Lyra wasted no time in resuming their training. Today's session focused on recognizing and countering the subtle signs of spiritual corruption – the insidious tendrils of Gorok's influence that could latch onto a soul's resonance.
"The Nullsworn are not always direct in their assault," Lyra explained, her light form shifting into various distorted shapes to illustrate her points.
"They are masters of manipulation, of exploiting existing weaknesses and fears within a soul's imprint. You must learn to perceive these subtle dissonances, these unnatural shadows clinging to a being's light."
She gestured to a training construct that flickered with an agitated, dark red energy.
"This simulates a soul touched by Gorok's influence. Observe the erratic fluctuations, the sharp edges in its resonance. A healthy soul's energy flows smoothly, like a river. Corruption creates ripples, eddies, and eventually, dangerous currents."
Zephyr, his usual playful energy now focused, observed the construct intently.
"So, it's like a bad vibe you can… see?"
Lyra shot him a look. "A simplistic analogy, Recruit, but not entirely inaccurate. Your sensitivity to the Radiant Flow might allow you to perceive these disruptions in a more immediate way than Einar's connection to the Void."
She turned to Einar.
"Your understanding of absence, however, can be used to detect the unnatural presence of the Void's influence. It will feel… wrong, an emptiness that shouldn't be there, a silence that suffocates the natural hum."
She then instructed them on a series of exercises. For Zephyr, it involved attuning his senses to the subtle shifts in the Radiant Flow around various training constructs, identifying those that pulsed with a discordant rhythm indicative of corruption.
For Einar, it was about focusing his inner Void sense, searching for pockets of unnatural silence or coldness within the simulated spiritual energies.
Zephyr, with surprising focus, proved adept at identifying the corrupted constructs, his vibrant orange light seeming to react almost instinctively to the dissonant energies. He could pinpoint the subtle flickers of darkness clinging to the simulated souls.
"This one feels… prickly!" Zephyr projected, hovering near a construct that pulsed with a sickly green light. "And this one… it's like a static charge, all fuzzy and angry!"
Einar found it more challenging. The Void he sensed was inherently subtle, and differentiating between its natural presence and the intrusive influence of Gorok required intense concentration.
He learned to look for an unnatural stillness, a coldness that felt invasive rather than simply an absence of resonance.
Lyra pushed them harder, introducing constructs that were more subtly corrupted, their dissonances masked by layers of simulated fear or despair.
This, she explained, was how the Nullsworn often operated, preying on existing vulnerabilities.
Suddenly, one of the training constructs, meant to be only subtly corrupted, erupted in a violent burst of dark energy, its form twisting into a grotesque parody of a soul. The air crackled with an oppressive chill, and even Lyra seemed to take a step back.
"Anomalous surge!" she projected sharply.
"Maintain defensive postures!"
The corrupted construct lunged at Zephyr, its movements surprisingly swift and aggressive.
Zephyr, reacting instantly, instinctively unleashed a burst of pure Radiant Flow from his being. The orange energy slammed into the corrupted construct, causing it to recoil with a screech of distorted resonance.
Einar, reacting a moment later, focused his intent and projected a wave of controlled Void energy towards the construct.
The unnatural darkness surrounding it flickered and receded as the Void met void, the conflicting absences causing a momentary instability in the construct's form.
Lyra, observing their reactions, nodded slowly. "Good instincts, both of you. That was… unexpected, but it served as a valuable lesson. The touch of Gorok can be unpredictable. You must always be prepared for escalation."
The corrupted construct, weakened by their combined assault, dissipated back into its base energy form. The oppressive chill in the air faded.
Lyra regarded them with a hint of approval in her luminous eyes. "You both showed promise today. Zephyr, your connection to the Radiant Flow is raw but powerful. Einar, your control over the nascent Void is improving. But remember this," she said, her tone becoming serious,
"this was only a simulation. The true touch of Gorok is far more dangerous, far more insidious. Stay vigilant. The echoes of corruption are all around us, even in the Soul Society."