A faint ripple lingered in the air around Emma, spreading outward like delicate rings over the surface of still water. Then, slowly, the ripples deepened, thickening into something more tangible... tiny, glistening bubbles forming from nothing, suspended in the space around her.

She felt it before she saw it.

A strange sensation, as if her body had slipped beneath the surface of a great unseen ocean. The weight of the air shifted; her limbs felt lighter, floating effortlessly. A cool pressure wrapped around her, and when she fluttered her eyes open..

Her breath caught.

The ground had disappeared beneath her feet.

She was hovering. Not by will, not by intention, but purely through her own concentration. And in front of her..

A sphere of water.

It wavered, translucent and weightless, perfectly round, pulsing gently in time with her breathing. Emma barely had a moment to take it in before..

Oof!

Her focus shattered, and everything collapsed.

She plummeted, landing with a soft thud on the damp grass, her body sinking slightly into the earth. The water ball she had unknowingly created splashed apart mid-air, cascading down over her head and shoulders.

A sharp gasp left her lips as the cold drenched through her clothes, her silver-white hair clinging wetly to her face. Water dripped from her chin, trickling down her arms in thin streams.

Then...

She laughed.

A small, breathy chuckle at first, before it grew into a genuine, amused laugh at herself. She pushed herself upright, sweeping her hands over her hair in a futile attempt to squeeze out the excess water. Her fingers combed through the damp strands, pressing away the lingering droplets.

She exhaled, glancing around.

The morning air was still crisp, but now the cold clung to her skin, seeping into her clothes. Her gaze flickered across the area, spotting thin, dry branches scattered among the grass. She gave a small, determined nod.

"Alright..."

Moving quickly, she began gathering just enough wood to start a small fire. The branches were brittle, snapping easily as she arranged them in a careful stack. When she was satisfied, she stepped back, inhaled, and let her body still.

Closing her eyes, she reached inward.. searching, feeling.

A flicker of warmth stirred in her palms. A slow breath, a steady exhale, and then..

Heat.

She opened her eyes.

Flames curled around her fingertips, shifting in hues of deep orange and gold, licking at the cool morning air. Carefully, she extended her hands, guiding the fire downward. The dry wood crackled as the flames took hold, a soft glow illuminating the ground beneath.

She let out a sigh, stretching her hands toward the fire. Warmth seeped into her skin, chasing away the lingering chill from her soaked clothes.

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The heat settled her.

Once she was warmed up, she turned her attention back to the reason she was out here.

Water magic.

This time, she would do it consciously. Deliberately.

She sat down, placing her hands together, palms up. Her breath slowed.

She pictured it.

A water ball. Small, contained, perfectly shaped.

The first signs of success came as a shimmer in the air. Tiny droplets formed, suspended in space, gathering like morning dew. Slowly, they clustered together, merging, shaping...

And then..

A sphere.

Perfectly clear, gently pulsing with energy, hovering just above her hands.

Emma's lips curled into a soft smile.

She had done it.

Not by accident, not without control, but intentionally.

Her heart swelled with quiet satisfaction. She knew this was just the beginning, the first step in a long journey.. but still, it was a step forward.

She was learning.

She was growing.

And she was happy. Very Happy..

But suddenly, in the moment of happiness... The air shifted.

Barely noticeable at first, just a subtle shift in the atmosphere. But then..

Something felt different.

Emma stilled.

A strange sensation crept over her skin, like the whisper of something unseen brushing past. The warmth of the fire flickered slightly, the breeze no longer just the natural wind.

She glanced around.

Unaware, just beyond her vision, something stirred.

A thin mist, like smoke, coiling low over the ground.

Crawling.

Silent.

Unnoticed.

****

Emma sat still, her silver-white hair shifting slightly as a soft breeze passed through the open space. The fire crackled gently in front of her, casting a warm glow over the damp grass. Everything was still.

She exhaled slowly, scanning the area.

The stream nearby continued its steady, rhythmic flow, reflecting the pale hues of the sky. The grass swayed lazily, untouched by anything unnatural. The scattered wood she had used for the fire remained where she had left it, half-burnt, thin tendrils of smoke curling upward.

Nothing was wrong.

Nothing had changed.

And yet...

The unease wouldn’t leave her.

A subtle weight pressed against her chest, a quiet, gnawing sense of something unseen lingering just beyond her perception. She tried to reason with herself.. perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks, the quiet surroundings amplifying her own thoughts.

But her instincts whispered otherwise.

Her body tensed slightly as she forced herself to breathe deeply, pushing the anxiety down. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she called upon water, a thin veil of liquid forming over her palms. She turned toward the fire, lowering her hands, and..

Hissssss!

The flames died instantly, the embers fading beneath the cool touch of water. Steam curled upward, dissipating into the air, leaving behind only damp, blackened wood.

Emma rose to her feet, brushing the dirt from her dark ash skirt. Her white eyes flickered towards the sky, the light dimming ever so slightly.

She was still hungry, but food could wait.

Something about this place felt wrong.

She decided to return to the cave.

Her movements were quiet as she stepped forward, her boots pressing softly into the earth, each step careful, measured. The breeze had settled. The air was too still now, as if the world itself had paused.

And then...

She heard it... this time.

A breath.

Deep.

Slow.

A presence inhaling, exhaling, just behind her.

Her body froze mid-step.

Her mind raced, but she did not turn.

Instead, her fingers twitched, instinct taking over.

Water.

Without a single movement, without a single gesture, she thought.. and it obeyed.

A thin, translucent sheet of water formed in the air beside her, stretching out like a glassy mirror. The surface rippled slightly before settling into a reflection.

Her heartbeat pounded against her ribs as she focused on the image...

But... Nothing. Nothing was there..

The distorted reflection showed only herself, the empty landscape behind her untouched.

And yet, the feeling remained.

Emma's breath hitched.

Something wasn’t right.

Her hands clenched slightly, the water shifting around her fingers, but she forced herself to move. Slowly, cautiously, she turned.

And when she turned...

She instantly felt something....

Pain.

A sharp, searing pain tore through her body, erupting from within as if something inside her was shattering.

Her vision blurred.

Her limbs trembled.

And before she could even comprehend what was happening...

Her body..

Began to erase.

Like ink dissolving in water, like dust slipping through unseen fingers, her form blurred, her existence unraveling at the edges.

And In that moment..

Her pupils reshaped into a spiral wheel...

And then....

They spun.

Turning. Turning. Turning.

LOOP!