Elysha made her way back to Elder Merakia’s cottage, walking under the blue sky overlooking the forest. She couldn’t help but keep touching her own hands, the same smile she’d shown earlier at the brief, recent manifestation still on her face.

Micah, being carried in her arms, looked up at her expression and commented, “You seemed very eager to share the news with Elder Merakia.”

“I am!” she replied without turning her head as she walked at a brisk pace. “How far away is her home?”

“Hm, I’d say a bit further ahead!”

“How long though?”

“Er, soon, I think,” he replied. “I don’t know exactly how long, but keep straight on the path and we’ll get there!”

As the two of them moved on, Elysha’s thoughts wandered, reflecting on the day she had stepped out of the door to explore the Forest of Iröstos that morning: from the moment she had met the mysterious black cat named Kitty, to the encounter with the peculiar Zhivopian named Micah and the “trial” he had put her through, to the shocking encounter with the same cat from earlier, and to the manifestation of the white orb.

She had not expected her adventure to be such an experience that she could not get it out of her mind. And though it lasted less than a minute, that fleeting moment of using her own magic filled her with an indescribable sense of joy and accomplishment.

Elysha’s smile widened, then a sudden realization hit her. A wave of different scenarios regarding Elder Merakia’s reactions swept through her mind, sending a shiver of fear over her shoulders.

‘ Wait, would Elder Mera really be proud of me?’ she thought to herself. ‘Or what if she wasn’t? Would she… would she be…?’

An image of her disappointed look brought her to a halt, prompting Micah to ask, “Huh? What happened? Why did you stop?”

She shook her head from the negative thoughts, her eagerness refusing to waver. Then she looked up at the sky and asked, “You said that Elder Mera wanted us to be back by noon, right?”

“Yep, that’s right.”

“When is noon?”

“Uh, perhaps right now.”

Elysha raised her eyebrows in shock, a drop of nervous sweat running down her cheek as she blurted out, “Wh-What? Then I have to run quickly!”

The little girl ran down the forest path with Micah in her arms, her breathing heavy with the strain of her physical body’s energy. She huffed, “M-Maybe she won’t be too mad at me when we get back, will she?”

“Forget about her reaction,” Micah told her, sensing her nervousness. “More importantly, do you really want to run all the way back to her house like this?”

Elysha paused, taking a brief moment to think about what he had said, until she looked down at the small, gray Zhivopian cradled in her arms, his yellow-green eyes were staring back at her.

“Hello? Did you hear what Micah asked you?”

Her expression changed slightly. Noticing the change, he asked, “Uhh, what are you thinking about?”

Elysha turned her head away and answered with a grumble. His ears pricked up as he complained, “Hey, Micah can’t hear you!”

She grumbled louder, “... Says you. Who’s the one who has to walk all the way home?”

He gasped, “HUH? More like says YOU, who kept begging ‘please’ to hold Micah in your arms like your stuffed animal to take home.”

“What? I didn’t say that,” she countered. “Besides, I saw you fall asleep in my arms after I picked you up.”

“And what else can I do when I am stuck like this?”

Elysha’s brow furrowed and her grip on Micah’s fluffy little body tightened.

“What?” he reacted in surprise and tried to free himself, but she resisted his will. “And here I thought you were mad at me for using your arms for a nap.”

She avoided his gaze, pressed her face into his fur and murmured, “... I didn’t say that I wanted you to leave me.”

He watched her tired expression and sighed, “Micah didn’t realize you were this stubborn.”

Then, he went on and asked, “Anyway, answer my question, will you?”

“What question?”

The gray Zhivopian in her arms wiggled a little to adjust his position. “Are you really going to use your feet to move all the way back like this? It looks like you’re about to collapse from exhaustion.”

It took Elysha a few seconds to think about what he had said, during which time she could feel her legs tense and tired, her body dehydrated and sweating.

She replied, “I’m thirsty, Micah. I’m tired and I want to go back home. Maybe I don’t want to use my feet because they’re hurt, but what do you want me to do?”

“Well, Micah is not tired,” he said. “And since you did so well in the trial, Micah will do something special for you as a reward.”

Elysha raised an eyebrow. “Special? What do you mean?”

“You’ll see!” he smirked. “But first—let go of Micah!”

With a swift movement, he broke free of Elysha’s grip and leaped away, stretching his limbs dramatically, shaking off the imaginary stiffness and letting out a fat yawn, “Ah, freedom! Now then…”

He began to glow faintly, his fur shimmering with a soft light. Elysha’s eyes widened as the glow grew brighter, surrounding his entire body like an aura. Slowly, his small, fluffy form began to shift and expand, transforming into his larger, fox-like form.

He turned his head and gestured to her, saying, “Climb and rest on my back! We’ll reach Elder Merakia’s cottage much faster that way!”

Elysha nodded and climbed onto his thick, fluffy back, straddling him.

Micah called over his shoulder, “Now, isn’t this better?”

She buried her face in his warm fur, closing her eyes before murmuring, “Mm-hm, yes. Thank you.”

Micah chuckled, shook his head and jumped into the air, running in the sky over the treetops and carrying her effortlessly through the forest.

Elysha looked down at the treetops below them, the wind ruffling her hair as her eyes followed the path of birds and other creatures. With each passing moment, she became more immersed, feeling as if she were flying with the birds.

Then, she laid her face back into Micah’s fur as the flight continued in the air as they approached their destination.

Then, his ears perked upwards, his instincts sensing something. “Oh?”

His nose pointed in the direction of Elder Merakia’s cottage, and his eye narrowed in a suspicious thought.

‘Ugh, don’t tell me we’re back at the worst possible time,’ Micah sighed.

Arriving closer, he descended and landed on the ground again before coming to a complete stop. Micah turned his attention to the somnolent girl on his back and said, “Elysha, wake up! We’re here!”

Startled, she sat up, rubbed her heavy eyes, and blinked. “Huh?”

She looked around in a daze, trying to orient herself. It took her less than a moment to realize that they were still in the forest. “Where are we?”

“We’ve arrived at Elder Merakia’s place,” he answered.

After taking another look around, Elysha drew her eyebrows together and asked, “... But I only see trees. Where is her house?”

“That’s because we are close by.” Micah explained, pointing his snout towards a certain direction. “Just beyond those trees right there. Although…”

“Although?”

“I could sense that someone else is here right now…” he said, his eyes narrowing and his voice lowering with unease. “Someone else’s theonum aura besides the old witch. Him.”

“Who is ‘him?’”

“Well, you’ll see that who he is when we get closer to the cottage first,” he sighed. “Micah just doesn’t want that bastard to see me.”

Elysha watched as he shivered slightly, as if remembering something unpleasant. He shook his head and said, “Come on, let’s get on with it.”

~ ❈❇❈ ~

Their footsteps crunched against the grass and leaves as they slowly approached the shrubbery that bordered the clearing where Elder Merakia’s residence stood. “We finally made it back just as noon struck the sky,” Micah exhaled in relief, then turned his head and whispered aloud, “Elysha, hide behind those bushes.”

“Why?”

“Shh, trust me and watch ahead from here.” He then moved over to a hidden vantage point and knelt down. “Let’s listen.”

The two of them settled behind the undergrowth on the left, at the edge of the cottage yard. There, Elysha’s eyes peered out and saw an unfamiliar figure in the distance. He was standing at the door of the cottage, apparently in conversation with Elder Merakia.

“Tch, it really is him,” the gray Zhivopian grumbled. “See? This is the guy Micah was talking about. He came back, but for what reason this time?”

Elysha squinted to get a closer look at the stranger: the person was tall and masculine, but androgenic in appearance. He wore long dark brown pants and black shoes, a long green coat with a fur hood and cuffs, and a light blue button-up shirt with a high collar underneath. His gunmetal gray hair was neck-length, disheveled, and covered parts of his forehead with fringe. His expression, however, is unreadable from where they hide.

‘I wonder who he is,’ she thought, her curiosity piqued. ‘What could he and Elder Mera be talking about?’

Then, she turned to ask, “Why do you not like him?”

“Because he threatened me A LOT when Micah was younger!” he whispered loudly. “He may seem all nonchalant and inexpressive when you look at him, but to me, he’s a devil in disguise.”

Then, in a low grumble, he said, “Perhaps they’re talking about the white blast from the other day.”

Elysha turned her head back, her attention was still focused on the two people in conversation when she suddenly noticed something that caught her eye. It was the presence of a large bird-like creature standing beside them. The bird-like creature appeared to be white, elegant, and slender. Its long neck was curled down to get closer to the two people, but its body seemed to be taller than both of them.

‘What is that?’ she questioned herself, her eyes not leaving the creature. ‘I want to touch that bird, but is it a bird?’

She turned her head again to see Micah trying to move his ears closer to the scene. As Elysha turned to focus more on the audible background, she began to hear the faint whispers of their conversation. Despite the difficulty of understanding their words, the body language of Elder Merakia and the stranger expressed something else.

“Hm, I see, so it is safe to say that theonum levels in this area are within normal limits,” Elder Merakia spoke. “It is a relief to hear that for the sake of the people who live among these trees.”

“The data does not suggest certainty about the stability and safety of the forest,” he said, crossing his arms “Phenomenal occurrences still hold a lot of uncovered grounds to be analyzed, to shelve the cases of these unnatural events is not a realistic conclusion.”

She smirked. “Why, of course, no individual would want their home threatened by phenomena, not even the elders who are currently actively ruling this forest would let that slide completely.”

Then she looked up at the clouds in the sky and said, “The people of Soliremisce still remember the news of the incident at the islands of Zhivopis. The fear that is still imprinted in their hearts has left them praying to the Asnoiji that such a thing will not happen to them in the future.”

“And that incident happened seven years ago,” said the young man. “Before that, such events had only occurred sporadically throughout history. Rarely had any signs of abnormal events been seen anywhere in Solremisce. Only after signs appeared would a phenomenon of great magnitude appear, like the one that had devoured one of the islands in Zhivopis, erasing almost all traces of it.”

“So you are suggesting that something akin to that event will happen soon?” Elder Merakia asked.

He gave a stern look and answered, “Based on historical patterns and records, I would say there is a probability chance.”

A brief moment of silence passed between them. Elysha tilted her head and turned to Micah, asking him softly, “What happened? It was hard for me to hear what they are saying.”

His ears twitched nervously, “Uh, well, Micah can understand that it’s about phenomenal events, like that giant black cat we saw earlier.”

“Oh…” she took in his words, then looked back at the scene. “Then, could they be talking about Kitty right now?”

He pulled his ears down to his face and said, “I don’t know, I don’t want to hear about what they’re saying right now…”

“Huh?”

“Blah blah blah I can’t hear you!”

Elysha stared at Micah for a few seconds before turning her attention back to the conversation between Elder Merakia and the young man. Finally, her guardian broke the silence, “Aside from that, I must say that it is an unexpected but pleasant surprise for me to see my former pupil again after such a long time, leaving me without words of goodbye,” she grinned wryly. “What other reasons, besides current events, would bring you here?”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

He scoffed, “Oh? In that sense, your surprise was not to be expected, Merakia. I have the impression that your self-centered, dramatic and eccentric behavior has not changed since the last time I saw you. Is that not true?”

“Why, how impertinent of you,” Elder Merakia replied with a sinister smile, her fingers on her lips. “It seems your cold and unfriendly attitude hasn’t changed a bit since I met you as a little boy.”

The young man laughed dryly and crossed his arms, “I cannot recall anything I said or did to you that would have provoked such a remark,” he said. “Even then I had a similar impression. It has been some time since we last saw each other. My dear teacher, has age brought false perceptions into your attitude?”

“Do you think your concern is genuine? Is it?” Elder Merakia scowled with laced sarcasm. “Not that I care how much time has passed, and for your question, my mental clarity is very well and strong.”

She placed her hand to her chest and continued, “As a successful and retired mage since I have moved away from the City of Totheniui, I have a wonderful time and life living among these trees, taking sips of fine tea and caring for the health and well-being of my neighbors as a doctor. What more warmth can I ask for than to be away from the heavy snow and the cold winds?”

He gave her a wide-eyed look and then sighed with his hands on his face. “How could I have forgotten that you are a doctor as well?”

“Being a licensed physician has always been my primary profession,” Elder Merakia chuckled, then returned to her earlier question. “Anyway, enough of our playful banter. As for you, hjhI have heard nothing but positive feedback about your assigned role at the institution,” she said. “You have made remarkable progress on your journey since the last time we parted ways. The Institute speaks highly of your knowledge and contribution. For that, I am proud of you.”

“I didn’t come here seeking praise, teacher,” he sighed.

She chuckled again, her laugh light and knowing. “Oh, I know that much. Still, you can’t blame a retired mage for taking pride in her pupil’s success.” she paused for a breath and asked, “You came here to tell me something else, didn’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t even have come here just to tell me about the latest reports of theonum fluctuations.”

‘What’s happening?’ Elysha wondered as she watched their exchange, their words elusive to her. ‘I can’t tell what they’re talking about.’

She turned her gaze at Micah, who listened with a distorted expression of disinterest and asked, “Hey, do you know what’s happening?”

“Micah is waiting for them to fight each other,” he said.

Elysha stared at him, wide-eyed. “Huh?”

“Relax, Micah was joking,” he chuckled mischievously, then spoke in a loud whisper, “Though, can you imagine the old crazy witch and that frosty-faced man going head-to-head? Magic projectiles flying, trees shaking, the whole forest watching. What a sight that would be!”

She blinked her eyes. “Has that ever happened before?”

“If they’ve done it before, I never been a part of it, but if something like that ever happened, Micah would like to eat something good while watching the show.” He sighed wistfully at his imagined sight and wagged his tail a little bit. “Anyway, those two have a shared past—a long one; memories long before you were here. The way they talk, the little digs and jabs—it’s just how they are to each other. It’s unique to them, I guess. They’ve probably been like that for as long as Micah can remember.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

“Uh-huh,” Micah nodded. “Yeah. Elder Merakia was his teacher before you after all.”

Elysha’s eyes widened again, her attention drawn once more to her guardian’s conversation with the young man.

‘So that person was Elder Mera’s pupil before me?’ she thought. ‘That means he can use theonum magic, strong theonum magic. It also means that he is a mage, just like her.’

The little girl’s eyebrows knitted, her lips pursed in a straight line, and she went on, ‘I wonder why I am Elder Mera’s next pupil. I wonder... who I really am to her... and to myself.’

As Elysha continued to observe the conversation, the white, elegant, bird-like creature moved its head toward the young man, who caressed its head with his hand and replied, “In fact, I came here with the intention of telling you about other discoveries that my colleagues and I have made. However, I can’t tell you about them right now.”

Elder Merakia frowned. “What do you mean?”

Before continuing, he glanced at the bushes and said, “I see two little rabbits there, eavesdropping on our conversation.”

Elysha and Micah froze in surprise as they realized their cover had been blown. Panic coursed through their veins as they exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“Oh, crap!” Micah cut in, his instincts kicking in. “He’s seen us! Run for your life!”

Without hesitation, Micah bolted from the bushes and headed back into the woods. Elysha, momentarily stunned, found herself following him, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Uh, um?!” she panicked, unsure of the sudden turn of events. Her legs ran as far as they could between the trees when a blurry figure appeared in front of her, wrapping its arms around her and bringing her to a halt.

“Huh—?”

Elysha looked up; the tall man she had seen in the courtyard with Elder Mera was now standing in front of her, holding her in his arms.

She froze, staring at the man in shock. His piercing, burnt maroon eyes met hers, mesmerizing and unreadable. Despite his firm grip, he held her with a strange gentleness as he spoke evenly, “Running is not a very subtle way to stay hidden, little girl.”

“I-uh—”

“No need to say any words,” he said. “My companion has already gone to fetch your other friend.”

Just as Elysha’s shoulders calmed, a high-pitched sound came from nearby. The young man glanced in that direction and remarked, “Looks like she found him already.”

A short moment later, a gust of wind comes from the trees, blowing their hair as a large white creature glides into the clearing. In her talons is the struggling gray-furred Zhivopian whose protests rang out loudly. “Hey! Put Micah down! This is unfair!” he squirmed, his little legs flailing in the air.

“Good work, Fjorja,” he said. With a nod of his head, Fjorja released Micah from her claws and dropped him onto the grass with a soft thud.

“Plah!” he blurted out, feeling the impact in his bones and immediately glared up at her.

Fjorja tilted her head, letting out a soft, melodious trill that sounded oddly amused.

“Laugh all you want, bird brain!” he growled, puffing up his fur in indignation. “Micah will remember this!”

The young man standing next to Elysha watched the exchange between the small pup and the large bird. “Your friend is… quite expressive,” he commented. “I see some things haven’t changed, Micah.”

The small Zhivopian froze mid-huff, his ears flattening as he squinted at the man. “Don’t act all friendly with me, you! Micah remembers all the times you—”

“Enough,” the man’s tone shifted, firm but not unkind. “I am not here to argue with you. Now, both of you,” he glanced between Elysha and Micah. “We’re going back to the cottage. Elder Merakia is expecting us.”

~ ❈❇❈ ~

When they returned to the residence, he watched as the two rabbits went out and hid behind the familiar presence of Elder Merakia, peering out from her sides like two guilty children seeking protection from a stern schoolmaster.

She glanced down at them with a sigh as she addressed her former pupil. “I trust they didn’t give you too much trouble?”

The young man raised an eyebrow, his arms folded. “Trouble? No. Amusement? Perhaps.” He glanced at Micah, who stuck out his tongue in response, only to receive a reprimanding look from the elder mage.

“Well then, let’s continue this conversation at a later time,” she said. “Although I will be busy from now on with tasks to complete, I will send a message to speak with you before you leave again.”

“No problem,” he replied. He then shifted his eyes to Elysha, who flinched before he turned around and said, “You never change, Merakia. You are still haughty, though time has changed you, and your heart is always transparent. My days have gone well for me, as I have learned and mastered what I can, and taken steps to learn the world. To see the ebb and flow of time bring new changes is a new chapter to accept and bear witness to. As always…” He turned his head back to her with a smirk on his face. “Your natural demeanor is just as I have always known it to be.”

Elder Merakia smiled calmly as she crossed her arms. With a final glance at Elysha, the young man walked away as he said, “Well, it’s time for me to continue doing my part in investigating this forest. Come on Fjorja.”

She let out a soft trill, as if acknowledging her companion’s command and lowered her neck, allowing him to climb onto her back with practiced ease. Her wings spread wide, creating a powerful gust that rustled the leaves and grasses as the mighty thrust sent her soaring into the sky.

Elysha shielded her face, her eyes watching until they were out of sight. When the winds stopped, silence fell over the clearing, leaving them to stand in awe of the encounter.

She held her breath, her mind racing to make sense of the encounter. ‘What just happened? Are they just gone?’ she wondered. ‘Then, what happens next?’

Suddenly, the air around her began to thicken and her heart grew heavy. Her eyes turned to Micah, who also felt the same sensation.

“Now then…”

Elder Merakia turned and looked back at the two rabbits behind her. They flinched again, as if caught in the presence of a fearsome gaze. One of them managed to stutter, “A-Ah, pl-please don’t hurt us!”

“Calm down,” Elder Merakia said with a piercing gaze, her tone sharp. “And after coming back nearly an hour later than I originally told you, you certainly took your time in the forest.”

“O-Oh, really? We were an hour late?” Micah asked with a feigned smile, sweats on his fur.

“Yes, an hour.” She arched an eyebrow. “Did you not think I would notice? What were you two doing in the woods?”

“Um…” Micah’s ears flattened, and he lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. “Uh, well… you see, there were some circumstances along the way—”

“Circumstances?”

“Elysha! You go tell her what happened!” he blurted out.

Elder Merakia shifted her eyes to Elysha, who mustered the courage to speak. “Elder Mera... I…”

Her guardian remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

She touched her fingers together as she spoke, “I... um… had a lot of fun with Micah… exploring the forest and learning theonum magic… So, um, it’s my fault for being late…”

Elder Merakia’s expression softened slightly, but her sharp gaze remained. “Is that so?” she said, “I’m glad to hear that you two had fun. Surely you learned a lot of valuable knowledge during your adventure, didn’t you?”

She nodded her head. “Yes, I have learned so much about the Forest of Iröstos. I have seen many pretty places and learned more about them... I think.”

“So you’ve seen different places and learned about the history of the forest? I’m sure you had a lot of fun, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I had fun,” Elysha smiled.

“That is good, then,” Elder Merakia said. “I am pleased to hear that from you.”

“Hey! What about me?”

“Not you.”

Micah turned and pouted to himself as a flash of Kitty appeared in Elysha’s mind, and she added. “Oh, I almost forgot! We saw a big black cat in Zhivopia!”

Elder Merakia’s eyes narrowed, “A big black cat? In Zhivopia?”

“Mm-hm! Yes, Kitty can change his size from a little cat like this to a big cat so large that he can cover the sky and shake the ground. Micah told me that he is a phenomenon from the Underworld.”

Then she asked a question to her, “Elder Mera, have you seen Kitty anywhere?”

She paused for a brief moment, then shook her head with furrowed brows. “No, I have never seen such a rare occurrence from the Underworld with my own eyes before.”

“You didn’t?”

“I did not. Seeing creatures from the Underworld is more than rare, if you ask me. The last recorded phenomenon occurred on one of the islands of Zhivopis, now seven years ago.”

Elysha’s expression turned blank as she processed the information. “I see…”

She looked at the spot where Elder Merakia’s mysterious guest had vanished. Then, she gathered her courage to ask her next question. “Um, that person, who was he?”

“Elysha, the person you just met was a former traveling companion and pupil of mine.”

“Oh… I heard about him from Micah. He was the one you took in before me, right?”

Elder Merakia turned her eyes to the sulking Zhivopian, who flinched in reaction. Then, she turned her gaze back to Elysha and answered with a hand on her hip, “Well, I am fairly certain that you have already learned just enough information about him from your friend, so there is not much for me to tell you.”

“And what was that large bird-like creature next to him?” Elysha asked. As she asked the question, she recalled seeing other peculiar creatures from Zhivopia. “Oh, could she possibly be—”

“Of the race that coexists with us Elbijans?” Elder Merakia finished her sentence.

Her ears perked up at the mention of the name “Elbijan.” She had heard it a few times before, and each time it held some significance in her memory.

Micah’s ears flicked as he watched Elysha tilt her head and say, “Elbijans?”

“Yes. We live together with the Zhivopian race in coexistence in the Soliremisce Archipelago.”

“Zhivopians…” Elysha repeated the name quietly, recognizing it from her conversations with Micah. He even had introduced himself as one of them.

In all the time she had spent with Elder Merakia, it had never occurred to Elysha that other spiritual species lived in the Forest of Iröstos, until this morning’s surprise. Unlike the animals in her book, these creatures possessed spiritual bodies, spoke and understood her language, and wielded a certain degree of magic.

‘Elbijans and Zhivopians…’

She bit her lips; everything Elysha had experienced so far fascinated her. She had never thought about the world outside the Iröstos Forest. She had been content with the knowledge Elder Merakia and Micah had shared with her. But now her hands were clenching for more, as if her eyes were burning brighter than ever.

“How interesting…” she murmured. “Can you tell me about them? Micah is too lazy to explain them to me.”

“Hey!” he exclaimed indignantly, his nose wrinkled as he growled, “I could very well explain them to you!”

Elysha frowned. “Maybe if you had explain them to me sooner until now.”

The two rabbits locked eyes, their argument creating a tense aura between them. Elder Merakia, watching their exchange, said, “I see you two are getting along well. It seems I made the right decision to entrust Micah to your care while I attend to other important matters.”

“That I can get along with this lazy ball of fur?” Elysha retorted, pointing a finger at him. “No way, he’s too clumsy and annoying to take seriously.”

“I thought that you had spent a fun and memorable time with him, is that not true to you?”

“See? Even Elder Merakia knows you enjoyed my company. Admit it, Elysha!”

“Um… well, maybe I did have some fun. I guess it’s a good thing I got used to spending time with that big furball. If he wasn’t a dumb and stupid Micah, he might have been more useful to me.”

“Ahhh! I am NOT dumb and stupid!” he shouted, sticking his tongue out at her. “How dare you underestimate my intelligence!”

He puffed out his chest, exuding false confidence. “Not only is Micah is very smart, Micah is already very useful in combat and hunting. No need to add ‘protective big brother’ to the list! And if you want, I can directly show you what’s best about me!”

A strong aura began to emanate from Micah, showcasing his power. But before he had a chance to prove himself, a sudden wave of drowsiness overcame him.

“Eh?”

Micah swayed like a leaf in the wind before plopping down onto the soft moss. His ears drooped, and his eyes fluttered closed. “I’m… not… fooling… around…” he muttered before a loud snore escaped him.

Elder Merakia lifted Micah up and said, “Such a strong-willed companion. He is very responsible and has good instincts. I’m sure it will do you good in the long term to have him by your side, Elysha.”

“I like to think so,” Elysha replied with a shrug. “But what happened to him?”

“Oh, I just cast a minor spell to let him fall asleep,” she said with a grin.

The little girl took a step forward and stroked his fur. Her guardian asked, “What do you think about him?”

Elysha watched as his small body slept, then she looked up at Elder Merakia and replied, “Well... he’s loud and he teases me, but… he’s also brave. And kind, even when he’s being annoying. He makes me laugh, even when I don’t want to admit it.”

Her guardian chuckled with her hand over her mouth. “I understand… For me, his silliness and charm are something to be appreciated. His willingness to protect his loved ones and fight for everyone’s safety is admirable, and I respect that. You have a kind friend, Elysha.”

The little girl watched as Elder Merakia walked up, turned and opened the front door. “Now then, come inside and rest until we get started on the chores,” she said. “And when we are done, I will show you something particularly special.”

Elysha nodded, and just as she was about to go inside, she remembered something important and called out, “Oh! Elder Mera! I want to show you something!”

Her guardian watched as she took several steps away and turned around to face her. Elysha then closed her eyes, and she began to focus on gathering the theonum energy within her, concentrating on connecting her inner soul values with her theonum core. She took a deep breath and extended the palm of her hand out.

‘Just like the last time,’ she thought to herself. ‘After what Micah had taught me. I can do this.’

As she approached her core, she spoke with the voice of her subconscious. “I am Elysha,” she began. “I am the memory of who I am and everything that I have done, which is the identity of my soul.” She reached out and opened her hand, ready to embrace her magic. “Come out and show yourself, O Spirit of Light.”

Myriads of images flickered in her mind, and a stream of warmth coursed through her body as she felt the touch of the light within. To her, it was a pleasant sensation, like the rays of the sun caressing her skin after a long absence.

She felt a surge of pain knock at her head. Then, for a split second, Elysha saw a flash of white light, as if her own theonum core had answered her call. When her vision cleared, she opened her eyes and looked anxiously at her trembling hand.

There, hovering over her palm, was a small, white, translucent, glowing orb.

Her eyes widened in awe and delight, and a surge of happiness rushed through her veins. She turned to her teacher and guardian, her mouth agape with pride and joy. “It... it worked!” Elysha shouted, a wide and excited smile spreading across her face. “Look, Elder Mera! I did it!”

“You did indeed, dear child,” Elder Merakia smiled and clapped her hands together. “You have performed the incantation correctly and manifested your theonum successfully and beautifully—”

“Ah!”

A sharp pain jolted through Elysha’s head before her guardian could finish her sentence. In a split second, the white orb dissipated into thin air.

She gasped in shock and pain, clutching her forehead. She sank to one knee, then both, and sat with her arms covering her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at her empty hand. After a few seconds, her watery eyes shifted to Elder Merakia, who had also seen the translucent white orb before it vanished.

“Elder Mera…”

The elder mage stepped forward and knelt beside her pupil. Then she wrapped her arms around Elysha in a comforting hug and said softly to her ears, “Congratulations, Elysha, and in just a few days. I'm proud of you.”

The little girl’s watery eyes quivered, her shoulders tense. “Thank you... Elder Mera,” she murmured in a shaky voice, trying to hold back tears. “I will practice more.”