Back at her room above the tavern Aerin stood with her back to him, her shoulders tense, the weight of his betrayal suffocating the space between them making her throat swell. The silence was unbearable, thick with the unspoken words that neither of them could bring themselves to say.

“I never meant to hurt you, Aerin,” Elden’s voice was low, but it did nothing to ease the anger boiling inside her. King Hazrael’s pawn.

Aerin whipped around, her eyes blazing with fury. Her magic drumming softly in her ears “Don’t you dare,” she spat, her voice trembling with the force of her rage. “Don’t you dare act like you didn’t know exactly what you were doing.” He had used her, made her trust him. Made her feel for him.

Elden took a step toward her, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “Aerin, please—”

“Please?” she cut him off, her heart hammering in her chest. Her magic slowly simmered out through her skin. “You were sent to kill me. To end my life. And you think a simple ‘please’ is going to fix that?”

His face twisted with regret, his jaw clenched tightly as he struggled to find the right words. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Aerin laughed bitterly, though there was no humor in it. Her eyes narrowed at him, “There’s always a choice, Elden. You just chose the wrong one.”

“I changed,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “You changed me.”

“Don’t put that on me,” she snapped. “Don’t make this my fault. You were the one lying to me this entire time.”

“I was following orders,” he argued, his voice rising with desperation. “But I didn’t expect to—”

“To what? Fall for me?” Aerin’s voice cracked, the pain cutting through her anger. She shook her head, tears of betrayal stinging her eyes. “You don’t get to use that as an excuse.”

Elden’s eyes softened, his eyes filled with guilt and something deeper. “I want to be at your side, Aerin. Let me prove it to you. Let me fix this.”

“Fix this?” Aerin’s voice broke, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. She looked at him, truly looked at him, and the weight of his betrayal crashed over her again. “You can’t fix this, Elden. Not after what you’ve done.”

The silence hung between them, a chasm neither of them knew how to cross.

She had to leave, she couldn’ bare to be in the same room as him, breathe the same air. She had to get out.

The streets of Yaveria were bustling with the usual life and noise, but Aerin walked through them like a ghost. The city, once a symbol of hope and safety, now felt like a labyrinth of shadows and uncertainty. Every step echoed with the weight of recent betrayals and the heavy burden of her own magic. Her magic had come forward as she spoke to Elden. She didn’t want to hurt him, she had no control over her magic, it had a life of its own. And it came out as she spilled all her anger at him.

The chill morning air was a stark contrast to the heat of anger that still burned within her. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her, trying to stave off both the cold and the memories that clung to her like frost. The betrayal by Elden had cut deeper than she cared to admit, and the lingering sting of his actions made every corner of Yaveria feel unfamiliar to her.

As she walked, her mind kept drifting back to Mara and Talon. She needed to find them, to tell them everything that had happened. They had to know that Elden was no longer someone they could trust. He was one of King Hazrael’s key pawns in his pursuit to kill her.

Turning a corner, Aerin spotted Talon standing near the old fountain in the town square. His posture was tense, his gaze scanning the crowd as if he were waiting for something—or someone. As soon as he saw her, his expression softened, though the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.

“Aerin,” he said, striding forward. “You’re here. I was starting to worry.”

“I’m fine,” she replied, though her voice lacked conviction. She glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot before she continued. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

Talon’s brows furrowed as he noticed the somber tone in her voice. “What happened?”

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Aerin took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “Elden... he was sent by the king to kill me.”

Talon’s face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. “I knew something was off about him. But I didn’t expect...” His voice trailed off, replaced by a heavy silence.

“I know,” Aerin said, her eyes meeting his. “And it’s not just that. He’s changed—he wanted to be by my side, to make things right. But I don’t know if I can trust him anymore.” The gravity she felt towards him, the longing. She had trusted him, she had opened herself up to him, given herself.

Talon shook his head, clearly struggling with the revelation. “So what now? We can’t just—”

“We need to be careful,” Aerin interrupted. “We need to make sure that Mara knows too. She has to understand the risks. Elden’s betrayal changes everything.”

Talon nodded, his gaze steady as he absorbed her words. “Alright. Let’s find Mara and make sure she’s aware. We need to be ready for whatever comes next.”

As they turned to leave, the air seemed to grow colder, the bustling city around them fading into a backdrop of uncertainty. Aerin walked with purpose, her steps echoing her resolve. She had to prepare for the unknown, for the secrets yet to be revealed.

As Aerin and Talon walked briskly through the streets of Yaveria, the weight of their conversation hung heavy between them.

Talon broke the silence first, his tone laced with frustration. “So, Elden was sent to kill you. That’s a new twist I didn’t see coming.”

Aerin rolled her eyes, her mood a mix of annoyance and exhaustion. “Oh, believe me, it wasn’t on my to-do list either.” She tried to shake the sadness, but it lingered like a veil on her skin.

Talon smirked, though there was no humor in his expression. “And here I thought he was just a pretty face. Turns out he’s got a lot more baggage.”

Aerin snorted, shaking her head. “You’ve always had a knack for underestimating people.”

“Guilty as charged,” Talon said with a wry smile. “But seriously, what do we do about him? Just because he’s had a change of heart doesn’t mean we can let our guard down.”

“Trusting him again is not on my list,” Aerin replied, her voice firm. “He’s shown his true colors. We can’t afford to let our guard down, especially now.”

Talon raised an eyebrow. “So, what’s the plan then? You’re just going to pretend he doesn’t exist?”

“I’m not sure what the plan is,” Aerin admitted. “But I do know that we need to keep our distance. His apologies and promises aren’t worth much right now.”

Talon chuckled, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d say this, but I agree with you. We keep him at arm’s length and focus on what we can control.”

“Glad to hear we’re on the same page for once,” Aerin said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips despite the situation.

“Don’t get used to it,” Talon said with a mock serious expression. “I’m only agreeing because you’re making sense for once.”

Aerin laughed softly, shaking her head. “And here I thought you were just grumpy because you missed your morning coffee.”

Talon smirked, playfully bumping her shoulder. “I’m grumpy because I’m stuck with you. And now we have to deal with Elden’s mess on top of everything else.”

Aerin grinned, the banter easing some of the tension. “Well, you’re welcome. I guess you could use a bit of excitement in your life.”

“Excitement is overrated,” Talon said, his smile widening. “But for you, I suppose I can handle it.”

As the night air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, a reminder that the world, with all its ancient power, still lived and breathed around them. Aerin stood at the edge of the clearing, overlooking a vast forest that stretched far beyond what her eyes could see. The distant peaks of the Thalindrian Mountains framed the horizon, jagged and ominous. Mara stood beside her, quiet, watchful.

"This is where it begins," Mara murmured, her voice soft but filled with gravity. "The first step toward control."

Aerin’s fingers twitched. The power inside her had been growing, pulsing just beneath the surface of her skin, like something alive—something she didn’t yet understand. It hummed in her veins, eager, untamed. But here, at this precipice, it felt like the air was waiting, too. Waiting for her to command it.

Mara had asked Aerin to feel her magic, see what layed beyond her mortal body. They had decided to use Mara’s knowledge, craft what was hidden beneath.

"Tell me what to do," Aerin whispered, her breath turning into mist in the cool air. Her eyes flicked to Mara, who had a serene calm about her, as if this place—the wild, the unknown—was a familiar friend. The trees seemed to watch them as they moved.

Mara turned to face her fully, the flicker of torchlight catching the edges of her sharp features. "You already know what to do. It’s not about the elements around us. It’s about you. Feel it, Aerin. Feel how it wants to escape."

Aerin closed her eyes, focusing inward, on the pull deep within her. The power wasn't just beneath her skin—it was woven into her very being, like threads connecting her to the world around her. She had felt it outside of Bramhall, during the attack. She hadn’t asked for it but the magic had surfaced and claimed her.

She inhaled slowly, feeling the coolness of the night sink into her lungs. The magic stirred, a ripple across her skin, faint at first, like a shimmer of light reflecting off water. It hummed inside her, brewing. She could feel the ripples come to the surface, tingling underneath. Her heart pounded steadily together with it, she was the magic, the magic was her. Steady breaths, in and out.

Then, without warning, it erupted.

A thin, glowing layer formed across her body, shimmering like liquid glass, dancing with hues of blue and silver. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once. Aerin’s eyes snapped open shifting to black, her breath catching as she watched the magic shift and bend around her hands, forming tendrils of frost that curled into the air before dissipating.

"Good," Mara said softly, her eyes widening. "Now, shape it. Control it." She tried to control her voice as she watched Aerin's body transform.

Aerin reached out, her hand trembling, and willed the magic to change. She tugged inward, it responded, the frost twisting into flame and a small flicker of fire curling in her palm. It was weak, but it was hers. She could feel the heat against her skin, could sense the rawness that hummed beneath the surface. The power was endless, a deep well of energy that seemed to have no bottom. It was wild. Unruly.

The fire wavered, flickering violently before turning to ice, spreading up her arm, a thin sheen of frost coating her skin. Aerin gasped, pulling back, but Mara stepped forward, her voice steady, grounding.

"Don’t fear it, Aerin. It will only listen to you if you trust it."

Aerin’s heart pounded in her chest as she forced herself to relax. “I am scared,” She finally said, looking at Mara. The frost melted, droplets of water falling from her fingertips. She focused again, and this time the power obeyed, swirling like a gentle breeze around her, forming gusts of wind that whirled and danced at her command.

"It’s like a part of me I never knew existed," she breathed, watching the wind carry the leaves around her feet. "But how can I learn to control something so vast?"

Mara smiled faintly, stepping beside her. "In time. For now, let it flow. You are only beginning to understand what you are capable of."