Alera looked at him, her dark eyes filled with uncertainty. "But what if I can't? What if the Void takes over, and I become something worse than these corrupted beasts?"
Pyris leaned forward, his gaze steady and unwavering. "Then I'll stop you. But that won't happen, Alera. You have control over your power—it's just buried beneath your fear. We've fought together, and I've seen glimpses of your strength. You just need to trust yourself."
Alera swallowed hard, his words both a comfort and a challenge. She didn't want to admit it, but she did trust Pyris. He was the only one who had ever seen her potential, the only one who believed she could rise above the darkness that constantly threatened to consume her.
"I'll try," she whispered, her fingers clenching tightly around her cloak. "I'll try to control it."
