Page 270 of Elemental Becoming

I exhale, releasing the tension in my chest, steadying the pullof power within me. A presence stirs in my mind, like a gentle hand on the small of my back.

“You are here, Amara. You can do this.”

Calryx’s strength settles through me, firm and reassuring, reminding me that I am never alone.

I lift both hands, fingers splayed, and the world around me responds.

Wind rushes around me, spiraling into the space between my palms. The cracked earth beneath my feet stirs, energy rippling outward. Heat curls at my fingertips, tendrils of blue flame licking at my skin, while the scent of rain lingers in the air, the promise of water ready to answer.

The elements are all there.

Present.

Distinct.

Moving together.

It still requires concentration to hold all four at once, but it no longer feels like forcing them into place. The challenge is staying balanced enough to move with all of them, to listen without letting one voice drown out the others.

It has only been a week since the attack at the ball, and everyone—Thane, Valen, even Calryx—is watching me carefully, waiting to see whether I can carry everything I’ve learned into the chaos of a real fight.

I cannot afford to lose my footing.

Thane lunges, balls of fire spiraling in his palms. He hurls one.

I react without thinking. Wind gathers beneath my feet and lifts. For a single breath, I’m weightless.

I twist midair, the fireball whizzing past my shoulder, and guide my blue flames into a controlled arc. I send them streaking toward him. He’s already moving before they reach him, dodging fluidly and rolling to the side.

I land lightly.

The earth responds immediately. Stone surges upward around him as I pivot, forcing him to change direction. At the same time, moisture gathers from the air around us. Water spirals along my arm, freezing into a spear of ice already aimed for his flank.

The Elements move together now. One answering the next as naturally as breath follows breath.

Thane slips past another stone pillar, narrowly avoiding the ice spear as it streaks by his hip. He’s already shaping fire into a spear of his own.

A grin tugs at my mouth. Good. He should have to work for it.

But then—

“Predictable. Left side open. She’s going to attack in—”

The voice isn’t spoken aloud. It’s in my head. Thane’s voice.

I freeze.

My entire body locks up and the moment shatters. The fire in my palm vanishes. The ice spear collapses into water. The wind dies. The earth goes still. I cut off my power cold.

Across the field, Thane’s brow furrows, eyes sharpening as he takes a step toward me.

But a grin breaks across my face before I can stop it.

Confusion flickers across his features, quickly followed by curiosity.

Valen’s voice reaches me distantly.

“Amara—why did you stop?”