Today's morning felt colder than the last. The castle stirred slowly—guards changing watch, servants beginning their quiet routines—but beyond the ordinary rhythm lay a heavier pulse, one that had nothing to do with walls or duties. The mist itself seemed watchful, waiting.
Anneliese stood at the edge of the training grounds, her breath rising in pale wisps against the morning air. Yesterday's ember still glowed in her chest, steady but restless, like a flame waiting for fuel. Today, Elowyn had promised, she would move beyond herself—beyond her fire—into the boundless energy of the world around her. Yet there was more awaiting her today. The night before had brought another crucial task, one that made her heart shiver in anticipation: Elowyn would soon guide her into the art of moving within a vision, with both mind and spirit.
