Page 256 of Elemental Becoming

Deep.

Expansive.

And I finally understand, to my core, what it means to wield without force. To let the magics move with me rather than through clenched fists and sheer will.

The trance deepens.

I don’t move. I don’t reach. I simply exist.

And the magics exist with me.

The Elements don’t resist or fight. They flow.

Then, gently, Calryx’s voice brushes the edges of my mind like the tide against a distant shore.

“This is what I meant, Virelya.”

Her words settle deep in my chest.

“Power doesn’t always have to roar. Sometimes, it waits. Watches. Welcomes.”

Warmth lingers beneath her words, along with a fierce pride that is impossible to miss.

My eyes are still closed when Valen speaks.

“That,” he says, “is the difference between wielding and becoming.”

I open my eyes.

His eyes crinkle with pride. “And we will keep practicing the Second Breath until you can carry that stillness with you, evenwhen the world demands otherwise.”

Valen studies me for a moment, his gaze thoughtful in that way that always makes me feel as though he sees too much.

“Amara,” he says quietly, “besides training and studying . . . are you doing anything to balance all of this work you’re putting into being the Spiritborn?”

I blink, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

He must read the confusion on my face, because his tone softens.

“I mean, do you read novels? Paint? Walk just to feel the air on your face? Do you have something that isn’t about survival or duty? Something that lets your mind rest. Something that doesn’t require you to be vigilant.”

I stare at him.

“No,” I admit quietly. “I haven’t. There hasn’t been any time. Any space.”

I hadn’t realized how true that was until I heard myself say it.

Because it’s not just about time. It’s aboutpermission. About the way I’ve been living, every moment tied to purpose, to expectation, to pressure I can’t seem to put down.

Valen doesn’t chastise me. He just nods thoughtfully.

“That’s the most dangerous kind of burnout,” he says. “The kind you don’t see coming until it’s already taken something from you.”

His gaze drops for a moment.

“And I should have seen it sooner.”

The crease between his brows deepens.