Moonlight spread across the clearing like silver mist, turning the Moonlit Stream into a ribbon of glowing glass. The forest felt quieter here, as if unseen forces kept the shadows at bay. Lyra stood at the water's edge, the crystal resting against her chest, its warmth steady and reassuring.
Sylas moved with calm confidence, tracing a symbol in the air. The mark shimmered briefly before fading. "This place resists corruption," he said. "Magic flows differently here. It listens more closely."
Adrian remained a short distance away, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Trust did not come easily to him, and the presence of Sylas unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
"You said you would teach her," Adrian said. "Not speak in riddles."
Sylas smiled faintly. "Very well."
He turned to Lyra. "Your power reacts to emotion. Fear weakens it. Doubt fractures it. But purpose—purpose sharpens it."
Lyra nodded slowly. "Then tell me what to do."
Sylas stepped back and gestured toward the stream. "Close your eyes. Do not summon light. Instead, listen."
She obeyed. The forest breathed around her. Water murmured against stone. Leaves shifted gently overhead. For the first time, Lyra did not force the magic to respond.
The crystal pulsed.
A faint glow spread outward, not blinding, not wild—controlled.
Selene watched with surprise. "She's not even trying."
"That's the point," Kael replied quietly.
Lyra felt something change. The energy no longer rushed through her like a storm. It moved like a current, steady and deliberate. Her heartbeat slowed. The glow wrapped around her hands, shaping itself without resistance.
"Open your eyes," Sylas said.
She did—and gasped.
The light had formed delicate patterns around her fingers, weaving symbols she had never learned, yet somehow understood. They hovered briefly before dissolving into sparks.
Eldrin's staff tapped against the ground. "Ancient magic," he murmured. "It recognizes her bloodline."
Lyra looked down at her hands. "I didn't know I could do that."
Sylas studied her carefully. "You are no longer awakening your power. You are beginning to command it."
A sudden crack echoed from deeper within the forest.
Adrian's sword was drawn instantly. "We're not alone."
The air thickened. The protective calm of the stream trembled, like glass under pressure. Dark shapes emerged between the trees—not beasts this time, but armored figures cloaked in corrupted magic.
Selene clenched her fists. "Shadow Knights."
Kael stepped forward. "They don't hunt randomly. They were sent."
Lyra's breath caught. Fear threatened to return, but she remembered Sylas's words. Purpose. Control. She lifted the crystal, feeling its strength respond.
"Stay behind me," Adrian said firmly.
"No," Lyra replied. Her voice shook, but she stood her ground. "This time, I fight."
The first knight charged.
Lyra raised her hand, not forcing energy outward, but guiding it. The light curved into a shield that absorbed the blow, sending ripples through the air. She twisted, redirecting the force, and the attacker stumbled backward.
Selene released a burst of firelight. Kael bound another enemy with glowing runes. Eldrin's voice rose in a low chant, reinforcing the barrier around the clearing.
One knight broke through.
Lyra reacted instinctively. The crystal flared, releasing a focused beam that struck the ground before the attacker, throwing them off balance. Adrian moved in swiftly, ending the threat.
Silence followed.
The remaining shadows dissolved, retreating into the night.
Lyra stood frozen, chest rising and falling rapidly. She had acted without hesitation. Without fear.
Sylas approached her. "You felt it, didn't you?"
She nodded. "The magic didn't fight me. It followed."
A rare smile touched his face. "Good. Because the next trials will demand far more than survival."
Adrian sheathed his sword and looked at Lyra differently now—not as someone to protect, but as someone becoming formidable.
Eldrin stepped forward. "The enemy grows bolder. That means the prophecy is moving forward."
Lyra tightened her grip on the crystal. "Then I'll move faster."
Above them, clouds drifted across the moon. Somewhere beyond the forest, forces older and darker stirred in response.
The heir of Eldoria was no longer learning how to stand.
She was learning how to lead.