Echoes of the Core

Chapter Four: A Night of Discovery

For the past few nights, Aeris had spent countless hours on her balcony, her gaze turned skyward as she tried to feel something—anything—beyond the familiar ebb and flow of unstable energy. Stable energy remained elusive, frustratingly beyond her reach. Except for that presence, the one that lingered on the edges of her awareness. It was strong, constant, and overwhelming, and every time she tried to probe deeper, a wave of fear would rise in her chest, forcing her to pull back.

She hated that fear. It kept her from understanding the energy, from grasping its true nature. Each time she attempted to push further, to feel more, her heart would pound, her breath would quicken, and she would retreat, shaken but still curious. What was it about this presence that made her so afraid?

Tonight, like the nights before, she stared up at the stars. The wind was cool against her skin, and the quiet hum of the academy in the distance gave her a sense of solitude. Bramble had encouraged her to observe, not to act, but she couldn't help herself. She needed more than observation. She needed to feel something real again.

With a sigh, Aeris turned her thoughts away from the presence and focused on something else—something smaller, something she could control. She remembered the astral spell she had seen Bramble perform once, in a quiet moment after class. It was a subtle spell, one that didn't require a staff, just focus. He had pointed at the sky, choosing a distant star, and slowly, almost imperceptibly, made its light flicker. It wasn't flashy, but it was beautiful in its simplicity.

Aeris closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and tried to recall the movements Bramble had made. She extended her hand toward the sky, her fingers trembling slightly as she focused on a faraway star, its soft glow barely visible among the sea of other stars.

For a moment, nothing happened. She stared harder, willing herself to connect with the energy around her. Then, slowly, she felt it—the faintest tug, a thread of energy connecting her to the distant light. It wasn't stable, but it was there. With growing excitement, she concentrated harder, pulling at that thread until, to her amazement, the star's light began to flicker.

Aeris's heart leapt in her chest. It was working! She grinned, watching as the light blinked on and off, a slow and steady rhythm that mirrored her breaths. The feeling of control, of connection, was intoxicating. She sped up the flicker, quickening the pace, then slowed it down, playing with the pattern like a musician adjusting the tempo of a song.

She laughed softly, amazed at how easily the energy flowed through her. It was nothing like the chaotic, unstable magic she had struggled with before. This felt natural, as if the stars themselves were responding to her will.

But then, something changed.

The sky above her darkened, the flickering light of the star fading as an unnatural eclipse began to creep across the horizon. Aeris froze, her hand still outstretched, her breath catching in her throat. This wasn't her doing. The star's light was gone, swallowed by a shadow far greater than anything she had summoned.

For a moment, the world stood still. Her heart pounded in her ears as she stared, wide-eyed, at the strange eclipse. It wasn't like the regular cycles she had studied in astronomy. This was something else—something unknown.

And just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished. The shadow dissipated, the light of the star returning as though nothing had happened. But Aeris wasn't fooled. She knew something had changed. She could feel it.

Then it hit her.

That presence—the overwhelming, still presence she had sensed for weeks—washed over her like a tidal wave. It was stronger now, more intense, as though the eclipse had somehow magnified it. Her entire body tensed, her fingers gripping the edge of the balcony as she struggled to stay upright. The energy pressed down on her, suffocating in its weight, and yet it didn't fluctuate. It remained constant, unwavering, just as it had before.