A Definer of State?" I repeated, my voice hoarse, still staring at the perfectly, impossibly still surface of the water. It looked like a sheet of polished obsidian, reflecting the glowing trees with unnerving clarity. "What the hell does that even mean? Am I going to accidentally turn someone into a permanent statue if I get annoyed? Because, let me tell you, my annoyance levels are pretty high right now."
Violet shook her head slowly, a mixture of wonder and deep concern etched on her serene face. "It means your potential is far greater, and far more dangerous, than I first imagined, Cassandra. It means your Voice can impose a singular, absolute condition on anything you command. It is a power of ultimate control… or ultimate chaos, if untamed."
Ultimate chaos. Yeah, that sounded about right. My life had been a masterclass in chaos even before I started spontaneously re-weaving reality. I looked at the perfectly frozen pool, then at my still-blazing violet eyes reflected in its surface. A Definer of State. It sounded terrifying. It sounded powerful. And it sounded like something I had absolutely no idea how to control. My journey to master the Voice of Echoes was going to be less about learning spells and more about learning to master the raging storm within myself. And right now, that storm felt like it was just getting started.