The silver-blue light from the Veilweaver's realm faded as Eli stepped through the gateway. His eyes, clear and focused, reflected a new confidence that hadn't been there before. The binding no longer felt like an intrusion beneath his skin but a harmonious extension of his will, silver-gold threads pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.

  Aura floated beside him, her luminescence complementing his calm demeanor. Her wings cast gentle prisms across the room as she circled him once, her inspection confirming what they both already knew. The training had transformed him.

  "Marco?" Eli called, his voice steady.

  The air before them shimmered, pixels of light coalescing into Marco's familiar form. Eli immediately noticed the difference – the projection's edges flickered intermittently, the usual crispness of his holographic presence diminished. Warning symbols occasionally flashed at the periphery of his form before being quickly suppressed.

  "Welcome back," Marco said, his voice carrying a subtle digital strain. "Flux signature analysis indicates significant harmonic improvement. Your resonance control has advanced beyond projected parameters."

  He raised his hand, triggering a three-dimensional map of the dungeon corridors to materialize in the air between them. Several pathways remained shadowed or glitched, occasionally dissolving into static before reforming.

  "Sensor coverage incomplete on these branches," Marco explained, gesturing to the unstable sections. "Energy limitations prevent full deployment of automata reconnaissance presently. Projections remain partial."

  Eli stepped forward, studying the map with newfound analytical precision. "How many automata do we have left?"

  Marco's form flickered more prominently before stabilizing. "Three functional scout units. Two trap-capable drones. Mobility limited due to energy conservation protocols and corridor structural damage."

  "And your power reserves?" Eli asked, though he could already guess the answer from the visual indicators.

  "Operating at twenty-seven percent capacity," Marco replied without emotion. "Insufficient for activation of heavy defense constructs or direct manipulation in deep-corrupted zones. Current projections indicate reserves will be depleted completely during Pattern Alpha unless strictly rationed."

  Aura drifted closer to the map, her light illuminating the darkened sections. "We cannot rely on machinery alone."

  "Correct," Marco confirmed. "Additionally, I cannot maintain communication during your time dilation immersion. Real-time adaptation will depend on your emergence at predetermined intervals."

  Eli's eyes narrowed as he processed this information. "So you can't physically remodel the trap nodes yourself?"

  "Negative. My function is analytical," Marco's projection gestured to a series of glowing points on the map. "I analyze incoming data streams, simulate optimal defense patterns, and provide blueprint designs upon synchronization."

  The map shifted, highlighting key junction points.

  "What I can do," Marco continued, "is predict optimal trap placement based on corruption flow analysis and your emerging harmonic capabilities. I can develop layered contingency protocols. For example—" The map zoomed in on a particular corridor. "If this section breaches, fallback to phase delta. If resonance collapse occurs here, Flux flow must be diverted thus."

  Marco's form moved toward a nearby terminal, interfacing directly with it. The neural circlet Eli had been using during training lit up with new programmed sequences.

  "Between your training immersions, I will upload tactical updates to this device. You will receive specific trap-crafting patterns and harmonic tuning instructions tailored to the evolving threat assessment."

  Eli nodded, understanding crystallizing. "So I'll be the one physically deploying the crystals and weaving the resonance grids."

  "Precisely," Marco confirmed. "You must implement physical defenses in areas beyond my operational reach."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "I follow your maps," Eli said, studying the highlighted convergence points. "I'll anchor crystals at these nodes."

  He approached the terminal, examining the intricate trap designs Marco had calculated. With his enhanced perception from the Veilweaver's training, he could visualize how the theoretical constructs would manifest in reality.

  "We'll need a rhythm," Eli said. "How often should I emerge from training?"

  Marco's projection displayed a timeline above the map. "Optimal efficiency suggests emergence every two hours of real-time. This provides sufficient window for tactical updates while maximizing your subjective training duration."

  Aura settled on Eli's shoulder, her light pulsing gently. "Each emergence will feel like days have passed for you."

  "And during those two hours, you'll be—" Eli began.

  "Continuously scanning available sensor data, running battlefield simulations, devising adaptive strategies, and preparing detailed implementation instructions," Marco finished. "My analytical capabilities remain uncompromised despite energy limitations."

  The map expanded again, highlighting several deep corridors in red.

  "Target areas B through D are unreachable to my remaining units," Marco stated. "Only you can reinforce these sections when timing permits."

  His tone shifted slightly, carrying what might have been urgency if not for the digital flatness. "Deviation from synchronization schedule risks failure of fallback protocols. Your emergences are essential for dynamic reinforcement."

  Eli stared at the complex network of corridors, traps, and potential breach points. The magnitude of what they were attempting settled into his awareness.

  "Means I don't get to collapse in a corner when this starts," he said quietly. "Constant motion. Constant weaving."

  Aura's wings fluttered in agreement. "We become the living current, together."

  Despite the flickering of Marco's projection and the daunting map before them, Eli felt a strange confidence. The Veilweaver's training had shown him how to harmonize with energy flows rather than fight against them. Marco's analytical precision could guide that harmony with tactical efficiency.

  "Show me the first placements," Eli said, reaching for Starling. The remaining Flux inside pulsed in response to his touch, eager and responsive in a way it had never been before.

  "Beginning phase one simulation," Marco responded, his form stabilizing momentarily as he diverted power to the critical function. The map zoomed in on the nearest junction point, highlighting specific crystal configurations and resonance frequencies.

  "I'll implement while you calculate the next phase," Eli said, already moving toward the corridor with purposeful strides.

  Behind him, Marco's projection nodded, then dimmed slightly to conserve energy. "Synchronization in two hours. Pattern Alpha countdown: seventeen hours, forty-three minutes."

  Aura followed Eli, her light creating a path before them. "The ancient Veilweavers would be proud," she whispered. "Harmony where there was only survival before."

  Eli's fingers tingled with potential as he prepared to manifest the first crystal node. The binding no longer fought his intentions but amplified them, silver-gold threads glowing beneath his skin.

  Marco was the mind. Eli was the hands.

  Together, they might just be enough.

  —

  Two hours later, when Eli emerged from his first training immersion, his mind vibrating with days of subjective practice, Marco's projection appeared instantly before him. The flickering was more pronounced now.

  "Corruption flow patterns have shifted," Marco reported without preamble. "East junction experiencing thirty percent increased pressure. New trap configurations uploaded to your neural interface."

  Eli nodded, instantly processing the tactical adjustments. "Show me."

  The map materialized, highlighting critical changes and new priority targets. Where Marco's mechanical reach ended, Eli's journey would begin anew.

  "Seventeen hours until Pattern Alpha," Marco reminded him, voice steady despite his deteriorating visual projection. "Fifteen hours until full defensive grid must be operational."

  Eli felt Starling hum against his chest, the Flux inside responding to his heightened awareness. "I'll deploy these defenses, but first I should test the training device thoroughly. The more effective my immersions, the better our chances."

  Marco nodded, his projection stabilizing briefly. "Logical. Initial testing will improve calibration and efficiency. I've prepared the subdimension portal."

  Eli turned toward the shimmering gateway that had appeared in the far wall. The neural circlet felt cool against his temples as he adjusted it.

  "How long should I stay in for the first test?" he asked.

  "Thirty minutes real-time," Marco replied. "It will provide sufficient data to optimize the interface while minimizing our preparation window."

  Aura fluttered close to Eli's shoulder. "I'll monitor your energy signatures from this side. The blend of Veilweaver harmonics and Marco's technology is... unprecedented."

  Eli took a deep breath and stepped toward the portal. "See you in what will feel like days, then."

  The gateway's energy washed over him, its familiar silver-blue light enveloping his consciousness. As the training subdimension formed around him, Eli immediately felt the neural interface activate, connecting with his binding and the hourglass mark in ways he hadn't anticipated.

  Time began to slow, stretching like warm honey, as the device synchronized with his perception. The mark on his wrist pulsed with chronal energy, enhancing the effect exponentially.

  "Interesting," he murmured, watching ripples of possibility spread from his movements. "Very interesting."

  The binding's silver-gold threads glowed beneath his skin, eager to begin.