Morning came far too quickly.
Sunlight streamed through the now entirely missing windows of my room, illuminating the absolute wreckage that I had somehow managed to sleep in. Or more accurately, the remains of what used to be a room before I'd apparently decided to test the limits of reality itself.
I groaned, rolling over onto what was left of my bed, which was mostly just a pile of scorched blankets and stubborn mattress stuffing. Mara had somehow found an untouched chair to curl up in, and Elira had resigned herself to sleeping on a half-destroyed couch.
A maid peeked in, took one look at the mess, muttered something about needing a vacation, and left immediately.
I sat up, rubbing my face. "Well, I guess I should go see how much trouble I'm in."
Mara stretched, yawning. "I'd say you're in 'accidentally destroyed a room' level of trouble, which for normal people would be a catastrophe. But since you live here?"
She gestured vaguely at the already smoldering remains of a shattered chandelier in the corner.
"You might just get a 'don't do it again' speech."
Elira groaned, sitting up as well. "She is still scheduled for magic training today, though."
Right. Magic training. Because that sounded like an absolutely fantastic idea after what had happened last night.
I sighed.
Standing up, I brushed dust off my nightgown and mentally prepared myself for whatever awaited me outside.
There was a knock on what remained of my door.
"Princess?" a nervous voice called. "Her Majesty requests your presence in the eastern courtyard."
I exchanged a glance with Mara.
"Well," she said, standing up, "time for you to go face your fate."
Elira straightened her uniform, still exhausted but clearly resigned to whatever insanity the day would bring. "We should go before the Empresses come looking for you."
A fair point. Being summoned was one thing. Being dragged was another.
I stepped over the wreckage of my once luxurious room and made my way down the hall, half-expecting to be met with horrified stares from the palace staff.
Instead?
Most of them looked… completely unbothered.
One maid nodded sympathetically as I passed.
A guard offered a respectful bow like nothing had happened.
A noble, mid-conversation, barely glanced at me before continuing on.
I frowned. "Am I missing something?"
Elira cleared her throat. "You, um. You are not the first person to destroy part of the palace in a magical accident."
I blinked.
Mara smirked. "Your mom has blown up way more rooms than this."
Oh.
Oh.
Well, that made me feel a little better.
I reached the courtyard, my shoes crunching lightly against the paved stone as I approached.
Verania was already there, arms crossed, standing next to Sylvithra. Both of them were watching as several terrified palace mages frantically reinforced the palace wards.
Sylvithra turned the moment I arrived.
"Elyzara."
I straightened instinctively. "Yes?"
She gave me a once-over, scanning me for… injuries? Signs of instability? A glowing aura of doom?
Verania sighed. "Well, you still have all your limbs. That's a good start."
Sylvithra shot her a look.
I hesitated. "So, am I in trouble, or…?"
Verania hummed, tilting her head. "Not trouble, exactly."
Sylvithra folded her arms. "More of a… growing concern."
Verania grinned. "Which is basically the same thing."
Great. Fantastic. Wonderful news.
Sylvithra gestured for me to step forward. "Your magic requires immediate training."
I nodded. "That makes sense."
Verania smirked. "Because if you're going to start rewriting reality, you should at least be good at it."
Sylvithra exhaled sharply. "That is not—"
"You're telling me I'm wrong?"
Sylvithra said nothing.
Verania's grin widened.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Mara, standing behind me, whispered in awe. "Your parents are terrifying."
I sighed. "I know."
Sylvithra turned back to me. "You will begin with controlled exercises. We need to determine what your limits are—"
Verania interjected. "Or if you have any."
Sylvithra ignored her. "For today, we will start with elemental control. You will practice manipulating a single element at a time."
That… actually sounded reasonable.
I nodded. "Alright. I can do that."
Sylvithra stepped aside, motioning toward a wide-open section of the courtyard, where several stone pillars had been arranged in a training formation.
Verania clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Don't blow up the palace."
I sighed. "I will do my best."
Sylvithra observed as I took my position in the training space.
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of freshly cut stone and damp earth. The training courtyard was lined with stone pillars, arranged in careful formation, each one marked with runes meant to absorb magical impact.
Which, frankly, did not make me feel any better.
I shifted uneasily, glancing between my parents, who were watching me like an experiment about to go horribly wrong. Verania stood with her arms crossed, a smirk tugging at her lips, while Sylvithra remained perfectly poised, her violet eyes calm yet entirely unreadable.
I, on the other hand, was about to embarrass myself in front of an audience.
"Uh," I said slowly, turning to Sylvithra. "So, just to clarify I have never actually used magic properly before."
Sylvithra blinked. "Yes. That is why we are here."
"Right, right," I muttered. "Just making sure you know that I do not know what I'm doing."
Verania grinned. "Oh, we know."
Great. Fantastic. Love the confidence.
Sylvithra stepped forward, raising a hand, and a series of glowing silver runes materialized in the air.
"Magic is not just energy," she explained, her tone precise. "It is an extension of will. A force directed by thought, emotion, and control."
I nodded like I understood.
I did not understand.
Sylvithra continued, weaving her fingers through the floating symbols. "Most mages harness elemental forces through structured spells. However, your magic does not function by conventional rules."
"Yes," I muttered. "Because of course it doesn't."
Verania chuckled.
Sylvithra ignored me. "You will begin by attempting simple elemental summoning. Call the element, hold it, and direct it outward in a controlled release."
I hesitated. "And… how do I do that?"
Sylvithra motioned toward the training pillars. "Focus. Reach inward and pull."
"Right," I muttered. "Just… pull."
Easy.
Probably.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and reached inward.
The weight of my magic stirred beneath my skin, heavy and vast, like an ocean stretching into an endless void. It didn't feel like normal energy. It didn't burn, it didn't spark it hummed. It responded, waiting for command.
I focused on fire.
Something familiar. Something simple.
A warmth flickered at my fingertips, slow at first, then growing hotter, curling into a small, delicate ember.
Oh.
Oh, this was easy.
I cracked an eye open. A tiny glowing flame hovered in my palm, flickering harmlessly.
"Nice," I breathed. "I actually did—"
The flame roared to life.
A burst of golden fire exploded outward, twisting into a spiraling inferno, the force of it sending me stumbling backward.
Verania laughed. "Excellent start!"
Sylvithra sighed. "Not quite."
I frantically waved my hands, trying to get the flames under control. The fire swirled wildly before finally snapping out of existence.
I coughed. "Okay. So that was… a bit much."
Sylvithra tilted her head. "Your magic does not simply 'summon.' It amplifies. Every element you call forth is enhanced beyond normal limitations."
Verania looked far too excited. "So if she calls ice—"
I tried before she could finish.
The moment I reached for water, it formed instantly—then froze solid in midair, transforming into a massive spiked ice spear.
Verania grinned. "Perfect. Let's throw it at something."
Sylvithra gave her a look. "We are not throwing it at anything."
Verania raised an eyebrow. "Yet."
Sylvithra exhaled. "Elyzara. Again. This time, focus on containment."
I nodded, closing my eyes, trying again.
The system chimed.
[ Magic Mastery Update: 5% ]
[ Analysis: Your control has slightly improved. You are now 5% less likely to accidentally cause catastrophic damage. Progress. ]
I sighed. "Oh, fantastic."
Verania peered over my shoulder. "What's fantastic?"
"Nothing," I muttered quickly, waving the system screen away before she could start asking dangerous questions.
"Alright," I said, bracing myself. "One more time."
I reached inward again, calling for fire. This time, I held it. The flame curled in my palm, contained, steady. It was still too big, too powerful, but it was no longer raging out of control.
Sylvithra nodded. "Better."
Verania beamed. "Now, let's make it bigger."
Sylvithra glared. "Verania."
Verania smirked. "I'm joking. Mostly."
I sighed, dismissing the fire and rolling my shoulders. "Okay. That's… not as terrible as I expected."
Sylvithra tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You will need continuous practice. For now, we will begin structured drills to reinforce your control—"
Verania clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Or we could spar."
Sylvithra stared at her. "No."
Verania pouted. "Why not?"
"Because she is still a child."
Verania tilted her head. "She just almost burned down the palace. I think she's ready."
Sylvithra's eyes narrowed. "I will handle her training. Properly."
Verania sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if she sets something on fire, I'm saying 'I told you so.'"
I sighed. "You're both insane."
Sylvithra adjusted her sleeves. "And you are our child."
Unfortunately, she had a point.
Mara, watching from the sidelines, whispered, "Your family is terrifying."
I sighed. "I know."
Magic training had just begun, and already, I had a feeling I was not going to survive this.