Lyla bent over, holding onto her knees as she tried to catch her breath. It had been a week of doing this every morning, yet her body still burned with the same exhaustion
"I'm going…to die… one day," she said to Aeneas, who stood beside her, gulping his water
"It's just running, Lyla."
"Yes, and it will kill me."
"You're exaggerating. You'll get used to it eventually."
Lyla had been joining Aeneas on his morning run since she returned to Luminaraeth; it was a part of her training. She had to build up her physical strength before anything else
In the week she had been here, she somehow accepted her fate, albeit the day of her return was sad. She did her best not to dwell on it, although there were moments when she felt that ache in her chest, times when all she could do was stare out her bedroom window, but those moments had become few.
After running, she would rest for a while, then engage in other exercises, and by the time they were done, she was so exhausted that the minute she reached her room, all she could do was take a bath and eat before collapsing on her bed. She would then wake up in the afternoon and help with whatever Ismene was doing. It had been a repetitive schedule that left very few moments for her to think, and she came to appreciate that
She learnt that she currently resided in a town called Euphora, only two towns over from the capital city, Luna, where the Sanctum – a place of healing, was.
Lyla had wondered if Umbraeth had their own Sanctum, if they too had access to healers. She had posed that question to the Keeper, who had explained that they did; it was part of a peacekeeping offer. Some healers were stationed on the other side, but for them, witches were regarded more. She had been shocked to know real witches existed there.
The next week of her training introduced combat lessons with Aeneas and history with the Keeper afterward. She usually found a book awaiting her on her desk in the library. She read about the past when their world was still one, learn about the royal family that ruled then, and how life was. She learnt everything up to and after the Great War that had split their world till now
The war had been tragic, and sides were picked and battle raged for months before they came to a truce. So many lives were lost, and none of those who survived were ever the same
The Keeper and those before her had kept a detailed account of everything, including Umbraeth, where she found out the Keeper could visit occasionally. This discovery made her conclude that there had to be a vacuum on the wall in this very house, allowing her quick and private access
Where that vacuum was, she didn't know. She had tried to follow the woman around but failed every time, and on some occasions, she had been caught red-handed, leading to her being punished
Her stay in the mansion had led her to witness the workers using their magic to do their chores, something that always gained her attention, making her stare in awe. They had basic magic, Aeneas had revealed to her
A kind of magic that only allowed the user to do basic things, such as chores, but even then, there was a level, and if you advanced in that category, one could do things such as lifting a boulder as though it were a tiny pebble.
Everyone had basic magic, the difference being that some people would get more unique gifts that they could specialize in
Speaking of which, tomorrow she will find out what gifts she received. They would be heading to the Solara – a spiritual place where the ancient chamber that held the Astralyte.
She learnt that every year they held a ceremony where all the children who had come of the right age of eight would go to the Solara and have the Paisios use the stone to tell them what gifts they were blessed with. From there, they would be allocated to respective schools for training
Lyla was rightfully nervous about tomorrow's event, but it would at least give them direction. It was clear that they were all eager to know which gifts she held so that they could proceed with her training
They at least knew she was gifted with astral projection, but they had to be certain. Perhaps her projecting to the Keeper had only been a way for the heavens to let them know of her presence
They all simply had to wait
*
Lyla clenched her fist tighter as she followed behind the Keeper, as Aeneas, Lysander, and Darius followed behind her. The dense air squeezed around her, making the tunnels seem smaller. Her nerves were getting the best of her
Tension had built the moment they had entered the tunnels, their journey so silent that she could swear she heard their heartbeats, or was it her own? She wasn't sure.
She knew that the Keeper was the most eager to find out, if not desperate, and when she did, she would make sure she trained at every given moment. This will be the true beginning of her road as their chosen
They found the Paisios waiting for them at the secret door, the man eagerly ushering them in.
"What are these?" she asked, paying keen attention to the golden swirls in the white hallway
"Runes," the old man answered without looking, "some for protection, others to signify purity and divination."
Lyla traced her finger on one of the swirls but quickly retreated it when she felt a small zing of energy. She turned to find the old man watching her, so she quickly placed her hands back to her sides
"The Solara is a place where many seek clarity and peace," the Paisios continued, "a place to cleanse one's soul of the burdens of life. Where the heart and mind can find peace. Many also come here to seek guidance or ask something from the heavens."
Kinda like a church, Lyla thought
"Does Umbraeth have something like this?"
"The Solara was the center point for such things before our world split, but there are similar, smaller places scattered all over the realm for those who live far. So yes, Umbraeth does have something similar, a couple actually, but after the war those who were moved to the other side didn't care much for them, so not many visited, but I heard that some still seek those places, and numbers have increased over the years."
They arrived at the ancient chamber just as he finished those words. The stone at the front dazzled in all its glory, glittering under the sun's rays.
She noticed the new windows and chandelier that replaced the ones she had shattered, now glimmering and sending sparks all over the room
The walls had also been fixed and looked new without a single dent. It seemed as though nothing had ever happened, that she hadn't unknowingly released her power and destroyed it all. The event seemed like a distant dream, one that her mind had conjured up
She averted her eyes and set them on the stone, the only thing left intact.
For the stone to determine what gifts she was 'blessed' with, she had to channel her magic towards it, something she still didn't know how to do, something she was afraid to. She had requested another option, perhaps they could use her blood like they did the last time, but the Keeper simply said it wouldn't work; this was different
The Paisios beckoned for her to move closer, and she braced herself for the challenge
Closing her eyes, she reached within her, trying to awaken that slumbering beast like she had been doing last night. She had spent hours doing just that. She saw it curled up, tail tucked deep in slumber. She inched closer, gently touching its fur, petting and calling for it even as sleep finally tried to claim her, and just before she dozed off, she saw it open an eye