Eclipsed Realms: The Tamer's Path

The moment I asked him, Aurion's gaze softened ever so slightly, like he'd been expecting my question. I was no fool—I knew this was a rare opportunity. We'd all fought tirelessly for survival, but we needed to do more than just survive. We needed to grow. And if there was anyone who could teach us how to reach that next level, it was Aurion.

"Will you train us?" I asked, my voice steady, but a fire burning in my chest.

He studied me for a long moment, his glowing green eyes scanning the small group of us. "I have much to do now that I've returned to my people," he said slowly. "But I can spare you one week. After that, I must take my people back to the Beast Empire."

One week. A week of training with the finest warrior I'd ever seen, and it would be a lifetime of growth for all of us. I felt my pulse quicken, excitement bubbling within me. This was the chance we had been waiting for.

"Gather round," Aurion commanded, and we all instinctively obeyed. We stood in front of him, our minds still clouded with the fatigue from our constant battles, but the spark of anticipation pushed it aside.

"You all have potential," Aurion began, his voice deep and resonating with authority. "But potential means nothing without control. You will learn to manipulate energy—your energy, your elements. Without control, your power is meaningless." His words were sharp, cutting through the haze of my thoughts. "Before you can move forward, you must understand this fundamental truth. The foundation of everything lies in control."

He stood there, waiting, letting his words settle. I glanced at the others. Asura was standing tall, his flames flickering faintly around him. Voltis, always so composed, had his golden eyes shining with lightning as he focused on each word. Laila, though calm, looked excited to start. And me? I felt a mixture of excitement and determination.

"You're all familiar with your elements," Aurion continued, bringing my attention back to him. "But now, you will learn to shape them. Each of you, show me the most complex shape you can create with your power."

I gulped, my palms already sweating. I was a human, without any natural affinity to the elements. All I had was my training and the will to push through. I wasn't like Asura, who could bend fire to his will with ease. Or Voltis, whose control over lightning was practically second nature. Or Laila, who could already control the roots with grace. I was… different. And I wasn't sure I could keep up, but I managed to keep down my feeling of inferiority down by putting the fact forward that I was not born with their natural gifts.

The pressure to succeed weighed on me, but I stood tall and focused. Aurion was waiting for me to make the first move.

Asura stepped forward first. He raised his hand, and instantly, flames surged up around him, swirling into intricate, twisting patterns. His control was flawless—he shaped the fire into a detailed phoenix, its wings spread wide. I could feel the heat radiating from it, the strength of the flames so real that it seemed almost alive. He didn't struggle. His power flowed freely, and he commanded it like a second nature.

Voltis was next. His lightning crackled in the air as he formed a barrier around himself, a perfect shield of pure energy. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he transformed the lightning into a bolt, a jagged spear of pure electricity that shimmered with raw power. It wasn't as complex as Asura's phoenix, but it was impressive—his control was just as formidable, especially for a creature who wasn't an elemental. But it was clear that he needed work since it hadn't been long that he received those powers.

Then it was Laila's turn. With a graceful movement, she extended her arms, and delicate petals swirled around her, gathering in the air. They seemed to glow with their own inner light as she manipulated them into a beautiful, intricate flower that bloomed in midair. But there was a challenge there too. Laila wasn't just controlling the petals anymore—she was shaping them into something more than they were naturally capable of. She wasn't simply using them to attack or defend; she was creating something unique. However, it was the same case of Voltis. Laila lacked the mastery of these elements and her creations were also not as complex.

And then there was me.

I stepped forward, my heart pounding in my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering all my energy, trying to feel the pulse of it. I could form simple shapes—cubes, blocks, spheres—but they were basic. Unrefined. Nothing like the beauty the others had just demonstrated.

I clenched my fists and tried again. I focused, imagining a sword—something simple, something strong. I pushed my energy into it, trying to shape it. Slowly, the rough outline of a sword began to form, but it was awkward and unrefined. The energy crackled unevenly, and the sword flickered before disintegrating into nothing.

A deep sigh escaped me. I wasn't surprised. I had no natural affinity, no innate connection to the elements. I was just a human, trying to force something into existence with the scale on neutral.

"Not bad," Aurion said, his voice devoid of criticism. "But you must learn to trust your imagination."

I blinked, surprised. "Imagination?"Not a word that he had been expecting from a Knight.

"You are creating something that doesn't exist. You don't have to build in steps. It is like crafting something in your mind and then bringing it into reality all at once." He took a step closer to me, his eyes sharp. "You are imagining parts of it as you go. That is your mistake. You must see it as a whole—like summoning a being, not piecing it together. The strength lies in your belief. The more you doubt, the weaker it becomes."

I looked at him, struggling to understand. I had always thought of building my creations piece by piece, adding details along the way. But Aurion was telling me to see the entire structure before me, to imagine it whole, to believe in it fully.

I hesitated. "But I've never made a chain before. How can I imagine it whole if I don't know how to make it?"

A small smile appeared on his face, but it was more of understanding than mockery. "And yet, you will. You are imagining the chain in its entirety now—don't let your doubts scatter the image."

I took a deep breath, focusing all my energy into that one thought—the chain, complete, unbroken, connected in perfect links. I imagined it, not in pieces, but as a whole. A chain, strong and seamless, linking together, piece by piece, but all at once.

My hand shook, but the chain began to form. It wasn't perfect, but it was real. It shimmered in the air for a moment before falling to the ground with a metallic clink. It wasn't just a simple block or a stick. It was something far more intricate, far more complex than I had ever been able to create before.

'Damn, that was so much easier.'

"Better," Aurion nodded, his expression approving. "You are learning. Now do it again, but with more confidence."

And so, I did. I created more complex shapes—chains, spears, swords, and even furniture. With each attempt, I gained a little more confidence, a little more control. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. I could feel my connection to my energy growing stronger with each breath.

We practiced for hours, pushing our limits, learning to shape our elements with more precision. Asura, Voltis, and Laila continued to refine their control, shaping their elements with ease. They were already so far ahead, but I could feel myself catching up, slowly but surely.

When the sun began to set, Aurion called for a break. "You've made good progress. Now, rest. We will begin again in an hour."

The one hour rest was barely enough for my mind to unwind, let alone recover from the day's intense training. I still felt the burn in my muscles, the sting in my hands from the constant manipulation of energy. The mental exhaustion was the worst, though. Every time I thought I had my control under grasp, the energy would slip through my fingers like sand.

Aurion didn't give us much time to think about it. As soon as the break was over, he was already calling out to Voltis. "You," he said, his voice commanding, "let's work on your speed. Lightning should be your element. It's fast—so why aren't you?"

Voltis nodded, levitating forward with an almost resigned look on his face. His lightning armor crackled, but there was no precision in his movements, just raw energy leaking out here and there. He hadn't figured out how to move the way he wanted—his body was too long, too unfamiliar in this new form.

Aurion's eyes were sharp as he observed Voltis. He flicked his wrist, and suddenly, the sky was filled with orbs—energy balls that hummed with a low, ominous vibration. "Your task is simple. You need to move as fast as lightning, but control the speed. These will explode on impact. Avoid them."

Voltis took a deep breath, bracing himself. He tried to dash forward, but his movement was erratic, more like a creature stumbling through an unfamiliar terrain than a lightning bolt cutting through the air. The first energy ball exploded, sending a shower of sparks in all directions. Another explosion. Then another.

I watched, helpless, as Voltis struggled. He moved too late, too clumsily. Each explosion pushed him back further, his armor crackling in response to the impact, but it wasn't enough. "Come on, Voltis!" I muttered under my breath, wanting so badly for him to get it right.

Aurion remained stoic, watching the chaos unfold. "You can't control lightning if you don't understand how to move with it. Focus on the path you want to take, and the lightning will follow."

As Voltis continued his failed attempts, I turned my attention to Asura. He was next. His boosters were powered up, but he didn't have the control to keep them steady. It was like watching a Mech suit trying to walk for the first time—jerky, uncoordinated. The speed and strength of the boosters were there, but the finesse was missing.

Aurion created a field of energy balls in the air and turned to Asura. "You, too, will move through this field. But don't just rush through it. You need to learn precision."

Asura looked at the field, then at Aurion, his expression unwavering. "Let's do it."

He shot off, but his first attempt was disastrous. His movements were far too wild—he wasn't focusing on where he was going, just how fast he could get there. Energy balls exploded all around him. I winced every time one hit him, sending his metallic body crashing to the ground. But he was up again, determined, not giving up.

The next few attempts were no better. The explosions rocked the area as he flew through, miscalculating every turn. He collided with more energy balls than he avoided. At one point, I could barely even keep track of him. It was a mess. Watching it unfold, I couldn't help but think back to the battle against the wolves—how he barely moved, barely reacted. Now, I understood why. He wasn't accustomed to the power of his own body, let alone the new abilities that came with it.

"Again," Aurion commanded, unflinching, as the last explosion faded.

And so, Asura tried again. And again. It was tragic to watch, really, like a warrior trying to wield a sword that was too heavy for him. But slowly, ever so slowly, his movements became smoother. More deliberate. There was still a lot of work to be done, but I could see the difference. He wasn't as chaotic now. The boosters hummed with a steady rhythm as he carefully maneuvered through the field, dodging and weaving.

After what felt like an eternity, the explosions stopped, and Asura stood, breathing heavily but with a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.

Aurion gave him a brief nod of approval, but his gaze shifted to Laila next. "Now, you," he said, his tone serious. "You will learn to shoot while being shot at."

Laila blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Shoot while being shot at?" She shook her head, not sure she'd heard him right.

But Aurion's expression didn't change. "Yes. You will learn to shoot moving targets—while you're being attacked."

Her eyes widened, and I saw a flicker of fear cross her face. "But… that's too much. How can I focus on shooting if I'm dodging attacks?"

Aurion's response was simple. "If you cannot dodge while focusing on the target, you are not ready for the real world. You need to learn to multitask. Move, aim, shoot—all while evading."

With a flick of his hand, another field of exploding energy balls appeared in the sky, but this time it was farther away from Asura and Voltis. Then, he created a new energy creature—one that looked just like him. It hovered in the air, glowing with a pale green light, and began firing energy beams at Laila.

"I'll give you a head start," Aurion said, watching her closely. "Fly through the field while avoiding fire from the creature. If you're hit, you'll start over."

Laila hesitated, but then she took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."

Her wings flared as she took off, weaving through the field, dodging energy balls and the creature's beams. Her movements were graceful, but her focus was split. Every time she avoided one attack, another came at her from an unexpected angle. I could see the strain on her face, but there was also determination.

The more I watched, the more I understood what Aurion was trying to teach us. It wasn't just about power. It was about control, focus, and adaptability.

After a few minutes, Laila was hit. Not once, but twice. Her wings faltered as she dropped to the ground, landing with a soft thud.

"Again," Aurion said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

I watched Laila, sweat trickling down her face as she picked herself up and prepared to go again. Her expression was filled with frustration, but there was also a flicker of fire in her eyes. She wouldn't stop until she got it right.

And then it was my turn.

Aurion turned to me. "Akira," he said, his voice steady but expectant. "Show me how you fight."

I squared my shoulders, trying to steady my nerves. I hadn't had much time to refine my skills. I had some basic abilities, but nothing like the others. Still, I stepped forward and began my demonstration.

First, I conjured up a simple energy bullet. It shot from my hand with speed and power, but it wasn't nearly as strong as I needed it to be. The barrier I created afterward was stronger, more solid, but still not enough to protect against Aurion's strikes. I couldn't help but feel a sting of shame when he easily dispelled the attack.

"Not bad," Aurion said, his tone unchanging. "But your attacks are still too weak for your rank. Your barrier, though, is strong. But it's not perfected. You could use it as armor—like I've seen your kind do."

With that, he created an emerald barrier around his own body. It surrounded him like a dense, translucent armor, amplifying his power exponentially.

I nodded slowly, taking in his words. The idea had crossed my mind before, but seeing Aurion's barrier in action was a revelation. I immediately began working on my own, trying to shape it around my body, reinforcing it. It was difficult at first. It broke apart more times than I could count, but with Aurion's guidance, I was able to make progress.

By the time night fell, the fatigue from hours of training was overwhelming. But there was something else—an undeniable feeling of growth. We were all exhausted, bruised, but stronger. We had learned more in one day than we ever had in the last week.

And then, as a surprise, Akira was given new clothes. The bunny tribe had alliances with the small monkey creatures, who were experts in making clothes. They had crafted three sets of durable, high-quality clothing for me—leather jackets, fiber shirts, pants, and boots. It wasn't just new clothes. It was a symbol of progress. No longer would I be a wanderer, naked and exposed.

Asura clapped me on the back with a grin. "I'll make you new armor and a weapon soon. We'll be ready for whatever comes next."

I smiled, feeling a warmth in my chest. For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to hope.

That night, I fell asleep with a sense of peace I hadn't felt in ages. I dreamed of my family—of playing with my daughter in the park, of talking with my parents and siblings. It was a good dream. And for once, it felt real.