The next day, I awoke at the far end of the cave, near the pool of water. The cave was warm, and the stone door was shut, like we were prisoners meant to stay here.
Light filtered in through a small hole in the ceiling, where a tiny crystal glowed like a candle, illuminating the cave.
As I sat up, I noticed Kundra and his sisters lying together, side by side. It was strange—these dragons, who looked so human, slept like animals. They had human arms, faces, and legs. The only differences were their horns, eyes, and wings.
And yet, I found it odd. Why did we sleep on mats? Why did they wear clothes and eat food, yet still behave like this? What kind of world was this?
This world was a stage. I thought about what I remembered—Tetravice, pearls, Var. It was all confusing, yet a small smile formed on my face. An unknown feeling stirred within me.
The rules of this world were strange and unfamiliar.
I thought about how unfair it was that I had died just from absorbing the power of ants. If stronger animals had stronger abilities, I had to be more careful from now on.
I looked into the small pond and manifested my power once more, this time trying to contain the flames.
The fire moved through my body like blood, leaving through my hands. My hands burst into flames, then my arms followed suit. The warm fire was frenzied, uncontrollable. I thought back to the ants—the small cores I had absorbed from them. They had all been the same color, tiny golden balls that flickered like light.
Kundra sat across from me, his golden eyes calm as he spoke. "There are two ways to gain strength," he said. "Taking space or absorbing Var."
I frowned. "Taking space? Like what you did?"
He nodded. "Yes. But for now, do what you did before—when you awakened your core. Sit, meditate, and absorb."
I followed his instructions, crossing my legs and closing my eyes. Slowly, I reached out with my senses. The air around me buzzed with Var, invisible yet everywhere. I let it flow into me.
A deep, twisting ache filled my chest. My core pulsed, stretching, growing. Then—agony. A searing, unbearable pain shot through my veins. It was as if my entire body was being crushed and burned at the same time. My fingers dug into the stone floor as I gritted my teeth.
Kundra watched, unmoved. "Now you're a Pawn 1," he said simply.
I gasped for air as the pain faded, replaced by something new—a strange awareness. The Var in the cave felt different, like something I could reach out and touch.
"That was awful," I muttered.
"Of course," Kundra said. "That's why people choose the other way. Killing and absorbing cores—it feels good."
I looked at him, unsettled. "What was that? What just happened to me?"
"The first rank of cultivation."
I clenched my fists, still feeling the lingering ache in my core.
Kundra stood and gestured for me to follow. "Now, I'll teach you something else. Try channeling Var into your eyes."
I focused, channeling the Var upward. The moment it reached my eyes, the world changed. It only lasted a few seconds—my core was too small—but in that brief moment, everything looked different. The water shimmered like liquid light, and the air itself was filled with tiny, flickering specks, like countless stars burning all around me.
I looked down at myself and saw it—my Pearl. A small, round, bright purple pearl.
I smiled. " It is shining so brightly."
Kundra glanced at me before shifting his gaze to the others. "Your core is still weak."
I followed his eyes.
Eghiss' Pearl was a small, bright teardrop-shaped green pearl.
Kundra's own Pearl was an oval, bright silver pearl.
Ryllie's was round, bright and gold, just like mine in shape, but it radiated something different.
"What do the colors mean?" I asked.
Kundra glanced at the others before lowering his voice. "The colors represent how your powers manifest."
He pointed at my core. "Purple is for the Law of Instability."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
His expression darkened. "It means your powers are sporadic, unpredictable. Hard to control."
He hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "That's why I almost died."
I stiffened. "What?"
Kundra sighed, his gaze serious. "The Law of Instability is one of the hardest to control, so be careful."
Kundra's smirk faded slightly as he thought back. "When I manifested the water, I wasn't just creating it—I was starting a cycle."
I frowned. "A cycle?"
He nodded. "Water moves through phases, right? Rain falls, rivers flow, oceans rise and recede. My power follows that pattern. When I summon water, it has to move through its full cycle. I just manipulate the speed."
I thought back to the way the water had spiraled when he used it, how it kept moving even when he wasn't touching it.
"So you can't just make water and leave it there?"
"No. If I don't guide it properly, it'll take its own path. That's the price of my Law. If I don't keep up, I crash."
I glanced back at my own Pearl—purple, unstable. His was silver, infinite.
Every Law had power. But every Law had a price.