Garran didn't waste time.
"Sit. Breathe. And shut up."
Christian blinked. "You could at least pretend to be a normal teacher."
"I'm not. I'm your last option."
They were inside Garran's hideout—a ruined spirit dojo deep underground, beneath an old subway tunnel. Spirit glyphs pulsed faintly on the walls, keeping the darkness at bay.
Kien stood at the edge, watching silently.
"Lesson one," Garran said, stepping into the circle. "Everyone thinks power comes from control. That's a lie."
He dropped a stone on the floor. Black energy rippled from it like waves in water.
"Real power comes from understanding your own chaos. And surviving it."
Garran pressed his palm to Christian's chest—hard.
Christian gasped. The world twisted around him.
Everything went dark.
Spirit Realm – Core Reflection
Christian stood alone.
He looked down and saw himself—splintered into thousands of mirror shards, floating in a void lit only by his flickering black spirit core.
It pulsed wildly. Violently. Unstable.
Then… the shadows stirred.
A figure formed, made entirely of shifting darkness—his shape, his face, his voice.
"You want strength?" it said. "Then prove you can carry it."
The reflection attacked.
It moved like smoke and lightning, striking without hesitation. Christian dodged the first hit, blocked the second, but the third slammed into his chest—hard.
Pain exploded through him.
But so did power.
He gritted his teeth, planting his feet.
"I'm not running anymore."
He stepped into the attack, let the energy flow through him—and something changed.
His black mist solidified. For a second, it formed a shield—just enough to block the killing blow.
The shadow paused.
Then it smiled.
"You're learning."
The reflection faded.
Back in Reality
Christian fell forward, coughing. His chest burned. But he was alive.
Garran grinned. "Not bad. Most people cry the first time."
Kien rushed to his side, helping him up.
"What was that?" Christian asked, panting.
"Your spirit reflection," Garran said. "The core tests your soul before it grows. That was your first gate."
Christian swallowed hard. "How many more gates are there?"
"Depends how much you're willing to suffer," Garran said. "And how far you're willing to go."
Elsewhere – Steelfang Elite Academy
A dark-haired student stood atop a tall tower, staring out over the city. His uniform bore the mark of the Spirit Crown Society—the strongest student cultivators in the nation.
He watched the replay of Christian's fight with Kael on a floating tablet.
His name was Riven Drael. Top-ranked Core Bender. Mid-tier Soul Binder. Prodigy of Flame and Steel.
He narrowed his eyes.
"A black mist core… and a Void signature?"
He turned to the screen and smirked.
"I'm going to crush that spark before it becomes a flame."
In the shadows below, Christian stood with Kien and Garran, unaware that his first real rival wasn't Kael.
It was someone far stronger.
And soon, the real trials would begin.