The morning after the fight felt wrong.
The city looked the same — the same traffic, same skyline, same distant sounds of people living their ordinary lives — but Rick could feel the difference in the air. It was subtle, like the city itself had started breathing in sync with something ancient and unseen.
They'd spent the night in one of Lira's safehouses — a cramped apartment above an old bookstore that smelled of dust, ink, and faint traces of magic. The blinds were shut, and every window was marked with sigils to keep unwanted eyes away.
Rick sat on the couch, staring at his hand.
The glowing mark that had burned there during the fight had faded, but not completely. Faint golden lines still traced across his palm, pulsing with a quiet rhythm — like a heartbeat.
> "It doesn't hurt?" Lira asked from across the room.
She was at the kitchen counter, her jacket off, sleeves rolled up, writing runes on strips of paper that glowed softly in the dim light.
> "No," Rick said. "It just… hums. Like it's alive."
> "That's because it is." She glanced at him. "The Veil's essence is tied to life itself. It reacts to your emotions, your focus — your will. You can't just ignore it."
> "Believe me, I've tried." He gave a half-smile. "Does it come with an off switch?"
Marrek snorted from where he leaned against the wall, sharpening a knife. "If it did, half the world wouldn't be dead right now."
Rick shot him a look. "Comforting as always, thanks."
Lira set down her papers and walked over. "We need to start training you — properly this time. You got lucky last night. That light saved you, but without control, it'll eat you alive."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "Eat me alive?"
> "Magic always demands balance," she said simply. "You draw power from the Veil, it draws something back from you. Energy, memory, sometimes even time."
> "Wait — you mean it can kill me?"
Lira met his eyes. "If you push too hard, yes."
For a long moment, the room was quiet except for the faint ticking of a clock on the wall. Rick exhaled slowly. "Okay. So, lesson one — how do I not blow myself up?"
Lira smiled faintly. "Come on. We'll use the backroom. And maybe try not to destroy my floors."
---
The backroom looked like it used to be a storage space — bare brick walls, concrete floor, a few crates pushed aside. But the moment Lira stepped inside, she pressed her hand to the wall and whispered a rune. The air shimmered, and the space expanded — impossibly wide, like they'd stepped into another world entirely.
Rick stared. "You seriously have a pocket dimension behind your bookstore?"
> "Every mage needs one," she said with a shrug. "It's harder for neighbors to complain when things start glowing."
She drew a circle on the ground with chalk, tracing symbols at each point. "Stand inside."
Rick stepped in. "What's this supposed to do?"
> "Help you focus. The circle stabilizes your link to the Veil. Without it, your energy will scatter."
> "Got it. No scattering."
Lira took a step back. "Now. Close your eyes. Feel the mark in your hand. Don't force it — listen to it."
Rick tried.
At first, he felt nothing but the sound of his own breathing. Then, slowly, the hum returned — faint, like a whisper at the edge of hearing. It grew stronger, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Warmth spread through his arm, then his chest, then everywhere.
Light flickered behind his eyelids.
He opened his eyes. Golden lines glowed along his veins, faint but bright enough to illuminate the circle. The air around him vibrated softly.
> "Good," Lira said. "Now shape it. Picture the light as something solid — a barrier, a shield, anything."
He focused. The light wavered, then formed into a shimmering arc before him — a half-sphere of gold.
For a moment, it felt effortless.
Then pain shot up his arm. The light cracked, flickered, and exploded in a burst of heat that threw him backward.
Rick hit the floor hard, gasping. Smoke curled from his fingertips.
Lira hurried over. "I said focus, not fight it!"
> "You could've mentioned it explodes when you lose focus!" he groaned.
She smirked slightly. "Now you know."
Marrek's laugh echoed from the corner. "Looks like he's a natural."
Rick sat up, flexing his fingers. The pain was fading, replaced by a strange, electric thrill that buzzed under his skin. "That was… actually kind of amazing."
Lira nodded. "You have potential, Rick. But power without control is just chaos. You'll need weeks of this before you can face the Court again."
Rick looked down at his hand. The golden mark pulsed once more — calm now, steady. "Then we better start right away."
---
That night, when the others had gone quiet, Rick stood by the window, staring out at the city.
From this height, Greyhaven looked peaceful. But he knew better. Beneath the lights and glass, the shadows were shifting.
Somewhere out there, the Shadow Court was planning their next move. And somewhere deeper, something older was watching — waiting for him to make a mistake.
He pressed his hand against the glass. The mark glowed faintly, casting a soft reflection on the window.
> "What are you turning me into?" he whispered.
There was no answer — only the hum of the city and the faint pulse of magic beneath his skin.