Ariadna walked into her lesson with Velor, her heart still heavy with what Vayan had said. "Vayan isn't really answering my questions," she stated directly. "He wants me to wait. I guess I need to earn their trust more."
Velor looked at her thoughtfully. "I don't think it's about trust. They want you to reach a certain level of skill before sharing more with you. We're asking for closely guarded secrets, so it makes sense."
Ariadna frowned, feeling frustration bubbling inside her. "But I don't want to wait! This feels like a test I'm failing!" She crossed her arms, wishing she had the answers to her questions right now.
Velor snapped back, "Stop whining and get to reading. We'll have dance classes after the refreshments."
"Great, dance classes. Just what I needed," she grumbled. "Vayan never dances; why do I have to?"
Velor didn't even glance at her and simply replied, "Because we all believe you have more potential. On this, I agree with him."
Taking a deep breath, Ariadna reached for a book, trying to focus on the words before her. She opened it, but her mind was still racing. **Potential?** The word echoed in her mind. What did that even mean for her? The weight of all that was happening weighet on her.
As she tried to immerse herself in the reading, she couldn't shake off the image of the dance class. "What's the point of dancing?" Ariadna thought to herself. "I'm supposed to wield the holy flame, not perform in a ballroom."
But somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if Velor was right. Perhaps the dance held a lesson, a way to connect with the power she was yet to uncover. With a sigh, she finally began to read, her fingers tracing the words as she tried to silence the swirling doubts inside her.
And just like that 6 years passed.