An explosion thundered across the beach, sending sand flying in all directions as Red and Blue catapulted away from the blast. Fragments of their forged energy armor scattered behind them like glittering breadcrumbs as they crashed onto the wet sand.

  Red sprang to his feet, crimson particles dancing around him like angry fireflies. "For fuck's sake! How many times do I have to drill this into your thick skull?" He jabbed a finger toward Blue. "We're supposed to compress the damn thing, not treat it like some science experiment!"

  Blue brushed sand from his immaculate form, his perfect posture somehow intact despite the explosion. "If you would allow me to complete my explanation before resorting to your typical histrionics," he replied, adjusting his non-existent glasses, "the fundamental objective of this exercise is the thorough integration of our opposing energies, which necessitates—"

  "This pretentious jackass is impossible!" Red's mental voice crashed through their shared consciousness, cutting Blue off mid-sentence. "Angelo, this partnership is a cosmic joke. We're getting nowhere!"

  Blue's scholarly presence filled their mental link with frosty disapproval. "The fault lies entirely with Red's refusal to adhere to methodical procedure. His approach exhibits fundamental flaws that render success mathematically improbable."

  Angelo sighed heavily, momentarily losing focus on his own energy stream. The orange glow around his hands flickered and died as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

  "For the love of..." he muttered before answering through their mental connection. "Look. You're both right, okay? Stop acting like children."

  "What?!" Red's outrage exploded like a firecracker.

  Angelo's mental voice carried the weight of someone holding together fraying rope. "Blue's mixing technique is correct, but Red's compression approach is equally valid. You need to combine both methods if we want maximum results. Try focusing on mixing and compressing simultaneously."

  The two duplicates exchanged wary glances across the sand, each reluctantly considering the possibility that the other wasn't completely wrong.

  Meanwhile, atop the cliff edge, Neiva stood beside Rorck, the endless ocean stretching before them like a living painting. The wind tugged at her bright red hair as she watched the distant figures training on the beach below.

  "Waiting?" Neiva echoed, turning to face the strange man. "What exactly are you waiting for?"

  Rorck paused, his face contemplative before his lips curved into a small, melancholy smile. "For the opportunity to fulfill my purpose, I suppose." He gazed out toward the horizon, his eyes reflecting something ancient.

  Neiva tilted her head, confusion wrinkling her forehead. "And what purpose is that?"

  Rorck crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful as if weighing how much to reveal. "Mmm... in simplest terms, you might call it 'Community Service.'"

  "Right..." Neiva replied, clearly not satisfied with the vague answer. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, gathering courage like collecting small stones. "Can I ask you something?"

  "Of course, dear Neiva," Rorck answered, his voice gentle as morning light. "What troubles you?"

  "There's this... wisdom about you," she began awkwardly, her hands making uncertain gestures. "Like you've got some cheat codes for understanding Aurons that nobody else has access to."

  Rorck's eyebrows lifted, genuine surprise crossing his face. "Oh? What led you to that conclusion?"

  "Well," Neiva tucked strands of hair behind her ear, "you knew immediately which of my friends were Aurons... and that I wasn't." The last words carried a weight of sadness, like admitting she hadn't made the team.

  A warm smile spread across Rorck's face. "Your powers of observation are remarkable, Neiva. That's a precious quality." His eyes sparkled with something like pride. "But I'm observant too. You're undergoing Auron training, aren't you?"

  "Yeah," she admitted, shoulders slumping slightly. "I've got three teachers, and they're all... well, let's just say they've got more personality quirks than most RPG characters." She kicked at a small rock near her foot. "But I still can't break through whatever invisible wall is blocking me."

  "A wall, hm?" Rorck turned his gaze back to the horizon, his profile sharp against the sky. "I do have some insights that might help."

  "Really?" Hope brightened her voice.

  "However," he continued, his tone growing more serious, "if you want me to share them, I need your promise on something."

  Wariness crept into Neiva's expression. "What kind of promise?"

  "When you do become an Auron—" his voice carried absolute certainty about her eventual success, "—you must use your powers for humanity's betterment." Something shadowed his expression, a hint of old pain lingering beneath his words.

  Neiva blinked, clearly surprised by the request. It wasn't what she had expected at all. After a moment's consideration, determination swept across her face like sunlight breaking through clouds.

  "Deal!" she declared, her voice ringing with conviction.

  Rorck's smile returned, brighter than before. He turned to face her fully, his entire presence focused on her like a teacher with a promising student.

  "You see, Neiva, becoming an Auron is about connection," he explained, his hands moving in gentle, illustrative gestures. "We synchronize our internal energy flow with the cosmic energy surrounding us. When those rhythms align, our aura manifests—a visible symbol of that synchronization."

  "Like when my router connects to the internet and all the little lights turn green?" Neiva suggested, trying to translate the abstract concept into something familiar.

  Rorck's laugh was warm and genuine. "Exactly! That's a perfect analogy. We expend stamina to manually accelerate our internal energy flow, which creates the connection to universal energy."

  "That... actually makes sense," Neiva said, her forehead creasing as she processed this new perspective. "But I still don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

  "You meditate regularly, yes?" Rorck didn't wait for her answer. "The purpose is to develop awareness of your own energy flow. Once you can feel it—truly feel it—you can control it, guide it, accelerate it."

  Neiva's eyes suddenly widened as connections sparked in her mind. "Wait—that's what my teachers were trying to explain before those twins attacked us! About feeling invisible magnets pushing and pulling inside me!"

  "Precisely." Rorck nodded, looking pleased. "But here's the crucial element most instructors overlook: the greatest obstacle to becoming an Auron isn't talent or practice—it's belief."

  "Belief?" Neiva repeated, skepticism clear in her voice. "What does belief have to do with energy flow?"

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Everything." Rorck's voice carried gentle but absolute certainty. "Never underestimate belief's power. If you attempt to feel your body's energy flow while doubting its existence, how can your mind make the breakthrough necessary to connect? It's like trying to catch fish while convinced the lake has no water."

  Understanding dawned across Neiva's face like sunrise breaking over mountains. "That's it!" Excitement bubbled up in her voice, her entire posture straightening with new purpose. "That's been my problem all along!"

  Rorck simply smiled and turned back toward the endless horizon, his expression carrying the satisfaction of a gardener who's planted a seed in fertile ground.

  Meanwhile Angelo focused on his training, sweat dripping down his face as he poured energy into his beam. The orange stream grew thicker between his hands, heating the air around him while he forced himself to maintain the perfect output.

  Out in the sand, Red and Blue triggered yet another explosion. The blast left them both staggering, cracks spreading across their bodies like spiderwebs, leaking soft light and tiny particles.

  Red kicked the sand, sending a spray flying into the air. "FUCK! This is completely useless!" His gray-tinted form trembled with frustration. "We might as well try teaching a fish to climb trees!"

  Blue brushed himself off, shoulders slumping in rare defeat. Before he could respond, a desperate cry cut through the air.

  "HELP!"

  Blue's head snapped up, his scholarly demeanor instantly replaced by focused alertness. Glowing energy formed around his hands and feet as he shot into the air, scanning the churning waters.

  "HEL— HELP!" The broken cry came again.

  Blue spotted a young teenager thrashing in the waves, caught in a whirlpool that pulled them deeper with each spin. Without hesitation, he stretched out his hand, azure energy tendrils shooting from around his arm toward the struggling figure.

  The powerful current fought against him, wrapping his energy ropes in spiraling patterns. Blue could feel the ocean's pull threatening to drag him down too, but he planted his feet in mid-air and pulled back with everything he had.

  The teenager broke free of the water's grasp with a splash, gasping and sputtering as Blue lifted them safely above the deadly current.

  "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The teen hiccupped between sobs, water streaming from their clothes.

  Blue didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the whirlpool below—water spinning tighter and tighter, converging to a single point like water down a drain. Something about the motion captured his complete attention.

  In the distance, lightning flashed against the horizon, followed moments later by a low rumble of thunder.

  "Of course..." Blue murmured, the pieces clicking together in his mind.

  He landed on the beach and set the teenager down gently. "Go find your parents, young one." The child nodded and scrambled away across the sand.

  Red sauntered over, his trademark wild grin slightly subdued. "What was that about, blueberry? You looked like you had some kind of brain explosion out there."

  "I believe I've discovered the solution to our energy integration problem," Blue replied, his scholarly tone returning.

  "Oh? Well spill it then—" Red began, but his words died as his gaze shifted toward the horizon. His eyes widened to perfect circles. "What the hell?" His expression almost looked like fear. "Holy shit..."

  Angelo and Blue turned to follow Red's stare. What looked like a massive wall was rising from the ocean, growing larger by the second as it approached the shoreline.

  "NEIVA! SOL!" Angelo shouted, his training forgotten. Orange wings erupted from his back as he launched himself toward town, leaving Red and Blue behind on the beach.

  Up on the cliff, Neiva fell backward, scrambling away on hands and feet, pure terror etched on her face. "Tsu-Tsu-TSUNAMI!!" Her scream cut through the air like a knife.

  The word spread like wildfire. People looked over the cliff edge, and panic exploded through the crowd.

  "TSUNAMI!"

  "CLIMB TO THE MINES!"

  "GET TO HIGHER GROUND!"

  "AHHHHH!"

  Chaos consumed the town as people ran in every direction. Neiva grabbed Rorck's arm, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Rorck! We need to run!" Her voice cracked with fear.

  "Neiva." Rorck's voice remained calm, steady as a mountain while a golden glow flickered to life around him. "Do not be afraid. Please step back."

  "What?" She stammered, her grip tightening on his sleeve.

  His smile remained gentle, unshaken by the approaching disaster. "Trust me."

  Something in his voice convinced her. Neiva released his arm and backed away, her terror momentarily forgotten as if she'd fallen under a spell.

  Rorck closed his eyes, his golden aura brightening until it was almost painful to look at. When his eyelids snapped open, Neiva gasped. His eyes had transformed into windows to the cosmos itself—stars, galaxies, and nebulae swirling within them like living paintings.

  His aura exploded outward, spinning around him like a golden tornado before settling into a steady flame that engulfed his entire body. The air itself seemed to bend around him.

  Neiva sank to her knees, strength draining from her legs at the impossible sight before her.

  Rorck pushed his arms forward, fingers spread wide like he was reaching out to grab something in the water. His fingers suddenly squeezed into tight fists, the veins on his arms popping out like he was lifting something incredibly heavy.

  One foot crashed down against the cliff edge with such power that cracks spiderwebbed through the stone beneath him. The impact sent Neiva bouncing into the air before she landed hard on her back, the breath knocked from her lungs.

  With a deep grunt that sounded like it came from his very core, Rorck started lifting his arms. His muscles shook under his clothes, while the golden light around him pulsed like a heartbeat. The air around him seemed to bend as he lifted, like he was carrying the weight of a mountain.

  "NEIVA!" Angelo's voice cut through the chaos as he landed beside her, then froze at the sight before him. "What the hell?!"

  He shook his head, pushing aside his shock to focus on immediate survival. "We gotta go!" He reached for her arm, but Neiva pointed toward the ocean.

  "Look!"

  Far from shore, the ocean suddenly split open along a perfect straight line, as if an invisible knife had sliced through the water itself. The sea crashed downward into the newly formed chasm, creating a waterfall in the middle of the ocean. The roar reached them even from the cliff as millions of gallons plunged into the depths.

  Then the earth began to move.

  Massive slabs of bedrock thrust upward from the ocean floor, their jagged edges breaking the surface as a mountain range birthed itself from the sea. Water cascaded off the rising stone in great sheets, like curtains of glass shattering in slow motion. The ground beneath their feet trembled with each new surge as the wall climbed higher, stone grinding against stone with a sound like the world itself was groaning.

  Angelo and Neiva stared in disbelief, their eyes darting between Rorck and the impossible barrier he was summoning from the ocean floor.

  Red hovered in the air nearby, his jaw hanging open. "HOLLLY FUUUUCKK!" he shouted as spray from the churning waters hit his face. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?!"

  "This is... He is..." Blue whispered, his usual composure completely abandoned.

  "Enlightened." Angelo finished, the word falling from his lips like a prayer.

  Townspeople gathered around them—locals and Cliffhangers alike—all previous conflicts forgotten as they witnessed the miracle unfolding before them.

  With one last grunt, Rorck pushed his arms all the way up. Creating a shockwave that sent dust everywhere, making everyone shield their eyes. When they looked again, they couldn't believe what they saw.

  A colossal wall of earth now dominated the horizon, dwarfing everything around it. Ancient bedrock that had never seen sunlight now pierced the sky, dripping seawater like tears. The barrier stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions, a newborn mountain range risen from the deep.

  The wall completely eclipsed their view of the open ocean—and the crushing wave raging behind it.

  Rorck stretched his arms toward his creation, fingers splayed as if physically holding the massive structure together. Everyone around him held their breath, the world seeming to pause in anticipation.

  Then it hit.

  The tsunami slammed into the barrier with apocalyptic force. The sound wasn't just heard—it was felt, a bone-deep concussion that rattled teeth and made hearts skip beats. The impact sent water shooting hundreds of feet into the sky.

  The rock wall shook visibly. Cracks spread across it like spider webs on a window, some big enough to see through. Water sprayed out of the cracks like garden hoses on full blast. The air seemed to buzz with energy as the giant wave fought against the wall Rorck had made.

  The townspeople cast worried glances at Rorck, but his expression remained perfectly composed. His cosmic eyes stayed locked on the wall as he held it together against nature's fury, refusing to yield even an inch.

  Finally, the tsunami's power faded, and the ocean began to retreat. Cheers erupted around them, so loud they seemed to shake the very cliffs beneath their feet. Neiva's face broke into a relieved smile, but it faltered when she saw Rorck's expression.

  He wasn't celebrating. Instead, his face held a profound sadness that seemed to go beyond the moment.

  Rorck turned to her and crouched down, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. The crowd stepped back, giving them space. Even Angelo moved away, sensing something important was happening.

  His galaxy eyes locked with hers, and Neiva felt pressure building in her chest, as if the weight of stars pressed against her heart.

  "Neiva," he said, his voice gentle but heavy with meaning. "Allow me to repeat my request." Her eyes widened as she remembered their earlier conversation. "Please be a positive force in this world and help humanity... Do what I never could. I beg of you."

  He stood up and turned away, his steps slow and heavy—not the walk of someone who had just conquered nature, but the walk of someone in deep shame.

  At the cliff's edge, he paused to cast one last sorrowful glance back at her before leaping away with a single powerful bound.

  Neiva stared after him, her mind racing with questions as the wall of earth stood firm against the ocean, a monument to powers she was only beginning to understand.

  planned this moment since volume 1, its so satisfying finally getting here!