I stood frozen as Elara disappeared from sight, her form slowly blending into the trees until she was nothing more than a distant figure swallowed by the forest. It felt as if the burden was sinking into my bones. She had always been there, steady and strong, but now... it felt like a tether had been cut.

  The air was thick with something unspoken. I couldn’t quite place it, but I knew Althea could feel it too. I took a deep breath, trying to steel myself, but my thoughts still swirled, unmoored.

  “She’ll be fine,” Althea said softly behind me. Her voice held a quiet assurance, but not the comforting kind. It was factual.

  I turned away from the window and faced her, trying to mask the uncertainty crawling under my skin. “Where are we going?”

  Her lips curved into a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Somewhere... far from here.” She stepped toward the center of the room, raising one hand gracefully. With a flick of her wrist, the air began to shimmer and twist, almost like water disturbed by an unseen force. Slowly, the space between us rippled, expanding, until it formed a portal, pulsing faintly with a power I could only describe as raw.

  “This,” she said, gesturing to the swirling entrance before us, “will take us to a place where the magic of Aether flows freely. Where it is neither hindered nor restrained. There, you’ll begin to understand.”

  “Aether flows freely?” I echoed, confused but intrigued. “I thought Aether’s energy was... contained. Balanced.”

  Althea nodded, stepping closer to the portal. “In our world, yes. Aether’s balance is necessary to maintain life, to ensure harmony between all things. But this place is different. It exists outside the confines of our world. It is a dimension where both light and dark magics coexist in their purest form.”

  I swallowed hard, my gaze drawn to the shifting, almost ethereal light of the portal. “And you think that will help me... control whatever’s happening to me?”

  Althea’s eyes glinted, a quiet wisdom resting there. “Not just control, Aria. Understand. This isn’t just about power. It’s about comprehension—of who you are, of what you’re becoming. Without that, you’ll always be a step behind.”

  I took a step forward, hesitating just at the edge of the swirling energy. The air around it buzzed, as if alive with something ancient and untamed. I could feel it pulling at me, calling to some part of me I didn’t yet understand.

  Althea watched me closely, her presence a steadying force. “Don’t be afraid,” she said, her voice soft but commanding. “What you’ll find there isn’t just chaos. It’s... truth.”

  With a deep breath, I nodded and stepped through.

  The shift was immediate. One moment I was in the quaint, dimly lit cottage, and the next, I was standing in a place so unlike anything I’d ever seen that I almost forgot to breathe.

  We were standing in the middle of a vast, open landscape, but it didn’t feel empty. The air shimmered with soft hues of blue, purple, and gold, like the colors of a sunset frozen in time. Magic pulsed through everything—the ground beneath our feet, the sky above us, even the air itself. It was alive, thrumming with energy, as if the land breathed magic.

  Massive trees with glowing white bark stretched toward the sky, their leaves dark as midnight but speckled with pinpricks of light, like stars captured in their branches. Streams of silvery water flowed gently around us, but instead of reflecting light, they absorbed it, creating soft ripples of shadow that danced along their surface.

  “What is this place?” I whispered, my voice almost lost in the beauty of it all.

  “This is where Aether’s true power resides,” Althea said quietly, her gaze sweeping the horizon. “Here, the balance between light and dark is not just maintained—it is celebrated. They are two halves of the same whole, working in harmony. And that is why you’re here. You are both.”

  I turned to her, my heart pounding. “Both?”

  She nodded. “You are Celestial, yes. But your connection to Shadow Celestials, through your father, gives you access to both realms of magic. You are uniquely attuned to this balance. And only here, in this place, can you begin to understand what that means.”

  I stared at the landscape, overwhelmed by the sheer power around us. Everything here felt... complete. Whole. As though the boundaries between light and shadow didn’t exist, but instead flowed together seamlessly, creating something new, something... pure.

  “How do I even begin to—” I started, but Althea held up a hand, stopping me.

  “You’ll begin by feeling,” she said. “Close your eyes.”

  I hesitated but did as she instructed, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. The moment I did, the magic around me surged, pressing in from all sides. It wasn’t forceful, but it was... insistent, as though it had been waiting for me to acknowledge it.

  “Feel the flow,” Althea said, her voice distant but clear. “Not just the light or the darkness, but both. They are not separate here. They are part of each other. Let them guide you.”

  I breathed deeply, focusing on the energy around me. At first, it was overwhelming. Too much to process all at once. But as I stood there, letting myself sink into it, something shifted. The chaotic rush of magic began to slow, almost like it was aligning itself to my presence.

  And then, I felt it. A pulse, deep and steady, like the heartbeat of the world itself. It wasn’t just light or dark; it was everything.

  Althea's presence was steady behind me, her voice calm but firm. “You’re doing well, Aria. Don’t rush it.”

  I could feel the pull of both energies—light and dark—swirling around me, intertwining in ways I hadn’t thought possible. At first, it was like trying to catch air with my bare hands, but then, slowly, I began to sense the distinct flow of each element. They weren’t fighting against each other as I had expected; instead, they seemed to move in tandem, two parts of the same whole.

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  I took a deep breath, focusing on the light first. It was easier, somehow, more familiar. The warmth of it filled me like a gentle flame, spreading through my veins. I could feel the air around me shift, becoming lighter, as if the very atmosphere responded to my command.

  “That’s it,” Althea said softly. “You can feel it now. But don’t just stop there. Balance it.”

  I swallowed hard, shifting my focus toward the darker energy. It wasn’t cold or menacing like I had imagined. Instead, it was... quiet. Steady. Like the calm after a storm. I tried to let it seep into the same space as the light, but the moment I did, I felt a pressure building in my chest, the two forces pushing against each other, clashing.

  The ground beneath me trembled slightly, and I felt my control slipping. Panic began to rise in my throat as the magic became overwhelming. I could feel the energies spiraling out of control, each one trying to assert dominance over the other.

  “Stop!” I gasped, my eyes snapping open. The connection broke immediately, and I stumbled backward, the breath rushing from my lungs. I bent over, trying to steady myself, feeling lightheaded from the sudden release of magic.

  Althea was at my side in an instant, her hand on my shoulder, grounding me. “That was good. You did better than most do on their first try.”

  I wiped the sweat from my brow, frustration creeping in. “It didn’t feel good. I couldn’t... keep them together. They kept pushing against each other.”

  Althea knelt down in front of me, her expression patient. “That’s normal. You’re trying to control two opposing forces, but they’re not meant to be controlled in the way you’re thinking.”

  I looked at her, confused. “But how am I supposed to balance them if I can’t control them?”

  She smiled softly. “It’s not about control. It’s about understanding. You don’t force them to work together; you allow them to find their own rhythm. It’s like breathing. You can’t hold one breath in forever—you have to let it flow.”

  I sat down on the soft ground, trying to let her words sink in. “So, I just... let them do their thing?”

  Althea chuckled, the sound light and soothing. “Something like that. You’re not here to tame the magic, Aria. You’re here to align with it. Trust the process.”

  I closed my eyes again, trying to center myself, to feel the magic without forcing it. I could sense Althea’s presence beside me, not pressuring, but simply there, guiding me in her own quiet way.

  “Start again,” she encouraged. “This time, don’t try to pull the magic toward you. Let it come to you naturally.”

  I focused on the space around me, letting go of the need to control. The energies were still there, swirling and dancing in the air, but this time, I let them exist without trying to push or pull. Slowly, I felt the pressure ease, the tension between light and dark dissolving as they moved in their own flow.

  I raised my hand, feeling the warmth of the light curl around my fingers, while the dark lingered just below, grounding me. I wasn’t forcing them together this time; I was allowing them to coexist. And for the first time, I felt a spark of hope. Maybe I could do this.

  “Good,” Althea murmured, her voice warm with approval. “You see? It’s not about bending them to your will. It’s about finding harmony in their existence.”

  I opened my eyes, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “It feels... different. Easier.”

  “It will get easier,” Althea said, standing gracefully. “But that doesn’t mean it won’t be difficult sometimes. The key is patience. You’ll learn to navigate the balance in time.”

  I got to my feet, feeling a little more confident, though the weight of what I was learning still pressed heavily on me. I knew this was only the beginning.

  But as Althea said, patience was key. I couldn’t rush this, no matter how much I wanted to understand it all now.

  “What’s next?” I asked, turning toward her, ready for whatever the next step might be.

  Althea smiled, but there was a hint of something in her eyes—something almost unreadable. “Next, we push your limits.”

  Before I could respond, the ground beneath me shifted. The trees, once glowing and serene, began to pulse with a darker energy. The sky, once peaceful, now churned with swirling clouds of shadow and light. Everything around me was moving, as if the entire world was responding to my presence.

  Althea stood in the center of it all, her form calm, unaffected by the chaos. “You’ve seen how the energies coexist in balance. But now, you need to learn what happens when they’re pushed to their extremes.”

  A chill ran down my spine. “What do you mean?”

  Her gaze sharpened. “You must be prepared for what’s coming, Aria. In the real world, the balance will not always be perfect. The energies will clash, and you will be caught in the middle of it. You need to learn how to navigate that conflict.”

  I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. “And how do I do that?”

  Althea’s smile faded, her expression serious. “By facing it head-on.”

  With a wave of her hand, the air around us began to crackle with energy. The ground trembled beneath my feet, and I could feel the magic surging, no longer in balance. It was wild, chaotic, and it was coming straight for me.

  “Don’t fight it,” Althea’s voice echoed in my mind. “Feel it. Let it guide you.”

  I tried to let the chaos move through me, as Althea had instructed, but it wasn’t easy. The energies were wild, volatile. One moment I felt the surge of light overpowering everything, the next, darkness swirled around me like a suffocating storm. My instincts screamed at me to force them back into balance, to control them somehow, but no matter how hard I tried, they slipped through my grasp.

  “Don’t force it!” Althea’s voice echoed in my mind, calm but firm. “You’re not here to master them today. You’re here to understand them.”

  But it was overwhelming, like trying to hold back a flood with my bare hands. The more I tried to let go, the more it felt like the magic was dragging me under, refusing to cooperate.

  I stumbled, my knees hitting the ground as a wave of energy slammed into me. Sweat dripped down my forehead, my breath coming in short, uneven gasps. I was failing. I could feel it. The energies kept slipping out of balance, and I had no idea how to keep up with them.

  Althea didn’t say a word, didn’t intervene. She just watched, letting me wrestle with the forces, her expression calm, as if she expected this struggle. I forced myself to stand again, my legs shaky, my body tense. The storm of energy around me raged on, and I could feel the strain pulling me in every direction.

  With a deep breath, I tried to center myself once more. But as I reached out to the light, the dark lashed out in retaliation. The ground beneath me cracked, splitting apart as the magic flared wildly. I lost my footing, crashing hard to the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of me.

  “Enough!” I gasped, my voice raw with frustration. The magic faded instantly, leaving me lying there, defeated. The air was heavy with silence, the chaos around me gone, replaced by the stillness of my own failure.

  Althea approached me slowly, kneeling beside me. Her presence was comforting, but there was no pity in her eyes. “That’s enough for today.”

  I shook my head, feeling the weight of disappointment settle over me. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep them balanced.”

  She placed a hand on my shoulder, her voice gentle but firm. “You’re not expected to succeed immediately, Aria. This isn’t about mastering the energies in one attempt. It’s about understanding their nature—and your own limits.”

  I sat there for a moment, catching my breath, feeling the ache in my limbs. “It just feels... impossible.”

  Althea gave me a small smile. “It’s not. But it will take time. You’re trying to do something that many cannot even begin to comprehend. Failing isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s part of the process.”

  I nodded, trying to absorb her words, but the frustration lingered. I had hoped for more, expected more. But as I looked at Althea, I realized this was only the beginning. Small rejections, small steps back—that was part of the journey.

  “Tomorrow,” she said, helping me to my feet, “we’ll continue. There is no rush. The energies don’t bend to time, and neither should you.”

  I dusted myself off, grateful for the moment of pause. “Tomorrow,” I echoed, the word feeling heavier than I had expected.

  She led me back to where we had started, the soft glow of the dimension calming me. But even as I followed her, my mind raced with the lessons I had learned today—the failures and small victories that were part of something much larger.