Chapter 47

  It had been a full day.

  Kael slowly opened his eyes and loosened the aura holding him in place. The crushing pressure of the pond no longer felt foreign. It felt familiar, like a weight his body had learned to carry.

  He pushed upward.

  The ascent was slow and deliberate. Each movement was measured and controlled. The water resisted him, but it no longer owned him.

  Light gradually returned.

  When Kael finally broke the surface, the air felt sharp in his lungs, almost painful. He inhaled deeply, then again, steadying himself as water streamed from his hair and shoulders.

  The pond was quiet.

  On the shore, Reiro was already there, waiting.

  [Human World, Ivan Palace]

  Mia sat near the window, watching the palace garden below.

  She already knew where Kael was.

  Everyone did.

  Victor had told them the truth. Kael had crossed into the Soul World, a place that until recently had been little more than rumor and mystery. Now it was real. Too real.

  And Kael was only eight.

  Servants passed through the garden, their voices calm, their movements routine, as if the world had not tilted slightly off balance.

  Irene approached quietly and sat beside her.

  "You're thinking about him again," Irene said.

  Mia nodded.

  "I know he's alive," she said. "I know he's training. But that doesn't make it easier."

  Irene smiled faintly. "No. It doesn't."

  After a moment, Irene added, "Tell me about yourself, Mia. You never talk about you."

  Mia stared out the window.

  "My life is a closed book," she said. "Nothing worth reading."

  "That's rarely true," Irene replied.

  Mia's fingers tightened in her lap.

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  "I wanted to thank all of you," she said quietly. "For letting me stay here."

  She hesitated. "I don't want to go back."

  Irene did not answer immediately.

  "Your parents might worry," she said gently.

  Mia shook her head.

  "No," she said. "They wanted something obedient. Not a daughter. Something that listens. Something that works."

  Her voice dropped.

  "I'm weak," Mia said. "When Kael was in danger, I couldn't help him. I just stood there."

  Irene reached out and rested her hand over Mia's.

  "Being unable to fight doesn't mean you're weak," she said. "It means you weren't ready."

  Mia looked up.

  "And if you don't want that to happen again," Irene continued, standing, "then you don't wait."

  She offered her hand.

  "You move."

  The training grounds announced themselves long before they arrived.

  "Again!" Victor's voice thundered.

  "Fifty more swings! And you, are you racing a snail or training for war?"

  The soldiers groaned, sweat soaked and exhausted, but obeyed.

  Lem moved among them, correcting stances and tapping legs into proper position.

  "Balance," Lem said calmly. "Strength without balance breaks itself."

  Victor turned mid-command and paused.

  "Mia. Irene."

  The yard straightened instinctively.

  Mia stepped forward, heart pounding.

  "Sir Victor," she said. "Please train me."

  Silence followed.

  Victor studied her for a long moment.

  "Training isn't kindness," he said. "It hurts. It repeats. It shows you your limits."

  "I know," Mia said. "But I don't want to be useless again."

  Victor exhaled slowly.

  He picked up a wooden sword and pressed it into her hands.

  "Grip," he said. "Wrong."

  He adjusted her stance sharply.

  "Again."

  Mia stumbled. Corrected herself. Tried again.

  Irene watched from the side, worry and pride mixing quietly.

  Victor nodded once.

  "Good," he said. "If Kael is facing another world…"

  He turned back to the soldiers.

  "Then you'll learn how to face this one."

  Wood struck wood.

  Sweat hit the ground.

  And while Kael fought to survive in the Soul World, Mia took her first step toward not being left behind.

  Victor watched Mia complete the movement once more before raising a hand.

  "That's enough for today," he said.

  Mia froze, unsure if she had failed.

  Victor turned slightly toward Lem.

  "She's a magician," he said, as if stating a simple fact. "Sword training will help her body, but it won't make her what she needs to be."

  Lem nodded immediately.

  "Contact the Ivan Mage Association," Victor continued. "I want a proper instructor. Someone who teaches control first, power later. No show offs."

  "Yes, sir," Lem replied. "I'll arrange it."

  Victor looked back at Mia.

  "You'll train your body here," he said. "And your magic there. Both matter. One keeps you alive long enough to use the other."

  Mia straightened, gripping the wooden sword tighter.

  "Yes, sir," she said.

  Victor turned away, already shouting at the soldiers again.

  "Don't relax! Training isn't finished just because a child showed more resolve than you!"

  Lem allowed himself a small smile.

  For the first time, Mia felt that her path was no longer uncertain.

  It was simply beginning.

  As the soldiers returned to their drills, Victor paused again.

  He glanced at Irene.

  "You too," he said.

  Irene blinked. "Me?"

  Victor nodded once. "If you're planning to enter the academy later, learning the basics now will save you pain later."

  Lem's eyes flicked between them in understanding.

  "I'll arrange it," he said. "Both of them. Introductory training only. Fundamentals, control, theory."

  Irene smiled faintly, a mix of nerves and excitement.

  "Thank you," she said.

  Victor had already turned back to the yard.

  "Magic isn't talent," he barked. "It's discipline. If you're serious, you'll survive long enough to learn the rest."

  Mia looked at Irene.

  For the first time since Kael crossed into another world, the future did not feel like a waiting room.

  It felt like preparation.