Alpha Instinct

Armeria felt different. The heavy shroud of mourning that had blanketed the city on their departure had lifted, slightly. The market stalls, previously deserted or sparsely stocked, now displayed a meager, but present, array of goods.

Merchants called out to potential customers, their voices hesitant, but with a hint of returning energy. The blacksmith's hammer rang with a more frequent, if not yet fully confident, rhythm. Life, bruised but not broken, was tentatively reasserting itself.

Leonard sat at a table outside a tavern, nursing a vibrant blue drink. Ice crystals, conjured by a simple chill spell, clung to the rim of the glass. He took a sip, then grimaced slightly. "Sour... But not bad, I guess," he commented.

Evelyn, sitting across from him, watched with amusement. "May I?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Without waiting for an answer, she leaned forward, placing his straw between her lips, and took a delicate sip, her gaze locked with his. She pulled back, making a cute, exaggerated face. "I prefer mine... sweet...," she said, pointing to a rose-colored drink on the table, fizzing with tiny, effervescent bubbles.

Leonard chuckled, shaking his head. He'd been thinking about Saito, about the Soul Stone he'd retrieved. "I need to go back to Saito's," he said, turning serious. "And soon. I want to show him the Ursulos Rex's Soul Stone. It's the material he requested for that first Blade Dancer mission, remember? I'm curious what he intends to do with it... how it relates to my class."

Evelyn nodded. "It's a good idea. He might have some insight into... everything that's happened," she said, her voice softer, a shadow of the recent trauma flickering across her eyes. "We could use some answers."

Just then, Mikaela and Kaleb approached their table. "Good news," Mikaela announced, a weary but genuine smile on her face. "The raid on the Lich's Lair is scheduled to depart in twenty-five days. Plenty of time for you to visit Saito, Leonard, if you want. By the way, I subscribed everyone."

Kaleb grinned, clapping Leonard on the back. "Yeah, go see the old geezer! I'm starting to miss his senile ramblings. Bet he's forgotten how to tie his own sandals by now," he quipped.

Leonard rolled his eyes. "I'm definitely telling Saito you said that, Kaleb. Every. Single. Word."

The group laughed, a brief moment of levity in the midst of their heavy burdens. Leonard and Evelyn finished their drinks, and they set off, heading back towards the familiar shores of Zafir, and Saito's cabin.

The journey took four days, a cautious trek filled with careful scouting and discreet campsites. They were wary, haunted by the recent betrayal and the ever-present threat of the wilds.

Finally, they reached the familiar coastline. But the sight that greeted Leonard stopped him in his tracks. Saito's cabin... it was different. Several workers were busily adding a new section to the small dwelling, a surprisingly sturdy-looking extension built onto the side.

"What in the...?", Leonard muttered, exchanging surprised glances with Evelyn. "Looks like the old man's been busy," he said, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Wonder if he finally decided to get a real bed instead of that pile of straw he calls a mattress?" He turned back to Mikaela and Kaleb, adding in a lowered voice. "Did he say anything before about expanding his crib?"

"No, he didn't say anything about renovations," Mikaela replied, shaking her head, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Nah, nothing," Kaleb added, shrugging. "I knew it! I was sure the old man had finally gone completely senile!"

Evelyn laughed at Kaleb's joke, then added, with a teasing smirk, "You're getting better at jokes, Kaleb. And your timing... almost passable."

Kaleb, puffing out his chest, started to walk ahead, shouting, "Grandpa Saito! We're heeeere!" as they got close enough to the cabin.

Before they could reach the door, Saito emerged, a broad, beaming smile on his weathered face. "Oh hoo! I knew you were capable, my girl!" He strode past Kaleb and clapped Mikaela on the shoulder. "Mikaela! You've done well! Bringing Leonard back safe and sound! I'm so proud!" Mikaela stood there, utterly bewildered, while Kaleb sputtered indignantly in the background.

Leonard laughed and rushed toward his master and performed a formal bow. Saito, in response, promptly whacked him on the head with his sword scabbard.

"Ow! What was that for?" Leonard asked, rubbing his head.

Saito pulled Leonard into a warm hug. "Thank you for coming back alive. Now, give me the Ursulos Rex's Soul Stone, quickly."

"I don't know if you're happy to see me or to see the Soul Stone..." Leo thought but just blinked, masking surprise. How did you know I got it?"

Saito chuckled. "There are more things I don't know than I do know, my boy. You'll learn that with time." He gestured towards a cluttered workspace near the cabin, filled with various crafting materials. "Come, let's go over there."

They gathered around the work area. Saito cleared a space on a worn wooden table. "I'm going to prepare the Soul Stone for you, Leonard."

"Prepare it? What does that even mean?" Leonard asked, his curiosity piqued.

Saito held up a hand, his eyes twinkling. "I'm going to imbue the stone with a skill imprint. If you absorb the energy with your ELEV, you'll learn the skill through transference."

"Why can't I just learn it the traditional way?" Leonard asked, tilting his head.

Saito let out a hearty laugh. "Because it took me forty years to create and refine that skill! Do you want to spend that long training?"

Leonard grimaced. "Absolutely not. Forty years? I'd rather fight a hundred Ursulos Rexes... at the same time... naked."

"Oh hoo! Then be grateful for this shortcut, you impatient brat!" Saito retorted, playfully.

Leonard, changing the subject, pointed at Kaleb. "By the way, Saito, Kaleb killed the infamous Cragheart."

Saito's eyes widened for a brief moment, a spark of genuine pride flickering within them. But he quickly masked it with a forced cough and a dismissive wave of his hand. "Cragheart, you say? Bah, probably just a lucky shot. Don't get a big head, boy," he mumbled, though a slight twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed his amusement.

Kaleb leaned toward Leo and whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear, "He's totally going to brag about this to the other elders for weeks. Just watch."

"Silence, everyone!" Saito announced, abruptly changing the subject again, his voice taking on a serious tone. "I'm going to begin the transference process."

He carefully placed the Ursulos Rex's Soul Stone—a crimson, translucent gem the size of a clenched fist—in the center of the table. The stone pulsed with a faint, inner light, like a captured ember.

Saito closed his eyes, muttering a series of low, rhythmic incantations in the Ancient Tongue. He raised his hands above the stone, his fingers splayed. A faint, golden energy began to emanate from his palms, swirling around the gem like ethereal smoke. The air crackled with unseen power. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the crimson light of the Soul Stone began to shift, taking on a golden hue, mirroring the energy flowing from Saito's hands.

The process seemed to draw upon Saito's own energy, making him look tired.

Saito carefully lifted the Soul Stone, now suffused with a warm, golden light, and placed it in Leonard's outstretched hand. "Go to a quiet place, Leonard," he instructed, his voice grave. "Concentrate, and absorb the energy. But be prepared. The tribulatory load is high."

Leonard nodded, his expression serious. "I'll be careful, Master." He turned and walked towards a small hill overlooking the cabin, a place that offered a semblance of solitude.

Mikaela, Kaleb, and Evelyn exchanged uneasy glances. Silently, they followed Leonard, keeping a discreet distance, curiosity and concern warring within them. They hid themselves behind a cluster of trees, peering out at the scene unfolding.

Leonard sat at the hilltop, legs crossed in a lotus position. He placed the Soul Stone on his lap, directly in front of him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, centering himself.

He activated his ELEV, channeling all his circulating energy into his hands. Then, slowly, deliberately, he placed his hands on the Soul Stone.

An immense surge of power erupted. A blinding flash of light engulfed Leonard, forcing Mikaela, Kaleb, and Evelyn to shield their eyes. The sky above churned, clouds swirling rapidly as if a localized storm were brewing directly over Leonard's head.

Leonard's eyes snapped open, but they were no longer his own. The pupils and irises were gone, leaving only blank, white orbs. His body began to tremble, violently, as if he were undergoing a seizure. His form seemed to writhe in agony, yet his face remained eerily blank, devoid of any expression, completely disconnected from his own body.

"Is he going to be okay, or is he going to turn into a giant, glowing blueberry and explode?" Kaleb whispered, his voice a mix of awe and apprehension.

Mikaela, her face pale with worry, started to rise from their hiding spot. "Leonard!" She called.

Evelyn grabbed Mikaela's arm, holding her back. "Wait," she said, her voice firm. "We have to trust him. And Saito."