Chapter 32: The Rogue Tamer
The return to the Sanctum was triumphant. The portal spat them out at the outer gate, where Master Caelum waited, his stern face was softening as he saw their haul.
"You have done well," he said, inspecting the relics. "These will be studied, but your bonds have proven their worth."
That night, the trio gathered in the dorm, their beasts lounging nearby. The relics sat on a table, their glow casting shadows on the walls. Kelvin traced the sigil on his gauntlet, feeling Xerion’s pride through their bond.
"We survived the Rift," he said, his voice was steady. "But the Inner Sanctum is watching. They will call us again."
Darius raised a mock toast with a rootfruit. "To more battles, more loot, and more legends."
Lyra laughed with her hand on Avian Salaris’s back. "To us."
Kelvin smiled, the fire in his chest was burning brighter. The Crimson Rift had been a crucible, forging their bonds tighter, their resolve stronger. Whatever the Inner Sanctum held next, he and Xerion would face it with claws bared and souls ablaze.
Kelvin, Lyra, and Darius had returned as heroes of the Obsidian Division, their names were whispered in awe by students who had heard of their triumph over the Riftborn Behemoth and the relics they had claimed.
The gauntlet on Kelvin’s wrist, etched with Xerion’s sigil which pulsed faintly with a warmth that grounded him, a constant reminder of their bond’s strength.
Kelvin stood in the training yard the next day. Xerion, the End-Tyrant, lounged nearby, his obsidian scales shining as he sharpened his claws against a large mass of stone.
The gauntlet amplified their Convergence, making every movement feel sharper, every pulse of their bond more vivid. Kelvin tossed a soulstone into the air, catching it as he felt Xerion’s anticipation ripple through their soulstream.