The academy had changed.
It began subtly—a slight tremor underfoot during early morning drills, a flicker of heat through the training fields, and faint ripples along the leaves in the elemental garden. At first, instructors dismissed it as ordinary shifts of energy in the forest, the natural pulse of the land. But the students noticed, too.
Maelin, Patricia, and Lira had gathered in one of the courtyards for their usual practice. Sparks of fire, swirls of earth, and the soft glow of hybrid plants danced around them, responding more vividly than ever before. Lira could feel the pulses under the soil, tiny tremors that amplified her control over the earth. Her fire glimmered hotter, more responsive, as though the forest itself was lending her strength.
"Do you feel that?" Lira asked, brushing her hand over a patch of moss. Tiny tendrils shifted under her touch, springing upward as though in response to the tremor beneath.
