Crossed Spells

Chapter 12: Clandestine Training (Part 2)

Lucas looked down at his arms and let out an exclamation of surprise. Similar patterns had appeared on his skin, but his were ink-black, undulating and twisting like living shadows.

"This is... incredible," he whispered, fascinated by the sight.

Aria couldn't take her eyes off her own marks. The luminous lines seemed to pulse with the rhythm of her heart, creating a hypnotic effect.

Glimmer did an excited pirouette in the air. "Oh, it's wonderful! You've developed your marks!"

Aria and Lucas exchanged a confused look. "Our what?" they asked in unison.

Shade approached, his shadow body gently undulating. "These marks you see are a physical manifestation of your gifts. They reflect your growth and mastery of magic."

"And they're super cool!" Glimmer added enthusiastically. "Few magic practitioners develop marks so early in their training. You must be exceptional students!"

Aria and Lucas exchanged a glance, a mixture of excitement and apprehension in their eyes. They had already made so much progress in such a short time, and now this. What did it all mean?

"Are they permanent?" Lucas asked, tracing a dark spiral on his forearm with his finger.

"No," Shade replied. "They only appear when you're actively using your powers. Normally, they're completely invisible."

Aria let out a sigh of relief. As fascinating as these marks were, she wasn't sure she was ready to explain them to her mother or friends.

"Consider them a nice secret bonus," Glimmer added with a wink. "A little something to impress your magician friends."

Lucas laughed at this remark, but his laughter quickly faded as a thought struck him. "Wait, does that mean there are other people like us? Other... magicians?"

The familiars exchanged a glance, suddenly more serious. "It's... complicated," Shade finally said. "There have been other magic practitioners in Ravenswood in the past, yes. But as for whether any remain today..."

"It's a mystery you'll have to solve for yourselves!" Glimmer finished with a little laugh, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

This revelation added a new dimension to their quest for understanding. Not only did they have to master their own powers, but they also had to discover if there were other people like them in Ravenswood.

"Now that you've managed to fuse your powers," Glimmer chimed in, "it's time to move on to the next step!"

"The next step?" Aria repeated, slightly worried. "What next step?"

Shade floated over to them, his shadow body gently undulating. "You're going to learn how to manipulate this combined energy. It's a delicate exercise, but essential for fully understanding the extent of your abilities."

Lucas nodded, determined. "Okay, how do we do it?"

For the next hour, Shade and Glimmer guided Aria and Lucas through a series of increasingly complex exercises. They tried to shape the combined energy sphere, to make it grow and shrink at will, and even to separate it into several small spheres.

However, despite their efforts, Aria and Lucas struggled to control this new form of energy. The sphere seemed to have a will of its own, oscillating between shadow and light unpredictably. At times, it shone so brightly that they had to look away, and the next moment, it became so dark that it seemed to absorb all light around it.

"It's normal," Shade reassured them after yet another unsuccessful attempt. "The combined energy is much more powerful and volatile than your individual powers. It will take time before you can master it completely."