The weeks that then passed in the aftermath of Caelum's trial in the caverns blurred together into some mesh of classes, practice, and the air humming with the constant presence of magic. While other students whispered in awe about his performance, Caelum kept his gaze fixed on the task at hand: taming his power, learning to master it before it consumed him. Lirael clung on, guiding and steadying, but even she stumbled as the tempest brewing in his mind raged on.
It was on one evening, after a few intensive training sessions, that Caelum found himself standing on the academy's balcony overlooking the sprawling city of Denerim below. Lights flickered far in the distance, casting long shadows over the city as the sun dove behind the mountain spine. The cool breeze rustled his hair, and the faint rustling of leaves emanated from the garden at the academy.
Lirael followed in his wake, her shoes making little more than a whisper against the stone floor. Her hair was silver, catching every last vestige of the failing light, and her eyes, even with all their calm, held some wordless unease.
"Caelum," she said, wearied by vision, "I know that the power you have found troubles you, and I realize well enough how confused you have felt. You can't go on putting this stress upon yourself. It isn't simply a matter of your training.
Caelum didn't turn to face her, but his voice came out level. "I have to keep pushing. Every day I feel I stand on the edge of something-something big. I cannot afford to fall behind. Not when there is so much to learn."
Lirael's gaze softened. "I understand your determination, but you're no longer in this alone; you do not have to bear the burden on your own.
Caelum's fists bunched at his sides, his jaw firm. "You don't understand. I can feel it. There's something coming. I don't know what it is, but I can feel the threads of magic pulling me in a direction I can't ignore."
Lirael came a step closer, her face serious now, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?
"I don't know yet," Caelum said, squinting into the horizon. "But it's like the magic is alive inside me, guiding me to something. It's bigger than the academy or the trials. It could change everything."
A moment of silence fell between them. For the first time, Lirael seemed to falter; her eyes darted back and forth, clouded with doubt. Then she reached out and laid a reassuring hand on Caelum's shoulder.
"I have been getting the same feeling," she said in a low tone. "There are rumors of turbulence in the currents-something stirring, something of power."
Caelum looked up at her, his heart pounding. "What does it mean?"
Lirael shook her head, her silver hair shifting like liquid metal in the fading light. "I don't know. But I've heard rumors of dark magic growing in the north. And the academy has been unusually quiet about it."
Caelum's eyes narrowed. "The academy knows something. They've been keeping it from us."
"Perhaps," said Lirael, "but it's not something one sorts out single-handedly, and whatever that is that's coming for you, the mere raw powers aren't the solution. You will need alliances, and above all, you need to learn more about the magic in your veins.