The next morning Arrives.
Initiates are gathered in the grand auditorium again.
Steward Vire addresses the initiates,
"You are no longer the same young initiates that once entered these halls.
But you are still not protectors yet."
"You are now Unshaped shards of ether.
You will now gain your shape and definition under the guidance of your respective EtherPath Mentors.'
Steward Vire stepped back and the unshaped were assigned to their mentors one by one.
Kaelen Thorne was assigned to Steward Dareth Solen.
Weathered. Wounded. A voice like stone cracking. He had survived what others won't even dare to speak of.
Riven Dace was assigned to Sentry Elion Serane.
Elusive. Soft-spoken. Sees paths before they form. Believed to have once navigated through light itself and forgotten his reflection.
Elyria Thalvain was assigned to Vanguard Irisa Vellorin.
Poised. Stern. Once a noble, now a blade of ice. Carries old grief with elegant silence.
Sayan vale was assigned to Watchlord Vaern Luthen.
Reclusive. Measured. A master of spatial balance and battlefield geometry. Rarely speaks, but when he does, even silence listens.
Zavian vale was assigned to Sentry Rhyen Morrow.
Quiet and deeply intuitive. His presence is often overlooked—until you realize he knew your next thought before you did.
The unshaped had already learned the essence and fundamentals of the Trine.
Now they will learn their application.
They will learn to integrate them, combine them and will the intent behind their Flow materialize and shape the world and themselves.
They will now learn to use actively and unlock their Flow abilities.
Some of them already had their Guardian Vision unlocked and their marks were no longer dormant.
Sayan Vale:
Guardian Sight- The Parallax Vision- Grants layered vision of multidimensional space. Can anticipate trajectories, sense spatial distortions, and predict movement with extreme precision.
Mark- Fractal Anchor- A black tesseract mark on his dominant forearm. Passively enhances gravitational stability, makes him resistant to displacement, and improves energy efficiency of Flow.
Zavian Vale:
Guardian Sight-Cognivault- Passively senses the cognitive aura and intent of those nearby. Reads emotional undercurrents and mental currents without direct mind-reading.
Mark-Echotrace- Infinity-shaped mark on his dominant forearm. Grants perfect tactical memory, enhances reflexes, maps terrain mentally, and resists confusion.
Kaelen Thorne:
Guardian Sight-Dirge Echo- Allows him to perceive lingering emotional resonance in people or places-fear, trauma, sorrow-through phantom-like sounds.
Mark-Cursed Reliquary- A black hollow ring with crimson thorn patterns on his left forearm. Stores anguish and unleashes suppressive dread waves or illusions.
Elyria Thalvain:
Guardian Sight-Fervour Signature-Sees people as heat silhouettes. Repressed or deceptive emotions appear colder to her. Senses how controlled or unstable someone's Etherpath is- instantly gauges combat potential.
Mark-Frostborne- A frostflower bloom spiralling from forearm to elbow, shimmering with blue and silver. Enhances Ether flow stability and fine control over cold-based constructs.
Riven Dace:
Guardian Sight-Orbit Sense- Sixth-sense-like perception of motion, force tension, and subtle gravitational shifts. Gives him evasive, precognitive reflexes.
Mark-Starborne Array-A radiant compass sigil on his forearm. Grants perfect navigation, spatial memory, and "guided strikes" aligned with weak points.
The event concludes and everyone returns to their rooms.
The next day every trainee is assigned new living chambers. The unshaped are now assigned rooms within their respective training grounds.
After packing Sayan leaves his room and noticed Zavian standing near his door.
"We are not neighbours anymore." Zavian says with a faint smile and in a muted tone.
Sayan replied, "No we are not. But we are still brothers."
Saying this Zavian looks at his brother with worry and said, "That we are."
Then both of them nodded at each other and went towards their assigned training area.
Sayan entered The Null Axis- a secluded convergence space where gravity suspends in a perfect sphere. Time feels slower. Space folds without edges.
As soon as Sayan stepped foot inside the area. His feet wobbled, not due to the loss of balance but due to the amorphous and unstable state of space in there. If it wasn't for his Mark-Fractal Anchor, He would have fallen down. Somehow, he stood straight and took the next step and realised that the gravity here was not normal. He understood that the effect of gravity was circular. Focusing on his Mark to stabilize gravity around him and using his vison to sense the space around him.
He moved through the area with caution and accuracy. After crossing the training area, the surrounding near his room seemed different but not spatially.
He sensed that time behaved differently around his room. Then he proceeded to enter the room and realized that time in there wasn't just fast or slow.
It was erratic and unpredictable. He had to focus extremely hard and keep his Parallax Vison activated just to move a few steps and settle his belongings down on the floor.
He knew that he wouldn't be able to maintain his composure for long inside his room. He used flow to stabilize his body in the chaotic time and using his Mark as an anchor he exited the room swiftly.
As soon he arrived on the periphery of the door, his deactivated his vision and Mark. He took a long breath and realised that the only place here that is even remotely normal is near the periphery of door between his room and the training hall.
While catching his breath Sayan noticed a figure suddenly appeared in the centre of the hall, floating in mid-air with ease.
Vaern Luthen didn't look a day past forty.
Yet no one who stood before him could deny the sense that he had watched centuries unfold. His features were refined-sharp without cruelty, elegant without vanity.
His hair was a silvery shade, neither white nor grey, but luminous, like polished starlight caught in motion. It was swept back neatly, untouched by time or wind, as if the world dared not ruffle him. His eyes were what unsettled most. He wore long layers of layered dusk steel and ink-gray robes, stitched with abstract constellations and directional sigils.
When he entered, space seemed to hold its breath-as if the world moved around him.
"I did not expect that you would be able reach your room today successfully that swiftly." Watchlord Vaern Luthen said while maintaining a composed expression mid-air.
"Perhaps the Mark you possess grants you much greater ability than I realised."
"That ability is a boon for a wielder of Tesseract Path."
Sayan listened carefully and a corner of his mouth curled up. Maybe due to a feeling of pride.
"The first thing that is necessary to be taught to Tesseract path Guardians like us is the method and technique to keep ourselves anchored in space and time.
Because when one commands space-time, he had to make sure not to get lost in it." Watchlord Vaern continued.
"But you mark does that for you. Consider yourself lucky to be favoured in such a way by Ether.
Now that I have seen what you are capable of. How about a simple test, young Vale?"
"Please proceed sir." Sayan responded respectfully.
"How serious and noble…" said Watchlord Vaern playfully.
Sayan furrowed his brows a little in confusion.
Watchlord Vaern noticed Sayan's expression and said with a smile,
"Now before we begin. You are now to address me as Mentor Vaern not 'sir'
The rules of the test are simple. You are standing exactly sixteen paces away from me.
You just have to take ten steps towards me in a straight line."
Saying this, Mentor Vaern descended to the ground.
Sayan was confused, because the simple test that his Mentor had given him was impossible.
The area of the Training Hall where Vaern was standing lied at the centre of the hall where gravity was omnidirectional.
And while he was able to cross the region of circular gravity. It took him very complex manoeuvres and he had to move in a specific manner and step onto specific places where he could stand still and continue forward from.
To be able to walk in a straight line in such a region of warped space and unconventional gravity would require him to bend space and command gravity at his will.
Something he was not able to do or even comprehend yet.
Sayan activated his vision and focused on his mark. Then he started visualizing the intention behind his flow in such a way that it would envelop his body. Sayan attempted to do this because he knew that his Flow was the most prominent part of Trine that directly reflected his Etherpath.
After his flow enveloped his body, he could feel the space around him get influenced by him. But it was not strong enough yet to make any changes.
He continued forward while maintaining this state and focusing heavily on his mark to anchor himself firmly.
He was able to take two steps forward in a line. But after that his flow was not sufficient to make him continue forward. Sayan got flung around in the space but stabilized himself while maintaining his focus and observing the stable locations in the present space to land on.
"While I commend your ingenious attempt, the method you used relied on Flow to passively warp the space to provide you stability.
But you overlooked the most important part. Flow is the active part of Trine.
To unlock you flow abilities you have to command flow actively." Vaern said while observing Sayan.
Then Mentor Vaern started walking towards Sayan. He moved with such ease as if there were no distortion to space and gravity. It like he was out on a stroll in a park.
He used his flow actively but subconsciously. Sayan was only able to detect that Mentor Vaern was using flow due to his Parallax Vision. He saw the space and gravity bending around him as if he made them bow.
Menor Vaern reached Sayan and was standing only a pace away from him.
"I apologize. I got too excited after watching you pass through the Hall and enter your room so swiftly and gave you a test that would be impossible for you to pass if you don't know how to use your Flow abilities."
Then Vaern gestured his hand forward towards Sayan to shake his hands.
Sayan was a bit hesitant at first. But then shook his hand. In that moment Sayan become aware of the overwhelming intent of a Watchlord.