Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch-Chapter 8: The Hidden Currents

Morning arrived quietly over the Skygate dormitory. The sunlight spread across the hill where the building stood, illuminating the training grounds below and the distant towers of Ashvale City. The academy was already alive with activity. Tamers were practicing with their contracted beasts, instructors were giving orders, and faint roars echoed through the air. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Inside his room, Aether opened his eyes slowly.

He had slept well, but the strange vision from the previous night remained in his mind. The broken gate, the battlefield, and the two figures standing against overwhelming enemies felt too vivid to be dismissed as a dream.

The Fire Pup was already awake.

It was sitting near the window, watching the sunrise with surprising seriousness for such a small creature.

Aether sat up.

"You’re up early."

The pup turned and barked once.

Aether stretched slightly before standing up. As he moved, he could feel the subtle change within his body. Ever since forming the contract and completing the trial, his senses felt sharper.

It was as if the bond with the Fire Pup was strengthening him as well.

He walked toward the window.

Outside, several faction members were already training.

Some were sparring.

Others were practicing control over their beasts.

Aether leaned against the frame and observed quietly.

The Fire Pup jumped onto the windowsill beside him.

"Looks like we have work to do," Aether said.

The pup barked in agreement.

A knock came from the door.

Aether didn’t turn.

"It’s open."

The door slid aside and Liora walked in, carrying two cups of steaming tea.

"You’re awake," she said.

"Seems like it," Aether replied.

She handed him one of the cups.

"Welcome to your first official day as a Skygate member."

Aether took the cup.

"Thanks."

Liora glanced outside at the training grounds.

"Normally, new recruits start with basic training and beast compatibility tests."

Aether raised an eyebrow.

"Normally?"

She nodded.

"But after yesterday, the elders decided to skip some steps."

"That sounds ominous."

"It means they want to see your limits."

Aether smiled faintly.

"They might be disappointed."

The Fire Pup barked proudly.

Liora took a sip of her tea and studied the pup.

"It’s stronger than yesterday."

Aether nodded.

"Yeah."

She frowned slightly.

"That’s what worries me."

Aether looked at her.

"You say that like it’s a bad thing."

"For you, maybe not," she replied. "But for the academy? Rapid growth attracts attention."

Aether already knew that.

And from the strange meeting happening somewhere beneath the city last night, it seemed attention had already arrived.

---

Later that morning, Aether and Liora walked toward one of the central training arenas inside the Skygate compound.

Several faction members were already gathered there.

Unlike the academy arena, this place felt more serious. The tamers present were clearly more experienced, and their beasts radiated powerful energy.

As Aether entered, many eyes turned toward him.

One of the tamers whispered,

"That’s the one from the trial."

Another replied,

"The Fire Pup guy."

Aether didn’t seem bothered by the attention.

The Fire Pup trotted beside him confidently.

At the center of the arena stood the silver-haired elder from the previous day.

"Good," he said as Aether approached. "You’re here."

Aether nodded.

"You said you wanted to test limits."

The elder smiled faintly.

"That’s right."

Several instructors stepped forward, activating a barrier around the arena.

Energy walls rose around the training field, ensuring that whatever happened inside would not affect the surroundings.

Aether looked around calmly.

"This seems serious."

"It is," the elder replied.

Liora stepped aside, joining the other observers.

Aether noticed that many of the tamers present were much stronger than beginners.

Some even had beasts that looked powerful enough to dominate entire battlefields.

"So what’s the test?" Aether asked.

The elder gestured toward the opposite side of the arena.

A tall young man stepped forward.

His presence was sharp and confident, and beside him stood a sleek silver wolf whose eyes glowed with electric energy.

"This is Rovan," the elder said. "A rank-two tamer in the faction."

Rovan looked at Aether with interest.

"So you’re the new prodigy."

Aether shrugged.

"I’m just here to train."

Rovan smirked slightly.

"We’ll see about that."

The silver wolf growled softly.

The Fire Pup responded with a playful bark.

Aether glanced down at it.

"Don’t get too excited."

The elder raised his hand.

"This will not be a full battle," he said. "We only want to observe Aether’s combat capability."

Rovan nodded.

"Understood."

Aether stepped into position.

The arena fell silent.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the elder spoke.

"Begin."

---

Rovan moved first.

His silver wolf dashed forward with incredible speed, leaving sparks of electricity across the ground.

The Fire Pup immediately responded, rushing forward as well.

The two beasts collided in the center of the arena.

A burst of flame and lightning exploded outward.

The observers leaned forward.

One of the instructors muttered,

"That pup is keeping up."

Liora crossed her arms, watching closely.

Aether remained calm.

"Right side," he said quietly.

The Fire Pup moved instantly.

The silver wolf’s attack missed by a narrow margin.

Rovan narrowed his eyes.

"Not bad."

The wolf circled again, its electricity intensifying.

This time, the attack was faster.

But something strange happened.

The Fire Pup’s flames suddenly deepened in color again.

A faint second tail of fire became clearer behind it.

The observers noticed immediately.

"It’s evolving again."

"That’s impossible."

The silver-haired elder didn’t speak, but his gaze sharpened.

Inside the arena, the Fire Pup launched forward.

Its flames surged, pushing back the silver wolf.

Rovan’s expression changed.

"Wait... that’s too fast."

Aether watched quietly.

Inside his mind, the reddish-golden glow was responding once more.

But this time, he wasn’t surprised.

Instead, he was thinking.

Carefully.

Because the strange feeling from last night was growing stronger.

And something told him this was only the beginning.

The Fire Pup landed another strike, forcing the silver wolf to retreat.

The arena fell silent.

Rovan raised his hand.

"Enough."

The wolf stopped immediately.

The Fire Pup also returned to Aether’s side.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then the elder said slowly,

"Interesting."

Rovan looked at Aether again, this time with a more serious expression.

"You’re stronger than I expected."

Aether smiled slightly.

"We’re just getting started."

But high above the arena, unseen by everyone present, a small mechanical drone hovered silently.

Its sensors recorded everything.

And far away, in a hidden facility belonging to the Genesis Evolution Authority, the data was being analyzed in real time.

One of the researchers stared at the screen.

"It’s confirmed."

Another asked,

"The subject?"

The researcher nodded.

"Yes."

Then he said quietly,

"Target: Aether... has awakened."