The days after discovering the hidden rift blurred into a rhythm. Aanya practiced her sparks every morning in the forge yard, while Marin alternated between hammer drills and long hours shaping metal at the anvil. The cub followed Aanya like a shadow, curling beneath the fence during practice, watching with luminous eyes.

  Aanya raised her sword again, sweat streaking her face. The glow along the blade flared, sputtered, then steadied for a few breaths. She grinned.

  “Better,” Marin admitted grudgingly, leaning on the fence. “Still sloppy, though. You’d be skewered if you swung that in a real fight.”

  Aanya rolled her eyes. “You always say that.”

  “Because it’s true,” Marin shot back. She adjusted her grip on her hammer, swinging once, the air whistling as the head cut through empty space. “Difference is, I don’t need sparks to flatten something.”

  Aanya laughed, lowering her blade. “One day, Marin, you’ll admit I’m improving.”

  “Maybe when you can swing without nearly chopping my fence in half.” Marin smirked.

  They collapsed on the ground a little later, sharing bread and dried meat from Marin’s mother’s kitchen. The cub nudged at Aanya’s arm until she slipped it a piece, ignoring Marin’s muttered complaint about feeding strays.

  Aanya brushed hair from her face, her voice softer. “I can feel it, Marin. Every day, it’s easier to call the light. If I keep this up, maybe by the academy exam, I’ll actually be ready.”

  Marin snorted. “You’d better be. I’m not paying for you to embarrass yourself in front of a bunch of professors.”

  Aanya grinned. “We’ll both get there. Our forge. Our shop. Our base. One step at a time.”

  ***

  Two days later, the guild posted a job.

  Escort needed: supply wagons to Belltree Hamlet. Risk: moderate. Reports of beast attacks along the route. Provisional members allowed.

  Aanya’s eyes lit up. “Perfect. This will test my control properly.”

  Marin groaned, tugging the posting from her hand. “Moderate risk? You just want to play with sparks in front of an audience.”

  “Maybe.” Aanya’s smile widened.

  ***

  The road south was rough, lined with wild grass and broken stones. Two wagons rattled along, driven by weary men carrying crates of grain and casks of ale.

  Aanya walked beside the lead wagon, her badge glinting in the sun. Marin trailed behind, hammer slung over her shoulder.

  “First real coin in a while,” one of the drivers said. “Keep the beasts off us and I’ll call you my guardian angels.”

  “Don’t worry,” Aanya said brightly. “We’ll get you through.”

  Marin muttered under her breath. “Unless she sets herself on fire first.”

  The cub padded quietly at Aanya’s heels, unnoticed by the drivers.

  The journey was uneventful until they reached the wooded stretch near the river. The air grew still, the birds silent.

  Then came the growl.

  Three beasts padded from the trees, low-slung and gaunt, their eyes gleaming with feral hunger. Wild hounds twisted by rift energy, their bodies scarred and trembling with unstable power.

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  The merchants shouted, pulling their wagons close.

  Aanya stepped forward, sword in hand. Her bracelet pulsed, the blade flickering with light. “We’ve got this,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.

  The first hound lunged. Aanya swung, the glow sparking along the blade. The strike wasn’t clean, but enough to send the beast sprawling back with a yelp. She staggered, but held firm.

  Marin charged the second, hammer cracking against its ribs. The sound echoed, bones snapping as the beast howled and crumpled.

  The third circled, snarling. Aanya steadied her breath, forcing the spark to stay. The glow wavered, then surged as she slashed, carving a shallow line across the beast’s flank. It shrieked and fled into the trees.

  The remaining hound tried to rise, but Marin finished it with another crushing blow.

  The forest fell silent again.

  Aanya panted, her sword trembling in her grip. The light faded, but the blade remained steady in her hands.

  The drivers stared, wide-eyed. “By the gods… you two weren’t kidding.”

  Marin wiped sweat from her brow, glancing at Aanya. “Not bad. You didn’t cut your own leg this time.”

  Aanya laughed breathlessly. “High praise.”

  The cub padded to her side, pressing its muzzle against her leg. She stroked its fur absently, too drained to think about how odd it was that it had stayed so calm during the fight.

  ***

  By the time they reached Belltree, the sun was dipping low. The wagons rolled safely into the hamlet, greeted by relieved townsfolk. The drivers pressed a pouch of coins into Marin’s hand, insisting they’d saved both goods and lives.

  Aanya sat on the wagon’s edge, exhausted but smiling. “Every fight… it feels like I’m getting closer.”

  Marin opened the pouch, counting the coins. “Closer to broke if we keep spending this on food and repairs.”

  “Or closer to our house,” Aanya said, stretching her arms. “Our shop. Our forge.”

  Marin’s smirk softened. “One job at a time.”

  ***

  Back in Rivermarch, the guild hall buzzed with noise. They filed their report, their provisional badges glowing faintly as the Registry Core recorded the completed contract. The clerk nodded, stamping their logbook.

  “You’re moving up faster than most,” he said. “Keep it up and you’ll be out of provisional rank before long.”

  Marin nudged Aanya with a grin. “Hear that? Less of a hazard every day.”

  They turned to leave, but overheard a hushed conversation at a nearby table.

  “…northern rift. Stable one week, pulsing the next. Bigger than before. They say it might not hold much longer.”

  “Another tear? The guild will have to send a proper team.”

  Aanya paused, her stomach tightening. She glanced at Marin, eyes gleaming with the same spark as her blade. “We’ll be ready.”

  Marin groaned. “I knew you were going to say that.”

  The cub yipped softly at her side, ignored by the bustling hall.

  ***

  That night, as they walked back under the stars, Aanya whispered, “One step at a time. But we’re getting there.”

  Marin swung her hammer lazily over her shoulder, smiling despite herself. “Yeah. Steps forward.”