The cavern walls closed in around them as Char led the way, his thoughts a storm of calculations and memories. The Ascension Stones had to be here somewhere. They were the key to everything—getting stronger, saving Selka, stopping Flint.
Merrick trudged behind him, arms crossed, his mood growing fouler with each passing minute. "Are you sure about this?" he muttered. "We should be focusing on healing my sister, not chasing some mythical rocks."
Char clenched his jaw. "If we don't get stronger, we'll die trying to save Selka. Then, how would we save Mira?."
Merrick scoffed. "Easy for you to say. You're the main character in all this, aren't you?" His voice dripped with bitterness. "Everything works out for you. You get everything—"
"Are you serious right now?" Char rounded on him, anger flashing across his face. "You think this has been easy? You think I haven't lost anything?"
Merrick threw up his hands. "Look, all I know is that while you're out here on your little treasure hunt, that girl is stuck in the middle of some political nightmare. You can play hero all you want, but I need to act."
Char felt something in him snap. "And what exactly are you going to do, Merrick?" His voice rose, frustration boiling over. "Charge into the settlement with no plan? Fight an entire army with nothing but good intentions?"
Merrick clenched his fists. "At least I'd be doing something."
Char shook his head, mind burning with anger. "We can't do shit to them, Merrick. We'd be killing ourselves.
Char let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Killing ourselves? Like how Benjamin died to protect you, right?
The second the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
Char's entire body stiffened, his expression darkening like a brewing storm. For a heartbeat, there was silence between them. Then, without warning, Merrick lunged.
His fist connected with Char's jaw, sending a flash of pain through his skull.
Char staggered but didn't fall. Instead, he lashed out in return, slamming his shoulder into Merrick and knocking him to the ground. The impact kicked up dust, and they rolled against the cavern floor, grappling like furious animals.
"You don't get to talk about him!" Char snarled just as Merrick was throwing a wild punch.
Char blocked it, twisting his arm and pinning Merrick down with his knee. His breath was ragged, his heart hammering. "You think I don't feel it?" he shouted. "Every single second since we left him behind? You think I don't see his face every time I close my damn eyes?"
Merrick struggled, but Char pressed harder, forcing him to listen. "I know you're scared. I know you'd rather run in there swinging because the alternative is sitting in this cavern, feeling useless. But if we rush in now, we lose. And I'm not—" His voice broke, but he pushed forward. "I'm not losing anyone else."
Merrick stopped fighting. His breathing was heavy, his face twisted with anger and something else—grief, maybe. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, finally, Char released him and staggered back.
Merrick sat up slowly, rubbing his bruised ribs. "You really think these stones will change everything?"
Char exhaled, running a shaking hand through his hair. "They have to."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
A faint, eerie glow flickered from a crack in the rock.
Char froze. His breath caught in his throat as he turned, heart pounding.
The light was a deep, shimmering blue, pulsing gently from the shadows of a jagged fissure in the cavern wall.
"No way..."
Merrick followed his gaze, his eyes widening. "Is that—?"
Char stepped closer, reaching out. The glow danced across his fingertips.
An Ascension Stone.
Real. Right there in front of him.
His journey had just changed forever
*
Char's fingers trembled as he reached into the narrow crack in the rock, where an ethereal blue light pulsed like a heartbeat. The hum of raw energy sent a shiver up his spine. He braced himself, feeling the edges of the Ascension Stones—three of them, their smooth surfaces thrumming with latent power.
Carefully, he pried them free, holding them in his palm. The glow deepened, illuminating his face with an otherworldly sheen. These tiny crystalline shards, forged in the very veins of the world, were about to change everything.
Behind him, Merrick shifted uneasily. "So… this is it?"
Char turned, meeting his gaze. The man was frowning, his usual bravado subdued by the weight of the moment.
"This is it," Char confirmed. He held out two of the stones. "Take these."
Merrick blinked at him. "What? You're just handing them over?"
"I trust you," Char said simply. "One's for you. One's for Mira. Keep them safe."
Merrick stared at the glowing crystals in his palm. His fingers curled around them instinctively, though uncertainty flickered in his expression. He exhaled sharply through his nose. "Guess that means you're going first."
"Yeah."
Char took his remaining stone and held it between his hands, its energy resonating against his skin. He could feel the power within, waiting—wanting—to be claimed.
This was the moment.
He closed his eyes, taking a slow, deliberate breath.
"The first step: Acceptance."
The words echoed in his mind, drawn from the Tome of Ascendancy. He had read them over and over, but now, standing here, they took on new meaning. This wasn't theory anymore. It wasn't just something he'd written about.
It was real.
He opened himself to the stone's energy, allowing it to recognize him. To see him.
A soft pulse of warmth spread from his palms, threading up his arms like liquid fire.
"The second step: Fusion."
He tightened his grip.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
Crack.
A sharp sound split the air. The Ascension Stone shattered in his hands, dissolving into radiant fragments that sank into his skin like embers carried by the wind.
Heat.
Blinding, searing heat surged through his body, setting his nerves ablaze. His breath hitched as an immense force unfurled within him, awakening something that had always been there—something primal, something waiting.
His mana nodes ignited.
One by one, they flared to life, burning like stars within him.
A gasp tore from his throat. He staggered, his vision fracturing into streaks of color. The world around him faded, swallowed by an overwhelming presence pressing into his mind.
"The final step: Realization."
And then—
He saw it.
His skill.
Its name reverberated through him, not spoken, but felt, seared into his very being like a brand.
A flood of knowledge followed, images and sensations pouring into his mind in a cascade of meaning. He could feel its potential, its purpose, as if he had always known it was a part of him, waiting beneath the surface.
Merrick's voice was distant, muffled, as if coming from the other end of a tunnel. "Char?!"
Char's eyes snapped open.
And the world was different.
*
Char's breathing was steady as he and Merrick crouched near the mouth of the cave, the lingering energy of the Ascension Stone still humming beneath his skin. His mind raced, threading together the fragments of their situation into something that resembled a plan. Time was slipping away, and they had already wasted too much of it.
Merrick wiped a hand down his face, exhaustion evident in his features. "Alright," he muttered. "You've got your magic awakening moment, but we're still down bad here. Selka's still in their hands, Mira's injured, and Lucien's now the Chief. So unless you suddenly learned how to wipe out an entire settlement of Valkari warriors with one hand—"
"We don't need to fight them all," Char interrupted. His voice was calm, but there was a new steel beneath it. He was thinking fast, piecing together the possibilities. "Flint is the real problem. He's pulling the strings. We take him out, and Lucien loses his voice of manipulation."
Merrick frowned. "And how do you plan on doing that?"
Char looked toward the valley below. The settlement was still bustling in the dying light of the evening. Somewhere in there, Selka was being held, and Flint was likely whispering more poison into Lucien's ear. Char clenched his fists. "I'll handle it."
Merrick scoffed. "Oh yeah? Just like that? You're gonna walk in and—what? Challenge him to a duel?"
"If that's what it takes."
Merrick gave him a look, half frustrated, half something else—something that might have been concern. "You're not thinking straight, man."
Char exhaled through his nose. "I'm thinking clearer than ever."
Before Merrick could argue, a weak voice broke through their conversation.
"Both of you… shut up."
They turned.
Mira was watching them, her face pale with exhaustion. She was still propped against the rock where they'd left her, her body stiff with pain. Even in the dim light, the dried blood on her clothes was stark.
Char was at her side in an instant, kneeling down. "You need to rest," he said, quieter now.
She huffed a weak laugh. "Hard to do when you two are arguing right next to me."
Merrick scratched the back of his head, grumbling, but Char only gave her a small smile. He reached out, brushing her hair from her face. The tension in his chest eased slightly as she leaned into his touch.
"I know you want to help," she murmured. "But… don't do anything reckless."
Char swallowed.
For a long moment, they simply looked at each other. There was something different in Mira's gaze, something vulnerable that she rarely showed. It wasn't just exhaustion—it was trust.
He exhaled slowly. "I won't," he promised. "But I have to do this."
Mira's brows furrowed, but she didn't argue. Instead, she lifted a trembling hand and pressed it against his chest. "Then come back," she whispered. "Please."
The words sent something sharp through him.
"I will," he said, without hesitation.
Her eyes softened, and then, finally, her exhaustion won. Her body slumped slightly, breath evening out as unconsciousness took her.
Char lingered for a second, then turned to Merrick. "Take her somewhere safe," he said. "Make sure she's okay."
Merrick hesitated. His hands curled into fists at his sides. "You really mean to do this alone?"
"Yes."
Silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant sounds of the settlement below. Then, finally, Merrick sighed. "You're an idiot," he muttered.
Char smirked. "I know."
Merrick shook his head. Then, carefully, he bent down and lifted Mira into his arms. He adjusted her weight, casting one last glance at Char before stepping away.
"Don't die," he said.
Char gave a small, lopsided grin. "Wouldn't dream of it."
And with that, he turned and began his descent into enemy territory.