Chapter 31. The Elements

“Did you see that?” Julian asked, voice sharp but clear.

I caught Maron’s slow nod, awe creeping across her face.

“She’s already syncing with her environment,” she murmured.

But I wasn’t paying attention to their words—I was focused on the energy humming beneath my skin. It felt alive, like it recognized me. I flipped to the next page of Lyra’s journal, heart pounding.

Air is the lightest of all elements, yet the hardest to master. It listens, not to control, but to harmony. Focus on a single object, and it will rise.

I scanned the area and spotted a small stone nearby. It was light—perfect. I extended my hand, breath uneven.

Rise, I whispered—not aloud, but inside myself.

The stone trembled, shuddered, then lifted a few inches before falling back down with a soft thud.

A breath escaped me. “I did it,” I said, louder this time.

“You did,” Robin replied from where he leaned against a tree. “But you’re straining t