The wind howled through the training grounds, carrying the st of damp earth and steel. The moon hung high above the Falkenridge estate, casting pale silver light over the open courtyard. Aria stood at the ter, her heartbeat steady despite the weight of the moment.

  Her mother, Selene Falkenridge, watched in silence from the shadows. The widow of a legendary tamer, she was a woman of few words—sharp as a bde, her presence alone demanding respect.

  "You're ready," Selene said at st, stepping forward. The dim ntern light reflected off the jagged scar along her left arm, a reminder of battles past.

  Aria nodded. She had trained for this moment her entire life. Today, she would awaken her Beast Space—the sacred boween tamer a. There was n back.

  Selene raised her hand, revealing a small metallic orb ner than a marble. It pulsed faintly with blue light.

  "This is a Core Beast Seed," she expined. "Unlike living creatures, meical beasts do not hator do they grow naturally. They are built, upgraded, and refined. If you choose this path, uand the cost."

  Aria reached out, her fingers brushing against the etal. Most begiamers would choose a oal beast—a Fme Hound or Thunder Hawk—easy to train, easy to manage.

  But Aria had no i in an easy path.

  "I accept," she said firmly.

  A faint smile tugged at Selene’s lips. Pride? Approval? It was impossible to tell.

  "Then begin," her mother said.

  Aria closed her eyes and focused inward.

  The awakening of a Beast Space was a deeply personal experie wasn’t just about f a tract—it was about expanding one’s mind to house another existence.

  A pressure settled against her skull, sharp yet weightless, as if her sciousness were stretg. A vast darkness opened within her, ay void waiting to be filled.

  Then, a pulse.

  The Core Beast Seed trembled in her palm, responding to her i. Its blue glow fred, and a web of light spread from her fiips, trag intricate patterns across her skin.

  The bond was f.

  Suddenly, paihrough her mind. Sharp, blinding, overwhelming.

  Her breathing hitched, her vision blurred. Too much. Too fast.

  "Focus," Selene’s voice cut through the haze. "trol the pain. Shape the bond. You are its foundation."

  Aria gritted her teeth, pushing past the burniion. Taming wasn’t just about power. It was about trol.

  Slowly, the pain dulled into a steady thrum. The light from the Core Beast Seed faded, and within her mind, a tiny ember of sciousness stirred—artificial, but alive.

  The bond was sealed.

  Aria exhaled. It was done.

  Seleepped closer, pg a hand on her shoulder. "Your first lesson is plete. Now es the hard part."

  Aria met her maze. "What’s ?"

  Selene

  ’s eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "Survival."