When it comes to the sun god, Arlin, it is without a doubt he loved humans. We are the second most loved creatures by him, only behind his older sister, Aurelia the sun goddess. Arlin loved his older sister above all else, both back when the two of them still walked among us, and now as the two of them watch over us from the sky as they shower us with warm sunlight.

A paragraph from the book "Revelations of the Arlinite Faith Holy Text ", by Calen von Stomwisper.

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Emily's POV

Emily hesitated, her thoughts conflicting. She had no idea how to respond to Liam's suggestion.

On one hand she knows she could really use Liam's help, as he had much more experience controlling water. On the other hand, having him help her practice would mean spending time with him, which was the last thing she wanted at the minute.

She knows she smart thing would be to accept his offer, but she couldn't get her heart to agree, and yet with that said she didn't have it in her heart to outright reject him either.

"Are you...sure? Weren't you just practicing with Jaxon? Aren't you tired?" She asked, finding it hard to look him in the eye. She tried her hardest to sound normal.

"Well....Not really. Jaxon spends far more energy in our training sessions." Liam answered as Jaxon glared at him. He then continued "It's okay if you don't want me to help you practice, Emily." Liam said, sensing the girl's feelings.

How do I respond to that? If I said yes, I don't want your help, I'd come across as such a jerk, wouldn't I?

"N-No, it's not that! I'd appreciate your help!" she blurted, her words escaping without forethought.

Ugh, why did I agree?! It would look even worst if I said 'no never mind, I don't want to practice with you' now....

"I-I see, if you say so. Are you ready to start now?" Liam inquired, his tone gentle.

"Hey, Liam! What if I still wanted to train?" Jaxon re-entered the conversation, displaying a hint of displeasure at the prospect of his training partner being stolen like this.

"Jaxon, Emily needs the training more." Liam responded.

Before Jaxon could respond back, Nicole made a cheerful entrance into the training room, blissfully unaware of the recent awkwardness.

"There you all are! I'm whipping up some cookies for Karl. Anyone interested? Just checking to ensure I make enough for everyone." she chirped, her upbeat tone oblivious to the lingering tension.

"I want some!" Jaxon exclaimed as he dashed with a smile towards Nicole.

That Jaxon, he sure only smiles while he's talking to Nicole...I bet he wouldn't had been nearly as mad if it was her who saw him naked a minute ago!

"What about you two?" Nicole now asked Emily and Liam.

"No thanks. Not really big on sweets." Liam answered. "Though you already know that, Nicole." Liam continued with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I know, I know. Haha, I keep hoping one day you'll give me a different answer." Nicole said as she let out a small laugh.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"I...I'm not in the mood for any at the moment. Maybe next time Nicole." Emily also gave her answer.

"Do you need help preparing them, Nicole?" Jaxon asked.

"Hmmm, not really, though I wouldn't mind a helping hand if you are willing to offer one." Nicole answered as she turned to look at Jaxon who was a little shorter than her. This was a small fact the younger boy wasn't a fan of.

"Sure! I don't want to be here with these two anyway!" Jaxon spoke as he dashed out of the training room.

"Haha...I feel like I missed something." Nicole let out an awkward laugh as she slowly walked behind Jaxon, leaving Liam and Emily alone in the training room.

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"So are you ready to start, Emily?" Liam asked once again.

"Y-Yes." She answered, her gaze avoiding his

"Alright, wait here a second as I fill one of these buckets with water. I'll be back in a minute." Liam spoke as he went, picked up an empty bucket, and left Emily alone in the training room.

Act normal, Emily, act normal.

It didn't take long for Liam to fill a bucket and come back. The bucket was only half full. He led Emily a corner in the room.

"It's only half full cause I think it might be easier to control a smaller amount. At least I found it easier to control a smaller around when I started using my magic." Liam explained as Emily examined the bucket.

"Oh, I see. So that's how it works."

"Emily, you controlled water when you awakened your power, right? Do you remember how you did it?" He asked.

Emily's heart ached. She tries not to think of that dark day.

"Well....I wasn't really myself back then, so no I can't say I remember how."

"I-I see. Okay then, I'll explain how I control water. I'm assuming the way I do it will work the same way for you." Liam began explaining. "Let's start simple. Try putting your hand above the bucket and imagine the water moving in your head."

"O-Okay..." Emily did just as Liam said. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the water moving. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes.

"Oh...nothing happened." she said, feeling disappointed.

"Don't worry about it. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Keep trying." Liam said, trying to encourage Emily.

Emily took a deep breath, trying to focus on the task at hand. She once extended her hand over the bucket, envisioning the water moving. Still, nothing happened.

"Am I doing something wrong?" She asked, feeling slightly frustrated with herself.

Some witch I am...

"Um, maybe you should try concentrating more. Don't give up." Liam suggested, still patient.

For what felt like an hour, Emily continued trying to move the water. Suddenly, she felt something.

Hastily, she opened her eyes and turned her gaze to the bucket. It seemed as if a droplet of water had fallen into it, creating delicate ripples. However, the true origin of those ripples was Emily herself.

"Di-Did I do that?" She questioned, her uncertainty palpable.

"It sure was! "You've already done well for your first day practicing!" Liam commended, a genuine smile spreading across his face. Emily could tell he was happy for her. "Great job!" He continued, a big smile on his face, a smile that looked just like Jack's.

Emily managed a weak smile in return.

"I know this might not seem like much, but if you kept doing this everyday, you'll become better and better at having control over water." Liam said, but his smile faded when he noticed Emily's weak smile.

After a minute of quiet, he spoke.

"Are you....okay?" He asked.

"Y-Yes, I'm sorry. I know I should be happy right now. I mean, a part of me is happy I managed to move the water even that little, but...."

"Is it...me?" Liam finally addressed a question that had lingered in his thoughts for a while. "Did I do something wrong? I can tell you feel uncomfortable around me."

So he noticed? I suppose I wasn't doing the best job at hiding it. Stupid Emily.

"I-It's not you, You did no wrong Liam. It's me. I just, it's just that, when I look at you....I remember someone I used to know. You two look so alike." Emily tried to articulate her feelings, her voice trembling.

"....You did say that the day you joined Aludell, if I remember correctly. Do we really look so similar?" Liam asked.

"Yes, you do. If I didn't know any better I...could have believed you were him. I'm sorry, I just....need space and time right now." Emily expressed, not sure how to word her feelings.

"It's okay, I understand. I'll give you the space you need...." Liam replied, sounding and looking saddened. Emily felt guilty for taking away the smile he had a second ago. "Just know you can ask me anything related to controlling water, okay? And don't forget to practice everyday."

With those words, Liam exited the training room, leaving Emily alone with a heavy heart.