The cart's final creak reverberated through the sandy expanse as it ground to a halt before the fortified ruin on Valderon's outskirts, its rune-carved sandstone walls shimmering faintly under the midday sun.
Ash stepped down, his boots sinking slightly into the sand, his bandaged shoulder aching as he adjusted his satchel.
Eren followed, his dark eyes narrowing with suspicion, a faint fade tracing his fingers like a restless shadow.
The towering figure on the balcony above turned, his weathered skin catching the golden light, his voice booming across the courtyard.
"You're late," he declared, the ground beneath them trembling with a low, earthy rumble.
Ash and Eren exchanged a wary glance, their footsteps crunching as they approached, the ruin's imposing presence looming larger with each step.
The man descended with a measured gait, revealing himself as Grandmaster Jio, a retired hunter whose gravelly voice carried the weight of years spent mastering the wilds.
His gray hair was tied back in a tight knot, his tunic adorned with faded hunter insignias that spoke of a storied past.
His sharp eyes assessed them, lingering on their tense postures.
"I'm Jio," he introduced, his tone firm yet curious. "Blackthorn sent word—you're training to be hunters but still can't figure out your essence. I've honed my Calibrating Rock to stabilize the wildest powers, aligning earth and energy with precision. But Jio doesn't train just anyone. You'll face a trial to prove your worth—starting now."
Ash's brow furrowed, his confusion spilling out in a rush. "Hold on—what? We just got here. How can we start training already?"
His voice trembled with exhaustion and disbelief, the journey's toll evident in his slumped shoulders.
Eren's suspicion deepened, his gaze hardening as he stepped forward, his fists clenching.
"This feels wrong," he muttered, his voice low and edged with distrust. "You're a scam, aren't you? I don't trust you?"
Before Ash could intervene, Eren charged, his Severed Echoes flaring with a phased burst aimed at Jio's chest, the air crackling with energy.
"Eren, don't do anything stupid! This is the right address—Blackthorn sent us!" Ash shouted, lunging to grab his arm, but Eren shook him off with a sharp jerk.
"You're not my boss or anything," Eren snapped, his tone icy and defiant.
Jio raised a hand, his expression calm but commanding. "Let him be," he said, his voice cutting through the tension.
Then, with a glint of challenge in his eye, he proposed,
"A bet, then. If you land a strike on me, I'll reveal the truth about this place and my intent. If I strike you first, you become my student. Deal?"
Eren's lips curled into a grim smile, his anger fueling his resolve. "Deal," he growled, lunging again with a powerful Echo strike, the phased energy slicing toward Jio.
Jio dodged with effortless grace, his body shifting like a phantom, the sand rippling beneath him with his Calibrating Rock essence.
Yet, his eyes widened slightly, a spark of amazement flickering. "Impressive essence," he murmured, intrigued by the raw power of Eren's phased attack.
Before Eren could adjust, Jio countered, slamming him to the ground with a controlled burst of earth, the impact sending a puff of sand into the air.
Eren grunted, rolling to his feet, his anger simmering.
Jio turned to Ash, his gaze piercing. "You. Charge at me."
Ash hesitated, his confusion deepening. "Me? Why? I'm not even sure what I'm doing!" Jio's voice hardened. "Do it—test your spirit."
Ash, compelled by the challenge, charged, his Unchanged Soul flaring with a shaky, glowing pulse that unraveled a faint ripple in the air.
Jio sidestepped with fluid precision, his movements a blur, but his expression shifted to intrigue as Ash's essence disrupted the surrounding energy.
"Fascinating," Jio muttered, before slamming Ash down with a precise earth strike, the force jarring but controlled, leaving Ash sprawled in the sand, winded.
"Keep coming at me," Jio commanded, his voice a steady challenge.
Eren, undeterred, lunged again, his Echoes phasing wildly, while Ash struggled up, joining the assault with a faltering glow.
For hours, they battled—through the courtyard's shifting sands, past rune-carved pillars that trembled with each strike, and under the relentless sun that beat down with unforgiving heat.
Eren's attacks grew erratic, his emotion-driven power cracking the ground, while Ash's essence wavered, memory lapses blurring his focus with fleeting images of a river.
Jio dodged with minimal effort, his breathing steady, barely a bead of sweat on his brow.
By evening, the sky turned a deep orange, and both collapsed, panting loudly, their clothes soaked in sweat and clinging to their exhausted frames.
Ash lay sprawled, gasping, "I can't move anymore—my legs are gone."
Eren groaned beside him, his energy spent, his chest heaving.
Jio sighed, his gaze softening. "Keep attacking," he urged, but Ash shook his head weakly.
"No more—please."
Night settled over Valderon, the ruin's interior bathed in the warm glow of flickering oil lamps.
Ash and Eren, freshly showered, their skin still damp and faces flushed from the ordeal, sat at a sturdy wooden table.
Jio served them a hearty meal—roasted meat fragrant with herbs, crusty bread, and a bowl of spiced stew—its aroma filling the air and easing their tension.
They ate in silence at first, their hunger driving them to devour the food until satisfaction settled into their bones.
Jio waited, his eyes watchful, sipping a cup of herbal tea as they finished.
"Now, let's analyze you properly," he began, his voice taking on a scholarly tone as he turned to Ash.
"Your essence—Unchanged Soul. It's a rare force, a disruptor that unravels the threads of energy, Imagine it as a key that can unlock or break barriers, a power tied to the chaos of creation itself. The glow you emit is its signature, but it's raw, unrefined—like a river cutting through stone without direction."
Ash paused, his fork hovering, his mind racing. "You could summarize all that after just one fight,damn—so, it's strong but messy? How do I control it?"
Jio leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "Control comes with understanding its flow. It reacts to your will, but its wild nature demands focus. We'll train that focus, channel it into precision rather than chaos. Have you noticed patterns in when it flares?"
Ash nodded slowly. "Sometimes when I'm scared or angry—it just happens."
Jio's eyes narrowed. "Emotion's a trigger, then. We'll work on that. Now, Eren," he shifted, his gaze steady,
"your Severed Echoes are a marvel. Phased attacks tied to your emotional state, allowing you to shift between states, but its instability—driven by rage or grief—makes it dangerous. You've got the potential to strike with pinpoint accuracy or shatter everything around you."
Eren set his spoon down, his expression guarded but attentive.
"So, it's tied to how I feel? How do I stop it from backfiring?"
Jio smiled faintly. "By mastering your emotions, not suppressing them. Your essence feeds on your inner fire—channel it, and it becomes a weapon. Let it run wild, and it'll consume you. Both of you have essences beyond the basics—rock, water, sand, fire, blood, earth. Most with rare essences, like yours, stem from something profound—a belief, a memory, or a trace of an old world. It's rare, and it marks you as different."
Ash and Eren exchanged a glance, amusement flickering amidst their exhaustion.
"An old world?" Ash asked, leaning in. Jio nodded, his voice lowering.
"I've heard tales—people waking with memories of another life, claiming cities of glass or skies of two suns. Few survive the trauma; the mind fractures under the weight. But some, like you, develop great essences. Your Unchanged Soul, Ash, might hint at a world where Merge energy was born. Eren, your Echoes could tie to a place where phasing was survival. These powers are unknown to you because they're still awakening—untapped reservoirs waiting to be shaped. Am I right or am I right?" He paused, a wry smile playing on his lips.
Ash chuckled nervously. "I woke up in a river, no memory of before—maybe you're onto something."
Eren stayed silent, his mind racing, but his nod was almost imperceptible.
Jio continued, his tone growing earnest.
"Not many with these gifts live long. The trauma drives some mad, others to early graves. But those who endure—like you—possess essences that can reshape destinies. I've trained a few over the years, each with a story of an old world. One spoke of floating islands, another of endless storms. Your cases are unique, though—your essences suggest a connection to the Merge's origin, a bridge between worlds. We'll uncover that together, but rest early. Training starts at dawn, and it'll be more grueling."
They laid mats in a corner of the ruin, the air cool and still, the oil lamps casting long shadows.
Eren turned away, his back to Ash, settling into sleep with a deliberate distance.
Ash, restless, broke the silence, his voice soft but determined.
"I believe I can close the Merge, Eren. Fix what brought us here."
Eren grunted, a faint sound, but didn't turn or speak, his face hidden.
Ash pressed on, "I met my father from my real world as the king of soul eaters. I don't know how he ended up there, but it gave me hope I can still make things right."
Eren's expression softened in the dim light, unseen by Ash, his thoughts drifting to Cale.
He wondered, her image—dark hair, laughing eyes—flooding his mind with a pang of longing.
Ash lay back, memories of friends from an old world surfacing—laughter in a forest, a friend's sword flashing, a village lost to time—mirroring Eren's silent reverie of Cale's voice.
Their shared pasts lingered, a fragile thread binding them in the quiet night.