The moon hung low over Eldara Academy, silver light spilling across the spires. Most students had retreated to their dormitories, but Lyn Ashveil moved quietly through the shadowed corridors, Umbra's smoky form gliding silently beside him.
"We shouldn't be here," Lyn whispered."And yet we are," Umbra replied, voice like shifting smoke.
Tonight wasn't about training or Council scrutiny. Tonight was about answers. The vaults beneath the academy — the ones they had barely glimpsed — still called to him. The Ancient Shadow's warning echoed in his mind: "The seals weaken…"
Lyn traced the familiar hum of mana that led to a hidden stairwell behind the library. Dust floated in the faint golden glow of his crest as he descended.
The stairs spiraled deep beneath the academy, far below where first-years were allowed. Here, the air was thick, tinged with faint ozone and something older… something alive.
"The Council really doesn't want anyone down here," Lyn muttered.Umbra's eyes glowed. "Which means they'd better hope you're careful."
At the bottom, the corridors widened into a series of ancient vaults, etched with runes older than any records in the academy. Faint shadows moved along the walls, as if watching.
Lyn's eyes fell on a massive door covered in runes pulsing with violet light. He stepped closer, instinctively raising his hand. Umbra's aura flared in response.
"Do you feel that?" Lyn asked."Yes," Umbra replied, voice low. "This isn't just a seal. It's a warning."
The door hummed, almost alive. Lyn laid his hand on it. The runes shifted under his touch, revealing ancient inscriptions:
"Only the bond of heart and soul may pass. The bearer of the forgotten crest shall awaken what lies dormant."
Lyn's pulse quickened. The "forgotten crest" — could it mean him?
Before he could ponder further, the floor trembled. Shadows seeped from the cracks, coalescing into forms more defined than any beast he had seen. Their shapes were jagged, almost crystalline, their eyes glowing faintly amber.
"They're testing us," Lyn whispered.Umbra growled. "I was hoping for an easy night."
The shadows surged. Lyn extended his hand, calling on the bond he had forged. Golden threads of mana intertwined with Umbra's violet light, forming a radiant lattice between them.
"Now, Umbra!" he shouted.
A burst of coordinated energy erupted, scattering the crystalline shadows. Some dissipated immediately, others retreated toward the massive door. Lyn realized that the vault itself was alive, responding to the strength of their bond.
A Glimpse Beyond
As the dust settled, Lyn saw it: a faint glow beyond the massive door, shifting and undulating like liquid light. He stepped closer, mesmerized.
"That's… incredible," he whispered."And dangerous," Umbra replied. "We should be ready for anything."
Suddenly, a faint voice echoed — soft, melodic, yet commanding:
"You've come far, Lyn Ashveil. But how far will your bond take you before the world decides to break it?"
Lyn swallowed hard. This voice was neither Umbra's nor human. It was older than the academy itself, resonating in his very soul.
"We'll find out," he said firmly, placing his hand on Umbra's head.
The vault pulsed, runes flaring brighter. Shadows moved, whispering secrets of long-forgotten tamers, of beasts beyond imagining, and of a rebellion that had started centuries ago…
The night had only just begun.