The breeze moved gently through the leaves above. It carried a soft scent—like wild petals caught on the wind.
No one said anything right away.
Even the silence felt like part of the lesson.
Thalynae's voice came again—calm, steady, and firm.
"You're not here just to grow stronger. That's not enough. You're here to become immovable."
She didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to.
"When the void stirs again—and it will—the elves can't falter."
She glanced briefly at the orb behind her. It still sat on the table, glowing faintly with the colors it had drawn from the girls.
"That's why I was assigned to guide you," she said. "Not because of status.
But because I know what it's like to carry a resonance that doesn't fit into this world."
Her eyes moved to Evelyn first.
"I see how much you hold back. How do you stay calm—not for yourself, but for others? You carry too much without showing it."
Then to Everly.
