Chapter 54: The Language of Lessons
The incident on the foggy beach did not vanish with the mist. It settled among them, a new, quiet understanding woven into the fabric of their days. Aurora's magic was not a parlor trick or a simple affinity; it was a latent force, and its first true utterance had been one of protection.
This changed the nature of their peace. It was no longer just a respite to be enjoyed, but a garden to be tended with even greater care, for the most tender shoot within it was now showing its own formidable thorns.
Kaelen, the strategist, saw it as a new variable in their security equations. Elara, the ink-mage, and the knowledge of translation saw it as a nascent script needing gentle guidance. Lyra, the watcher, saw it as her sister's first, true weapon and she was fiercely proud.
Their response was not to curb or fear it, but to educate it. Summer became a season of subtle, joyful pedagogy.
