Arc 2: The Shadows Stir
The academy had never been this quiet.Even the wind seemed hesitant, carrying whispers of a power that had lain dormant for centuries.
Lyn and Umbra crouched at the edge of the widening crack in the vault floor. Shadows pulsed within, coiling like living smoke.
"This is… bigger than anything we've faced," Lyn murmured.
Umbra's form shimmered beside him. "You haven't seen the half of it."
From the darkness, faint eyes glimmered. Dozens. Hundreds. Shapes shifting, indistinct but menacing. Lyn felt his pulse quicken; his crest flared. The bond with Umbra pulsed in response, golden threads intertwining with the violet shadows.
Suddenly, a whisper echoed in his mind — not Umbra's, not human. A voice that carried ancient authority:
"You are chosen. Do not falter."
Lyn clenched his fists. "Chosen for what? To fight things I can't even see?"
Umbra growled, smoke flaring from his fur. "Better get used to it. That's how things start for Tamers."
Before Lyn could respond, the ground beneath the vault shook violently. A fissure opened, spewing mana-charged mist upward, twisting into forms that resembled beasts from long-forgotten legends.
"Prepare yourself," Lyn said, taking a defensive stance. "This is our first real test."
As the mists took shape, Lyn felt a surge of confidence he had never known before. Fear still lingered, but determination burned brighter. The first battle of the shadow awakening had begun.