Morning light slipped through the window gaps, brushing Alicia's colorless face. She opened her eyes slowly. Her head felt heavy. Fragments of last night spun without order.
Her hand lifted. Fingers touched her hair.
She froze.
The strands that were usually white now shimmered silver-blue. Not a trick of light. The color had truly changed. Alicia held her breath. Her heart raced. Unease crept in, mixed with a strong urge to find answers.
She needed to see her mother.
Alicia rose from the bed. Her feet met the floor. A sharp, familiar sting shot upward. Goosebumps rippled along her skin. She stepped out of her room. The hallway lay silent. Morning light at the far end stretched long shadows across the wooden floor.
Downstairs, in the dining room, Kalia slept at the table. Breakfast sat neatly arranged. Alicia approached and gently touched her shoulder.
There was no warmth.
Life seemed to have drained from her mother's face, leaving a porcelain pallor stripped of its shine.
"Mom? Wake up," Alicia whispered, lightly shaking her.
Kalia jolted awake. Her eyes flew open. She gasped, as if clawing her way out of a nightmare. Her hands trembled as they cupped Alicia's face.
"Alicia? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Alicia shook her head. "I'm fine. But why did you sleep here? Are you sick?"
A thin smile appeared on Kalia's face. Fragile. She smoothed her hair with stiff movements.
"Just tired. Sit down. Let's eat."
The table felt hollow. The clink of cutlery rang too loud. Alicia had no appetite. Her mother's gaze drifted toward her, then quickly away. Something restless hid beneath it. The air around Alicia felt heavy. The sharp sensation still lingered, rising from within her.
"Mom," Alicia said softly. Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes. "What happened last night?"
Kalia's spoon stopped midair. She lowered it slowly. Her shoulders tightened.
"You awakened the ice element, Alicia."
The words fell plain and bare.
Alicia stared at her palms. Her skin looked normal. Yet something stirred beneath it.
"Ice," she murmured. "So I can become a mage. Like you."
Kalia looked up. A brief flash of pride crossed her face, then sank beneath a deeper fear.
"Yes," she said. "And you might surpass me."
Alicia touched her hair again. Her fingers flinched at the sharp sensation, like touching fresh snow.
"Is awakening always like that?" she asked. "Enough to change my body?"
Kalia's gaze slid to the empty wall.
"The energy last night was too great," she said. "Your body couldn't endure it. That pressure left a mark."
The answer sounded neat. Too neat.
A faint throb pulsed in Alicia's hand.
"If my element has awakened," she said quickly, "I can use magic now, right?"
A thin smile formed on Kalia's lips. It never reached her eyes.
"Awakening an element is only the beginning," she said. "Becoming a mage isn't that simple."
She reached for her cup. Her hand shook as she drank.
Alicia lowered her head. Her shoulders slumped.
"Then what should I do?"
"Mages have a second heart."
Alicia looked up. "A heart?"
"A Core," Kalia replied. "Where Aether resides."
Alicia's eyes lit up. "Teach me, Mom."
The air seemed to freeze.
"No."
Kalia's tone was sharp.
"Why?" Alicia stepped forward.
"You can't," Kalia said quickly. Her hand clenched the table. Her fingertips went pale. "Your body hasn't recovered. Your pure energy is dangerous."
Her gaze sharpened. Her breathing turned uneven.
"When?" Alicia's voice trembled. "Then when can I become a mage?"
Her eyes grew wet. Her hands clenched.
"I want to be like you. I want to protect myself."
Kalia fell silent.
"Am I still too weak?" Alicia pressed on, breath hitching. "Is that wrong?"
She met her mother's eyes.
"You always stop me," she said quietly. "I'm tired."
Tears fell.
"Am I not allowed to choose my own path?"
She turned away. Her steps were quick as she climbed the stairs without looking back.
Kalia took half a step forward. Her hand lifted, then fell. She didn't stop her.
She sank onto the bench. A long, heavy breath escaped her.
"Why did it turn out like this…" she murmured. "If you were here, what would you do?"
Alicia entered her room. Tears streamed without pause. The door closed. The lock turned.
Her back pressed against the wood. Her chest felt tight.
She didn't understand.
Why her mother forbade her so fiercely.
Why.
———
Silence settled into the house. Over the next three days, the dining table turned into a soundless battlefield.
"Thanks for the meal," Alicia said curtly. She stood and left.
Kalia opened her mouth. No words came. Her eyes followed Alicia's back.
Each night, Alicia tossed and turned. For three nights straight, the same dream returned.
A girl in white stood on a field of snow. Her hair was long. Her figure clear. Her face blank, refusing to be known.
Each dream left traces behind. Fragments of memory surfaced one by one. Incomplete. Unclear.
Alicia wanted to ask.
But every time she looked at her mother, the words sank back down.
Knock. Knock.
A knock sounded from outside, followed by Kalia's voice beyond the door.
"Alicia… I want to talk. Can we?"
"Talk about what? What else do you want to forbid me from?"
"Enough, Mom. If you won't teach me, I'll learn on my own," Alicia said from inside.
At those words, Kalia's face tightened. Her lips trembled slightly. As she was about to speak, Alicia's voice came again.
"Mom…" Alicia's voice was hoarse. Her breathing short. Her fingers clenched the sheets. "All my friends can use magic already. Sofia too."
She let out a small laugh. It rang hollow.
"I just awakened my element," she continued, her tone sinking. "But you stopped me."
"Did you forget what I said when I was little?" Her voice weakened.
"I only have one dream, Mom."
She lowered her head.
"I just want to be a mage like you."
Kalia jolted. Her chest tightened.
That voice layered over another in her mind. Smaller. Brighter.
A child running with laughter, holding her hand, repeating the same words. An innocent promise she once heard with a smile. Now it cut like a blade driven in again.
In that moment, Kalia finally realized what her daughter had truly lost. The smile that had always been there. The smile that came without effort. Now it appeared only when forced.
That simplest thing had worn away. Day by day. Without her noticing. Until now.
From the start, she hadn't been protecting Alicia. She had been holding her back. Locking her in place. Letting her stop growing.
She bit her lip until it hurt. Her gaze went blank, piercing the wall without seeing it. Her knees weakened. Her body lost its support, as if all strength had been pulled away at once.
Her mouth parted slightly. A name waited to be called. Words waited to be said to Alicia behind that door. But her voice stuck in her throat. Nothing came out. Kalia turned her face away and walked off. The stairs felt longer than usual.
Downstairs, her hands trembled as she picked up the Communication Stone. Its light glowed faintly.
"Hello?" Her voice cracked thinly.
"Oh wow. Kalia? You almost never call first. What's wrong?" The voice on the other side sounded relaxed, almost joking.
Kalia drew a breath, trying to steady herself. "Sorry… do you have time? I need help."
A brief silence. "I have time. But what kind of help? This sounds serious."
"Come to my shop," she said softly. "I'll explain there. As soon as you can."
"…Alright. I'm heading out now. I should arrive around noon or later." The playful tone vanished. "I'll end the call."
"Okay. Sorry for the trouble."
The stone's light faded. Kalia lowered it slowly. Her shoulders sagged. She sat on the nearest bench, head bowed, staring at her still-trembling hands.
Her chest felt tight. Her breathing heavy.
I'm sorry…
The name never left her lips. It sank into her chest instead.
That afternoon, the small bell above the shop door chimed, breaking the herb-scented stillness. Kalia stopped arranging the shelves. Her fingers froze midair as a woman stepped inside, letting sunlight slip in before the door closed again.
"Long time no see, Kalia."
Kalia turned. Her brows lifted slightly as she masked her surprise. "You're fast. You said you'd arrive later."
"I don't hear you call in a rush like that often," the woman replied, glancing around the quiet shop. She leaned against the counter with casual ease. "Usually it means you want to borrow something. If it's money, I didn't bring any."
"Not that," Kalia cut in. She stepped closer, lowering her voice to a near whisper. "I want to talk about Alicia."
The woman's expression shifted at once. Her casual tone vanished. "Alicia? What happened to her?"
Kalia fell silent for a moment. Her hands gripped the edge of her apron. After a long breath, she finally said, "She's awakened her element."
"Huh? That's good news, isn't it?" The woman frowned. "Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"It's not that simple." Kalia looked down. "Her energy is too pure. Purer than mine."
A heavy silence filled the room. The woman froze. Her eyes narrowed as she processed the impossible.
"That can't be," she murmured. "You know who you are."
"I saw it myself." Kalia clenched her fist. "The energy entered Alicia's body, but her body didn't accept all of it. Awakening energy should be fully absorbed. Some of it was pushed out. As if her body rejected its own power."
The woman studied Kalia longer. She caught the faint tremor in her old friend's shoulders.
"You're scared."
Kalia didn't deny it.
The woman sighed. "Then why drag me here? Just talk to her."
"You know Alicia," Kalia said, her voice rough. "She wants to be a mage more than anything. But now we're fighting."
"Seriously? What did you do to that kid?"
"I thought I was protecting her by stopping her," Kalia replied softly. "Turns out I was just trapping her."
The woman smirked faintly. "Heh. So you finally reached that point. Still stubborn. You never listen to anyone but her."
Kalia lifted her head. Her gaze turned firm. "Skip the teasing. I want one thing. Teach Alicia to form a Core. I want her to enter the Imperial Academy and receive proper supervision."
The woman paused. Then she nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll meet her now. Where is she?"
"At home," Kalia answered. Her shoulders dipped. "She hasn't left her room for three days. Please help her."
"Yeah. I get it."
She turned toward the door.
"Then I'll go to your house."
The bell rang softly as she left. Her footsteps faded away. Heading for Kalia's home.