Page 322 of Elemental Becoming

Curious, I flick my wrist, sending the orb upward. At the same time, I shift my focus, a whisper of wind magics threading through my thoughts. A faint breeze stirs through the bath chamber, catching the water and spinning it into a soft, weightless ribbon in the air.

I grin.

For once, there is no urgency. No battle stance or training drills. I close my eyes and feel the Elements stir beneath my skin.

A flicker of fire dances at my fingertips, warm and controlled. A pulse of earth answers beneath the bath, the faintest vibration humming through the stone. Wind brushes against my damp skin, stirring my hair as though greeting an old friend.

They are all there. All part of me. For so long, I have treated them like tools to be mastered. Now it feels like we are dancing.

Dissolving into laughter, I twirl my fingers, watching as the wind spins the water into shifting, shimmering shapes. A dragon. A blooming flower. A swirl of mist. None of them serves a purpose. I’m creating them simply because I can.

I lift my hand again, letting the water droplets hover above my palm, but this time I grin as an idea sparks. With a flick of my wrist, the water gathers into a tiny fish. It twists through the air, suspended on an invisible current of wind magics, its tail flicking back and forth as though it is swimming.

I giggle, delighted by the impossibility of it, only for another thought to slip into my mind.

I summon a spark of fire, no larger than a candle flame, and carefully guide it into the fish’s belly. The tiny creature glows from within, shimmering with warmth and light as it darts through the chamber. The flame should extinguish the water orthe water should smother the flame. Instead, they exist together because I want them to.

My wonder deepens.

With another motion of my hand, the fish bursts apart into glowing droplets that spin lazily around me. I breathe in, letting the Elements hum beneath my skin, eager and waiting for whatever’s next.

The bathwater rises in long ribbons, curling through the air before unfolding into delicate flowers. Their petals shift and reform with every movement, never settling into a single shape before splashing gently back into the bath.

A playful breeze stirs through the chamber, tugging loose strands of hair across my face. I send it rushing upward, and the steam catches immediately, swirling into soft clouds that drift around me.

Another spark of fire leaps to life in my palm. This time, I push it through the mist, turning the clouds into a storm of glowing embers that float through the air like fireflies.

A firefly storm.

I twirl my hand, and the embers dance around me, weaving through the air in lazy spirals. I’ve never done this before. Never just . . . played.

The magics move with me, not out of duty or necessity, but simply because I am letting them. I laugh again, tipping my head back, arms outstretched as I feel the Elements swirl and shift, alive in ways I’ve never truly allowed them to be.

I swirl my fingers one last time, and the final ember flickers out. The water settles back into the bath. The wind fades into stillness.

For a moment, I simply sit there, surrounded by quiet, light and unburdened.

Then something stirs. A subtle pull unfurls through the bond, familiar and impossible to mistake.

I exhale softly and close my eyes.

Thane.

His presence brushes against mine, threading through the connection between us until it feels as though an invisible tether has drawn gently taut.

Here he comes.

Rowena or someone from the training hall must have gone straight to him, probably before I even made it back here. I don’t need to hear the conversation to know exactly how it went.

Amara fought Ardyn.

Amara won.

Amara is bruised, bloodied, and currently soaking in a bath.

And Thane is probably going to storm in here like a goddamn Warlord ready to burn the whole hall down.

The thought earns a long, resigned sigh that’s entirely for my own benefit. I let my head tip back against the smooth stone of the bath and close my eyes, determined to enjoy these last few seconds of peace.