The air in the Sanctum shifted the moment Koki stepped inside.
Gone were the shadows and whispers of Raven's domain. Instead, the space shimmered with raw, untamed energy, crackling like lightning in a storm.
Zatanna appeared before him with a flourish—her signature top hat tipped just so, and a gleaming wand in her hand. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and power.
"Welcome, Koki Sarive," she said with a playful smile. "Ready to learn how to twist reality?"
Koki eyed the swirling symbols floating around the room. "I guess I don't have much of a choice."
Zatanna waved her wand, and a dozen glowing letters circled his head, spelling out strange words in a language he couldn't understand.
"Magic," she explained, "is the art of words made flesh. But words can be tricky, so you'll need to focus."
She handed him a small, silver pendant engraved with ancient runes.
"Concentrate on this. Say the word backwards, and you can make things happen."
Koki gripped the pendant nervously.
"Try it," Zatanna urged.
Taking a deep breath, Koki mouthed the word slowly, backwards: "Tcepsre…"
Suddenly, the pendant pulsed bright blue—and the books lining the walls fluttered open, pages flipping as if caught in an invisible breeze.
"Not bad," Zatanna said, eyes gleaming. "Now, try something simple. Make that feather float."
Koki looked at a soft white feather lying on a table. He focused, willing it to rise.
Nothing.
Zatanna raised an eyebrow. "Magic demands belief, not doubt."
Koki closed his eyes. He remembered Diana's training, Raven's lessons—how power without control could destroy everything.
He whispered the word again, backing it with determination.
The feather lifted slowly, spinning upward, then hovered.
Koki opened his eyes wide. "Whoa."
Zatanna clapped softly. "Progress. But reality is fragile. Magic bends it, but it can break it too."
Days turned into weeks as Koki trained with Zatanna.
He learned to summon light, create barriers, and even heal minor wounds with whispered words.
Yet with each spell, a voice echoed in his mind—dark, ancient, threatening.
"Beware the cost of power," Raven had warned. "Every gift from the gods demands a sacrifice."
One evening, as Koki practiced levitating objects beneath the twin moons, a sudden chill swept through the Sanctum.
The glowing runes flickered—and a shadow emerged, shaped like a towering figure wreathed in cosmic darkness.
"Who's there?" Koki called, gripping his pendant.
From the darkness, a voice boomed:
"You trespass on sacred ground, mortal."
Koki's heart thundered.
Before he could react, Diana appeared, spear in hand, eyes blazing blue.
"Stand down, or face the consequences."
The shadow hesitated, then vanished with a whisper.
Koki exhaled. "What was that?"
Diana's face was grim. "A warning. The gods know you're here."
Koki's hands trembled.
"This is only the beginning."