Selene Hawthorne's study was quiet, save for the faint crackle of the fireplace and the distant hush of the empty estate. Outside, the world seemed frozen, as though the storm of Aurèlle's power had left its mark not just on the sky, but on reality itself.
Selene, Aurèlle's stepmother, moved across the polished floors with calculated grace, her sharp heels clicking with authority. Her silver-grey eyes glinted with quiet fury, the same eyes that had long dictated fear and discipline within the Valencrest household. Tonight, however, that controlled composure masked a storm far deeper — a storm of envy, of fear, and of ambition thwarted.
She stopped before the hearth, her gloved hands folding neatly in front of her as Headmistress Thalixa Virellan stepped silently into the room. The headmistress's silver-gold hair caught the firelight, framing her piercing grey eyes that seemed to weigh and measure everything in the room — every shadow, every intention, every heartbeat. Her presence was absolute, unshakable, like a mountain carved from steel and light.
"Thank you for coming, Headmistress," Selene began smoothly, though the tight line of her lips betrayed her inner agitation. "I understand you have taken an interest in my stepdaughter, Aurèlle Liora Valencrest."
Thalixa's gaze did not waver. "Interest is not quite the word I would use, Mrs. Hawthorne," she replied evenly. "I have recognized potential. Talent that demands guidance, training, and protection. I have come to ensure that such a gift is not left to languish."
Selene's hands flexed slightly at her sides. She had anticipated this meeting, rehearsed every word, every possible argument, but the calm authority of Thalixa unsettled her more than any threat could. "With all due respect," she said carefully, "I would urge caution. Aurèlle is… untested. Impulsive. Her previous… incident — the storm, the… upheaval — it speaks to a lack of control. Surely you would not entrust a student with such power without first considering the risk?"
Thalixa's eyes narrowed just fractionally, and the quiet of the room deepened. "And you would have me deny her because she is strong? Because she is extraordinary? I am not swayed by fear, Mrs. Hawthorne. Aurèlle has been observed. Her aptitude exceeds what most can achieve in a lifetime. She will not be denied."
Selene's voice sharpened, the mask of calm slipping. "Extraordinary or not, she is… dangerous. To herself, to others. She has been untested for all these years because she has been—contained. Limited. And now you wish to unleash her? Do you realize what might happen?"
Thalixa's posture remained perfect, her gaze unwavering. "I have always understood the risks. I have always trained the exceptional to rise above them. That is my purpose. Aurèlle Liora Valencrest has been chosen because she can rise. Because she must. And because she will."
Selene took a measured step closer, her tone dropping to something quieter, more venomous. "You cannot know her, Headmistress. You cannot understand what lies beneath her surface. I have lived with her. I have seen the disobedience, the temper, the chaos she brings. You would be reckless to allow her in your school."
Thalixa tilted her head, as though considering Selene's words for a brief heartbeat. Then she shook her head slowly, a soft smile curving her lips. "Mrs. Hawthorne, I do not act recklessly. But nor do I allow fear to dictate my choices. Aurèlle Liora Valencrest has been measured. She has been weighed. And she is ready — whether you approve or not."
Selene's composure faltered for a moment. The room seemed to grow colder, the firelight shrinking in the face of Thalixa's presence. "You will regret this," Selene said softly, almost a hiss. "Mark my words, Headmistress. If you bring that girl into your school, you will see… consequences you cannot control."
Thalixa's eyes flickered with a flash of something ancient and knowing. "I have always understood consequences, Mrs. Hawthorne. I have always been prepared."
For a long, tense moment, the two women stared at each other, the air taut, heavy with unspoken threats and authority. Then, without another word, Thalixa raised her hand ever so slightly. The room seemed to shift. The firelight wavered. A soft wind curled around the papers stacked neatly on the desk.
"Thalixa…" Selene breathed, uncertain, feeling the edges of control slip through her fingers.
And then she was gone.
One heartbeat. Two. And the space she had occupied moments before was empty. The faint shimmer of light lingered only for a heartbeat more before it dissipated entirely, leaving the room colder, quieter, heavier. Selene's lips parted, speechless, a chill running down her spine.
Alone, she surveyed the study. Every shadow seemed to tremble in the sudden absence of Thalixa's authority. The fire crackled, the only movement now the soft curl of smoke rising from an old book left open on the desk. The stepmother's mind raced, her schemes colliding with the undeniable truth of the headmistress's power.
Aurèlle. That girl. She was no longer a simple child of the Valencrest estate. She had been marked, recognized, and measured. Thalixa Virellan had seen something that Selene could not touch, could not manipulate. And in that realization, a cold fear settled deep in her chest.
Selene exhaled slowly, trying to reassert control over her own thoughts. "No one can deny me," she murmured, more to herself than the empty room. "No one will allow her to outshine my family. Not if I can prevent it."
Yet, even as she spoke, the emptiness of the study echoed back at her, a stark reminder that Thalixa's will had already been set in motion. The Academy had noticed Aurèlle. And no threat, no stepmother's cunning, could erase that fact.
Selene left the study finally, her footsteps measured but heavy with the weight of frustration. Outside, the estate remained silent. In the quiet of the halls, Aurèlle's hair caught the last of the fading light, silver streaks glinting like stars, a quiet reminder that the girl she had tried to suppress was already beginning to rise.
And somewhere far beyond the estate, Thalixa Virellan watched, unseen, her attention already moving toward Aurèlle's future. There would be no turning back now — the path had been set, and nothing could sway it.