The forest breeze was crisp, but the weight of failure still hung in the air.
They had returned to the wilds beyond Eidenweld—this time not as heroes, but as survivors.
Sylvie stood silently by the riverbank, watching the current. Liora sat sharpening her blade, eyes unfocused, lost in thought. Reynar sat nearby, staring at the system screen that flickered in front of him.
[System Advisory]Rift 47 Activity DetectedEstimated Time Until Full Manifestation: 3 DaysRecommended Action: Prepare for Entry
Reynar closed the screen and exhaled.
"We're not strong enough to face Windrest," he said at last. "But the rift… it's right here. We train. We survive it. And when we come out, we'll be ready."
Liora didn't argue. "We have three days. Let's not waste them."
The first day was grueling.
Reynar focused on mastering his Phase Step ability, pushing its limit until he could blink behind targets without losing stability. Liora ran him through high-speed sparring drills, teaching him how to chain his movements with feints and counterstrikes.
Sylvie trained alone—at first.
She sparred with illusions, set traps for herself to escape from, ran until her feet bled. But at night, she returned to the fire. And when Reynar asked if she wanted to join the morning drills, she nodded once.
By the second day, they were training as a team.
Liora taught them coordination cues—silent hand signals, synchronized movements, split attack timing. Sylvie's speed complimented Reynar's burst damage, while Liora's control and ranged suppression gave them tactical leverage.
Each mistake, each bruise, was a lesson.
At dusk, they gathered around the fire. The air was quieter now—no words of regret or shame, just steady resolve.
"You both did well today," Liora said, her tone lighter.
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "We didn't die. That's progress."
Reynar chuckled. "Hey, that's my line."
They shared a moment of rare laughter.
Then silence.
And in that silence, Reynar said, "Next time we go to Windrest… we win."
Liora nodded. "Not out of revenge. But to stop what's coming."
Sylvie's golden eyes flicked toward the horizon. "Then we'd better be ready. Because whatever's waiting inside Rift 47… it won't be easy."
[System Notification]Companion Synergy Improved – New Bonus Unlocked: 'Coordinated Assault'Effect: Team attacks executed within 2 seconds of one another deal +12% bonus damageAffinity Updates:
Liora: 94%
Sylvie: 63%
Rift 47 Status: StabilizingTime Remaining Until Entry: 1 Day
The countdown had begun again.
But this time, they wouldn't walk in unprepared.
They'd walk in as a team forged in failure—and rising toward something greater.