"Tomorrow."

Luna’s voice echoed softly within the cave, her tone carrying a strange stillness, like a ripple disturbing the surface of an untouched pond.

The word lingered in the air, intertwining with the low hum of the wind that seeped in from the cave’s entrance. Light shadows stretched across the uneven stone walls, flickering under the faint glow of the moon outside. The cavern smelled of damp earth and something faintly fresh, a scent that clung to the skin calmly like a whisper of a soothing night...

Emma nodded.

"Yes. That’s what I said."

She expected Luna to accept it, to let her go without protest.

But Luna’s expression darkened slightly.

"No."

The rejection came firm, unwavering. A single syllable that struck with the weight of an unmovable truth.

Emma’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Why?"

Luna exhaled, standing up as she stepped forward, her bare feet barely making a sound against the cold rock beneath them. The pale glow of her skin shimmered faintly, casting a soft luminescence against the cave. Her white hair, flowing past her shoulders in silken waves, caught the moon’s embrace, turning to strands of silver in the dim light.

Her glowing eyes, brilliant and endless, mirroring the full moon above.. locked onto Emma’s with quiet intensity.

"Because you are not ready."

Emma opened her mouth to argue, but Luna lifted a hand, silencing her before the words could leave her lips.

"Firstly," Luna continued, "You’ve only just begun to understand your Power Manifestation ability. It is the foundation of everything you will achieve, and yet you have barely taken the first step. You do not yet know the extent of what you are capable of, and without that knowledge, you will not be able to wield Transmutation Magic."

Emma’s fingers curled slightly at her sides. A part of her knew Luna was right.. but still, the impatience in her chest gnawed at her, restless and unrelenting.

"Secondly," Luna’s voice softened, but the weight of her words did not lessen. "This journey is not something to take lightly. The dangers you will face are not just threats to your body, but to your very existence. Without proper training, without the necessary preparation, you will not survive."

Emma swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

"And lastly... " Luna’s glowing eyes flickered for the briefest moment, something unreadable passing through them. "Your Ki Cores are still weak. Transmutation Magic is not something that can be forced; it is not merely another ability to acquire. It demands strength, not only of the body, but of the soul. If you attempt to use it in your current state… it will destroy you."

The words settled heavily in the space between them.

Emma felt her heart thud against her ribs, the realization sinking in.

She had been so eager, so desperate to move forward, to grasp at something greater to help her friend Anna, but she hadn’t considered the weight of what she was asking for.

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Slowly, she exhaled.

Her hands unclenched, fingers relaxing as she lowered her gaze slightly.

Luna watched her carefully, waiting.

Emma thought about everything Luna had said, weighing each reason, each warning. She wasn’t strong enough yet. She hadn’t even mastered what she already had. If she rushed forward without preparing properly, she wouldn’t just fail.. she would break.

There was no shortcut.

There was no way around it.

She needed to grow first.

She needed time.

Emma’s shoulders loosened slightly as she finally nodded, the urgency in her eyes giving way to something steadier.

"I understand," she said quietly.

Luna held her gaze for a moment longer, as if making sure that she truly meant it.

Then, she nodded back.

The moonlight shimmered against the fabric of her impossibly pure white gown as she turned slightly, her presence still as ethereal as the night itself.

The cave remained silent except for the distant murmur of the wind outside.

Emma closed her eyes briefly, breathing in the cool air as she exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing, though the weight of Luna’s words still lingered in her mind. The cave felt quieter now, the air thick with unspoken thoughts, the soft hum of the wind filtering in through the jagged openings above. The moonlight seeped in gently, casting long light shadows, its glow a silent witness to the moment.

"Alright..." Emma murmured, her voice softer now, steadier. But as she glanced at Luna, her brows furrowed slightly. "But where do I even start? There seems to be so much I have to do..."

Her fingers brushed absentmindedly against the cool stone beside her, tracing invisible patterns as uncertainty coiled in her chest. She wasn’t unwilling to learn, but standing at the base of something so vast.. it felt overwhelming. The path ahead stretched far, shrouded in unknowns, and she wasn’t sure where her first step should land.

Luna’s gaze softened, a faint smile gracing her lips. The glow of her skin shimmered under the moon’s light, her presence otherworldly yet grounding all at once.

"You’ve already started, Emma," Luna said gently, her voice carrying a quiet certainty, as if she could see the path clearer than Emma could. "Just keep going. Before you know it, you’ll look back and realize how much you’ve already accomplished."

Emma blinked, her lips parting slightly at the simplicity of the answer. Yet, as Luna’s words settled, something in them resonated, weaving through the doubts in her mind like a thread pulling everything together.

"So, always remember," Luna continued, "never act rashly without a plan. Patience will always lead you further than reckless ambition."

The words echoed in Emma’s thoughts, not just as a lesson but as a truth she felt herself beginning to grasp. She had been so eager to push forward, to force herself into something greater... but in her haste, she had almost overlooked the importance of the journey itself.

She nodded, slower this time, her understanding settling in.

"Luna," Emma spoke again after a pause, "when morning comes… can you start teaching me the rest? There’s still so much I need to learn."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a faint shift in Luna’s expression... subtle, but unmistakable. A smile, touched with something almost wistful, almost… disappointed.

"Emma..." Luna’s voice was gentle, yet tinged with something distant. "I can’t appear in the morning."

Emma’s breath hitched slightly.

"What?" The word slipped out before she could think, a reflex of surprise. But as the realization crept up on her, she stilled.

She understood.

Luna could only exist beneath the veil of night. The pale glow of her skin, the ethereal shimmer of her hair, the brilliance of her moonlit eyes.. she was a being of darkness and silver light, tied to the full moon’s embrace..

Emma lowered her gaze, an unexpected weight settling in her chest.

"So that means..." She trailed off, swallowing lightly.

"You will only see me at night." Luna finished for her with a smile, her voice calm, as if it were simply a fact of existence.

Emma exhaled slowly, a quiet sadness settling in the space between them. She had only just begun to know Luna, to find comfort in her presence, and yet now she realized that come morning, she would be gone.. vanishing with the last remnants of the night.

A part of her wanted to protest.

But another part of her, one that was learning, understanding.. knew that there was nothing to change. This was simply how things were.

"I see..." Emma murmured.

Luna’s expression didn’t shift, she felt sad that she wouldn't be able to see Emma in the mornings, but she tried to hide it from her expression just to reassure Emma...

The night stretched on, its stillness wrapping around them like an unspoken promise.

And Emma, though saddened, accepted it.