My eyes fly open, and I gasp. Where my hand touches the ground, a faint golden glow spreads outward. It's barely visible, like sunlight filtering through murky water, but it's there.
Heart pounding, I press my palm more firmly against the forest floor. The glow intensifies slightly, spreading further. I can feel it now, a warmth seeping up through my skin, traveling along my arm.
It's the magic from the pond. Sohow, it's not confined to the water. It's here, in the very earth beneath my feet.
A laugh bubbles up from my chest, half disbelief and half triumph. "Well, would you look at that?"
Encouraged, I place my other hand on the ground as well. The glow spreads further, creating a small circle of light around . It's beautiful, a stark contrast to the gloomy forest surrounding .
I close my eyes, focusing on the sensation. The magic feels... different from what I've experienced before. It's not the raw, primal power of the Moon Goddess, nor is it the structured, disciplined energy I've been trying to work with in my training.
This magic feels wild. Untad. Like a force of nature that can't be reasoned with. It reminds of the feeling I get when I'm running through the forest, wind in my hair, heart pounding with the thrill of freedom.
The glow continues to spread, pushing back the darkness of the forest. With each passing mont, I feel stronger, more alive. It's intoxicating.
It isn't under my control; it spreads without my thought or push. I'm little more than a conduit.
The dark water slowly changes, from black to navy. Then, slowly, into a glossy blue that reflects the sun.
And hints of green.
Green, from the leaves sprouting on once-dead branches. From the unfurling trees once again reaching high to the sky.
It's limited to the area surrounding , but there's life here, where there was once nothing at all.
A comfortable buzz against my wrist catches my attention, and I glance down at the silver bracelet Dr. Blackwell gave .
It's glowing, with the faintest hint of lavender aura around it.
Is that what's allowed to tap into the magic of this place?
"No. It's just enjoying the door you finally opened."
I leap to my feet, heart pounding. "Who's there?" My eyes dart around the forest, searching for the source of the voice.
Silence. Nothing but trees and shadows.
"Oh, for the love of—" The voice cuts through the air again, dripping with sarcasm. "Why are you acting like I'm so sort of attacker? You're the one who barged in here and woke up."
I spin in a circle, trying to pinpoint where it's coming from. The voice is... odd. Not quite feminine, not quite masculine. Young, maybe? "Show yourself!"
"Why does it matter if I'm male or female?" The voice sounds annoyed now. "Honestly, you humans and your obsession with categorizing everything."
"I'm just trying to figure out who you are," I say, eyes narrowed as I scan the area. Sothing moves in my peripheral vision, and I whirl toward the pond.
The dark surface ripples, then bulges upward. My breath catches as a figure begins to rise from the water.
Slowly, it erges—first a head, then shoulders, torso, legs. Water cascades off its form as it steps onto the shore. I take an involuntary step back, my mind reeling.
The figure before is... ethereal. Androgynous. Its skin shimrs with an otherworldly iridescence, like moonlight on water. Hair the color of seafoam falls in waves past its shoulders. Its eyes are the deep blue-green of the ocean, with flecks of gold that seem to dance and shift.
It—they?—cocks their head to the side, regarding with a mixture of curiosity and irritation. "Well? Are you satisfied now that you can see ? Or do you need to provide a detailed anatomical breakdown?"
I blink, trying to process what I'm seeing. "What... who are you?"
They roll their eyes. "I'm the spirit of this place. Or I was, before it started dying." They gesture at the small patch of greenery surrounding us. "Though I suppose I should thank you for the little bit of life you've managed to bring back."
My mind races, trying to make sense of this. A spirit? Like... a nature spirit or sothing?
There should be nothing in this world capable of surprising , yet here I am, sent reeling once again.
"I didn't an to wake you," I say, my voice softer now. "I was just trying to connect with the magic here. Wherever this is."
The spirit's expression softens slightly. "Yes, well, it's been a long ti since anyone's been able to do that. Most just pass through without even noticing."
I take a tentative step closer. "What happened here? Why is everything... dead?"
A shadow passes over their face. "The magic is fading. Has been for a long ti. Without it, the life here withers away."
"But why?" I ask, my curiosity overriding my initial fear.
They shrug, a surprisingly human gesture. "Who knows? The ways of magic are mysterious, even to those of us who are born of it."
I glance down at the silver bracelet on my wrist, still glowing faintly.
The strange figure moves closer, their head cocked. "You carry the legacy of witches, but have the mark of a wizard. What are you?"
"?" Startled, I point at myself. "What am I?"
The way they stare at leaves feeling about two inches small. "Yes, you. Who else is here?"
Good point.
"I'm a wolf shifter—" I can see the blankness in their eyes almost imdiately. "Uh, a Lycan. But I'm also a witch. Or a wizard. Magician? Sothing like that."
"They are all the sa," they admit, pacing around as they inspect like sothing strange.
I'm not the strange one here, okay. You are! You're the strange one!
But I keep my thoughts to myself.
"No. This is my domain, and you're the strange one here."
Right. They've read my mind a few tis now. Should have caught onto that quicker.
"Indeed. Your intelligence seems to be lower than your predecessors." They squint at . "Witches gave back to magic, and in turn grew more powerful. Wizards devoted themselves to learning. Magicians had no interest in living with humans, leveraging their abilities for power."
It's amazing how many different answers I've gotten from different people. History is so murky. Everyone has a different view of it, and it's so far removed from current ti I'm not sure I'll ever get a clear answer.
"Then how can you tell the difference?"
They snap their fingers. "That bracelet is a legacy of witches, and your soul bears several wards. Very interesting. Only a wizard would put so much effort into a warded soul. Magicians and witches never practiced with glyphs. It's all in the training, and they never shared."
"I don't understand," I admit, turning as they turn, until the world spins around , leaving off balance. "You say they're the sa, but then explain how they're different."
"Mother, these children learn nothing," they mutter, finally stopping. Maybe they're dizzy, too. "All humans access the sa magic. It's how they learn or what they use it for that creates a difference. Otherwise, you're all the sa. Humans with magic."
They pause for a second. "Though, Lycans don't have magic. Are you sure you're Lycan?"
"Positive." Kind of. I an, I have Selene—I can't exactly have a wolf if I'm not, right?
Barring the whole not sharing a body thing, anyway.
"So," they say suddenly, changing the subject without warning. "You could access the sealed magic?"
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