Chapter Ten – Echoes of Power
The sun climbed slowly over the Caelthorn estate, washing the rooftops in pale light.
Aveline was already awake, standing by her mirror as she tied her hair back. Her reflection looked the same — calm eyes, steady expression — but she could feel the difference under her skin. Her mana moved like a quiet current, strong and controlled.
Sylph floated nearby, hands on her hips.
> "You're getting way too good at pretending you're normal."
"That's the plan," Aveline replied.
The air around her was faintly alive — little sparks of mana brushing over the curtains and floorboards. When she walked, the wooden panels gave a soft hum.
Sylph crossed her arms.
> "Even the house is reacting to you now."
"Then I'll just control it better."
Aveline said it simply, like a fact. But she made a mental note — contain your aura at all times.
---
Unrest at the Estate
By noon, the calm broke.
One of the guards ran through the hallway, calling for the Duke.
> "My Lord! The outer barrier — it's fluctuating!"
From her seat at the breakfast table, Aveline froze mid-bite. Her parents exchanged glances, then stood.
Master Roland, the family mage, hurried in soon after. His expression was tense.
> "The barrier's reacting to something. The mana flow is unstable — I've never seen it behave like this."
Aveline's mother frowned.
> "Could it be the recent rain?"
"No, Duchess," Roland said. "This feels... alive. Like it's responding to a source of power from within the estate."
Aveline lowered her gaze, keeping her expression blank.
Inside, her pulse quickened. The Lumivorn… it's close.
When her parents went to inspect the site with Roland, Aveline quietly slipped out through the side hall. Sylph appeared beside her as she moved toward the garden.
> "You're seriously doing this again?"
"If it's reacting to me, I need to fix it before they notice."
"You sound like you own the barrier."
"Maybe I do now."
---
The forest edge was dim and still. The ground was damp from last night's rain, but the air felt charged — like the air before lightning.
When Aveline reached the boundary line, she saw the distortion.
The protective barrier shimmered violently, blue sparks bursting like tiny explosions. And in the center of the light, something moved — faint, ghost-like, and alive.
It looked like the Lumivorn, but smaller — transparent, made of energy instead of flesh. Its horn glowed with unstable mana.
Sylph's eyes widened.
> "That's a Mana Echo. It's feeding off your bond energy!"
"Then it's my responsibility," Aveline said.
She stepped closer and drew a small circle in the air.
> "Summon: Ignis."
A flicker of red flame formed beside her. The salamander bowed slightly, recognizing the urgency.
> "Master?"
"Contain it. Keep it from reaching the barrier core."
Ignis nodded and sent waves of fire toward the distortion. The Mana Echo shrieked — a high-pitched, distorted sound — and lashed out with energy. The flames broke apart like dust.
Aveline grit her teeth. "Summon: Althea."
The angel appeared in a flash of light, spreading a soft barrier to block the next blast.
> "This energy... it's part of you, Master. It won't stop unless you call it back."
Sylph shouted, "Then don't just stand there, do it before it explodes!"
Aveline raised her hand, the Lumivorn's mark glowing on her wrist.
The air rippled as her mana reached for the Echo — not to fight, but to call.
> "Return to me," she said quietly.
The Echo's body trembled. For a second, it resisted, light bursting from its form like cracks. Then, with a sudden pull, it collapsed into a stream of energy and rushed into her.
The impact nearly knocked her back. She clenched her fists and stood firm as the energy merged with her core.
The glow faded. The forest went still again.
Sylph floated closer, whispering,
> "You… absorbed it."
"It was part of me," Aveline said. "Now it's home."
She looked up. The barrier had stopped flickering. The hum of power faded to silence. Only her own mana remained — stable and calm.
---
Whispers in the Hall
By evening, Master Roland finished his inspection and returned to the Duke's office. His report was short but uneasy.
> "The barrier has stabilized, my lord. But the readings were strange — I detected traces of ancient energy again."
"Ancient?" the Duke repeated.
"Yes. The same as last time, but stronger. I believe it's linked to your daughter's recent affinity awakening."
Selina looked up sharply.
> "You think Aveline caused it?"
"Not intentionally," Roland said carefully. "But something around her draws these energies out. I recommend we keep watch, discreetly."
The Duke nodded slowly, though his expression was unreadable.
Unaware that her parents were now half-suspicious, Aveline was upstairs in her room, checking her system panel.
[Summoner: Aveline Caelthorn]
[Mana Flow: Enhanced – Stable]
[New Trait: Lumivorn Integration – Resonance Strengthened]
[Summon Limit: +1]
> "I can summon one more now," she murmured.
"You're moving too fast," Sylph said, frowning. "Even I'm starting to feel dizzy being near you."
"You'll adjust," Aveline said simply.
She closed the system and looked out the window. The forest was quiet again, but she could sense it — the Lumivorn's calm, steady presence, just beyond the trees.
> "You were protecting me, weren't you?"
For the first time, she heard a faint voice in her mind. Not words exactly, more like intent.
Always.
Her eyes widened slightly. Sylph noticed her reaction.
> "What is it?"
"Nothing," Aveline said. "Just the wind."
But deep down, she knew it wasn't.
---
The Capital's Attention
Far from the Caelthorn estate, in the capital city of Eryndale, a group of scholars gathered around a floating crystal in the Royal Academy's archive chamber. The crystal pulsed with blue light, projecting faint readings.
> "This is the mana flare detected from Caelthorn territory," one scholar said. "Identical to the remnants of a Lumivorn core."
"Impossible," another replied. "Those creatures vanished centuries ago."
"Then explain this," the first scholar shot back.
At the back of the room, Prince Callen — Aveline's former betrothed — watched quietly. His golden hair caught the crystal's glow, his expression unreadable.
> "The Duke's daughter performed her affinity ritual ten days before the surge," said the lead researcher. "It can't be a coincidence."
Callen tapped his finger on the table once.
> "Don't act yet," he said. "Just keep monitoring. If she's awakened something... we'll know soon enough."
As the scholars bowed and the lights dimmed, a woman in dark robes leaned against the far wall — Lady Virelle Estara, heir to another noble house known for its magic lineage.
> "So the quiet little Caelthorn girl isn't so quiet anymore," she murmured. A slow smile crossed her lips. "This could be interesting."
---
Back in her room, Aveline finished writing in her notebook — careful logs of her mana readings and summon durations. Her handwriting was neat, every number precise.
Sylph floated above the pages, watching her work.
> "You're treating this like a science project."
"It helps me track my growth," Aveline said.
"You're ten," Sylph muttered.
"And I plan to be ready by sixteen."
She closed the book and looked toward the dark forest again. Somewhere out there, blue eyes glowed faintly among the trees — calm, patient, loyal.
Aveline touched her wrist once more. The mark pulsed softly under her skin.
> "We'll keep growing," she whispered.
"Just don't forget you're still human," Sylph said quietly.
Aveline smiled faintly. "For now."
The wind rustled outside, gentle but heavy with mana. The Lumivorn's faint energy echoed through the night, stronger than before — a quiet sign that the world was starting to take notice.