"Caelum…"
He turned toward the voice. It was familiar deep, calm, and unmistakably his.
In the distance, Sainm stood with his arms crossed, the wind ruffling his cloak.
"Master…!" Caelum's voice cracked slightly. It had been three long years in the realm, but seeing Sainm again felt like no time had passed.
Sainm walked closer, eyeing Caelum from head to toe. "Hmph," he said, stroking his mustache. "You've grown. So, you managed to merge the cores?"
"Yes, I did." Caelum smiled, pride evident in his voice.
"So, you're going to train with the next Guardian Pillar?" Sainm asked, his eyes scanning Caelum's expression.
"Yes, I am," Caelum replied calmly, standing tall and composed.
Sainm let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, kid. Then go. Don't keep the Guardian waiting he's not exactly the patient type. Hates wasting time."
Caelum tilted his head. "Do you know who it is?"
Sainm smirked, gaze drifting toward the horizon. "I do. But you'll find out soon enough."
Caelum nodded and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master."
Without another word, he turned and began walking toward his next challengenhis heart steady, a spark of excitement in his steps.
As Caelum reached the place guided by his fused core, the air shifted heavy, electric. Thunder cracked in the sky above as bolts of lightning danced across the clouds like wild serpents. Standing tall amidst the storm was a figure cloaked in fierce winds and raw energy.
His presence alone was overwhelming. The aura around him was thick, suffocating, slicing through the very air.
Thalorien, the Stormcaller—the Third Guardian Pillar.
"Hey, boy," Thalorien's voice rumbled like restrained thunder across the plains. "You're late."
The weight behind his words tightened Caelum's chest. That wasn't a suggestion it was a warning.
"I apologize, Teacher!" Caelum bowed instantly, sensing how dangerous this man was. For a moment, it felt like the very air would have cut him in half if he hadn't moved fast enough.
The storm crackled louder around them.
Thalorien raised a single hand. With almost no effort, a massive fireball roared to life Tier 10 magic, summoned as if it were a candle flame.
He crushed it in his palm.
"I am Thalorien, the Stormcaller. The Third Guardian Pillar. And I," he said, narrowing his eyes, "will teach you magic."
"Follow me," Thalorien ordered, voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Caelum didn't say a word. He simply obeyed, thoughts racing about the training that awaited.
They walked in silence, thunder still echoing faintly behind them. After a short walk, they arrived at the mouth of a colossal cave dark, ancient, humming with energy. The entrance alone was enough to make most men hesitate.
"Come inside," Thalorien commanded sharply.
Caelum stepped in and his breath caught in his throat.
The interior was massive. Twisting paths sprawled like an ant nest, each tunnel disappearing into unknown depths. The cave wasn't just a space it felt like an entire hidden world beneath the earth.
Thalorien didn't wait for awe.
"I'm not like Lyssira," he said coldly. "This won't be easy, and I won't show you mercy."
He stepped closer, storm-charged eyes locking with Caelum's.
"A man must be strong. Powerful. If you show weakness…" his voice dropped, deadly serious, "I will kill you."
Caelum swallowed hard but stood his ground.
Thalorien raised his hands into the air. Lightning coiled around his arms like serpents, casting flickering shadows across the stone walls.
"This place is called the Rune Realm—a living battlefield. Time flows differently here. Two years in this realm equal a single day outside."
He pointed toward the paths ahead.
"And it's not just time that's twisted. This place is home to monsters—goblins, dragons, wraiths, trolls... creatures born from chaos itself."
He smirked.
"Get ready, kid. This is where the real training begins."
Caelum felt fear rising but alongside it, something else.
Excitement.
"I'm ready," he said, voice steady.
As they walked in silence, tension and static energy thick in the air, Caelum hesitated. He knew better than to ask questions especially to someone like Thalorien. But curiosity clawed at him.
Still walking, he nervously scratched the back of his head and spoke up.
"U-Um, Teacher…" Caelum's voice broke the silence, uncertain but brave. "Does… every Guardian Pillar have their own realm? Where time flows differently?"
Thalorien didn't stop walking. His expression remained unreadable stone cold, no emotion.
"Yes," he replied simply, voice as dry and sharp as lightning cutting through clouds.
Caelum let out a small, awkward chuckle, rubbing his neck. "Heh… okay."
A long pause.
Then Thalorien added, distant in tone, "Each realm reflects the soul of its Guardian. Lyssira's realm was still and calm. Mine is not."
Caelum paused but said nothing more. The silence returned heavier this time.
"We've arrived," Thalorien said as they stopped before a wide, jagged clearing in the vast Rune Realm. The air buzzed with energy magic particles danced like embers in a thunderstorm.
"From here," he continued, turning slightly, "we begin your training."
His fierce eyes locked onto Caelum. "Tell me, boy. Do you know how to manipulate the magic molecules?"
Caelum straightened, answering without hesitation, "My master told me to let the magic core flow into my hands and let my imagination shape it."
Thalorien nodded slowly, then shook his head. "But we'll be doing something different."
He lifted his hand, and lightning cracked above briefly forming ancient symbols in the sky.
"Imagination is only the first spark," Thalorien said, voice like distant thunder. "Here, you'll learn to command rune magic, not just shape it. We draw the molecules in, bind them with will, and force them to obey."
"But before we begin shaping magic" Thalorien cracked his knuckles, sparks dancing along his arms, "we train your body."
He turned sharply toward Caelum, voice harsh and booming.
"You look weak and thin, boy. If your body can't handle the force of magic, the moment you command a proper rune, it'll tear you in half."
Thalorien pointed to the vast expanse before them jagged, uneven, wide.
"Alright, kid. I need 200 rounds of this place. Now."
Caelum's eyes widened like plates. His heart nearly stopped at the sheer size. "T-Two hundred…?" he muttered, legs already numb just looking at the distance.
But Thalorien's gaze silenced any protest. That thunderstorm aura pressed down like a mountain.
"Go."
Caelum flinched, bolting forward, breath ragged." His steps shaky.
By the first round, he collapsed knees hitting the ground, gasping as his throat burned and chest screamed.
"GET UP!" Thalorien's voice echoed like divine judgment. "You collapse after one round? Pathetic! You don't deserve the core you hold!"
Caelum's hands trembled. Sweat mixed with dirt on his face.
But his legs moved no, dragged him forward.
"And don't even think about water until you finish your tenth round," Thalorien roared. "Move."
Biting his lip, Caelum rose. Legs wobbled. Pain throbbed in every part. But still… he ran.
"One… step… at a time…"
10th round.
Gasp—Caelum dropped to his knees, completely out of breath.
"Water… I need… water…" he muttered, barely audible.
Thak!
A bottle hit the ground near him.
Thalorien stood tall, arms crossed, casting a sharp shadow.
"Well done, boy. You're halfway there. 190 rounds more," he said calmly but heavily.
Caelum said nothing. He grabbed the bottle and drank like it was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted.
Gulp. Gulp.
"Haa…" he exhaled, eyes shut, savoring the relief.
"Get up. Twenty more rounds, then you get to drink water again," Thalorien commanded sharply.
Caelum pushed himself up, every muscle screaming, ready for the next brutal run the one that would drain him dry once more.
But barely a minute standing, his legs gave out.
He collapsed.
Darkness swirled. His mind went blank.
"You came again, Caelum."
That voice like tar sliding across glass—dug into him again.
The same illusion hit like a shadow.
We are waiting for you. Choose the darkness.
He jolted awake, gasping as if suffocating.
Breathing hard, he looked around. Near the fire, ashes floated lazily.
Thalorien sat silently beside it.
"Boy, you're awake."
Caelum stayed silent, fear flickering as he recalled the illusion.
"You saw it, didn't you?" Thalorien's voice was calm but firm. "That illusion, telling you to choose the darkness."
Caelum clutched his chest.
"That illusion is a trick. A play from the Sin of Pride—Lucel. He's trying to manipulate you."
Caelum's face twisted in confusion.
"But the figure said he was my future self… and that he chose the darkness."
Thalorien shook his head. "I've told you, boy. It's just a fake illusion created by Lucel. Your ancestor, Arthur Caelum, faced the same illusion."
"We fought side by side, over twelve hundred years ago."
Thalorien's voice softened slightly. "I've lived nearly five hundred years now."
"I want to know more… about him," Caelum said quietly, still shaken.
Thalorien sat still, eyes dimming as if pulling memories from deep within. The fire crackled, scattering sparks into the dark air.
"Arthur Caelym…" he finally spoke, tone soft yet heavy. "He was a Celester Knight… the strongest man I've ever known in all my five hundred years."
Caelum listened, eyes fixed on Thalorien's face.
"He carried wisdom like a crown and kindness like a sword. Never once did I see him tremble, even when the heavens themselves cracked open."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Thalorien's lips. "We, the Guardian Pillars, trained him when he he was weak. But soon, he surpassed even us."
The wind blew softly, carrying glowing embers between them.
"He inherited both the light and dark core, just like you," Thalorien continued. "He was blessed by the Archangel Michaelos… and even the Ophanim spawn."
Caelum's eyes widened. "How… how did he die?" he asked, curiosity blending with awe.
Thalorien's gaze dropped to the fire.
"No matter how powerful one is… no one escapes time."
He took a deep breath, voice low. "He died of old age. Lived to 110 years… and passed away in my hands."
A silence settled.
"He was a good friend of mine."