The stream murmured beside Raen as he trudged forward, soaked to the bone.
His clothes clung to him, heavy with water and dirt.
Each step should have left him gasping, but his breath remained steady.
'That's... odd.'
His legs burned, but it wasn't exhaustion.
Something simmered beneath his skin, a restless energy he couldn't explain.
"Maybe I'm just hungry."
Yet, hunger didn't explain how sharp his senses had become.
The wind carried faint scents, wet bark, moss, and something sharper.
His nose twitched.
'Blood?'
No, fish.
"How could I have mistaken that?" He cleaned his nose with the back of his palm
Glancing at the stream, he spotted silver shapes flickering beneath the surface.
Tiny fish darting through shallow waters.
His gaze lingered.
'Why… do they look so tempting?'
Raen tore his eyes away, shaking his head.
'Get home first. Eat later.'
He tightened his grip on the frayed pendant at his chest, the cracked black stone cool against his skin.
Without a weapon, hunting was out of the question.
Even a rabbit was beyond him now.
The path stretched on, but nothing disturbed him.
No beasts. No obstacles. Just the steady flow of water guiding him home.
By the time the forest thinned, the sky had brightened.
Raen finally stood before the Thalor Clan gates.
Massive stone pillars flanked the entrance, carved with coiling beasts and ancient sigils.
Two guards loomed beside the gate, hulking figures with thick, scarred limbs and faint patches of beast-like fur on their skin.
They glanced his way.
One grunted, recognizing him.
"Back again, boy?"
Raen managed a nod.
The other chuckled, stepping aside.
"Go on. Try not to drag mud through the square."
Raen shuffled past without a word.
The clan was already alive with movement.
Stone paths wound between solid wooden homes, their beams reinforced with beast bones.
Smoke curled from chimneys as vendors shouted their wares, beast hides, core fragments, and weapons forged with monster fangs.
Despite its modest size, the Thalor Clan brimmed with pride.
Every face bore some beastly mark, claws, scales, or sharp eyes, proof of their bloodlines.
Raen's presence drew glances.
Mud-stained.
Hair plastered to his face.
His brown eyes dulled beneath layers of dirt, and his chocolate skin was mottled with grime.
Compared to the lean, powerful bodies around him, Raen looked... defeated.
He kept his head down.
His house wasn't far, a simple but spacious home tucked between sturdier ones.
The door creaked open before he could knock.
His mother stood there.
Lira Thalor, well into her forties, bore the quiet strength of the clan.
Her dark hair was streaked with silver, and fine lines traced her warm, tired eyes.
Beside her peeked a small face.
Selene.
Only eight, wide-eyed and curious.
Neither spoke.
Lira sighed, stepping aside.
"Go clean up."
Raen lowered his head and obeyed.
By the time he emerged, the scent of food filled the air.
A tray of rice and steamed roots waited on the table.
He sat down, barely managing a quiet thanks before devouring the meal.
[+5 Energy]
Green text flickered in his vision.
He froze.
Was he hallucinating again?
Before he could dwell on it, another tray slid in front of him, this time heavier, meatier.
"You were gone longer than usual." His mother's tone was light but knowing.
Raen hesitated, then ate.
[+5 Energy]
He swallowed hard.
Still hungry.
But Lira was already gathering Selene.
"Come. The ceremony starts soon."
Raen blinked.
"The inauguration?"
She nodded.
"Every name matters in the clan. Connections matter."
Selene clung to her side, beaming.
Raen said nothing. He followed and soon they reached the Clan square.
Voices roared everywhere in joy and praise.
At its center stood the Trial Grounds, an ancient stone platform ringed with carved beast statues.
Dozens of youths gathered in rows of ten, dressed in ceremonial garb.
Fifty in total, the next generation of cultivators.
Families lined the perimeter, watching with pride or judgment.
Among them, Raen spotted him.
Kael Thalor
The younger brother of Silas Thalor, The prodigy.
Golden eyes, lean and powerful, with a beast's grace in his stride.
His success in assimilating a rare Dire Wolf core had made him the clan's rising star.
Last year, it was his brother Silas, who had also Assimilated a dire wolf.
And here he was almost getting killed by one.
Kael's smirk sharpened when his eyes met Raen's.
Raen looked away promptly
"Raen Thalor."
The call silenced the crowd.
An elder, robed in dark furs, gestured toward the platform.
"You have yet to complete assimilation. By clan law, you must attempt today or leave the clan."
Whispers rippled.
Raen's stomach twisted.
He immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully
"I… I have no core."
The elder didn't blink.
From a nearby table, a servant brought forth a beast core, a dull, flickering stone, barely stable.
"For the unworthy, we provide the unworthy."
Waves of laughter echoed.
Raen's face burned.
Yet in the crowd, his mother offered a small, steady smile.
Selene waved, unaware of the weight on his shoulders.
Raen's hands trembled as he accepted the core.
The cold stone pulsed faintly.
He sat among the others, back straight, but his heart pounded.
Eyes burned into him.
Raen sat alone in the last row of the stone platform, making the number of participants an awkward fifty-one.
Ten students filled each row, but he occupied an entire one by himself.
His presence stood out like a blemish on the otherwise orderly formation.
Instructors stood vigil by each row and column, some accompanied by fearsome beast companions, while others remained unadorned, exuding authority through sheer presence.
Each student had an instructor to guide them, essential for those yet unable to sense the Qi within beast cores.
This was a rite of passage, but it was also a performance.
Assimilation wasn't limited to the trial grounds.
Those with connections or talent, like Kael, had already begun cultivating under supervision.
Early assimilation, granted upon turning eighteen with elder approval, offered an advantage, a head start to push into higher stages.
But many still chose to undergo this trial, seeking the recognition and prestige that came with a public display of strength.
Successful assimilation here could earn favor from elders or even recruitment into prestigious groups.
Yet Raen had no instructor behind him.
No one came forward.
He swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the smooth, dull beast core resting in his palm.
The core felt heavier than it should, its surface cold against his skin.
He knew why he lacked a guide, he had never succeeded in assimilating a core.
No instructor wanted to waste their time on a failure.
Then, footsteps echoed across the stone platform.
A tall man with a stern face and sharp eyes approached.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
This man was none other than Instructor Veylor, Celine's mentor.
Raen's gaze flicked toward the audience, catching sight of Celine standing among the crowd.
Their eyes met briefly.
She gave him a small nod, barely noticeable.
A gesture of acknowledgment, perhaps even concern.
But Raen's chest tightened.
'Why?'
'Was this pity? An old bond flickering out?'
On the sidelines, Silas leaned closer to Celine, smirking as he whispered something.
Raen didn't bother to look again.
Instructor Veylor approached the elders and requested to guide Raen.
After a brief exchange, his request was granted.
Without a word, Veylor positioned himself behind Raen, arms crossed.
The trial began.
One by one, the initiates placed their beast cores against their chests, focusing their minds.
Minutes passed.
Then, a sharp cry shattered the silence.
A falcon's piercing shriek echoed through the air as its ethereal form burst above the platform, wings spread wide before dissipating into motes of light.
The boy who succeeded rose, chest heaving, and was guided to stand aside.
The crowd erupted in applause.
Another followed, a hulking boar.
Its translucent image stamped the ground before vanishing.
Then a fox...
A rabbit...
One after another, vibrant manifestations of beasts filled the air, each success met with cheers and admiration.
Raen sat still.
The core in his hand pulsed faintly.
He focused, reaching inward, searching for the Qi within it.
Yet, each time he neared that thread of energy, it slipped away. Like smoke through clenched fists.
His breathing quickened.
Why? Why can't I grasp it?
The cold of the core bit into his skin.
He clenched his jaw, trying again.
Harder.
Deeper.
Nothing.
A flicker, then gone.
Suddenly, the core crumbled into dust, dissipating like ash.
Raen stared, wide-eyed.
Instructor Veylor's sharp gaze didn't waver.
He had felt it, the moment the core vanished unnaturally.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He already has a core.
Not assimilated in the trial, but something ancient, greedy. Whatever lurked inside Raen had consumed the core entirely.
Veylor said nothing.
Instead, he gave Raen a slight nod, subtle enough for no one else to notice.
Raen's fists trembled on his lap.
Shame burned in his chest.
Around him, more cheers erupted as another beast flared into existence.
Yet Raen was silent.
When the final participant finished, the elders rose, ready to announce the results.