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Chapter 156: The Shard Guardians
The victory at the Northern Rift did not feel like an ending.Even as night settled over the reclaimed valley, the land itself remained uneasy—stone still warm beneath ash, the air humming faintly with residual Aether. Fires crackled in controlled circles where soldiers rested, tending wounds and repairing armor scored by Starbound weapons. Beyond the perimeter, the sealed fissure pulsed like a buried heart, dim but persistent.Eryn Vale stood apart from the camps, staring toward the northern ridge where the rift’s energy had thinned into translucent veils. The Phoenix-Aether within her was quieter now, no longer roaring—but it had not gone still. It stirred with a low, warning heat, like embers shifting beneath ash.Kael joined her, his presence steady, grounding. His Phoenix-feathers had dimmed to a soft glow, their edges no longer molten but warm, as if mirroring his restraint.“You felt it too,” he said.Eryn nodded without looking at him. “Something survived. Not Starbound. Not R
Chapter 155: The Starbound Counter-Offensive
The dawn broke over the jagged peaks of the Northern Rift, though it offered little warmth. Ash hung in the air like fog, remnants of the previous day’s battle settling over frozen ruins. The valley lay scarred: shattered trees, splintered stone, and the twisted bodies of Riftborn scattered like grotesque trophies. Yet despite the destruction, Eldoria’s forces stood ready. Eryn Vale, her Phoenix-Aether coiling around her arms like living fire, surveyed the valley. Every soldier, mage, and scout had endured the previous assault; every eye was fixed on her. For the first time, she was not just defending—she was leading. Kael stepped beside her, Phoenix-feathers stirring in the bitter wind. His expression was grim, but his voice carried authority. “The rift adapts. Every strike you made yesterday, it learned. Today, we strike with precision. Focus your power, Eryn. Channel the Phoenix—but do not let it consume you.” Eryn nodded, feeling the familiar burn of the Phoenix-Aether in her c
Chapter 154: The Northern Rift Awakens
The wind howled over the jagged peaks of the Frostspire Mountains, carrying with it a biting chill that cut through even the thickest mage robes. The Northern Kingdom, once a bastion of arcane learning and tempered steel, now lay scarred by centuries of rift activity, its villages abandoned, and forests twisted into jagged black growths by lingering Aether corruption. Kael stood atop a cliff overlooking the valley below, his Phoenix-Aether coiling around him like a living flame. He squinted at the horizon, where a swirl of unnatural darkness had begun to manifest—a rift tearing open the fabric of reality, faintly glowing with unstable crimson light. “Kael,” Lira said, stepping beside him, her staff shimmering with protective wards, “this isn’t like the last breach. The energy is… heavier, more malignant. I’ve never felt anything like it.” Kael nodded, gripping his staff tightly. “It’s feeding on something deeper—something ancient. The Northern Rift isn’t just another tear. It’s… hu
Chapter 153: Council in Turmoil
The Arcane Academy was quiet in the aftermath of the Starbound Vanguard’s assault, but the calm was deceptive. Within the Council Hall, tension crackled like static electricity, far more volatile than any battlefield scarred by rift energy. The marble floors gleamed under torchlight, reflecting the anxious expressions of Eldoria’s most powerful mages. Kael stood at the head of the chamber, his Phoenix-Aether still faintly humming beneath his skin. His wings, folded behind him, carried traces of the day’s battle, faint ash and sparks clinging to feathers that had already begun to regenerate. He exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the council’s words before his own thoughts overwhelmed him. Eryn sat at a side table, hands folded in her lap, eyes wide as murmurs filled the hall. Some council members avoided looking at her entirely, while others regarded her with a mixture of awe and fear. Even after the Vanguard’s defeat, the room was heavy with suspicion. She was not merely a student n
Chapter 152: The Starborn Vanguard Returns
The Arcane Academy’s walls had been reforged overnight, wards humming with residual Aether, their shimmering sigils reflecting the crimson and gold of dawn. The Siege had left scars, but the Academy endured, and so did its defenders. Kael stood atop the main spire, wings folded, eyes scanning the horizon. The wind carried whispers from the rifts—faint distortions in the air, almost imperceptible to the untrained eye. “They’re coming,” he murmured. Not just any Starbound troops, but the Vanguard: elite, coordinated, and relentless. Below, Eryn’s hands glowed as she walked among the students, demonstrating her Phoenix-Aether control. Each step she took left trails of radiant light, a reminder that the flames were now an extension of her will. Lira stayed close, guiding those who trembled, her own staff crackling faintly with protective runes. “Eryn,” Kael called, voice carrying over the courtyard. “Today is your first field test. The Vanguard will strike in waves. You must lead the d
Chapter 151: Eryn’s Trial of Fire
The dawn’s light filtered weakly through the shattered towers of the Arcane Academy, gilding the debris with a pale gold that contrasted sharply against the scars of the previous battle. The courtyard, though quiet now, still hummed with the echoes of Phoenix-Aether and the fading tremors of collapsed rifts. Students cleaned wards, reinforced barriers, and whispered in tight clusters, their eyes darting toward the figure standing at the center: Eryn Vale, the Seventh Flame, still trembling from the Siege. Kael approached her, his wings folded yet glowing faintly, the heat from residual Phoenix-Aether radiating against his armor. His gaze was steady, sharp, and unyielding. “Eryn,” he began, voice both firm and gentle, “you survived the Starborn Siege, but surviving is not enough. The Starbound will return, stronger, smarter, and more coordinated. If you cannot control your power, you will become the weapon and the target at once.” Eryn’s palms still flickered with gold and crimson, t
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