The following days were a whirlwind of practice, trial, and more than a few errors. After her first successful attempt with earth magic, Briar had started feeling more confident. But confidence didn’t always translate into results. In fact, Briar was quickly discovering that when it came to elemental magic, things could go from promising to chaotic in a matter of seconds.

It didn’t help that Myrtle was always there, egging her on with ideas that sounded “fun” but usually ended with Briar covered in dirt, drenched in water, or surrounded by a sudden gust of wind strong enough to knock her off her feet.

Today, however, Briar was determined to focus. No distractions, no wild ideas. Just her, the magic, and—hopefully—some success.

She stood in the clearing, feeling the soft hum of magic beneath her feet as she practiced her connection to the earth. After a few shaky starts, she had managed to move small mounds of dirt with precision and even reshape the roots of a nearby tree to form a neat little spiral around its base.

"See?" Myrtle said, watching from the sidelines with a grin. "You’re getting better!"

Briar smiled, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get more complicated. "Yeah, but this is just earth magic. I haven’t even tried the others yet."

Myrtle’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s move on to something more exciting!"

Briar raised an eyebrow. "Exciting?"

"Air magic," Myrtle said with a grin, bouncing on her toes. "It’s all about wind and movement. It’ll be fun!"

"Fun," Briar repeated, her skepticism clear.

"Come on, Briar. You’ve got this!" Myrtle urged. "Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s just wind!"

"Just wind?" Briar muttered, glancing nervously at the trees swaying overhead. "You’re way too confident about this."

"That’s because I know you can do it!" Myrtle said, her voice full of encouragement. "Trust me, air magic is a breeze."

Briar groaned at the pun, but there was no denying the tiny flicker of excitement in her chest. She had mastered a bit of earth magic—maybe air would come just as easily. Or at least not involve any flying pumpkins.

Taking a deep breath, Briar stepped into the center of the clearing and closed her eyes. She let her magic settle, feeling for the familiar connection to the world around her. But instead of focusing on the earth this time, she reached higher—toward the sky, toward the wind.

At first, she felt nothing but the gentle breeze stirring her hair. But then, slowly, she began to feel the air shifting, swirling around her in soft currents. It was faint, barely noticeable at first, but it was there—light, free, and full of potential.

"That’s it!" Myrtle called, her voice full of encouragement. "You’re doing it!"

Briar’s heart raced with excitement as she pushed a little harder, coaxing the wind to move. The breeze around her picked up, swirling faster and faster until it whipped through her hair and tugged at her clothes.

But as the wind gained strength, Briar felt her control slipping. The air around her grew wilder, the currents swirling chaotically as if they had a mind of their own. Panic surged through her as the wind began to whip into a full-fledged gust, sending leaves and branches flying in all directions.

"Myrtle!" Briar called, her voice tight with alarm. "I think I’ve lost control!"

Myrtle, who was now clinging to a nearby tree, grinned despite the chaos. "Don’t worry! You’ll figure it out!"

"Figure it out?!" Briar shouted, struggling to keep her feet on the ground as the wind whipped around her like a small tornado. "This is not how I wanted this to go!"

"Focus!" Myrtle called, still hanging onto the tree for dear life. "You’ve got to calm the wind down! You’re the one in control!"

Briar squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the whirlwind of chaos around her. She took a deep breath, reaching for the core of her magic—the place where the energy came from. Slowly, carefully, she willed the wind to slow.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

It didn’t work at first. The wind roared around her, sending leaves and twigs flying through the air. But Briar refused to give up. She concentrated harder, drawing the magic back into herself, pulling the wild currents into a gentle breeze.

And then, finally, the wind began to calm.

Briar let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as the air around her stilled. The clearing, which had been a flurry of leaves and dirt moments ago, was now eerily quiet. She opened her eyes, her heart still racing, but to her relief, the wind was gone.

Myrtle stumbled forward, brushing leaves out of her hair and laughing. "That was amazing! You created your own mini-tornado!"

Briar shot her a look. "Amazing? That was terrifying! I could’ve blown the entire village away!"

"Relax," Myrtle said, waving a hand dismissively. "It wasn’t that bad. You stopped it, didn’t you?"

Briar shook her head, trying to calm her nerves. "Barely."

"Well, the important thing is you did it," Myrtle said, plopping down on the ground with a grin. "Air magic is tricky, but you’ve got a knack for it. You just need more practice."

"More practice?" Briar groaned, sinking down next to her. "I almost turned us into human kites!"

Myrtle laughed. "Details, details. Next time, you’ll have it under control from the start. I believe in you."

Briar sighed, though she couldn’t help but smile a little. Despite the chaos—and there had been a lot of chaos—she had to admit that there was something thrilling about wielding the wind. It was wild, unpredictable, and completely different from the grounded, stable feeling of earth magic. But that was what made it exciting.

"Alright," Briar said, a small spark of determination returning. "One more time. But this time, we go slow. No mini-tornadoes."

"Deal!" Myrtle said, bouncing back to her feet. "Let’s start with something simple—just a breeze, nothing more."

Briar nodded, taking a deep breath as she centered herself once again. This time, she reached for the wind with a lighter touch, coaxing it gently instead of pulling it with force. Slowly, she felt the breeze stir around her, soft and gentle, like the touch of a feather.

"That’s it," Myrtle said softly, her voice calm. "You’re doing it."

Briar smiled, her heart racing with excitement as the breeze grew stronger, swirling playfully around her without spinning out of control. She could feel the magic flowing through her, light and free, just like the wind itself. And this time, she was in control.

"I’m doing it," Briar whispered, her smile widening.

Myrtle clapped her hands, beaming. "I knew you could! This is amazing!"

But before Briar could celebrate too much, a sudden crackling sound echoed through the clearing, sending a shiver down her spine. She froze, her magic faltering as she glanced around in confusion.

"What was that?" Briar whispered, her voice tight with tension.

Myrtle frowned, her eyes scanning the trees. "I don’t know…"

Suddenly, there was a sharp zap, and a flash of light flickered at the edge of the clearing. Briar’s eyes widened as she saw a spark—tiny but unmistakable—dancing along the ground near the trees.

"Oh no," Briar breathed. "Is that…?"

"Fire," Myrtle said, her voice full of both awe and alarm. "That’s fire magic."

Briar’s stomach dropped as the tiny spark flickered again, this time catching on a dry leaf. In an instant, a small flame sprang to life, licking at the edges of the clearing.

Myrtle grinned. "Well, looks like you’ve unlocked another element!"

Briar, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic. "Myrtle, this is bad. I didn’t mean to summon fire!"

"Relax!" Myrtle said, waving her hands in a calming gesture. "It’s just a tiny flame. We can put it out. No problem."

Briar wasn’t convinced, but she knew panicking wouldn’t help. Taking a deep breath, she willed the magic to shift, focusing on the flames instead of the wind. She reached out with her magic, feeling for the heat, the energy of the fire. It was different from the other elements—wild, hungry, alive in a way that made her skin prickle with nervous energy.

But Briar didn’t back down. She focused harder, pulling the fire’s energy back into herself, willing the flames to flicker out. And slowly, very slowly, the fire began to shrink. The tiny flame that had sprung to life just moments ago flickered one last time before disappearing completely, leaving only a faint curl of smoke in its wake.

Briar let out a long breath, her knees wobbling with relief. "That was too close."

Myrtle, who had been watching with wide eyes, broke into a grin. "See? You handled it! You’re getting the hang of fire magic too!"

Briar gave her a weak smile. "Barely."

Myrtle laughed. "Hey, it’s all part of learning. You’ve got air, earth, and now a little bit of fire under your belt. You’re on your way to mastering all the elements!"

Briar groaned, collapsing onto the grass with a tired sigh. "I don’t know if I can handle much more today. I think I’ve had enough elemental magic for one week."

Myrtle plopped down next to her, grinning. "You’re doing great, Briar. Seriously. I know it feels overwhelming, but you’re growing so much. Soon, you’ll be able to control all the elements like it’s second nature."

Briar glanced up at the sky, feeling the weight of both exhaustion and excitement settling over her. She wasn’t so sure about mastering the elements any time soon, but she had to admit, there was something thrilling about discovering new magic. Even if it was terrifying at times.

"Thanks, Myrtle," Briar said softly, smiling at her friend. "I don’t know what I’d do without you."

Myrtle beamed. "You’d be fine. But I’ll admit, things are more fun when we’re in it together."

Briar chuckled, feeling a sense of peace settle over her. No matter what happened next—whether it was fire, wind, or an entire garden of rebellious plants—she knew she wasn’t alone. And that made all the difference.