The moment the air shifted, I knew I was about to witness something far worse than any magical disaster.
Four overwhelming presences descended upon the training grounds, a mix of royal fury, grandparental panic, and deeply ingrained military precision.
I barely had time to blink before I was engulfed.
"ELYZARA!"
My name was barely out of my mouth before I was crushed in a four-way embrace, my entire body vanishing under layers of royal silks and embroidered sleeves.
"I CAN'T BREATHE," I managed to wheeze.
It didn't matter.
I was immediately subjected to a full-body examination, four sets of hands checking for injuries, brushing my hair back, tilting my chin up all while ignoring my attempts to resist.
Saelira, my paternal grandmother, cupped my face, her violet eyes scanning me with razor-sharp precision. "You are unharmed?"
"Yes!" I gasped.
"Completely unharmed?" Eryndor, my paternal grandfather, added, frowning deeply. "You were attacked, Elyzara."
"I KNOW," I muttered, still suffocating.
Ilythia, my maternal grandmother, let out a long, relieved sigh before gracefully adjusting my collar as if I had merely tripped on the palace stairs. "You gave us quite the scare, little one."
Veylen, my maternal grandfather, the most reserved of the four, simply placed a hand on my shoulder and murmured, "Your mothers should have called for us immediately."
Ah.
There it was.
The shift.
The slow, dreadful pivot from panic to pure disapproval.
My grandmothers exchanged a glance.
My grandfathers nodded in silent agreement.
And then they turned to my mothers.
Verania and Sylvithra, two of the most feared rulers in the world, immediately stiffened.
For the first time in my life, I saw them tense up like scolded children.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop from laughing.
Saelira tilted her head slightly, a dangerous, practiced movement. "Why," she said in a voice so smooth it was almost lethal, "was our granddaughter left to fight for her life without us being notified?"
Verania opened her mouth. "Well—"
"No excuses," Eryndor cut her off, his tone as solid as a war decree. "Explain. Now."
Sylvithra, who always had an answer for everything, chose silence.
Verania, however, made a fatal mistake.
She tried smirking.
Eryndor's expression did not change.
Saelira, however, smiled sweetly which was, frankly, more terrifying than her usual cold demeanor.
"Very well," she said lightly. "Since you both believe yourselves above accountability, we shall handle it ourselves."
Verania and Sylvithra barely had time to react before Saelira snapped her fingers.
A golden ripple of energy swept through the air, crackling with an impossibly strong force.
The castle ruins every shattered stone, every broken pillar, every burned tapestry restored themselves instantly.
Windows reformed, walls sealed, and even the distant scorch marks from my earlier magical incident vanished.
The entire palace was returned to pristine perfection within seconds.
I stared.
"Did you just time magic ?!"
Saelira smiled elegantly. "Of course, dear. It was quite the eyesore."
Mara, watching from the sidelines, whispered in awe. "Grandmother privileges are terrifying."
Elira nodded solemnly. "We are witnessing divine authority."
Verania finally recovered and huffed. "That was unnecessary."
Eryndor turned to her. "Oh, I am far from done."
Sylvithra narrowed her eyes slightly. "What exactly do you intend?"
Ilythia, who had been watching with a perfectly neutral expression, sighed lightly and smoothed out my sleeves. "We are implementing a corrective measure."
Verania scoffed. "For what?"
"For reckless parenting," Veylen answered smoothly.
I blinked. "Wait, hold on they're getting punished?"
Saelira nodded, adjusting her bracelets. "Yes. We will be handling your care personally for the next month."
I blinked again.
My mothers froze.
Mara choked. "Wait. You mean—"
Verania's eyes widened. "Hold on—"
Eryndor cut her off. "Starting today, you will have no direct influence over Elyzara's magical training. You are far too reckless."
Sylvithra's mouth twitched slightly. "And who will be instructing her, then?"
Ilythia smiled. "Us, of course."
I gawked.
Mara gawked.
Even Verania looked a little pale. "You can't be serious."
Veylen sighed. "Do you know how many times you two have nearly destroyed this kingdom in the name of training?"
Sylvithra did not deny it.
Verania crossed her arms. "That's called efficiency."
"It is called lunacy," Saelira corrected.
Verania scoffed. "Oh, please. What, you're going to make her read scrolls and meditate on a rock?"
Eryndor smirked. "No. We are going to train her properly. With discipline."
Verania's eyes narrowed. "I don't like that word."
Sylvithra exhaled, clearly calculating escape strategies.
Too late.
The decision was made.
Ilythia turned to me, smiling gently. "You will stay with us for the next few weeks. We will ensure you are trained in a structured, safe, and responsible manner."
My mind raced.
On the one hand I adored my grandparents. They spoiled me, they adored me, and they had literally restored the palace to perfection in seconds.
On the other hand this meant I was about to be micromanaged on a level I had never known before.
Verania pointed at Eryndor. "You're enjoying this too much."
Eryndor did not deny it.
Sylvithra closed her eyes for a long moment before finally resigning herself. "Very well. But do not think we will be so easily sidelined."
Saelira smiled elegantly. "Of course not, dear. We simply know better."
I bit back a laugh.
Mara failed to.
Elira just whispered, "This is going to be a long month."
And honestly?
I had to agree.
Saelira, who had just flawlessly restored an entire section of the palace with a flick of her wrist, turned her piercing violet eyes toward Verania and Sylvithra.
"Now," she said smoothly, adjusting the folds of her robe, "we must discuss something far more pressing."
Verania, still sulking over being temporarily banned from my training, sighed. "Which is?"
Eryndor folded his arms. "What, exactly, is our granddaughter's magic?"
The training ground fell silent.
Sylvithra and Verania exchanged a glance.
Then another.
Then a third, more significant glance.
Which meant they had no idea how to explain this.
Finally, Sylvithra exhaled slowly and said, "It is… complex."
Saelira raised an eyebrow. "Do elaborate."
Verania waved a hand vaguely. "It's not your standard elemental magic. It's more of a… reality-adjacent type of thing."
Ilythia's brow furrowed. "Reality-adjacent?"
Veylen, who had been silent until now, spoke in his usual calm, measured tone. "Explain it properly."
Sylvithra pinched the bridge of her nose. "It does not function on normal magical mechanics."
Verania nodded. "Exactly. Think of it like… an all-access key to the fundamental forces of existence. Fire, water, earth, time whatever she wants, it bends."
Saelira blinked. "Are you telling me she can rewrite the laws of nature?"
Sylvithra hesitated. "Not… yet."
Eryndor rubbed his temples. "And this is what you were training her in?"
Verania grinned. "Exciting, right?"
Ilythia, who had been handling this conversation with grace until now, slowly turned to face me. "Little one," she said gently, "is this true?"
I cleared my throat, trying very hard not to make this sound worse than it already was. "Well… yes?"
Saelira let out a long, slow breath. "This," she murmured, "is worse than I thought."
Veylen sighed deeply. "And yet, it is entirely expected."
Eryndor gave my mothers a look. "And you two thought it was wise to start training her in combat?"
Before they could answer, my stomach betrayed me.
GROWL.
The sound echoed across the courtyard.
Every grandparent immediately turned to me in alarm.
Ilythia's expression became scandalized. "You have not eaten?"
I froze. "Uh—"
Saelira's eyes narrowed.
Eryndor turned to Verania so fast it was nearly supernatural. "You let her train without breakfast?"
Verania held up her hands defensively. "It was a busy morning!"
Ilythia placed both hands on my shoulders, deeply concerned. "You must eat, little one. Proper nutrition is crucial for a growing child, especially one with such unpredictable magic."
Veylen, already calculating solutions, turned toward the nearest palace servant. "Inform the head chef to prepare a meal immediately. Something nutritious."
The servant bowed so fast they nearly tripped before sprinting toward the kitchens.
Saelira turned back to Verania and Sylvithra, eyes filled with grandmotherly judgment.
"Unacceptable," she declared.
I had never seen my mothers look so close to defeat.
I, however, was thrilled.
Because if my grandparents were handling my meals, then I was about to eat like royalty.