Gianna's POV
The scent of ozone filled the room.
When everything finally stopped shaking, that was the first thing I noticed. It was like the sharp, electric air after a storm, clinging to the back of my throat. The faint hum of my armor continued, its silver-blue plates shining in the dim light like broken lightning.
I flexed her finger.
Then came the glow.
It wasn't wild or out of control. It was right there, waiting.
No one spoke across the room. We all stood in the aftermath of becoming something new, breathing as if we had just survived a fall we didn't know we were taking.
Ruelle broke the silence first. "So, are we done being chosen by ancient glowing objects, or is there a second round?" she asked, her voice light but her eyes sharp.
Jade let out a laugh and her shoulders started to calm down a bit. "I really hope that is the end of it. I do not think I can handle another like that, my nerves are already worn out from this one."
Averyn kept an eye on the Codex. The book appeared to have said what it wanted to say so it slowly moved downwards its light dimming.
Without realizing, I was making my way one step closer, to the window. This is something I have always done. I needed a spot where I can look outdoors when my thoughts get too loud. The city below was completely quiet.
Everything seemed normal. Cars drove by. There was no storm or anything like that. There was nothing to tell you that the six girls had just been granted magic in a bedroom in this three-storey building.
Great.
I touched the glass lightly with my palm.
My inner energy responded.
Thankfully, it wasn't explosively, but more with a light crackle that crossed my skin like static before a blow. Lightning was more than ruin. It was precision.
Speed.
Timing.
It waited.
"Are you okay?" I heard Carmira ask from behind my back.
I nodded once. "Yes, just processing."
It wasn't a complete lie. Because I already knew what that meant. Those who stayed out of the way didn't merit lightning.
It didn't stop.
It didn't stay.
It struck.
Faint embers curled about Jade's fingers, steadied by leaning against the desk as she watched them in wonder. Half-awed, half-frightened, she said, "I feel like I could punch through a wall."
"Don't," Averyn said, her voice cold. "We're in my room now."
Vynessa stood a little off to the side, her light calm and measured. It filled the room, but never went too far. She looked relaxed, honestly—like she'd seen all this coming. That unsettled me more than the magic itself.
Ruelle shrugged, stretching her shoulders. The air shifted with her, like it couldn't help itself. "I hate to say it, but this wasn't random," she muttered.
No one disagreed.
The Codex gave a faint, almost approving pulse.
I glanced at it and then away.
The hallway door stayed open.
For a split second I could have sworn I saw someone standing there. This person was leaning against the wall. It was half-hidden in the shadows. I remember those eyes of the person. The person was just watching me.
Then the flash. The hallway was empty once more.
I felt a chill go up my back. It was a weird feeling. It was very scary.
I started to ask if anyone else had seen it but I stopped herself. If I said it, out loud it would be real. I was not sure I wanted that to happen. The thing I saw, whoever or whatever it was felt like something that should not have a name yet. I just did not want to think about the thing I saw just now.
So I backed up then rejoined the group.
I told them, " We really need rules to follow."
Five faces turned to look at me.
Jades eyes moved fast. She said "Rules?"
"Yeah. Rules," I said again. "Because powers or not, if we lose control, someone gets hurt. And it's not just us on the line."
Ruelle looked me over, her eyes narrowing just a bit. Then she let out a breath and nodded. "I hate that you're right."
Averyn's lips twitched into a little smile. "Gianna's right. This isn't just about what we can do. It's what we choose not to do."
Carmira swallowed hard. "Like… not using them where people can see?"
"Exactly," I said. "And not going off on our own."
That one landed with a weight I could feel.
Lightning always wants to break free. But storms? They're a network. Everything depends on everything else, balancing and connected.
I didn't want to be the bolt that set it all on fire.
Somewhere outside, thunder grumbled—barely there, but enough to remind us. Not dangerous, not yet, but not far off either.
The Codex drifted down onto Averyn's desk and shut itself with a gentle, final thud.
That was it.
I looked at the others this time.
Fire. Air. Light. Earth. Water.
And myself.
"Lightning did not fit in with the others. It cut through and connected the sky and earth."
Maybe it chose me for that reason, not to lead. But acting while unsure would be too risky.
"I think we should get some rest," Vynessa said gently.
"This is just the start, no matter what comes next."
No one disagreed.
But the energy seemed to draw back, and while it did, the armor changed back into flesh, into breathing, into bone. Inside me, the energy waited, alive and patient, deep within.
I looked again at the hallway before they turned out the lights, and the tension was silent.
But this silence was a watched one.
Not all storms came with warning.
Some storms gathered in.
And when they hit, things changed.