Chapter:27
A Radiance Never Seen Before
The explosion of light from Evan's gate was unlike anything the professors had witnessed in decades.
The spirit veil trembled. The runes lining the chamber cracked from the pressure. Ethereal howls echoed across the underground sanctuary. Dozens of students still waiting for their trials instinctively stepped back, shielding their eyes from the searing brilliance.
Even the stoic Professor Thalos stepped forward in awe.
"No… this isn't just a spirit gate," he murmured. "This is a soul-forge…"
A forge where two beings willingly merge aspects of their essence—an ancient and nearly-forgotten pact.
A Soulbind.
And within that light, shadows were torn apart.
⸻
Inside Evan's Spirit Gate
Evan could feel it.
Not just Nex's power, but his memories, emotions, and primal instincts.
He saw through Nex's eyes—moments before the Basilisk egg had hatched, buried under layers of frost and abyssal mana. Nex had been alone, too. Cradled in darkness for centuries. Chosen only now by the rhythm of fate. Waiting for a partner who understood what it meant to crawl out of suffering.
The Soulbind didn't require a ritual. It needed trust.
And Evan… finally trusted.
Their bodies weren't merging, but their spirits overlapped—like two instruments playing the same melody. And in that harmony, evolution began.
Nex's form shifted in the radiant void. His serpent body grew longer, leaner, scales hardening like ancient armor. Wings formed from dark water and astral light. A secondary crest formed on his head, shaped like a horned crown.
His eyes opened—six of them now—pupils slitted, glowing with sapphire and obsidian.
He wasn't just a Basilisk anymore.
Nex had become an Ascendant Serpent.
The first stage in his Divine Beast evolution—one step closer to a Draconic Basilisk, the fabled Sea Wyrm of Midnight Abyss.
And Evan, standing before him, felt no fear—only purpose.
⸻
Back in the Trial Sanctuary
When the spirit gate finally dimmed, Evan stepped out.
Not alone.
Nex floated beside him, taller, larger, stronger—and somehow more regal.
Every pair of eyes turned to them.
Even students from rival academies—usually smug or dismissive—were now silent. The head of the Redwind Academy narrowed his eyes. The sea elf champion from Coralspire Academy looked genuinely unsettled.
Lilith exhaled in relief.
She stepped forward but said nothing at first—just looking at Evan, then Nex, then back to Evan.
"You…" she said softly. "You really Soulbound him."
Evan gave a faint smile. "Guess I finally stopped running."
Nex flicked his tail. "Took him long enough."
Cassia's jaw tightened. "So we're supposed to fight that next round?"
Gareth folded his arms. "Good. About time this tournament got serious."
Professor Thalos approached, looking like he had seen a ghost.
"This hasn't happened at Aflety in over two centuries," he said. "To Soulbind at your age… with a Divine Beast… This changes the nature of the competition."
Evan didn't flinch. "It changes everything."
⸻
Later That Night – Preparation Halls
The students were granted a short break before the final round—time to eat, rest, recalibrate.
But no one truly relaxed.
The spirit trials had left emotional scars, exposed truths, and kindled rivalries in unexpected ways.
Silva sat cross-legged by the training chamber window, her spirit falcon perched beside her. She had cried inside her gate—but would never admit it aloud.
Cassia paced in silence, her fingers twitching as she re-analyzed every magical error she had made.
Gareth trained harder—fists wrapped in raw mana—sparring against phantom illusions conjured by Professor Braxis.
And Evan sat at the edge of a pool near the arena gardens, Nex coiled beside him in calm silence.
"I saw something in there," Evan said. "Not just my past. Something… deeper. A memory from you."
Nex blinked. "Which one?"
"There was a face. A giant… scaled figure. Wings of black water. Eyes like stormlights."
Nex's tail stirred the pool. "Ah. You saw him."
"Him?"
"My ancestor," Nex said. "The first Basilisk. The one that swam through the Sea of Stars before the gods were born."
Evan's breath hitched. "He's real?"
"Oh, he's real," Nex murmured. "And one day, when I evolve far enough… we'll meet him again."
⸻
Tournament Board Update – Announcement Room
The arcane leaderboard glowed with fresh names and changes.
1. Evan Rochel – Aflety Academy
2. Zephyros Gale – Redwind Academy
3. Coralin Aster – Coralspire Academy
4. Sariah Vrahn – Glacierheart Institute
5. Cassia Belvane – Aflety Academy
6. Gareth Ironfang – Aflety Academy
7. Riven Crossblade – Blackthorn Academy
8. Silva Elowen – Aflety Academy
9. Veyon Draxis – Aflety Academy
10. Elric Draes – Dawnforge Academy
Gasps filled the room. Whispers surged.
Not only had Evan skyrocketed to first place—but Aflety held five out of the top ten positions.
The pressure was mounting.
Tomorrow would be the final round. The true clash of divisions. Where strategies, bonds, and power would decide who represented Aflety—and who might be invited into the royal court's Imperial Beast Council.
But before that, the Emperor's shadow loomed over Evan's thoughts.
⸻
Later That Night – Evan's Dormitory
As the moonlight spilled into the open balcony, Evan sat alone at his desk.
The sealed letter from the Emperor still lay unopened.
Lilith had asked him about it once—but he had refused to answer.
Now, alone, he reached out and carefully broke the wax seal.
Inside… wasn't an order.
It was a question.
"When the storm comes… will you stand with me, or against me?"
— Emperor Caelus Ignis
Evan reread the line. Again. And again.
It didn't make sense—not yet.
But something told him… this tournament wasn't just about fame, pride, or beasts.
This was preparation.
For something far more dangerous.
Chapter End .
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