Page 324 of Elemental Becoming

A fox appears next, curling its tail around itself.

Then a bird, wings unfurling as it glides through the steam.

Then a dragon, miniature and sharp-toothed, water swirling from its mouth like smoke before it vanishes into mist.

I glance at Thane. His expression remains unreadable, but I can feel his attention through the bond. He’s watching everything.

I close my eyes for a few moments, envisioning the shapes I want to create next. When I open them, I begin to build.The water rises in long, curving threads, forming structures, rooftops, paths, tiny homes.

A village.

My village.

It comes to life in front of me, water shimmering as I carve out the streets I ran through as a child, the houses I knew by heart, and the details that remain etched into me even now.

The bakery where I used to sneak fresh rolls before sunrise. The well where we dropped wishes into the water and hoped someone would hear them. The market that was always busy, always humming with life.

My fingers tremble slightly, but I don’t stop.

I create the people next. Tiny figures no larger than my thumb move through the streets as though they remember their lives there.

A child chases a dog between the houses. A mother gathers herbs near her doorway. A merchant leans over a stall, waving someone closer.

I watch them move through the village for a moment, feeling something tighten and loosen inside me all at once. It’s all still there. Every street and experience.

Still inside me.

Still mine.

I don’t look at Thane. Not until the last house is formed and the final street curves into place. When I finally meet his gaze, his expression is unreadable. But the bond is not.

A quiet kind of understanding settles between us. One that doesn’t need words.

When he finally speaks, his voice is gentle. “This was your home.”

I nod. “It was.”

I let the village linger for a few more seconds, the water shifting and shimmering in the candlelight. Then, with thesoftest movement of my hand, I let it all go. The village collapses back into ripples. The figures vanish. The houses dissolve as though they had never existed.

The water stills, but the feeling remains.

Thane leans against the door, arms crossed, but there’s no tension in his stance. That feeling blooms in the bond again. Wonder and deep admiration.

“That was incredible,” he murmurs, his voice quieter than I expected. “I didn’t know you could do that. Create something so intricate with your magics.”

His gaze lingers on the water.

“It wasn’t training. It wasn’t a weapon. You were creating for the sake of creating.”

A faint smile touches his lips.

“I think there might be an artist hiding beneath all that power.”

I stare at the water, still rippling softly where the village once stood.

“I didn’t know I could either,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Not until just now.”

Thane pushes off the door and steps closer, moving with that same effortless control he always carries. Instead of stopping at the edge of the bath, he sits on the wide stone ledge, facing me.