonds. But Lucien knew one truth already: no matter how fierce the battle, none could destroy another born of the same source. The kinship was absolute, even in conflict.
And somewhere beyond the horizon, the whispers of the void hinted at the trials still to come.