I stare as Imani hammers the conductive metal alloy again.

And again.

The strikes are slow. Steady. Each one lands in perfect rhythm, like he's syncing his breath with the motion.

I can feel the heat even from where I stand.

Not from a fire, though. There's no open flame, no furnace. Just a heavy block of stone beneath the metal, and a shallow EM channel running through the table. A raw line of pulsed energy fed from one of the underground cores.

The Ajnal don't use full forges in smaller settlements like this—no need. What they do instead is condition the plates early. That's Imani's role right now.

I notice the alloy is still soft, pliable. The repeated hammer strikes and low EM pulses are meant to prime it, align the inner structure—so that later, when someone actually forges it into armor, the channels won't snap or misfire under stress.

It's low-tier gear. For Red Warriors or Stone Jaguars at best. But even that takes care. Patience.

I cross my arms, watching.

Imani doesn't look tired. His massive, muscular frame moves with the same calm it always does.

Focused. Patient. Even when the sweat starts trailing down his neck, he doesn't pause.

There's an older Ajnal standing beside him—some kind of supervisor. He watches for a moment, nods in approval, then turns and walks off to check on the others.

Two more minutes pass.

Imani finishes the final hammer cycle, lifts the plate carefully, and sets it into the cooling rack.

The metal hisses softly.

He steps back and wipes his forearm across his brow.

I whistle. "Nice work."

"I thought you had better things to do than watch me beat a metal plate," he says with a small smile.

I lean back, hands behind my head. "Just came back from a caving expedition, and well… not exactly a booming nightlife around the settlement."

Imani turns, checking the plate he just finished. He runs a light EM pulse through it, watching the surface shimmer faintly. Then he nods, satisfied, and calls over the older Ajnal. They exchange a few words. The old man gives a smile, pats Imani's shoulder, and walks off.

Imani steps over to me.

"How was the trip with Arjun?"

"A lot of nasty creeps inside. Sensory tricks mostly, nothing too serious."

"Shame I couldn't join."

"There's always a next time. How's progress toward the First Pillar State?"

"Getting there. Maybe a couple more days."

"Good. Though a bit more Stage Progress should help. I'll talk with Nahbalam—see if we can go hunting together. Farm some orbs."

"Sure," he says, glancing back at the workshop. "But it's not like the work I'm doing is useless. It's… insightful. The way they treat materials, the prep work before forging—there's a lot to learn in how this society works from just watching how they handle metal."

"True," I nod. "Would be nice to see the actual forging though."

"Yeah. But that's for the real smiths. They only work in the major outposts or cities."

"Waterback place," I mutter, smirking.

He chuckles.

"We'll get there eventually," I add. "A bit more standing, a few more missions, and we'll have the Tohk'uh to move."

Imani stays quiet for a moment.

"Do you think the others are in another settlement? Or maybe with the other civilization—the Azcoyatl?"

"Hard to tell. My guess? We were split. Half here, half there. But that's just a hunch."

"I think the same," he says. "Both civilizations seem evenly matched in power. Both share a common enemy. Just… different philosophies."

"Yeah… but if that's the case, it might take a while to reunite." I glance up at the night sky. Is she watching the stars too?

Imani follows my gaze. Then he pats my shoulder. "She'll be fine. If there's anyone among us built to survive the unknown—it's her."

I nod slowly.

"Any plans for the night? Or are you crashing early?"

"I'll keep working on the Pillar Path."

"Fair enough. I'll check in with Nahbalam about tomorrow's hunt. I'll let you know."

Imani nods, and we part ways.

I walk slowly through the settlement. My eyes drift over the structures—angular stone buildings, detailed carvings etched into every surface. The design echoes something familiar, almost like the Maya civilization back on Earth.

I send a wide pulse targeted at Nahbalam. He replies promptly and shares a meeting point.

Nahbalam is one of the few Stone Jaguars in the settlement—one stage above me, Arjun, and the Red Warriors in general. The Red Warriors are those who've reached both the First Pillar and the Body State.

Imani isn't there yet, which means he's technically not considered a proper warrior—though honestly, I'm sure he could beat the crap out of any Red Warrior in this outpost. But hey, their society, their rules. He'll reach the state soon anyway.

Eventually, I meet up with Nahbalam. He raises his palm forward—their standard greeting—and I respond in kind.

"I heard. Expedition, success. Well done."

"Yes. Not hard. Thank you for chance."

"You help, we help."

Right. I nod, still mildly frustrated with the language structure—it's oddly simple and restrictive, but I've gotten used to it. "I ask. Hunt tomorrow. With Imani. My people."

"Hunt?" He pauses. "Yes. But hunt safe. No crazy run. Big mistake. Hunt only what needed. What eaten. Hunt only marked place. Orb is hunter's. Food is Ajnal's."

Wait—orb?

They absorb orbs?

Seriously?

So they can grow stronger too?

How did I not know this until now?

Okay, mental note: tell the others. That changes a lot. If they can absorb orbs, does that mean every species here can? Even the Xok'al? The native beasts?

I store the thought for later.

"Understood. We'll follow rules."

Nahbalam sends me a pulse in response. It contains the hunter party's contact for tomorrow—pre-sunrise—and a clear note that I can't bring more than two others.

I confirm with a pulse.

"Thanks. Have good rest."

He stays quiet for a moment longer than expected.

Then—

"You wish become Stone Jaguar?"

What—?

My eyes widen. That was fast.

I steady my breath.

"Yes."

"Your Tohk'uh not enough. But Lord of Sparks saw your report and fights. You fight well. Heart no hate. No evil. Blade strong. Ahau Lord of Sparks say maybe—exception. But trial first."

I swallow hard.

Well damn. Maybe The Tower is throwing us a bone for once.

"Trial I take. I thank Lord of Sparks."

"Then come."

He turns around and I follow, moving silently toward the only temple in this small settlement. The one where the Lord of Sparks resides. Basically the local leader, and the one in charge of communicating with the other settlements.

A short two minutes in, we arrive at the spot.

Similar to last time, we wait, but it does not take long before the Lord of Sparks descends and meets us.

His presence is still as strong as ever, his armor pulsing faintly, creating some sort of EM domain around him.

The man stares at me for a moment.

Then he speaks.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Stone holds fire.

But fire breaks stone.

No break—no flame.

Strike makes spark.

Spark makes path.

Path is not straight.

Path is not safe.

Sky holds stars.

But stars sleep in day.

Only night shows them.

Only dark speaks truth.

Fear walks soft.

Heart walks loud.

Step not fast.

Step not back.

Fall, rise.

Bleed, burn.

Hold nothing.

Then—

Light spark within.

Shine in the dark."

While the translation itself feels a bit off, I can sense the deep emotion—almost a resonance behind the words spoken.

After a brief silence, he stares at me. "Will you create your sparks?"

"Yes," I nod respectfully.

After that, Nahbalam slightly bows and leaves us.

The Lord of Sparks turns around, sending me a pulse indicating I should follow.

We go inside the temple—tall walls lined with faintly glowing carvings. Eventually, we reach a narrow, sloping corridor that winds downward. We keep walking.

Then—he stops.

Points to a chamber ahead. Dark. Utterly silent.

"Darkness good for spark. Step inside. Come out a Stone Jaguar. Only one chance."

I exhale slowly.

Then step forward.

One foot.

Then the next.

As I pass through the archway, stone grinds behind me.

The door closes.

Darkness swallows me whole.

The silence is absolute.

No echoes. No wind. Not even ambient EM fields—as if the space itself is built so no wave can come in or out.

I remain still.

Even my own breath feels too loud.

I close my eyes—not that it makes any difference.

I take a step forward.

I raise a hand and press it against the wall.

Stone. Not like the composite material of the white rooms from back then. But somehow... similar.

Smooth. No ridges. No carvings. No symbols or joints. Just one cold, perfectly uniform surface.

I trace along it slowly.

I circle part of the room this way, one hand on the wall, the other lightly trailing at my side.

Then I switch to the floor.

Still nothing.

I leap toward the ceiling.

Nope.

Ok.

I send some waves out.

They bounce back almost clean. I can't sense any return from beyond the walls—meaning all my senses and waves are limited to this space.

So… that's it then. No clues. No puzzles. No traps.

Just me. Alone. In this dark, empty chamber.

I take one deep breath.

I walk to what feels like the center. Drop into a seated position.

The floor is cold.

I press my palms against my knees. Steady my breathing. Let the adrenaline pass.

Focus.

I begin to breathe.

In through the nose. Hold.

Out through the mouth.

Again.

Find the beat.

Steady the heart.

Calm the mind.

Alright… what can I do here? What's the trial about?

It shouldn't be an isolation challenge. That would be rather pointless—and something The Tower has tested before, for that matter. No. I'm sure I have to do something. But… what?

The walls aren't reacting to my pulses. I wasn't given any instructions before stepping in, and there are no features, no symbols, nothing whatsoever I can use for reference or guidance.

It's getting a bit annoying, really. Having to figure everything out on my own. I wouldn't mind a "How to Become a Stone Yaguar for Noobs" manual right now.

But alas, that's about as far away as a cup of hot chocolate is for me right now.

So… what hints do I have from before?

So far I've learned quite a bit about this civilization—the Ajnal—and their power system. It's divided into several stages. The first stage is Tz'ib'K'ah, which loosely translates as Writing the Force. It encompasses most of the population and is essentially the civilian stage.

After that comes K'awiil Aj—Awakening of Power. This is the standard warrior caste. About one in five reach it. To get here, one must reach both the First Pillar and Body State. Those who make it are called Chak'Aj—Red Warriors.

Arjun and I are currently at this point.

But following that is the Nal K'uh stage—or Seed of God. A rather fancy name in my opinion, but oh well. Around one in twenty ever reach this point. And those who do are addressed as Stone Jaguars (B'alam Tun). Nahbalam is someone at this level.

Further up is the Kab'il Tun stage, which translates roughly as Hand of Stone. Now, don't ask me why such a plain name ranks higher than a stage literally called Seed of God—I have no idea what goes on in their naming council. But this stage is where things get serious. These are influential figures in Ajnal society, with less than one percent of the population ever making it this far. For example, this small settlement only has one—an Ahau K'awiil, or Lord of Sparks, as it roughly translates.

Now… that's still not the end.

There are more stages above, but knowledge of them is tightly guarded. I've only caught whispers of the next one: K'uhul Aj'Naab—a flashy name that could mean Divine Warrior of the Land. Beyond that? No clue. But there's definitely more.

Which brings up the real question:

How vast is this stage of The Tower going to be?

The last one lasted 49 days, but this…?

Yeah. This one's going to take a lot longer.

Now back to my current predicament.

What do I know about the next stage?

The main trait of the Stone Jaguars is their ability to store EM energy in their body nodes—those same points we trained during the First Body State.

But the principles behind it?

Never explained. No scrolls. No manuals. No helpful lecture from a wise old man.

Just a dark room.

No wait… there were some words.

What did the Lord of Sparks say again?

Stone holds fire. But fire breaks stone. No break—no flame.

But what is stone?

My body?

Yeah, that tracks. The body's the container. The vessel.

Stone holds fire. Right. So it can store it.

But then—fire breaks stone.

So whatever I'm storing… it's dangerous. Or maybe volatile's a better word.

If I hold too much? Or if I try too early? Boom.

No break—no flame.

So… there has to be a breaking point.

A threshold.

One I'm supposed to reach. Or maybe go through.

Okay. So the body has to break in some way to light the spark.

Stress? Strain? Overload?

Strike makes spark. Spark makes path.

A strike, huh?

That could mean… an EM wave?

A controlled one? A burst from the Pillar, through the nodes?

No—maybe not even that complicated. Maybe they want something raw.

Primitive.

Like flint and steel.

Brute force against resistance.

Tension until the nerves scream.

Spark makes path.

So if I get it right—if I light it—it's not just some show. It leads somewhere.

A real reaction. A change.

Alright then. Let's start.

I focus on one of the body nodes just below my sternum.

I take a deep breath to prepare myself and then focus on my waves, channeling a strong, targeted pulse, as my waves constructively interfere—greatly increasing the output. It's literally several times stronger than anything I ever used during the Body Path training.

I don't hold back and—

I grit my teeth, barely containing the pain.

Dammit.

I curse as I hold my arm, instinctively gripping my sternum. It feels like all the nerves are screaming—burnt, painful. What the fuck did I just do?

Fuck the spark, this is just destroying my body without purpose.

No. No. The path is hard, sure, but this shouldn't be destruction. Not even like the destruction-and-rebirth cycle of the Body Path.

For a spark to happen… there must be a collision between two similarly strong surfaces or some sort of reaction. It can't be just a strong pulse.

I lean back.

The previous stage—my current one—The Awakening of Power, requires reaching both the First Pillar and Body State. So that has to be key to reaching the next stage.

The body part is clear—you need the nodes. But where does the Pillar come into play?

I remember the next words from the Lord of Sparks.

Path is not straight. Path is not safe.

The not safe is obvious—I know there will be problems. But the not straight… the Pillar… unless…

I focus again and calm my breathing.

I look inside my body—all the body nodes clear—but also all the brain nodes. And then I map the trajectories, the timing, the amplitude. I calculate.

And when I'm satisfied… I release.

Two identical pulses. But they travel down different brain nodes, then toward the same body node—but through different paths. And then… they collide.

A spark.

My jaw tenses.

Pain.

It hurts.

But I ignore it.

I stare inside—I try to feel it.

And then… it's broken too. Burnt.

I curse. Failed agai—

No. Wait.

It's broken, but different. I notice it—just a very small difference, but it's there… a lingering static field. Some sort of nascent biological capacitor. It's faint—easy to miss—but… it's there.

I grin.

Strike makes spark. Spark makes path.

I take a deep breath. If this is the way, then…

This is going to be painful.

But—

I smile.

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