Tides of Dominion

The first light of dawn spilled over the city of Ardanth, painting the sky in slow waves of gold and ember.

It was still early, the streets not yet bustling with merchants, the scent of the ocean breeze crisp in the air. The world was stirring awake, yet Kaien had already been awake for hours.

Sleep had eluded him.

Again.

The events of the night before still clung to him like salt to the skin—persistent, inescapable. The stolen Inner Tide was settling inside him, making itself comfortable in his body, molding itself to his will as if it had always belonged there.

And the most terrifying part?

It felt... natural.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the currents within him shift. This new power, this new mastery—it wasn't something he had trained for. It had simply appeared.

And now, he would have to pretend that it had always been his.

The summons had come early.

Master Aedric had called for him. No more rest. No more meditating in solitude. It was time to return to training.

As Kaien stepped into the open training hall, the scent of sweat, wood, and stone filled his senses. The others were already gathered, stretching, focusing their energies, preparing for the rigorous drills ahead.

Some glanced in his direction, their gazes mixed with curiosity and expectation.

Kaien had been gone for a week.

Would he be weaker for it?

Would he have fallen behind?

He could almost feel the silent questions hanging in the air.

Lyra was among them, watching him with quiet concern.

He gave her a small nod.

She hesitated before returning it, then turned back to her own training.

Kaien exhaled. Time to begin.

Master Aedric stood at the front, his arms crossed, his gaze sharp as ever.

He gave no speech, no formalities. He simply motioned toward the Tide Shaper's station.

"Show me," was all he said.

Kaien stepped forward.

The training ground had various tasks set up for Tide Shapers—wooden dummies to be formed into weapons, shifting sand meant to be hardened into structures, a series of weights that could be reinforced or manipulated through one's Inner Tide.

A week ago, Kaien had struggled to maintain stability in his constructs. His creations had often been too fragile, too slow, too inefficient compared to the more experienced students.

But now...

Kaien lifted his hand.

And it all changed.

The moment he called upon his Inner Tide, it responded.

Not with hesitation. Not with struggle.

It flowed.

Like a wave that had always been there, waiting for the right moment to crest.

The water within the air condensed instantly as he shaped it into form—not through brute force, not through rigid will, but effortlessly, instinctively.

He stretched out his hand, and the essence of his Tide took shape.

A weapon.

Not just any weapon. A spear, sharp and perfect, formed faster than his own thoughts could register.

There was no wasted movement, no excess energy.

Kaien barely had to think—his body simply knew.

The spear solidified in an instant, not just forming, but refining itself, adjusting its structure until it reached a level of stability that he had never even approached before.

It felt perfect.

Master Aedric's gaze didn't change, but Kaien could sense the slightest shift in his demeanor.

"Test it," the old man said.

Kaien nodded.

He turned to one of the wooden training dummies—the same ones he had struggled against before.

He took a step forward.

Then moved.

Faster than before, faster than he ever had.

His spear sang through the air as he slashed.

The dummy—reinforced with layers of hardened Tide energy, designed to withstand even expert students—shattered.

Not cracked.

Not split.

It shattered.

The training ground fell into silence.

Kaien blinked, feeling the spear still humming in his grasp.

It hadn't even been a proper strike. He hadn't even used full force.

And yet, the result was undeniable.

The others were staring now.

Even Lyra.

Even Master Aedric.

Aedric stepped forward. His old eyes studied Kaien with careful scrutiny, his expression unreadable.

"Again," he said.

Kaien nodded.

This time, he moved to the next trial station—the reinforcement test.

Blocks of shifting sand rested before him. The task was to use one's Inner Tide to solidify them into durable stone.

A week ago, this had been one of his weakest points.

His constructs had never been as strong as the others'. They had always crumbled too easily, lacked the density and structure needed for true resilience.

But now...

Kaien reached out.

His Tide responded instantly.

The sand hardened not in slow, uneven stages, but all at once, as if it had been waiting for him to shape it.

He pressed his hand against it—solid as steel.

Aedric moved forward, running a hand along the transformed block. He tested its density, his fingers pressing against its surface.

Nothing. Not a single crack.

Slowly, Aedric looked back at Kaien.

"Once more."

Kaien moved to the third station.

The weight test.

His task was to reinforce a set of stone pillars and lift them—something that required both strength and precise control.

Before, he had barely been able to lift one without losing its structural integrity.

Now?

Kaien lifted his hand.

Three pillars rose at once.

Perfectly.

Effortlessly.

Without a single mistake.

Aedric exhaled. A long, slow breath.

The other students were whispering now. He could feel their eyes on him, their murmurs of disbelief.

But the old master?

He simply stared.

And then he spoke.

"You are different now. It seems like your rest and meditation worked"

It was not a question. It was a statement.

Kaien said nothing.

Aedric watched him for a long moment before finally stepping back.

"Enough for today," the old master said.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned and walked away.

The training resumed.

But the weight of his words lingered.

What Had Changed?

Kaien sat alone after training, staring down at his hands.

He had known, deep down, that things would be different.

He had felt it in the way the Tide flowed more easily, in the way his body moved with unnatural precision.

But seeing it in action, watching his own abilities unfold with such terrifying efficiency...

This wasn't just progress. This was something else.

The power he had stolen...

The Tide Shaper's mastery that now belonged to him... It was transforming him.

Faster than he could comprehend. Faster than he could control. And the worst part?

Somewhere, deep inside, beyond all the fear, all the guilt...

A small voice whispered.

It felt good.