The training with Kael had been relentless. For three months, Dorothy endured grueling physical exercises every morning and rigorous meditation every evening.
Under Kael's precise and unyielding guidance, Dorothy's body grew stronger, her movements sharper, and her reflexes quicker. Her mind, honed by hours of stillness and focus, became a fortress against doubt.
But despite her progress, Dorothy often felt like she was moving through a fog. There were whispers of something deeper-Kael and Arden exchanged glances whenever they mentioned her "vessel filling up with Aura." She didn't understand what that meant, and though curiosity burned within her, they never offered an explanation.
"Focus on what you can control." Kael would say when Dorothy's questions grew insistent. "Everything else will reveal itself in time."
But Dorothy was growing tired of waiting for answers.
One evening, under a dusky sky painted in shades of violet and gold, Dorothy sat cross-legged near the campfire. The cool air brushed against her skin, and the distant calls of the forest's creatures blended with the crackling of the fire.
Her breathing was steady as she followed Kael's instructions, tuning out the world around her. The meditation was familiar, a routine that had become her anchor.
"Breathe in deep... and breathe out," Kael instructed, her tone calm but firm.
Dorothy exhaled slowly, her thoughts drifting like leaves on a stream. The doubts, the fear, the lingering shame of her failure at the shrine-all of it faded into the background. For a moment, she felt weightless, free.
Then, without warning, it began.
A sudden, crushing pressure surged in her chest, coiling like a serpent. Her breath hitched, her body stiffening as an intense heat ignited behind her left eye.
Kael leaned forward, her amber eyes narrowing in concern. "What do you feel?"
Before Dorothy could answer, the pain erupted.
A sharp, searing agony tore through her left eye, as if molten fire was trying to claw its way out. Dorothy gasped, clutching her face as her body convulsed.
Blood trickled from her nose, the dark crimson staining her trembling hands.
"Arden!" Kael's voice rang out, sharp and urgent.
Dorothy's left eye snapped open, glowing with a fierce, unearthly light. The world around her blurred, bending and warping as fragments of time collided.
She saw Mark in a dimly lit room, his face shadowed but unmistakable, speaking to a figure cloaked in darkness. She saw flames engulfing a forest, their heat almosttangible, and herself at the center, wielding a blade of radiant light that seemed both alien and familiar.
The visions came too fast, too vividly, and Dorothy's screams shattered the quiet of the forest.
The energy burst from her left eye, blinding and wild, a crackling force that scorched the ground around her.
Sparks danced in the air, and the campfire guttered and flared as if caught in the storm.
Kael shielded her face from the heat, her voice rising above the chaos. "Dorothy! Shut your eye! Close it now!"
But Dorothy couldn't hear her.
The power tore through her, relentless and unforgiving. Her body writhed, every muscle strained as if her very soul was being ripped apart. Blood trickled from the corners of her eye, mixing with the sweat and tears streaming down her face.
"Her vessel isn't built for this!" Arden shouted, rushing to Dorothy's side. His face was pale, his usual calm replaced by panic. "It's going to destroy her!"
Kael knelt beside Dorothy, her hands trembling. "We need to stop it! If her vessel breaks --"
"Hold her down!" Arden barked, grabbing Dorothy's shoulders. Her body bucked against his grip, her screams piercing the nightlike a blade.
Kael placed her hands firmly on Dorothy's trembling form, muttering a chant under her breath as she focused all her energy on stabilizing her. The light from Dorothy's eye grew brighter, the heat intensifying until it seemed the very air would ignite.
Cracks began to form along the skin surrounding her eye, faint but terrifying. Arden ripped a strip of cloth from his sleeve, his hands trembling as he bound it tightly over Dorothy's eye.
"Seal it!" Kael shouted, her voice cracking with urgency.
The light flared violently, resisting the restraint, but Arden pressed harder, his jaw tight. Slowly, agonizingly, the glow began to dim.
Dorothy's body went limp, her screams fading into silence. The forest was still once more, save for the faint crackle of the fire and Dorothy's shallow, ragged breaths.
Hours passed before Dorothy stirred. Her body felt like it had been crushed under the weight of a mountain, her muscles refusing to obey her. Her left eye throbbed beneath the tight bandage, and the faint taste of blood lingered on her lips.
She could hear voices nearby, distant but urgent.
"That wasn't Aura," Kael said, pacing near the fire. Her amber eyes were dark with worry. "I don't know what that was, but it wasn't natural."
Arden leaned against a tree, his arms crossed tightly.
"It was like nothing l've ever seen. Her vessel... it should have shattered."
Kael nodded, her expression grim. "That energy was trying to tear her apart. How her vessel held, even at the brink, I don't understand."
Arden's gaze lingered on Dorothy, a shadow of thought crossing his features. It didn't just hold... he thought, but kept it to himself. It improved. He wasn't certain, but something about her vessel felt different now—stronger, more resilient.
Dorothy stirred weakly, her breath hitching as she tried to speak. "W-what... happened to me?" she rasped.
Kael crouched beside her, her sharp eyes scanning Dorothy's pale face. "We don't know. That energy—it's unlike anything we've ever seen. But you're alive. That's what matters now."
Dorothy's trembling hand rose toward the cloth covering her eye, but Arden gently caught her wrist.
"Don't," he said firmly. "Whatever's in there, it's too dangerous. You're not ready to face it yet."
Dorothy nodded weakly, the memory of the visions flashing in her mind—the fire, the blade, Mark's shadowed figure. It was too much to comprehend.
"Rest now," Kael said. "We'll figure this out together. But for now, don't push yourself."
Dorothy let her head rest against the ground, her body trembling as the weight of her ordeal settled over her.
Unbeknownst to them, the energy Dorothy had unleashed hadn't dissipated.
Beyond the camp, in the depths of the forest, a faint pulse of light flickered through the air. It moved swiftly, blending seamlessly with nature, as though it were an extension of the world itself. The energy stirred the trees, whispered through the leaves, and danced across streams, carrying with it a presence that felt both ancient and alive.
The pulse gained speed, carried by unseen winds, accelerating as it wove through the dense forest. Its glow intensified, illuminating the shadows of the night. Suddenly, it hesitated, lingering in the stillness like a heartbeat suspended in time. Then, as if compelled by an unseen force, it was pulled sharply out of the air—drawn toward a distant presence.
Far away, in a grand chamber bathed in moonlight, the Elven Queen stirred. For two centuries, illness had bound her to her bed, her once radiant power dimmed to a fragile flicker. But now, the energy reached her, surrounding her like a warm embrace.
The air in her chamber shimmered faintly as the light coalesced and flowed toward her frail form. Her body, fragile and weak, absorbed the energy as if it had been waiting for this moment. A soft gasp escaped her lips, her chest rising as newfound strength coursed through her veins.
Her eyes fluttered open, faintly glowing with renewed vitality. For the first time in years, the weight of her illness lessened, replaced by the spark of something long forgotten.
"The one who carries the light..." she whispered, her voice faint but tinged with wonder. The energy resonated within her, awakening a memory buried deep within her ancient soul. Recognition dawned in her heart as she sensed the source of the power—a force she had believed lost to the world.
"She has awakened."
The Queen's eyes slowly closed, her breathing steady as the faint glow of the energy lingered around her. Though it wasn't enough to fully restore her, it was a beginning—a reminder of what once was and what could be again.
Whoever had released the energy had not just awakened themselves—they had awakened a connection to something far greater. The Queen's heart steadied as she felt the shift in the world, knowing that the balance of power had begun to tip.
The energy had done its work, and the world would never be the same.