Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

King Larkin paced back and forth in the dimly lit hallway, which was lit by oil lamps. A look of concern was on his face. He would occasionally stop in front of a door guarded by armored soldiers, but instead of entering, he resumed his anxious pacing.

His stress was so great that his beard was visibly turning gray. None of the soldiers present dared to speak to him, not even the elderly man in black robes leaning against a wall. One person did speak, though.

"Dad, why don't you just go in?" asked a four-year-old boy with brown eyes and hair whose face closely resembled the king's. It was the boy's innocent voice that made Larkin freeze completely.

"It's not that simple, Orrin. What if my presence unsettles the midwives and the delivery goes wrong? I can't be the cause of an accident like that! I'd never forgive myself!" the king exclaimed, turning to look directly at the old man dressed in black.

"I don't need to read your mind to know what you're thinking, my king. But, as I told you when Prince Orrin was born, the best magic happens naturally. A mother can give birth effectively without my spells.

Magic itself is not miraculous, and it could be counterproductive in important matters like childbirth, which requires great effort from the mother.

Magic comes at a price, my king. It usually takes a toll on one's physical strength since, with magic, you can only do what you would be capable of doing if you had the means to do so. Childbirth is such a delicate situation.

Intervention could lead to the death of the queen and her child. Trust in Her Majesty's resilience, though. She is a noblewoman of Surda. We are sailors who weather the fiercest storms. Childbirth is merely another trial for her," the man consoled, approaching King Larkin and revealing his appearance.

Unlike the rumors about magicians, this old man had no sores, evil grin, or wart-covered, hooked nose. He looked like any retired grandfather you might find in Surda; his bright blue eyes were his most striking feature.

His robe had no strange objects, such as skull necklaces or belts adorned with potions. It was simply normal clothing made of excellent materials without anything ostentatious, strange, or extravagant. 

The only notable aspect of his appearance was the ruby ring on his left hand. It seemed to captivate the gaze of those who noticed it, but only Orrin glanced at it briefly before looking away. 

"I know, Master Norman. I'm not so old that I've forgotten your words. I haven't forgotten your attempts to teach me magic. It's a shame that no one in our family was born with that talent," King Larkin sighed, disappointed that the elusive ability to alter reality with a few phrases in the ancient language was apparently far from his lineage.

In fact, among the entire population of Surda, those who could claim to possess such talent could be counted on one hand. At court, there were only four mages in the king's service, and the best of them was with him.

"Your Majesty…" Before the elderly Norman could say anything, he sensed that something extremely strange was happening. As a mage, he couldn't claim to be on par with the elves or the dragon riders, but he was sensitive to supernatural phenomena. 

Suddenly, he sensed something strange stirring invisibly. As he was about to alert the soldiers, he fell silent at the incredible sight that unfolded before him. The Spirits had appeared!

If there was one phenomenon in Alagaësia that no one could fully understand, it was the existence of these elusive beings. They appeared in many forms. The ones in the hallway looked like faintly glowing spheres with lines etched into their bodies that closely resembled eyes.

It was as if the spirits had come to observe something, but what? Without hesitating, the wizard stepped back because he knew contact with these beings could lead to unforeseen consequences.

They could suddenly make you younger or older. They could turn your flesh to stone and keep you alive, or turn your blood to water and cause you to die in agony. Their hallmark was the unbridled power of magic!

The terrifying stories of encounters with spirits were not just tales; they were grim warnings pointing to the danger and true power of these beings. Those who actively came into contact with them, the sorcerers, were often looked down upon in many places.

It's no wonder that the Shades were one of the most terrifying manifestations and the most dangerous, not only to the afflicted but also to those around them. Some say the Mad Emperor learned his darkest and most twisted secrets from a Shade now under his command. 

Norm didn't mess with spirits, though he knew an old healer who did. He picked up some knowledge on the subject from her. He assessed the spirits and confirmed that they hadn't come with bad intentions. Rather, they seemed curious about what was happening in the delivery room and appeared happy. 

"What the hell?" asked King Larkin. Unsettled by the sudden situation, he drew his sword. As the ruler of the only country not under the Mad Emperor's control, he needed political acumen and martial strength. 

The soldiers at the door and in the hallway sprang into action, raising their shields and drawing their weapons. Orrin was shielded by three soldiers, but he strained to see what was happening.

"King! They're spirits! Don't touch them! Don't threaten them! They're capricious beings, but also very curious. Perhaps the son or daughter of Her Majesty the Queen has caught their attention," Norm shouted just in time, causing Larkin to halt his attack. 

Luckily, the spirit he had aimed at simply turned and looked at him with the 'eye' carved into its body as if assessing something. Then it shook its head and let out a shriek that could have been interpreted as boredom or disinterest. It then turned its attention to the door.

Mysteriously, none of them went inside. They merely hovered around the soldiers guarding the entrance as if they were a crowd of onlookers eager to witness the spectacle in the square. 

The hallway was plunged into silence, punctuated only by the heavy breathing of the men present and the spirits' occasional shrieks. Fortunately, thanks to a spell Norm had cast earlier, the Queen's voice did not escape through the door during the birth, so as not to disturb King Larkin's mind too much.

However, the spirits weren't the only ones witnessing this situation. Drawn by the presence of those beings, a certain group of wild, orderly consciousnesses sets their 'sights' on Aberon Castle, specifically, the delivery room.

"Damn it! How much longer do I have to push!?" screamed a woman with black, sweaty hair covering her face. Her gray eyes were bloodshot from the painful and exhausting ordeal. 

She was on her hands and knees, supported by two older women. Another woman had her hands near the woman's crotch, awaiting the birth of the tiny creature. 

"Almost there, Your Majesty!" I can see the baby's head! Just a little more!" Upon hearing this, the Queen screamed, straining her body to the limit as she finally gave birth. 

She was helped to lie down on the floor, covered with soft, new blankets. Her breathing was labored, her body burned with pain, and her eyes were clouded. But her hands moved instinctively, searching for her baby.

"Where...where is it?" she murmured. No one answered her. In fact, the midwives had gathered around the matron who had received the baby, watching her arms with a touch of fear.

Covered in blood and placenta, the newborn infant struggled to make sense of the world without crying. No matter how many times they smacked its bottom, the baby simply scrunched up its face and turned red; it didn't cry.

For a baby not to cry was a bad sign, usually associated with the infant's death. However, they could verify that the girl was fine. Her heart beat strongly, and her abdomen rose and fell, but she simply didn't cry. 

The tangle of consciousnesses observed this and found nothing strange. What had drawn the spirits here? Was it that human child? There was nothing special about her! Still, these minds decided to pay her more attention to see if they could discover what made her special over time.

As the woman holding the baby girl approached the queen, determined to hand her over, spirits poured into the room and drew in the people outside. The remaining midwives realized they had forgotten to notify the king, but no one was thinking about that.

Everyone watched as the spirits focused their attention on the newborn girl and swirled around her and the woman holding her. It was as if they were celebrating something. Just as suddenly as they had appeared, they vanished into thin air. 

Suddenly, the baby cried with such force that even the queen found it unsettling. No one dared to say anything, though. They simply let the mother hold her baby and try to calm her youngest daughter, but it didn't work. 

"My King, no one must speak of what happened here," Norm whispered to King Larkin, standing beside him. The king nodded. Neither of them wanted the new princess to be feared by the people nor for the nobles to take advantage of her because of the situation.

Moreover, there was a mad emperor with an evil dragon in the north who was obsessed with the dark arts. It was said that he had a shade under his command, an evil creature associated with spirits. 

"But this time, perhaps our family's wish will come true. With that loud cry, she'll probably become a formidable warrior," said King Larkin with a smile. Though he was still worried about everything that had happened, the joy of becoming a father again overwhelmed him.

Orrin would obviously be the successor, not because he was a boy, but because he was born first. However, Larkin would do everything possible to ensure his youngest daughter grew up strong. If what happened today meant she was special, perhaps she could also become a renowned mage. 

"Larkin . . . I want to name her Sereth," declared the queen, causing Larkin to look at her. He approached her and knelt beside her, not caring about his expensive clothes or the dignity a king should maintain.

"Sereth it shall be, my beloved Jeanne. But the child is certainly crying," the king remarked, somewhat irritated by his youngest daughter's continuous crying. However, he didn't see it as a bad thing. Rather, he continued to grow happier and happier about it.

"At least she takes after me. Otherwise, I'd be complaining after all that suffering," Jeanne replied, gently stroking her daughter's nose as the child showed no signs of stopping her crying anytime soon. 

Orrin approached his parents but kept an eye on Sereth, whose face was red. The prince didn't fully understand what had happened earlier, but upon seeing that he had a new sister, a feeling of protection welled up inside him. 

He was just a child, but he had heard stories every night about the legendary Dragon Riders. They were the protectors of civilization, worthy knights who deserved praise. He didn't fully understand those tales, but he had a small grasp of what it meant to 'protect' someone. 

He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to his little sister. If he could just cry a little less, that would be much better. As the room's atmosphere shifted from strange to festive, what was going on with Sereth? Why was he crying so much? He was suffering from a terrible headache. 

Her baby brain was overwhelmed by things beyond her comprehension. She was overwhelmed by noisy, unprocessed information, but her most basic instincts were helping her cope by burying those matters deep within her subconscious. When she was ready, they would resurface. 

Certain things were working alongside her instincts, helping with that process and protecting her. She cried only because of the physical discomfort she was experiencing. As a baby, she didn't know how lucky she was, but she would realize it as she grew up.

All she could do was wait and see if she could use this as a foundation to grow stronger. Fortunately, she had been born with a status superior to 99% of the population across the continent. Now, it was up to her to decide how to grow and make the most of her opportunities, all under the watchful eyes of the Dragons and Spirits.

Her birth had already altered this magical world; though she was a small drop in the pond, her ripples would gradually spread. 

Chapter Text

"Young princess, I have already taught you that staring at others like that is rude and a serious breach of etiquette." In a room resembling a study and bathed in sunlight streaming through the windows stood two figures.

Norm sat in a wooden chair next to a desk covered with papers and inkwells. He looked with exasperation at the girl in front of him. He had tried to correct her bad manners, but clearly without success.

He could only bring his hand to the bridge of his nose. He knew it would be useless, but he had done his best to educate the princess. He could swear by all that is sacred in Alagaësia that he had given his all to achieve that goal.

"Sereth, when someone speaks to you and isn't an enemy, you should answer," the old wizard said again, lamenting the fate he had brought upon himself. But Sereth, aged seven, merely tilted her head and gazed at the old man with her piercing gray eyes without replying.

"What is it that fascinates you so much?" Norm finally asked, exasperated, but more as a way of voicing his own thoughts than expecting an answer from the princess, who was known to be unusual in many ways.

"The world fascinates me. Your face, full of details: Wrinkles, a beard, and age spots. Will I have something like that in the future? What's it like to be you? What would it feel like to have a beard, wrinkles, and age spots?" Sereth spoke in a soft, childlike voice, but her words were surprisingly profound for a young woman. Still, Norm smiled.

"Oh, I wondered about things like that as a child, too. What would it have been like if I'd been born into the neighbor's family? If I hadn't been born, would the world be the same, or would it be different? Children often ask existential questions like that, but you can find some answers, can't you?

I remember teaching you that peeking into other people's minds isn't a good idea, especially if that person is sensitive and will feel your intrusion," said the old man, touching his temple with his index finger.

Sereth flashed a smile, revealing her teeth, two of which were missing from having recently fallen out. She 'withdrew' her mind from her teacher's, causing him to nod in satisfaction.

Although he was somewhat helpless due to the princess's bad habit of spying on people's minds, he was pleased with her talent. He had been caught with his mental defenses down, allowing Sereth to discover his fascination with sweets.

"Remember, the gift of magic is versatile and wonderful, but extremely dangerous. Especially for young people like you. You must learn to resist temptation, just as you must resist stealing the cookies baked by the cooks," the wizard said, gesturing toward the plain bag Sereth was carrying. The bag emitted the seductive aroma of freshly baked cookies.

Rather than hiding the evidence or denying it, Sereth opened the bag and offered it to the old man. He reached in and pulled out a cookie, which quickly disappeared into his mouth. This was all just to hear the girl say something that nearly choked him.

"Now you're my accomplice," Sereth declared confidently. Her eyes, previously distracted and fixed on the old man, curved like those of a mischievous fox, leaving the wizard at a loss for words.

"You'll be a perfect noblewoman when you grow up," Norm finally said. He felt that he couldn't always understand the young princess, even though he was her tutor. The truth was, he wasn't prepared for this responsibility.

However, he had been assigned to Sereth as her guide because of the girl's magical talent. From a very early age, the princess was different, and when that was combined with her magical talent, he was the perfect tutor for her.

This was especially true since Sereth's magic manifested as uncontrolled telepathy. Because of her habit of looking deeply into people and her instincts, her mind would project itself onto theirs. She would hear their thoughts, feel their experiences, and delve into their memories.

This practice was very dangerous for the inexperienced. The lesser risk was developing an addiction to intruding on others' minds. The greater risk was losing one's sanity due to a fragmented mind.

Every thought, memory, and sensation experienced bears the imprint of the person, which can contaminate one's own mind. Furthermore, socially speaking, no one likes the idea of someone peering into their last refuge, their privacy.

Although the technique of mental protection existed, something even ordinary people could practice, it wasn't widespread. Only a few knew it, generally the strongest-willed nobles, since not everyone was willing to waste time training in something they might never use, which seemed like a waste of time.

As a child, Sereth's mind was much more vulnerable. What if her young mind were corrupted or injured? She could go mad, become catatonic, or even die silently without anyone knowing the cause.

This is why Norm is responsible for guiding her, even though she is too young to learn real magic. Since Sereth was five, Norm has been teaching her languages: human, dwarven, and the ancient language he had painstakingly learned over the course of his life.

The latter is the language of magic. However, he hasn't taught her how to use this power yet. Still, he is laying the foundation for her magical knowledge. He also guided her in mathematics, culture, geography, history, and astrology.

Norm also had connections with alchemists and herbalists who shared their knowledge with the princess by order of the king. Thus, a comprehensive program had been created for her, which would last until she turned 16, waiting for her to make full use of it.

Of course, the program was gradual. Sereth had barely touched on some of the material during her two years of study. After all, you can't expect anyone, no matter how brilliant, to absorb everything all at once.

What Norm did focus on, dedicating half of the teaching hours to it, was the subtle art of the mind. This was all to avoid future risks. The wizard taught Sereth how to use her power, what precautions to take, and what to keep in mind. He helped her understand the wonders and dangers of the mind, which were so vast that what she knew were only superficial things.

"Sereth, I heard that Miss Trianna and Miss Nasuada are coming to visit you this afternoon. Are you going to leave them some cookies?" Norm asked, snapping out of his thoughts when he noticed the girl was covered in crumbs and the bag looked almost empty.

"They're mine. I took them for myself. I thought they were just for me. I took yours out for you. If I'd given you another one, I'd feel awkward. I left cookies for them in the kitchen," Sereth replied, wiping the crumbs from her face with a handkerchief.

"That's a peculiar kind of selfishness, Sereth," Norm sighed. He was used to his princess's quirks. She seemed to have her own way of seeing and thinking, barely adapting to society's norms.

But the princess had always been like that. She would be silent for long periods of time, and then suddenly she wouldn't stop talking, often interrupting others, including the king. She didn't like the maids touching her body. Only her mother could bathe and dress her.

She had exaggerated fixations on things that interested her and had to pay constant attention to them, staring at them silently with a distant gaze. However, if something didn't interest her, she would go so far as to ignore its existence.

Certain vegetables or people were like this. If she didn't like them, she acted as if they didn't exist. Though this could change, no one knew if it depended on her or something else. The king himself was once ignored in this way when he bumped into her without meaning to and didn't apologize.

She ignored King Larkin for weeks, as if he didn't exist. It wasn't until he apologized to her that she finally acknowledged him again, as if nothing had happened. The king wanted to play with his youngest daughter again.

These are just a few of the princess's quirks, to which everyone at Aberón Castle had grown accustomed. Norm just shook his head before leaning on his cane and standing up.

"We're finished with your lessons for today. We discussed the foundation of Surda, how to subtract numbers, and explored the idea you mentioned about creating a mental book. It's an interesting idea, no doubt, but somewhat exhausting.

Your homework is on the desk. Finish it and hand it in tomorrow," the old man said before walking toward the study door. He saw a maid carrying a silver tray just in time.

Sereth stared intently at the young woman who brought her a snack. Her gray eyes were fixed on the woman, meticulously scanning her body. She seemed distracted, but everyone knew the princess paid close attention to things that interested her.

"Your Highness, I must take my leave," the woman said before slowly walking away. As she left, she touched the hair on her arm that had stood on end because the princess had frightened her. She was not used to such an intense gaze.

'At least it means I'm present for the young princess, unlike Ana, who was ignored by Her Majesty to the point that the king dismissed her,' thought the maid as she left the hallway leading to the study, where Sereth remained.

"This world is so interesting, vibrant, peaceful. Not like the things I see in my dreams, where everything is dark and dull, dimly lit by that terrifying red moon," Sereth whispered before picking up the sandwich on the table and eating it in small bites with her eyes half-closed.

'Do other worlds really exist? Am I a 'reincarnated' being, like in those stories I saw in my dreams? Is that my former self? I have this feeling that so much is missing, that everything is disjointed and chaotic. What is that multicolored void?

From what I've seen, I can tell that she had a miserable life. At least the first half was interesting, though, like those books...' Sereth took a sip of the orange juice sitting next to her plate, all while continuing to think.

'Eragon, huh?" According to the story, you should be in Carvahall. So close yet so far. But is this world really like what's written there? I doubt it. I doubt it very much. The real world isn't as rigid as something written by humans.' The princess finished her meal and, as she prepared to do her homework, finished her thoughts.

'But the knowledge, ideas, references, and information in those dreams are important. But my other self was so... Mediocre. She had such great potential, yet she simply let herself be murdered.

It's sad to die just a year after the cataclysm because of a crazy huntress who feigned love for her. But at least she left me her gift.' As she slowly wrote her thoughts about Surda's independence on the paper before her, Sereth recalled the gift.

If people knew more about it, they would understand many of her oddities, or at least half of them. But she didn't confide in anyone about it because they would treat her even more strangely. Though it didn't matter to her.

'Did she touch her arm as she left? That's what I sensed from her through the door. What an interesting woman.' Sereth looked up and gazed at the closed door with a subtle smile before returning to her assignment.

Things like that interested her and drew her to keep looking at this world. That's why she had so much to explore, not just those fragmented memories whose value could only be proven over time, and which weren't entirely reliable.

There were clearly many things missing, especially since she hadn't focused on a life she barely remembered living. If it weren't for the valuable things in those memories, she would've forgotten them after dreaming about them.

No, Sereth felt that her current situation offered her many opportunities to make the most of her gift. She had a new world to explore on her own and learn what interested her, especially magic. This was what she loved most!

Why mourn a mediocre self who couldn't accomplish anything significant? For whom the loss of her memories was so inconsequential that she cared more about understanding the phenomenon of the Red Moon, the madness that had overtaken the world, and the place that had appeared only in her dreams than how she had lived a childhood she couldn't recall?

'Shouldn't dragons be watching over the world? They should be able to see me, but I don't care about those boring winged creatures. I'd better finish my homework. Trianna and Nasuada are coming. 

I want to look at them some more. Trianna's blue eyes are like the sky, and Nasuada's skin is like mahogany. They're so fascinating. What would I look like with their eyes and skin?' Sereth's thoughts jumped from one thing to another, hardly lingering on any one subject for long.

Reflections on her past life? They had long since been pushed to the back of her mind. For now, she would live her current life. But first, she had to solve the subtraction problems. Why did she have to give her brother Orrin five apples

Chapter Text

The sound of the door opening caught Sereth's attention. She had been passing the time in the study when she guessed who the visitors might be. A small smile spread across her face. 

"Come in!" the princess exclaimed as she organized the papers she had used to complete her homework. At that moment, the study door opened, and a maid entered with two other figures. 

One of them was a brunette with delicate features and dark, braided hair adorned with small, shiny beads that looked like expensive jewels. She ran toward the desk where Sereth was sitting and looked at him with her brown eyes. 

"Sereth! Did you finish your homework?" the girl asked. She watched as the princess calmly set aside the papers she had organized so meticulously that not a single one stuck out.

The entire desk was arranged with an extremely strict order, one of the princess's quirks. She didn't mind having her things disorganized, though, which is why she said nothing when the other figure, a young woman slightly older than the other two girls with blue eyes and black hair, picked up the stack of papers with interest. 

That movement revealed what adorned her left wrist: a small golden snake coiled around her limb. Though motionless, Sereth felt those golden eyes staring at her for a moment, something she was already used to. 

"I'm done now, though I still don't understand why I have to let the others take my fruit in every exercise or give my pastries to them," the princess complained, making the maid, who had remained standing in the study, smile. 

'Ah, the princess still doesn't want to share her things,' the woman thought, unaware that her privacy was being violated by the two figures in the room. Both Sereth and the blue-eyed girl exchanged knowing glances. 

"Trianna, could you pass me Sereth's homework? I want to see if she did it right," the brunette girl asked, causing Trianna to snap out of her daze. She handed the papers to her companion and sat down in one of the available chairs in the study.

"Nasuada, why are you so interested in what Sereth learns?" There are too many of them! My mom only taught me to read, write, and do basic math. Then, she devoted herself to teaching me about herbs," Trianna remarked, feeling uncomfortable. Deep down, she resented being the least educated of the three young women. 

"Because knowledge is a weapon! If we want to... well, it's always good to learn more, isn't it?" Nasuada held her tongue when she realized the trio wasn't alone, which caused Sereth to narrow her eyes as she looked at the maid.

"Can you bring my friends a snack?" Although it sounded like a question, the princess's words were more of an order than anything else. The maid left the room, and Nasuada clasped her hand to her chest, showing just how scared she was.

"Ah! I almost brought that up! My dad always says I have to keep that a secret." Nasuada took a seat, looking paler than usual. That slight slip-up had frightened her, though luckily it had happened at Aberon Castle and not elsewhere. 

"Don't worry. She didn't make a big deal out of it," said Trianna, waving her hand nonchalantly and dismissing her friend's concern. Nasuada widened her eyes and glanced at her two friends several times, realizing what had happened.

"Aren't you supposed to do that? That's an invasion of privacy! It's just as bad as having your food stolen!" whispered Nasuada, somewhat concerned that her mage friends had snooped around in the maid's mind.

She was more worried about this than she was about her passing mention of the clandestine activities in which the nobility of Surda and their associates were involved. She had heard about the dangers of mages' telepathic abilities and had always thought Sereth and Trianna should exercise more caution with this skill. 

"Don't worry. We didn't get inside her head. We just heard her surface thoughts. It's kind of hard not to, you know? It's like when you're in the garden, playing with your pets or smelling the flowers, and you hear a cricket.

The minds are there. I'll hear them whether I want to or not. I just have to protect myself from letting them affect me because trying to avoid them feels like having my arm cut off." Sereth's example was graphic, but that's how she felt.

Telepathy had become another way for her to interact with and explore the world. The noise of minds always came to her, whether she paid attention or not. It was up to her to meddle in them or block them out completely, either by closing her mind or distracting herself. 

However, she found those actions uncomfortable, as if she were trying to grab things without using her thumb. So, she always kept this perception active, especially because she could hear and see many interesting things she normally wouldn't. 

Of course, they'd drilled the risks and dangers into her head. She didn't want to get scolded anymore, so she followed the safety precautions. That's why she was trying a path neither her teacher nor Trianna's mom had thought of. 

"By the way, Trianna, were you able to read the minds of any small animals?" Sereth asked. Nasuada, who had been watching the conversation warily, took an interest. She set aside the papers she'd been about to review on the desk and paid attention to her friend. 

"How should I put this? I tried it with one of the chickens my mom raises, but I didn't feel anything. Can we really read animals' minds? Do they even have minds? If they did, it would be sad because chicken tastes so good," Trianna replied honestly before looking at Sereth.

"I don't get it. Aren't you too young? Why are you trying so hard? Where do all your ideas come from? Are you creating a book in your mind where you can access your memories better? Reading animals' minds? I've always wondered why those things come to your mind." Trianna asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable as she blurted out everything she was thinking without any tact.

Nasuada, who was much more self-aware, thought Trianna was annoying. Why did Sereth have to explain those things to her? Maybe it was because he read more than the others. After all, the royal family of Surda was known for its love of knowledge.

Even Orrin, the heir to the throne, had a small alchemical laboratory where he conducted experiments in his spare time. Nasuada was interested in the subject but decided to stay away from such places when she realized she couldn't stand the pungent, foul odors of a laboratory. 

However, Trianna's questions piqued her curiosity. She looked at her friend, hoping she would answer. From what she knew of her, she might just do so.

"Why not explore?" Have you ever thought it would be better to remember everything more clearly? What if you could see others' minds like an open book? That's what I thought. If my mind is an open book, so are others'.

If I can quickly scan my own mind, then I can scan others' just as quickly." Sereth felt that these questions deserved answers since she had long wanted to help others understand how she truly thought, saw, and experienced things.

The princess's gray eyes rested absently on Trianna. She stared at the girl so intensely that Trianna, who was already used to it, felt particularly uncomfortable this time. Before she could complain, however, Sereth continued speaking. 

"I try my best because I want to explore as much as possible in the best way possible. But we're just girls. Would our parents let us travel the world on our own? No! I don't even want to go out there at such a young age." The princess scrunched up her face, remembering the stories her mother had told her about how dangerous the outside world could be.

"That's why I want to learn everything I can here before I'm old enough to travel on my own. If people's minds don't have the answer, might animals' minds have it? Besides, haven't you ever wondered what they think?" Sereth blinked slowly, waiting for a response from her friend. Seeing that she remained silent, Sereth turned slowly, almost stiffly, toward Nasuada, startling her. 

"What do a dog's bark and a cat's meow mean? Do animals experience things differently than we do? Raw meat is disgusting. How do those animals see the world? Is a dog's sense of smell really that good? I'd like to experience it!" Her words seemed enthusiastic, but her tone was neutral. 

She looked at Nasuada but seemed to be paying attention to something the two girls couldn't see. Sereth simply felt frustrated. She felt increasingly that human language lacked many terms she wanted to use, and her knowledge of the ancient language was too limited to form coherent sentences.

"Imagine catching a rat and asking it to help you explore an area! Nobody cares about rats unless they eat your food. Don't you think we could find lots of things we normally wouldn't? Trianna! I love this world. I love learning! Everything is so interesting and vibrant!" The princess gave an example that she was eager to try. But when she saw the disgust on her two friends' faces, she looked toward the window, where a bird had just landed.

If we could get inside a bird's mind, we would be able to experience flying and see the world from above. Would the clouds feel soft? What would we look like from up high? Would it be the same as looking from the highest tower of the castle?" This particular example finally piqued Nasuada and Trianna's interest in Sereth's words, especially Trianna's. However, the princess felt she hadn't fully conveyed her thoughts.

"This world is wonderful! You are! What would it feel like to have your eyes? And Nasuada? Wouldn't it be interesting to have your skin color? These kinds of thoughts make me want to learn more and get inside people's, and if possible, animals', minds. 

Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to be someone else, Nasuada? Wouldn't it be great if we could experience that with animals too? Stories say that riders and their dragons had a special connection. It's even said that they were the same.

I can imagine it: The rider could feel the wind on the dragon's wings, and the dragon could feel its human companion's exhilaration from flight. How can I make you understand me?" At that moment, an intrusive thought assailed Sereth's mind. In that instant, she focused her gaze on her friends. This time, her eyes were unusually centered, far from their previous distraction. 

What she was about to do went against her plans to maintain her privacy. However, her desire to express herself and share her thoughts with her friends led her to make this decision. Besides, couldn't she trust her friends to keep the secret of what they were about to experience? After resolving her doubts, Sereth acted.

"Don't block my path," the princess declared. Before Nasuada and Trianna could comprehend her words, they felt a foreign consciousness touching the mental barriers they had built. 

At first, they rejected it. Then, they remembered Sereth's words. Though this action was extremely dangerous, they decided to trust her. They lowered their defenses and soon felt themselves merging with the visiting consciousness. 

Their vision soon grew blurry, and then something strange happened: they could see their own faces! However, it wasn't like looking in a mirror. Rather, it was as if they were no longer seeing from their own bodies but from someone else's. They soon realized they were seeing from Sereth's point of view.

Then, things took a turn. Sereth focused on the bird still at the window. Suddenly, Nasuada and Trianna realized the bird looked very different through their friend's eyes. 

The details were extremely clear and expansive. As they delved into one detail, it expanded, revealing more things that had to be analyzed, and so on. The bird looked the same as always, but it was full of things they had never noticed before, things they would never see under normal circumstances.

However, the surprises didn't end there. Another bird, a replica of the first, appeared, floating in the air. This one was incomplete; only part of it was visible, the part they had been observing. It was transparent and rigid, like a painting, but with few details. 

As they watched the real bird, the ghostly replica became complete. Then, Sereth looked back at her friends, who were surprised and frightened when blurry figures of themselves appeared next to them.

Each replica had details that even they might not have noticed in a mirror. These ghosts wandered through the studio, mimicking their movements. They looked around just as they normally would. Although they didn't speak, their lips moved. 

However, the snake bracelet on ghost Trianna's arm was different. It writhed like a living creature, wrapping itself around her body. As if sensing Sereth's gaze, the snake raised its head and hissed. To the princess, it was clear that the bracelet was alive. 

'The world is full of surprises and invisible details to my eyes. I can capture those details to create moving paintings and sculptures of you. Every time I see you, I see two of you, and you help me complete the ones I already have. When you leave, I'm not alone. I have you with me always.' Sereth's voice was heard by the two girls, whose heads began to ache because their brains weren't accustomed to her hyper-processing of information. 

'That headache is something I've always had, but now it's so dull that it doesn't bother me anymore. But when there are so many ghosts around, the pain becomes unbearable. Many things don't interest me because of that. Some things shouldn't be recorded because they don't add anything.' After saying this through the mental link he had created, Sereth began to detach himself from his friends' minds. They felt dizzy but luckily didn't throw up in the studio.

"So, is that why you have that creepy look? Do you see right into us and create ghosts of us?" Trianna asked, indignant at the situation, though she didn't understand why. Perhaps she was jealous because she wasn't as special as she'd believed.

She came from a family of wizards and sorcerers. She had a decent vocabulary in the ancient language and knew the secrets of contacting and interacting with spirits. 

"No, haven't you realized that what she did is dangerous? We could have been hurt!" Nasuada exclaimed. She was more aware of how dangerous Sereth's actions were. 

"I was born with it, just like telepathy. How can I stop seeing the world this way when I've always seen it this way? And don't worry; I took on all the danger," said the princess. She brought her handkerchief to her nose. Soon, the two girls realized that Sereth was having a heavy nosebleed, which caused them to worry.

"SERETH! Don't ever do that again! At least don't carry that burden alone. I'm a mage, too. I can help you with that." Trianna's jealousy and that nagging feeling in her heart vanished instantly because she was more worried about her friend than about feeling special.

She already knew that Sereth was different from her. Sereth was a princess, while Trianna was just the daughter of the princess's teacher. She was a mage, yes, but she didn't know any spells. She only had the talent. She studied herbs and potions, but didn't have the right to prepare them. 

"And...do you always have a headache? Do you always see those things?" Outside of the mental link, Nasuada couldn't explain that experience properly using normal language.

However, perhaps because of that mental connection, the three of them had grown much closer and were able to understand each other better. This was an interesting consequence of the unbridled magic, though none of them noticed it at the time. 

"My mom said that when I was born, I cried for hours for no reason. Ever since I can remember, I've had these pains. As for what I see, yes, I can control it, of course, but as I said, why would I cut off my own arm? You felt it. You know how important it's become to me," Sereth explained. Her voice sounded strange because of the handkerchief over her nose. 

Nasuada and Trianna nodded, their minds having connected in such a way that they could understand each other's thoughts. Though brief and not particularly profound, the experience was revealing, and its traces remained. 

"Ah, now I'm feeling that urge to learn again. You've hurt me, Sereth," Trianna complained. The princess looked at her, narrowing her eyes as if she'd seen something interesting. 

"Oh, since we're friends, why don't I help you? Nasuada can help you, too!" Sereth quickly dragged Nasuada into the conversation, prompting the brunette to complain. She liked learning, but explaining things to someone else was tedious!

'So, can I say that this friendship is magic? The world is so interesting, and it becomes even more so the more I observe it,' Sereth thought, a faint smile spreading across her face and revealing her two missing teeth.

Chapter Text

It was late at night, and after a day of studying and playing with her friends, Sereth was quite tired. However, she couldn't sleep, so she perched on a chair and leaned against an open window, gazing into the distance.

'In those dreams, the nights don't have many stars. Instead, some lights turn on at night and shine so brightly that they banish the darkness. Here, though, there are only a few streetlights.' Sereth grew bored looking at the few lights in the city, so she looked up and watched the stars spread across the darkness of space. 

'The stars are so vast. Are there really other worlds up there? Could I visit them? Hehe... I don't even know how to use magic yet. Why am I thinking about that? I must jot this idea down,' the princess thought, mentally noting the information on a scroll she had created in her mind.

She contemplated her creation with a hint of satisfaction because, although it wasn't the book she wanted to materialize, it was a step toward that project. A scroll was easier to create since she could adjust its length.

If she couldn't handle a very large scroll, she could simply shrink it. If she wanted more space, she just had to 'unroll' it, creating more scroll in the process. However, this process was arduous and required a great deal of concentration. 

'I didn't think today would be the day I'd finally pull this off. Is it because I was so happy today, sharing my perspective with Nasuada and Trianna? Well, I should also mention my sessions poring over countless scrolls. Sereth shuddered at the memory of that tedious, repetitive task, which was nonetheless crucial to her project. 

"Mental Recording is a useless gift for my other self, but a perfect gift for me. There are so many things I could do with this ability. She focused only on recording that dagger, but I suppose I should be grateful. It has taught me what not to do. But that weapon...' In the princess's shifting vision, a blurry image appeared of what looked like a slightly curved dagger. 

'Of the few things she managed to model, only this one remained when I was reborn. It's about to disappear because no one has let me touch the kitchen knives since that day.' Sereth recalled the time when she was driven by curiosity about her gift's capabilities and decided to test whether she could record her own blood. 

Short answer: yes. The long answer is that the entire Aberon Castle was alarmed by the fact that she had cut her hand on purpose, staining the dress she was wearing that day with blood.

Although the cut was small and had already healed, she was forbidden from going near sharp objects without supervision until she reached the appropriate age for martial arts training.

The rule was so strict that she wasn't allowed to use a table knife. Instead, her food was cut into pieces for her so that she could eat properly. Her mother, Queen Jeanne, was very strict about this.

'If you can record things in your mind, why not do the same for yourself? Don't you think?' This time, Sereth wasn't just thinking; she was speaking to herself in her mind, and a voice just like her own replied. 

'Exactly. You have to look at things or scan them with your mind to record their details. What's stopping you from doing that to yourself? You can be aware of all your physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts.' A ghostly figure resembling the princess appeared before Sereth, causing her headache to worsen. She squinted her watering eyes.

'I can't stand you, but your existence makes me realize that our former selves are a waste. I don't even register their existence, unlike so many interesting things in this world,' the girl concluded, ending her mental dialogue. All the projections vanished, relieving her discomfort. 

'Someone who can't control their gift doesn't deserve it. It took me less than a year to learn how to use it to relieve this annoying pain.' The princess's vision blurred, but soon returned to normal. However, she felt her nose getting stuffy.

She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and forcefully blew her nose, expelling drops of blood along with the air. Seeing yet another handkerchief ruined by her nosebleeds, she grimaced, remembering the taste of the medicine she had to drink because of this. 

That was why she couldn't hide this ability; she had only revealed it to her parents and older brother. Not even her teacher, Norm, knew about it. Why had she shown it to Nasuada and Trianna? Because they were her friends!

She didn't distrust Norm, but she felt he wasn't capable of understanding her. Her parents barely did. When her brother became interested in alchemy, he dragged her to his lab to conduct experiments, taking advantage of her gift. 

'At least they're less frequent. Is it because I'm growing up? Is my mind getting stronger? Or both? At least I managed to create passive and active modes; otherwise, I'd be as anemic as my former self.' Sereth took it out on her former self because she was petty and couldn't get back at her past life. So, every chance she got, she hurled an insult at her, even if her past self couldn't hear her.

'I hope that in the future, I can hold out long enough to absorb a little bit of the sun. Ugh! Mom got mad at me that day because I fainted while trying to do that.' After attempting to use her gift on the sun, her mind shut down for 12 hours. During that time, she suffered a near-fatal fever. 

After being scolded by her parents for a couple of hours, she decided that she would never do anything like that again with the sun, the moon, or the stars in the sky. They now shone brightly for her as if they were watching her.

Her urge to record everything diminished considerably. She limited herself to things she could handle without ending up on the brink of death. Sometimes, however, she felt the urge to record something far beyond her reach, like a dragon or a spirit.

The former were extinct, and the latter were so rare that it might take decades to come across one. Although she knew certain things about her world that others didn't, she didn't take that information as gospel. 

'If I think this world is like those books, I could end up in big trouble, or even dead. Who knows if things are as they're recorded? The world is ever-changing and chaotic! Besides, I was born, and that has inevitably caused changes I'm unaware of and may never be aware of.' Sereth's thoughts turned to the memories she had seen in her dreams, especially those related to her own world. 

Objectively speaking, things are different now and will continue to change. Many things she had learned in her two years of study had proven this. One clear example is the fall of the Dragon Riders and the rise of Galbatorix. This differs from what was recorded in the stories that were considered fiction in her first life. 

Alternate timelines, alternate universes, different dimensions. Such grandiose and vague terms as multiverse and omniverse are used by people who don't fully grasp the scope of infinite possibilities.

'Hmm, but thinking about those things is boring. Unless I can commit them to memory for the future, I won't dwell on such confusing topics.' Although Sereth thought differently from a typical seven-year-old child, there were still many things beyond her understanding, even though she knew they existed. 

Because of the way she was, she inevitably focused her attention on matters that would confuse others. Why did she reincarnate? Who cares! Should she 'follow the canon'? Should she respect the timeline? No and no!

If someone else were in her place, they would surely plan how to take advantage of events they believe will unfold as the 'canon' dictates. They wouldn't consider their own intervention, and they'd complain or have a mental breakdown when they realize things didn't happen as planned or remembered. 

But Sereth didn't care about taking advantage of Eragon's growth to learn magic from him or Brom. She didn't care that there were two dragon eggs on the continent because they wouldn't hatch due to her.

She didn't believe that everything would happen exactly as it was supposed to, nor that she could live in peace after Galbatorix's death with a little effort. She wasn't sure of much, except one thing: things would be very different from the story in the books and memories. 

So she had to give it her all. When she was old enough to train, she would learn everything her body would allow without breaking down. She would study magic, experiment, and travel to gain experience. 

As a princess of Surda, fighting the Mad Emperor Galbatorix was inevitable, so she would do everything in her power to not only survive but also win. She had to become strong and survive if she wanted to appreciate and remember this world!

'Hmm, but thinking about those things is boring. Unless I can commit them to memory for the future, I won't dwell on such confusing topics.' Although Sereth thought differently from a typical seven-year-old child, there were still many things beyond her understanding, even though she knew they existed. 

Because of the way she is, she inevitably focuses her attention on matters that would confuse others. Why did she reincarnate? Who cares! Should she 'follow the canon'? Should she respect the timeline? No and no!

If someone else were in her place, they would surely plan how to take advantage of events they believe will unfold as the 'canon' dictates. They wouldn't consider their own intervention, and they'd complain or have a mental breakdown when they realize things didn't happen as planned or remembered. 

But Sereth didn't care about taking advantage of Eragon's growth to learn magic from him or Brom. She didn't care that there were two dragon eggs on the continent because they wouldn't hatch due to her.

She didn't believe that everything would happen exactly as it was supposed to, nor that she could live in peace after Galbatorix's death with a little effort. She wasn't sure of much, except one thing: things would be very different from the story in the books and memories. 

So she had to give it her all. When she was old enough to train, she would learn everything her body would allow without breaking down. She would study magic, experiment, and travel to gain experience. 

As a princess of Surda, fighting the Mad Emperor Galbatorix was inevitable, so she would do everything in her power to not only survive but also win. She had to become strong and survive if she wanted to appreciate and remember this world!

Sereth hated Galbatorix not because the empire threatened the kingdom where she was born, but because it threatened her life and her ability to see, perceive, and experience. The worst part? The emperor could threaten the very things she longed to analyze.

Her parents were hers. Her brother was hers. Nasuada was hers. Trianna was hers. Norm was hers. She would never let the king take them away from her. Sereth's gray eyes burned with fierce determination.

Unbeknownst to her, and even if she had known, she wouldn't have cared; her thoughts were overheard by a group of minds that had always observed certain people. Among that group was the princess.

Only the consciousness of a few beings in Alagaësia was off-limits to these beings, but Sereth's was not. Occasionally, they saw her, listened to her thoughts, heard her speak, and examined her whenever they had the chance.

This time, they did not survey the world as before. Instead, they clung to the princess all day. They watched her interact with the other humans at Aberon Castle. They heard her words to Norm. They observed her actions with Nasuada and Trianna. They listened to her thoughts, which were filled with hatred toward the Mad Emperor.

Did those consciousnesses care about the things in Sereth's mind? No! Nor did they care about the terms they didn't understand, nor did they want to understand them. They never delved into the depths of the human child's mind; they only skimmed the surface, picking up what they needed and what interested them.

They made a decision, and when the princess decided to sleep after mentally complaining about Galbatorix, she had a dream unlike any she could remember having since becoming self-aware.

In this dream, Sereth seemed to be reliving the past, not that of her other self, but her own. In the dream, she could barely crawl and babble a few incoherent words. Her mother was talking to a hooded woman who soon revealed her face. 

She was exceptionally beautiful. No matter your gender or age, upon seeing that face, you would think it was the most perfect thing you had ever seen. 

Her thick black hair fell across her forehead, framing her green eyes, high cheekbones, and sharp features. But what stood out most were her pointed, inhuman ears. Clearly, the woman was an elf. 

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Un du evarínya ono varda."* The woman murmured as she smiled and held the tiny hand of Baby Sereth, who laughed upon hearing those words because, even though she had no sense of self, she could sense that she was being showered with good wishes.

"Why am I dreaming about this?" the princess wondered, in that strange state of daze people experience when they're dreaming and don't have full control over their dreams. She didn't particularly like that feeling.

This time, however, she didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead, she took the opportunity to take in as much as she could of the elf because she felt it was worth it. Accustomed to hyper-focusing on details, she noticed something odd in this dream.

'Is a spirit giving me this dream?" Those mischievous things are so random. No, could it be…?' Sereth didn't finish that thought. Instead, she began to shift her perspective, detaching from her baby self and looking around.

Everything was blurry at first, but soon it turned into her mother's study. The exceptionally beautiful elf had vanished, but this didn't bother Sereth. She registered the little information her baby self had unconsciously gathered; one could say she retrieved something she'd already recorded.

"Who's there?" Sereth asked sleepily, but no one answered, making her question seem foolish. Yet, she could sense that something had truly interfered with her dream and was likely still there. 

"Well, you don't want to talk, but will you let me record a little bit of you? Just a tiny bit, please." Sereth wasn't the type to take advantage of her status as the youngest daughter. She had rarely acted affectionately toward her parents, but in this situation, she did so without hesitation. 

Perhaps because she had insisted too much, the consciousnesses watching her granted the human child's wish. However, they chose not to be too obvious, as a clear display of their presence could reveal their existence, something they avoided at all costs.

So, before Sereth, a huge black eye appeared, staring intently at her. It had no distinctive features. It looked like a perfectly preserved human eyeball. This was enough for the princess. 

"Thank you!" she exclaimed before unwrapping her gift with gusto. She took in as much of the apparition as she could. However, her actions had consequences. In the outside world, her body began to sweat, her body temperature rose, and she bled from her nose.

She would undoubtedly have to endure a stern scolding for a few more hours when she woke up, but it was worth it to her. 

Chapter Text

That night, Sereth wasn't the only person in Alagaësia whose dream was interfered with by the conglomerate of consciousnesses that had been observing the world constantly for decades. Nor was she the first to notice it. But those are details for later. 

Another person who dreamed of something slightly out of the ordinary was a storyteller from a small village in the Empire. His dreams oscillated between memories of the two most important people in his life and the worst moments. 

His lover, the mother of his son, often appeared in his dreams. There, he could whisper words of love to her that he had been unable to say at the time. In his dreams, he could live life with her and his two-year-old son as he had promised so many times. 

Sometimes, the dragoness with beautiful blue scales who had been taken from him so many years ago would appear. She was connected to the very essence of his life. The pain he felt, the overwhelming desire to die, and the hatred burning within him as he clung to life always tainted those beautiful dreamscapes. 

He had many battles with the Dragon Rider, who rode a red dragon covered in thorns. The Dragon Rider was twisted by forbidden knowledge and driven to madness by the master of his other half. 

He saw the cold, ruthless eyes of the Mad Emperor, who rode a gigantic black dragon and brought an end to millennia of history and glory. These dreams plagued him constantly, but the one he cherished most was the one in which he could interact with his son more freely.

He wanted to take care of him! He wanted to guide him, teach him to read, write, do arithmetic, and wield a sword. Under his guidance, he imagined that the little boy would become a great warrior who could also wield magic. They would fight alongside each other against the Empire, win, and finally live in peace.

In the end, his son would marry a girl from the village where he grew up. She gave him many grandchildren before death finally came for him. He was able to bid farewell to this life with a glimmer of peace.

However, these things were far beyond his reach. He knew he might not be able to fulfill that wish in this lifetime. How could he approach his son's uncle and tell him that he had impregnated and abandoned his sister? 

That stubborn farmer would hunt him down with a scythe through the Vertebrates! He could only keep it a secret, watching his son from afar while remaining the village storyteller, a figure with no significance in his son's life.

He would watch his son grow up, become a man, get married, and have children. By the looks of it, his son would likely live much longer than he would, and he would watch his son die in the end. Brom Holcombsson didn't know what to do or which path to choose.

The only thing that caused him to deeply doubt was the matter of his son, and he had always longed for guidance, for something or someone to tell him what to do. In Alagaësia, however, the only people who worshiped a god were the dwarves and, as far as he knew, the urgals. Meanwhile, the rest of the world held a mixture of shamanic and animistic beliefs thanks to dragons and spirits. 

Some groups had more specific gods. For example, the people of Surda believed in the god of death, Angvard, though they did not worship him. They shared this deity with the dwarves, albeit with clear differences. But who would pray to the god of death for guidance? Clearly, Brom would not do that.

But tonight, his dreams were different. He wasn't reminiscing about Selena or fighting Morzan. Nor was he remembering the Mad Emperor or dreaming about his two-year-old son, Eragon. His dream was about him. 

It was a review of his entire life, from his childhood to the night before. The dream was fleeting, but because of how dreams work, he could grasp everything that had happened. This caused him to recall that hazy past he thought would never return. 

At first, Brom didn't understand why this had happened. However, those memories provided him with a hypothesis of what might have occurred. His master, Oromis, had spoken of the mystery of dreams, a subject as vast and fascinating as the mind and magic themselves. 

'Dreams can bring us memories, fantasies, and longings for the future. But they are also signs, warnings, and even fragments of a future that may or may not come to pass, a future that no one knows how to reach.

Whether it's the work of magic, a natural phenomenon, or the mischief of a spirit, whenever you have a special dream, write it down clearly the moment you wake up. Sometimes, you can find answers in them." The old elf's words made Brom rush to a scroll upon waking, where he scribbled down his dream as fast as he could.

In short, it was a biography of himself. This process took him several days, but he didn't lose anything because, whenever he began to forget things, he would have that dream again, as if something wanted him to record his entire life. 

This wonderful experience made him reexamine his long life from a new perspective. Joys, sorrows, regrets. They were all captured in his own handwriting on several scrolls of parchment. When he finished, he felt a glimmer of peace.

His blue eyes no longer held any doubt or melancholy; they were filled with ironclad determination and purpose. Illuminated by the dim light of the candle on his desk, Brom stroked his brown, gray-flecked beard as he gazed at the sapphire ring on his left hand. 

"I have truly lived a great story, but it will not be told until after my death. Now, it seems I must embark on another adventure. Eragon, Eragon, why do I hesitate when I have always been so decisive and ruthless? Tomorrow, I will speak with Garrow, even if he wants to stab me with a pitchfork or cut off my head with his scythe.

Selena, you're not here, but I promise... I'll protect our son with my life, just as I should have started doing so long ago." Brom's voice sounded hoarse and aged, but at that moment, after so many years of weariness, his body seemed to have regained its youth. 

"I need to get back in the loop. I've been a bit out of touch. What has really been happening in Alagaësia these past years?" Brom began writing again, though his hand burned and was blistered. He didn't care.

He needed reliable news. He needed to rekindle his extensive network of contacts that had allowed him to work wonders. While he was at it, he also wanted to commission a sword from the dwarves since he planned to give his son a certain weapon when he turned sixteen. This time, it was no longer just a daydream, but a conscious decision.

...

Another person who had a peculiar dream was an elf, though hers was much simpler than Brom's. That woman, who was currently resting in her private chamber in Tronjheim, the capital of the dwarves, located deep within the Beor Mountains.

She lay on a soft bed, wearing light pajamas, but despite this comfort, it was clear she was ready for battle due to the elven sword tucked beneath her pillow. 

Furthermore, she clutched a sturdy black cloth bag obsessively; she held this object close as she curled up in a fetal position, covering it with her hands and body. 

Normally, the elf was a light sleeper, as she was always on the lookout for any danger, even in a city as heavily guarded and hidden as the dwarven capital, but mistrust had taken deep root in her, since what she was guarding was of the utmost importance. 

But tonight, her sleep was deep. In it, she saw many random things, just as dreams generally do, but among those chaotic scenes, one in particular caught her attention.

It was about that time she went to Surda on a diplomatic mission, as well as certain matters concerning the object she was protecting. There, she met a human baby whom she greeted formally in the ancient language, as it served as a blessing, even though she hadn't used magic.

The next day, the elf woke up gently, stretched her body in the darkness of her room, and then paused, realizing she felt much more energetic than usual that morning. Then she heard a knock at her door.

"Arya, are you okay? You slept two hours longer than usual," a man's voice said in the ancient language outside the room, startling the elf.

She was used to waking up before Aiedail* disappeared from the sky. Had she really slept an extra two hours? No wonder she felt so relaxed and stress-free! Even though she was an elf, that didn't mean she had infinite stamina, only infinite longevity.

"I'm fine. I guess I've been under a lot of stress lately, so I've been sleeping in. Give me a few minutes to get ready," Arya replied to her partner. He didn't answer, but he was probably standing near the door, worried about her.

The elf sighed, smiling as she imagined the worried expression on the elf's face. She soon lowered her gaze to the bag in her lap. Then, she looked toward a spot in the room and snapped her fingers.

This gesture, devoid of magic, caused several special lights to turn on and illuminate the entire room. The lights were small glass beads shaped like water droplets that emitted a glow similar to torches, but much brighter and without heat or smoke. 

As she did this, she arched her back, her slender bones creaking. Then, she looked down at her lap, where the black bag she had slept with lay. She could feel the weight of its contents, but decided to open the bag anyway, wanting to see its contents firsthand.

Before Arya's green eyes, an oval gem appeared, a sapphire with no apparent signs of cutting, reflecting the glow of the Erisdar* in her room. If she hadn't known what she was holding, she would have thought it was a geological marvel found in the dwarven mines. But the elf knew exactly what it was: 

It was the only dragon egg not under the Mad Emperor's protection. It was the only hope of the Dragon Riders. If it were the right gender, then perhaps it was the only hope for all dragons.

"Oh, young Skulblaka*, you're so picky when it comes to choosing a mate. I hope a Shur'tugal* worthy of you comes along," Arya hummed as she gently stroked the edges of the egg. As always, it showed no reaction, but the disappointment had long since vanished from her heart. 

"The deadline is approaching, and I must travel to Ellesmera again. But I can spend a few days in Surda. I'd like to meet the baby. Has she grown by now? Humans grow so fast. I should prepare a gift," the elf murmured as she recalled the girl's laughter in her dream. She felt that she could seize the opportunity to pay a formal visit to one of the allies against the Empire, where she might see the girl again.

...

"Oh, dear Solembum, I had the most interesting dream today. It felt like a revelation!" A short woman with tousled hair and odd clothing talked to a reddish-brown cat with deep blue eyes.

They were at the counter of an herb shop, which was currently empty. The cat rested on the counter and responded with a meow that the woman seemed to understand.

"I'm telling you, it wasn't a hallucination from eating mushrooms! At least, not this time. You know? I dreamed that I turned into a bird and flew across the sea to this island," the woman said, pulling out a map and pointing to one of the islands near Alagaësia under the control of the Kingdom of Surda.

"I've never been to that place, but seeing it on the map gives me that feeling. I must trust my feelings as a witch, just as you trust your animal instincts." She placed her hands on her hips and stared into Solembum's olive green eyes.

"Anyway, when I arrived, I started digging. I don't know what I was looking for, but in the dream, I knew I had to find something in that place that would be useful in the future. So, get ready; we have a new adventure~!" The woman sang as she approached the brown-eyed cat, whose eyes had changed again.

However, the animal jumped up and disappeared inside the tent. The woman shook her head and patted her waist, where a small silk pouch jingled at her touch.

'It looks like I'll have to do a divination. That dream wasn't normal. It's similar to the dream I had 30 years ago,' the woman thought before patting her head and bursting out laughing.

"Angela, just go for it. Why ruin it with a prophecy?" she said to herself, leaning back in the entrance of her tent and waiting for a customer. 

She had to save enough money for her future journey!

...

A nine-year-old boy stood in one of the places he hated most in his house, staring at a dusty bookshelf with hatred on his young face. Why was he there? Because he had remembered something in his dream that had brought him there. 

In his dream, he saw his evil father putting away what looked like a notebook while giving him a look he had never seen before, one of appreciation. Then, the man turned into the monster he always was and beat him for barging into his private study. 

At least he didn't cut him again with that damned red sword. The boy brought his hand to his back. Though he couldn't feel it beneath his shirt, he knew his body bore the only thing the man had left him in life, and one of the signs of how he felt about him: a scar born of contempt. 

"What must be written there that makes you long for it so much? Hehe... You're already dead, you old bastard. Why should there be anything left in this world that you want? There shouldn't be!" The boy shouted in rage. His eyes reddened as he wept in helplessness because he had lost the chance to take revenge with his own hands.

He grabbed a dusty chair, climbed onto it, and reached the spot where he had seen his father put away a notebook. He soon found it with a leather cover and no name on the front or sides, so he could identify it at first glance.

He went to his room because the thick dust had made him sneeze uncontrollably. He ignored the servants, who looked at him fearfully as if he were an ominous symbol. In a sense, he was.

In the privacy of his room and in the sunlight, he opened the notebook. He expected to find a story from the past, but instead he saw words written with many spelling mistakes, as if the person who wrote them were just learning to write. 

'Today, I learned some new words! The teacher said to start a diary, but I write very slowly. Luckily, I have #### by my side, so I won't be bored,' the boy read. Except for one word that seemed impossible to read and had vanished from his memory, everything was clear. 

'A diary? Did that guy steal it? No, in that dream, I saw him looking at it with longing and affection, just as he looked at that red beast that only knew how to eat and sleep. So...?' He couldn't finish the thought. The beginning of the diary had deeply unsettled him, so he tossed it aside and wrapped himself in his bedsheets.

"A diary, his diary. Hehe... Damn you, Morzan. Damn you. I hope you're suffering wherever you are now. I, Murtagh, despise you with every fiber of my being. Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" The boy, Murtagh, growled with hatred. It was the only way he could vent some of the negative emotions surrounding his father. 

Morzan was the first of the Apostates and a fervent servant of the Mad Emperor, Galbatorix. He was the man who killed his mother, scarred his body, and saw him only as reserve food for his abominable red beast, a creature that did not deserve to be called a dragon.

Chapter Text

In a study lit by lamps that gave off a pleasant scent as they burned, a somewhat stout and somber figure was working on some documents while seated at a desk.

The dim light left his face shrouded in darkness. Another figure stood in a submissive posture and did not dare look up, fearful that something terrible might happen. 

"Your Majesty... the maidservants around Murtagh say he visited Lord Morzan's study. That's unusual for him. Upon leaving, he did not attempt to hide the leather-bound notebook he was holding," reported the submissive figure, trying to hide his fear while standing before that person.

He was the most powerful person in Alagaësia: The Mad Emperor and the only remaining Dragon Rider, Galbatorix. Contrary to rumors spread by those unfamiliar with the emperor, he wasn't several meters tall, nor did he have enormous fangs or prominent horns.

He didn't smell of sulfur or have four arms. He simply looked like a sturdy, middle-aged man. As he looked up at the man who had spoken, the light finally fell on his face, revealing him. 

With his tanned, delicate skin, large, dark eyes that barely revealed any white, and dark hair, neatly trimmed beard, and carefully groomed mustache, the emperor seemed to be a strict yet understanding man.

Who would have thought that this man had brought an end to millennia of history and legacy? Not even his past victims had ever imagined it. Galbatorix stared intently into the servant's eyes, and the servant instinctively tried to look away.

"Letta*," Galbatorix murmured, holding out his left palm and revealing a discolored patch in the center that resembled silver. With a simple command in the ancient language, the man was unable to move and was left at the emperor's mercy. 

"Are you telling me that Murtagh, of all people, searched the belongings of the person he hates most? That boy chews on his negative emotions like cows chew on grass. He doesn't even harbor that much hatred toward me." Though Galbatorix laughed as he spoke, his tone was somber. His eyes seemed to emit a faint, sinister glow, and something invisible radiated from them toward the servant.

"Not only are you telling me that, but you also say he took something, and all you know is that it's a leather notebook? That's why you're so afraid to be in my presence this time. You know how meticulous I am and how much I hate a lack of detail," the Emperor continued. The aura emanating from him pierced the servant's eyes. 

The servant felt a terrible pain in his head as if a piece of red-hot iron had been thrust through his eyes and twisted wildly. His mental defenses, both active and instinctive, could not withstand the merciless psychic attack of an enraged Mad Emperor.

Without delicacy, mercy, or remorse, Galbatorix ravaged the man's mind, sifting through his memories. But what he found annoyed him even more because, instead of confirming the news he had received, this man had come running into his study and interrupted him.

All because he was afraid of severe punishment. Galbatorix could be very lenient with those beneath him, even to the point of negligence. However, as long as his subordinates fulfilled their duties according to his requirements, nothing else mattered to him. 

He would have ignored the man's fear, his subtle coercion of women because he worked under Galbatorix's command, and his addiction to alcohol and psychedelic herbs if the man had delivered the news properly. 

"Decades of rule, careful governance, and dedication to this empire, yet these animals continue to make simple mistakes," Galbatorix mused as he withdrew from the man, whose eyes had grown glassy and devoid of life. Though he continued to breathe and remained standing under the spell's influence, he was dead. 

"That is why I do not understand why you waste so much time on this empire, my friend." A delicate yet inhuman voice emerged from the shadows, which the lamp could not illuminate. From there, an entity stepped forth.

Though it had a human form, it was anything but human: It had hair red as blood, garnet eyes, and sharp features that gave it an intimidating presence. As if to mock the elves, it had pointed ears.

It approached the man whom Galbatorix had driven to a mental death. It sniffed him, but soon wrinkled its nose and shook its head. The creature looked directly into the Mad Emperor's eyes without a trace of fear. 

"Will you give him to the Ra'zac? I feel you spoil them far too much, even more so than the thirteen," the entity asked. Galbatorix burst into laughter as he returned to the documents on his desk. 

"They are excellent servants and always meet my strict standards. But if there's anyone I've spoiled, it's you, Durza." The emperor ignored Durza's initial remarks and jumped right to answering his question, causing the redhead to click his tongue.

"You're more capricious than that woman." Durza's words made Galbatorix freeze, which would have been impossible since he looked somewhat dismayed while making this gesture.

"Hehe… That woman who thinks she's everyone's mother thinks I'm such an idiot that I can't see through her façade. When I broke free from her influence, I realized her evil intentions. Although we were aligned at first, she's now a danger," Galbatorix remarked in a heavy tone. He narrowed his eyes, clearly angry at the woman whose name none of them dared to mention.

"At least we should be grateful for what she taught us. I was trapped before, just like you. Although she opened us up to a new world, it would be best to explore it without her. But, my friend, you must stop being so lenient with the worms beneath you. You might get shot with arrows from the shadows," Durza said, pointing at the unfortunate servant who lacked functional consciousness and began to drool, disgusting the creature. 

"Weren't you human once, Durza? The Shades come from somewhere. Don't look down on those 'worms'; sometimes they can give birth to interesting little gems," replied the Emperor without looking up. He was focused on his administrative work.

"Like that human you trained? Your Black Hand, the mother of that little boy? I see what you're up to. You want to raise another Black Hand for yourself." The Shadow ignored the comment about his origins and focused on a topic that caught his attention.

"Yes, always so perceptive. My enemies aren't just the rats hiding in the mountains or the rebellious country. My real enemies are led by that half-elf woman. A tool like that boy would come in handy.

I have a feeling that he will bring me some surprises," Galbatorix concluded, waving his hand slightly to signal that he no longer wished to speak. He focused entirely on his administrative work. 

Durza didn't want to disturb the Mad Emperor. They were friends, but Durza knew there was a certain hierarchy to their relationship. He was clearly in a much better position than the unfortunate servant. As Shade left the room, he ordered that the servant be picked up and handed over to two hooded, hunchbacked figures. 

"Thank you, honorable Shade," said one of the figures in a strange accent, as if unaccustomed to human speech. The other figure merely uttered clicks and bird-like trills.

"Thank the Emperor, Ra'zac; in his kindness, he gave you that gift," Durza declared before departing from the presence of those beings, for even as an inhuman creature, he felt a slight dread in their presence. 

"Hehe," the Ra'zac's laughter was carried away by the wind and heard by the two guards in the room where they were staying, causing their legs to tremble, but they resisted the urge to speak or scream.

Because they didn't want to be the next meal for those man-eating creatures.

...

"Waves... where are those waves coming from!?" shouted a rather tall woman with thick black hair; her features were as beautiful as those of the elves, but she lacked a certain spark, and combined with the gloomy atmosphere around her, this made her strikingly different from that supposedly noble race. 

Her honey-colored eyes were bloodshot as she pounded the stone floor on which she knelt. Black vapors rose around her. They weren't harmful, though, like smoke. Rather, they seemed comforting as the woman's agitated spirit gradually calmed. 

"It doesn't matter. Dreams are their domain, their will. My path is a mere ripple. It cannot affect the plans that have been brewing for millennia," the woman murmured. She waved her hand, causing an invisible force to surge from her palm. The force gathered the vapors and guided them toward her nose.

Her eyes turned white, and her body trembled slightly as her mind was transported to another place until it touched an enormous, vast, ancient consciousness. Compared to this gigantic mind, the woman was but a mere ant.

That existence did not speak, but there was a slight movement within its vastness as if it recognized the beautiful woman's arrival. She was elated to be in contact with this great being once more. 

'Great Being, I am a Draumar*, your eternal servant Bachel, leader of the Du Eld Draumar*. I stand before you once again, imploring your guidance,' she thought, communicating with the vast mind. It did not respond, but a series of impressions, emotions, and vague, twisted images came to her. 

It would take her a long time to interpret this cryptic message because, though she was a fervent follower of this great being, she knew the pros and cons of the power emanating from it. She only wanted directions, a small clue, or a guide to the countless channels and future branches of the river of time.

After her thank you went unheeded, Bachel woke up on the stone platform where she had been before. She was lying against the warm, rocky surface. She stood up, her hair covering her eyes. There was a gleam of blind faith and determination burning in them, ready to consume everything and everyone if necessary, including herself. 

"Waves..." The woman's voice echoed through the crypt where she stood, but the only response was an echo.

...

When Sereth regained consciousness, she felt terrible. Her throat burned, her lips were parched, and her body felt sticky. To make matters worse, she felt as if she were wrapped in the thickest winter blankets because she was sweltering. 

She could barely open her eyes, and her gray pupils took a long time to focus on the outside world. Her ears were ringing constantly, and the horrendous headache made her mind feel dull. 

'I promised I wouldn't do that again, but now I'm suffering,' she thought. When she tried to move, she felt a cold hand on her forehead. 

"Sereth! You're finally awake!" A worried voice reached the princess, bursting into her dazed mind and causing her to focus on the figure that appeared in her field of vision: her mother, Queen Jeanne.

Queen Jeanne looked painfully at her young daughter, who had been unconscious for a whole day. From the moment she went to wake her daughter that morning, she knew something was wrong. Her daughter was suffering from an unnatural flush, her forehead was covered in sweat, she was experiencing slight spasms, and her nose was caked with dried blood.

She recognized those symptoms at a glance! A fever, a very high one. Soon, the entire Aberón Castle was in an uproar. King Larkin and Prince Orrin were the first to arrive, along with Norm and a middle-aged woman wearing a neat white robe. 

The woman was a sorceress and herbalist who was also one of Sereth's teachers and the mother of Trianna. She knew Norm, and it was through her connection with the wizard that she had been able to establish contact with the Surda royalty. Now, she had to fulfill one of her duties. 

It was a fever, but not a symptom of illness. Rather, it resembled something the princess had experienced years ago. The nosebleed was especially similar, as it was something the girl was known for. Thus, Sereth quickly found a way to help her cope with the situation. 

Thus, Sereth woke up feeling better than one might expect after going through such an ordeal. Her mother had noticed her slight movements a short while ago, but didn't disturb her until she saw the princess open her eyes. At that point, her mother touched her forehead to check her temperature.

There was no fever, no spasms, and no nosebleed. However, Jeanne was worried about her daughter. Sereth simply looked at her silently for a few seconds, blinking several times before speaking. 

"Mom, did I miss any classes?" The princess's unexpected question caught the queen off guard. She looked at her youngest daughter in bewilderment, a faint smile touching her lips as she fought the urge to laugh. 

"You brat! You suffer all day, and that's what you ask me when you wake up? What did you do this time!?" Jeanne growled, proving that, no matter her status as a noble or a queen, she was still a typical mother. 

Sereth realized at that moment that she might have been better off sleeping a little longer. Now, she had to endure two hours of her mother's scolding and complaints. However, she wasn't paying much attention to them. 

She was focused on the tiny, completely black eye that appeared in her field of vision. She controlled it with her thoughts. Although it had no special function, it allowed her to distract herself. She nodded absently to each of her mother's questions. 

Jeanne quickly realized her daughter wasn't paying attention to her. Though hurt, she couldn't do much about it, so she simply hugged Sereth tightly. This snapped Sereth out of her distraction, prompting her to return the gesture.

Through this simple gesture, Jeanne expressed all her love and concern for her youngest daughter.

Chapter Text

Late in the afternoon, a cool breeze blew through the back garden of Aberon Castle, carrying the scents and pollen of flowers carefully tended by the gardeners that morning.

Sereth, Nasuada, and Trianna were there, passing the time, or at least the latter two girls were. The princess sat on a stool in front of an easel with a canvas.

She held a brush in one hand and a palette of paint in the other. She had started the work a couple of hours ago. Beside her stood Queen Jeanne, watching intently as her youngest daughter brought her creation to life.

The painting depicted a sky with barely any clouds. Something initially ordinary, except for the enormous, ominous red moon that illuminated the entire canvas with its crimson light. The background was black, without any small stars. Below? Tiny figures killing one another.

Sereth applied the final brushstrokes to one of those figures, the only one rendered with more detail than the rest. It depicted a woman holding a dagger and smiling wickedly.

Beneath her lay another fallen figure: a barely defined woman. Sereth managed to capture her expression of helplessness in her final moments, making Jeanne feel uneasy when she saw her because, for some reason, she felt a sense of familiarity with that figure.

"Sereth, dear, is there a story behind that painting?" Unable to shake the feeling in her heart, Jeanne decided to ask her daughter about it, wanting to understand exactly what she was painting.

"That's right! Especially that moon! Why is it red? The moon isn't like that."
Trianna, who was petting the royal family's extremely fat gray cat, looked up to voice her question. It was something she'd been thinking about for a long time, but she hadn't said anything so as not to interrupt Sereth.

"I didn't say it before, but the painting scares me a little. There's something in it that isn't right," commented Nasuada, who was adorning her hair with a freshly cut rose. However, she was no longer focused on decorating herself with flowers. Instead, she was looking at the painting intently.

"Yes, there's a story behind this painting. Although the moon we see every night isn't red, didn't you know there are records of lunar eclipses where the moon turns crimson? But this moon...it turned into this for a different reason, which is why it might be a bit unsettling to look at," Sereth explained as he applied the final brushstroke. He stretched his body and set his tools on the floor since he wouldn't be using them again for now. 

"It is said that during the time of the Dragon Riders, they created many paintings using magic, which they apparently learned from the elves. I'd like to learn that technique, but painting on my own feels good, too." Instead of elaborating further, Sereth shifted the topic to the art of painting itself, causing his mother to frown because she wanted to know more about the painting.

"My dear, why don't you tell us about this particular painting? What exactly does it depict? What inspired you to create it?" Queen Jeanne steered the conversation back to where she wanted it, causing the princess to look up and gaze at her with her unfocused gray eyes.

"It's something I dreamed. In a world different from ours, a world without the magic we know, the moon became this. It was as if blood had been poured onto it. Its light illuminated the night sky, and it possessed a special power that drove people mad. 

Everyone killed one another. No one could trust another person, not even their own family, but some people managed to survive. Mistrust was something everyone had to embrace because the most innocent and trusting died. Like this woman," Sereth said, pointing to the figurine of the dying woman. A look of disdain was on his face. 

"She fell in love, which would be commendable in a situation like this. But that person was a huntress who loved the sense of despair she could inflict on her prey." The princess pointed to the woman holding the dagger. With that context, the women present felt a chill run down their spines. 

"Why did you paint this? Why would you dream of something like this?" Jeanne asked with concern. Sereth shook her head and pointed at the red moon. She didn't dare touch it since the painting was fresh. 

"Because art is the closest thing humanity has to magic. Haven't you thought about that? Our minds imagine something, and with our hands, we bring it into the physical world. 

That's how magic works. You think about what you want to achieve, say the right words, and, boom! The effect happens. Even though Trianna and I haven't been taught how to cast spells, I feel like it wouldn't be much different from painting." To keep her mother from getting angry, the princess had no choice but to answer her questions, starting with why she painted this picture. 

"Why would I dream of something like that? Who knows? But what matters isn't what's happening to those people. They're focusing on the background details. What's interesting is the moon. 

Why did it turn red?" Is it really the source of the chaos in the painting? Can that kind of power be harnessed? Of course, it should be used for something better than mere chaos. With such vast ability to change the world, I could bring everything I had in mind into the physical world, like art or magic." Sereth climbed down from the bench and crouched, picking up a blade of grass. 

"Mom, you know how I see the world. You can think of the paintings as an example of how I represent things in my head. But I haven't found a way to bring those things into the world except through art. Wouldn't it be interesting if I could?" The princess straightened her back and looked at her mother as she tied knots in the blade of grass she was holding. 

"Or get a nosebleed or faint from a deadly fever," Jeanne retorted the moment she imagined what her daughter had described, causing the latter to simply smile before shaking her head.

"Yeah, I guess I'll stick with painting. Clay would be good too, but I don't like getting my hands dirty," Sereth replied. The queen looked at her thoughtfully before smiling.

"Can't you draw something less scary with a better background? Like your friends," Jeanne pointed out to Nasuada and Trianna, who had remained silent upon realizing that the previous conversation had been particularly personal.

They were expecting the queen to scold her friend; after all, what she'd said certainly warranted it. However, the queen was quite understanding. Noticing the two girls' silence, she decided to bring them into the conversation.

"I could do that. I just need a new canvas. I don't need you to pose," Sereth said excitedly. But then she noticed her mother's fixed gaze, causing her to shrink back as she uttered the following words with resignation.

"Fine, let them pose..." While one princess felt down, the queen was happy to have prevented her daughter from going overboard again and getting a nosebleed, which might have ruined the new dress she was wearing.

...

King Larkin was in his study, reviewing a beautifully written letter. However, his attention was not on the letter, but rather on the painting hanging on an easel a few feet away. The servants had recently brought the painting in for him to admire. 

"Norm, do you think something like what's in that painting could happen?" Unable to continue reading, the king looked to the side where Old Norm was sitting with a pipe in his mouth, calmly smoking and blowing smoke rings. 

"I don't know, Your Majesty. This world holds many mysteries, and there are many phenomena we do not understand. As the young princess said, the moon has turned red in the past. I witnessed that event when I was young. I don't believe anything like the story has ever happened," replied the wizard, exhaling the smoke held in his lungs. 

"Are you afraid that Sereth has a prophetic gift? Don't worry. The princess's budding magic has only manifested as telepathy, which she has been mastering over the years.

Although I haven't taught her how to cast spells yet, she has shown enough talent to rule out a possible path as a witch. In fact, you should be more concerned that she might become a sorceress. Though they are powerful, there is a risk," Norm continued. He understood the king's concern and addressed his doubts directly. However, his words only added more thoughts to the monarch's mind. 

"Lady Torena has been an excellent addition to the court. Her potions have helped greatly. Although her talents are more focused on sorcery, I think she has done well. Besides, her daughter is friends with Sereth." King Larkin looked Norm in the eyes, understanding that the old wizard was wary of Lady Torena, perhaps because she threatened his status at Aberon Castle. 

"That's not what I meant, Your Majesty. Rather, I meant to say what happened on the day the princess was born." Hearing Norm's slightly resentful words brought back that memory for Larkin, causing him to grow more serious.

How could he have forgotten that spectacle? The day Sereth was born was also the day the spirits visited the castle. Clearly, they had come to witness the birth of his youngest daughter, an event that could be seen as auspicious or as a sign of potential danger. 

"Well, that's why you're her teachers, isn't it? Whether you like it or not, Sereth has a connection to those beings. She should learn to communicate with them and, if necessary, summon them for her own use," said Larkin, who had filled in many gaps in his knowledge of magical phenomena and knew exactly what he was talking about. 

The risk of sorcery was the birth of the creature known as the Shade. Legends of these creatures have circulated in Alagaësia since before humans arrived on this continent. 

Perhaps even in the cradle of humanity, there were tales of them. Probably so. Shades were rare, yet each one had wreaked havoc during its lifetime. The most significant one to date was Durza, who, alongside Galbatorix, overthrew the Dragon Riders.

Because of the threat he posed, the events surrounding Sereth's birth were kept secret. Those involved were placed under surveillance for an extended period before receiving promotions and honors. 

If the circumstances of Sereth's birth became public, rumors would be the least of their worries. Rather, that Shade might take an interest in her and try to abduct her. 

Although Larkin was confident that he could defeat Durza in a sword duel, what could he do when Durza used his magic, empowered by the spirits possessing him? A being like that could invade the castle alone, kidnap the princess, and escape. 

Still, he was certain the best thing for Sereth was to allow her to study sorcery. This would give her a means to defend herself in the future. After all, women in the royal family were expected to be warriors, capable of fighting with or without magic.

"Your Majesty is aware of the dangers. Remember, when Sereth turns eight, it will be time for her magical training. I don't know if I'll be able to teach her properly, but I'll do my best to keep her safe and ensure she doesn't stray from the right path." Understanding the implications of the king's words, Norm made that statement, causing Larkin to smile. 

"Don't worry, my friend. Do you have any questions? You can ask our friends a few things since this letter says they're coming to visit. Ajihad and I need to organize the reception properly." King Larkin waved the letter in his hand, making Norm excited.

If his intuition was correct, those friends were the elves! It had been a long time since he'd had contact with them, and he had so many questions about magic to ask them! Although he was an elderly wizard, he was a child in the presence of an elf, who naturally spoke the ancient language.

In fact, at his age, he could be seen as a fledgling youth by any elf outside of Ellesméra since those who left the forest were supposed to be adults over 100 years old. 

"My king, will they really come again? The last time was months after Princess Sereth's birth," Norm murmured, as if afraid of being overheard. Shortly afterward, he moved his right hand. 

"Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya*," Norm murmured, unleashing a spell that connected to the ruby in his ring. This provided energy for the magical protection enveloping the room.

"Did you quiet the study? Well, the elves sent me a letter, or rather, that trio of elves who are close to us. They say they'll be coming in a few months. Coincidentally, that time seems to coincide with Sereth's birthday. Perhaps we could make a request to the elves on her behalf. It would be beneficial for her development." Larkin spoke with more confidence now that he was sure no one could hear him.

"That would be quite good! But I suggest we be cautious, my king. The elves don't trust humans much because of that mad emperor," Norm said angrily. To a mage like him, what Galbatorix had done was atrocious.

He prevented other magicians from exploring magic properly! Since there were no elves to teach the ancient language, everyone now depended on the knowledge passed down by the magicians who survived the war. Thus, the current knowledge of magic and spells was limited.

In fact, the spell Norm had just cast had been taught by the elves since it was common for gatherings to be infiltrated, and the intelligence was then used against the elves. But that was his good fortune for working under the royal family. 

It would be nearly impossible for other mages to meet the elves who had isolated themselves in Du Weldenvarden*; only a select group of Surda nobles, dwarves, and Varden members had contact with the three elves roaming the outside world.

"All right, first cancel your spell. You're too old to waste energy like that. I'll send for Ajihad since this matter involving the elves is important for him, especially since he'll be living and working with them indefinitely in the future," said King Larkin. He finally set about finishing the letter in his hand, smiling the whole time. 

The emergence of the first female magic user in the royal family was now a reality!

Chapter Text

"Look straight ahead, Orrin! You've been training since you were seven, and you still can't properly look straight ahead!" At a training camp at Aberon Castle, a tall, stocky man with dark skin and a shaved head stood there. Though he was quite neat in his overall appearance, his brown eyes were narrowed as he looked at the young man in front of him.

Orrin was 11 years old at the time. He was considerably taller than other boys his age. His muscles were somewhat defined from training, and his body was taking on an increasingly harmonious and balanced form.

With hazel eyes and brown hair inherited from his father, King Larkin, Orrin heeded the man's instruction. He focused more intently on his form while defending against a sword attack with his own weapon.

The sound of clashing metal echoed across the battlefield as the young prince exchanged blows and parries with the adult, who constantly offered guidance and corrections.

In the shade, Sereth, Nasuada, and Trianna watched the training with curiosity. King Larkin, Queen Jeanne, and Norm were also present, chatting among themselves. 

"It seems Ajihad is truly passing on his skills to Orrin," Larkin remarked, resting his hand on his chin and appreciating his friend's actions. He recognized Ajihad as an excellent warrior. 

"But it's clear that Orrin's mind isn't on the training grounds. He's still thinking about his experiments," replied Jeanne. Every noble in Surda, whether man or woman, was required to know how to fight properly, so Jeanne knew how to fence. 

"If there weren't an imminent threat in the north, it's clear that the prince would devote himself entirely to alchemy. It's an interesting way to seek knowledge. Some of the things those alchemists talk about are revealing if you filter out their nonsense," added Norm, who was stroking his ring. His mind was preoccupied. 

"Do you really have to train like that? What torture! Just thinking about spending so many hours in the sun makes me feel faint," Trianna whispered to her friends. Though she wasn't exactly speaking softly, her words were still heard by the adults.

"You have to know how to fight! Besides, what would you do in a dangerous situation without training and magic?" Nasuada retorted, challenging her friend again. Trianna rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue mockingly.

"I won't put myself in danger for that! Come on, Nasuada. You'll stand in front of me with your sword while I cast spells from behind. We'd make a perfect team!" Trianna declared in a haughty tone. The brunette girl stamped her foot several times before looking at Sereth, who hadn't taken her eyes off the training. 

"Sereth, aren't you the one who combines my power with Trianna's? What do you think of physical training?" Nasuada asked. The princess's ear twitched slightly, indicating that she had heard, though she remained silent for a long time. 

"From Master Norm's description of magic, the energy for each spell comes from our bodies. It consumes the same amount of energy as if we performed that task without magic. Though there are certain subtleties I don't fully understand. Perhaps it's because I haven't learned those details from the master," Sereth finally replied. She looked up from watching her older brother train and turned to her friends.

"Wouldn't it be better for a mage to have more physical strength? But magic seems to be closely tied to the body and the energy it stores. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for a mage to have more body mass, such as fat or useless muscles? Should I gain weight?" Sereth's comments and questions made Jeanne look at her in alarm; she had imagined her daughter to be much rounder. 

"NO! No noblewoman of Surda will give in to gluttony! We're not like those savages up north who just eat and eat," the queen scolded, causing Sereth to stare at her, blink several times, and then smile, revealing her missing teeth.

"Okay! But I was thinking about that spell the master always casts on Orrin after he trains and drinks those potions," said the princess, steering the conversation toward her master. The queen gave him an uneasy look, worried about her youngest daughter's physical condition.

"Those potions are tonics that condition the body, replenish nutrients, and prevent dehydration. They're an ancient recipe from before we came to Alagaësia. The magic just helps the body absorb them better," explained Norm. He motioned to a servant, who came running over with a leather pouch in his hands.

Taking the pouch, he pulled out a small glass bottle containing a watery green liquid. The mage gently swirled the bottle as he gathered his thoughts. 

"Yes, the power of magic comes from the energy that makes everything alive. Alchemists call it the Quintessence, and we mages call it Vitality.

It's the vitality that is often said to be depleted when someone falls ill or abundant when someone is in good health." Norm realized that perhaps his student had been thinking about a lot of the knowledge he had taught her, or that he had inadvertently revealed in her presence. He took this moment to clear up her doubts.

"We could call it 'Stamina,' as warriors do. It's the energy we get from the food we eat, the water we drink, and the sleep we get. Whatever you call it, it's a fundamental, indivisible unit with many functions.

It allows you to move, walk, speak, think, fight, and, with the right method, access the power of magic. Remember this: no matter what it's called or how it's referred to, it's always talking about this." Norm looked at Ajihad, who was teaching Orrin how to use a sword more effectively to deliver powerful strikes. 

"If a mage is tired, dehydrated, hungry, or sleepy, they won't be able to cast magic properly. In doing so, they'll be pushing their body to their limits. Thus, we associate eating, sleeping, and drinking water, which solve these problems, with replenishing our magic.

Magic lies deep within our being, where a gate blocks the source of our magical power. Some call it the 'Magic Well,' the 'Threshold,' or the 'Magic Sea,' but, essentially, it's where we channel our basic energy to draw magic."

Just as Orrin uses his strength to wield his sword, we use our 'Vitality' and the corresponding words to cast a spell." This was the first time Norm had spoken openly about the technical aspects of magic. Although his explanation was halting, it caused the two young mages to look at him in amazement, which made the old man laugh. 

"That's why Sereth says a physically strong mage would be better since they'd have more energy than someone who hasn't exercised. After all, maintaining a healthy body requires the necessary nutrients and strength.

Likewise, the energy provided by food accumulates in the body as fat and would be the perfect fuel for magic. However, reduced mobility due to being overweight would be a significant drawback, so training the body is best. The art of the sword is an excellent option." The mage quickly added the last part due to Queen Jeanne's gaze. She nodded happily upon hearing those words of caution and advice. 

"Aspects such as mental agility, imagination, and knowledge influence a mage's performance. A mage who lacks focus, does not know what he wants, or does not know how to properly use the words of the Ancient Language is destined to die.

So, I'm warning you: an old mage may be frail and lack energy compared to the young, but his experience makes him dangerous. And if he has a belly? Even worse!" Norm concluded before taking a breath. He was too old to talk so much, but he felt it was necessary.

He wasn't bragging about being old; he felt that, even in his current state, he could defeat his 30-year-old self-several times over, no matter how strong and agile he had been back then, thanks to his experience.

Besides, he didn't want Sereth to get the wrong idea because a body in peak condition is perfect for magic and the mental arts, in which the young princess excelled. Of course, he didn't mention any of this because he caught a glimpse of Queen Jeanne with one hand near her waist, where she carried a sheathed dagger.

"But why do I have to exercise? Have you seen those warrior women? They're all muscle! My mom told me they've lost the glow every woman should have. I don't understand what that means." After listening to Norm's talk, Trianna complained about the situation, making the adults laugh at her comment. 

"Your mother is an excellent herbalist and a powerful sorceress. Don't you think she would know that? So don't worry. Under her guidance, you'll grow up just fine," Jeanne said, crouching down to stroke the girl's head. Though Trianna wasn't her own daughter, Jeanne loved her as much as if she were. 

"So, you'll have to train. Too bad I won't be able to train with you," Nasuada murmured sadly, looking at her father as he approached alongside Orrin. They had just finished their combat training session. 

"Don't worry. I'll write to you all the time, so you won't miss anything that happens here," Sereth whispered to her friend. Her eyes sparkled with excitement again as she nodded. 

"Right! Besides, I'll be leaving after your birthday, so there are still several months until then. Let's not think about that anymore. By the way, Mr. Norm. Is that why they say elves and dragons are better at magic than humans?" Nasuada asked with genuine curiosity.
Norm nodded.

"Yes, though I must correct you. Dragons didn't use magic per se. They didn't need words in the Ancient Language. Rather, this power was more instinctive and unbridled.

Elves are physically superior to normal humans, which means an elf has more of the so-called 'magical power,' which, as I said before, is simply the result of the human body's vital energy being exchanged through our Magic Well. 

They say dragons never stop growing, which means more strength, more food, and more water. What do we get out of all that?" Norm threw the question out into the air, instinctively adopting the air of a teacher. Perhaps he was getting used to his role.

"More magical power!" the three girls answered loudly, taking Orrin by surprise. He stood there, staring, not understanding what was happening since he had no context for the entire conversation except for that shout. 

After asking several questions, Orrin learned the full story, and as he drank the bitter potion he was always given after finishing his training, he couldn't help but think: Maybe I'd be a good wizard if I had that talent? Since everyone said his talent for martial arts was outstanding!

After all, it wasn't the potions that made him grow so much; they only provided the nutrition he might have missed out on by eating normally. His towering height, despite being only eleven years old, was a testament to his talent for becoming stronger. 

Ajihad, on the other hand, fell silent as he replayed that conversation in his mind and recalled many things from his past. He looked at the sword sheathed at his waist, his faithful companion, the weapon that had been with him through his best and worst moments. 

"Strength isn't just in the muscles," he said suddenly, drawing the group's attention. But Ajihad simply drew his weapon slowly and ran his finger along it until he reached a notch on the blade that he hadn't smoothed out.

"As Norm said, the potions Orrin drinks are a legacy our ancestors brought from the lands beyond Alagaësia nearly a thousand years ago. Though few know those recipes now, which is a shame yet also a blessing in equal measure," the man said with a mocking expression, thinking of matters concerning the Empire.

"Those concoctions either turn us into supermen or something like that. Anyone who grew up training and taking them will have remarkable strength. However, they don't give you strength out of thin air. You have to work even harder than a normal person during training." Ajihad gently ran his fingers over the damaged area of his sword before showing it to his daughter and her friends.

"With this sword, I managed to leave a mark on Durza's blade. He was the Shade and was allied with the Mad Emperor. I'm nowhere near as strong as he is. If anything, I'm like Orrin: capable of fighting such an inhuman creature for a brief period.

Did I achieve that with just my strength? No, but with my will and mind, which allowed me to use my strength to its fullest. In other words, don't focus solely on magic, but on how you use it." Ajihad then sheathed his weapon before bowing to Nasuada.

"With a lever, even a small amount of force can move boulders. Let magic be that lever for you, just as my muscles are for me. If you're not careful, perhaps my daughter will be stronger than you in the future and defeat you." To lighten the tense atmosphere he had created, Ajihad made a joking remark. His daughter smiled, Sereth looked at him with interest, and Trianna puffed out her cheeks, clearly unconvinced. 

Meanwhile, Orrin grimaced and cursed under his breath at the bitter taste of the potion, but didn't dare spit it out or vomit. He had to be strong to protect what he had, especially the peaceful atmosphere he was enjoying now.

Chapter Text

"I hate this place," Trianna whispered as she sat in a chair and looked around the room, holding two fingers to her nose since the smell was unbearable.

"I don't know how those two put up with that rotten egg smell," replied Nasuada, sitting next to her friend and covering her nose in the same way. She looked at the pair of siblings standing in front of a workbench with a touch of admiration.

The young people were in a room lit by sunlight. After all, Orrin couldn't be in this place if it weren't well ventilated. It was his laboratory, filled with glassware and other odds and ends scattered everywhere. 

If you looked closely, you could find a few books lying around, a bronze sphere in the corner, and a crank connected to a metal circle with copper wires. 

There were many glass vessels, some containing liquid and some placed at random. One caught the eye the most. When hit by sunlight, it reflected colors similar to a rainbow. 

There were also samples of various metals and minerals and preserved specimens of plants or animal parts, such as eyes and hearts, in jars filled with liquid. The place looked like it belonged to an evil wizard from a fairy tale, but it was actually Orrin's laboratory. 

"Sereth, look! Just like I told you, dwarf gunpowder can be used for more than fireworks!" After his daily training session, Orrin headed straight for his lab, dragging his sister and her friends along with him. 

He showed the young princess what he had just obtained: a small amount of gunpowder in his hand. Sereth looked at it with some trepidation and took a step back, but the prince was so excited that he didn't notice. 

"Tell me, do you think we could do more than just set it off with extra colored metals? Like... a new weapon?" Orrin asked his sister, knowing she had a vivid imagination and a unique way of understanding the world. However, he didn't fully grasp the implications of such a skill.

"Probably, but they won't let us do anything with it. You know that," Sereth emphasized, dampening her brother's excitement. She carefully wiped her hands to prevent the gunpowder she'd created from flying off.

"True, we're still very young. There are experiments I'd like to try, like flying a kite with a piece of metal on it on a stormy night, but I can't," the prince muttered before approaching a liquid on a burner and watching it boil slowly. 

"That's nonsense; you'll get struck by lightning." The princess's words made her older brother turn to look at her. In that moment, she sensed that his eyes were filled with something she could understand, a curiosity about the world. 

"That's exactly why! I want to know why lightning is attracted to metal! What causes lightning? Is it the same as the lightning I can create with that machine? Why does metal turn into magnetite when struck by lightning?

I want to understand these natural phenomena! I want to explain them. I want to attain that knowledge. To pass it on!" Orrin suddenly became excited, revealing part of his own thoughts and the reason for his interest in alchemy. 

He hadn't tried making "potions" or alchemical remedies, which were more akin to herbalism or shamanism. He wasn't interested in obtaining a supposed Philosopher's Stone or an Elixir of Life. What he did with alchemy was explore the most basic things, trying to find answers.

"Isn't lightning simply nature's wrath? Why would anything about them be interesting?" Trianna asked, calming Orrin down. He shook his head before picking up two pieces of metal. 

"Did you know that lightning can alter the invisible force of magnetite in various ways? They might even be the same thing! Or maybe they're the same thing! There are so many mysteries. Wouldn't it be great to figure them all out?

It's like magic. Don't you think that if you understood a phenomenon better, it would be easier to cast a spell using it? I've also been studying the Ancient Language. Even though I have no magical talent, I find the mystery of the language and its ability to capture the essence of things fascinating.

Imagine knowing how lightning is produced. When you cast a spell using the word 'Kveykva,' you'll achieve better results than if you simply use it, believing it's the wrath of the world or the gods," said Orrin before demonstrating the attraction and repulsion between the two pieces of metal in his hands and moving closer to the crystal producing colors. 

"Look. This is a prism. It causes light to split into seven colors. Why does that happen? Is light the combination of those colors? Are those the only colors? Does each color have a different temperature because light gives off heat?" Orrin demonstrated the crystal's function, holding it up to the light and causing it to split into seven different hues. 

"Back to that invisible force I told you about! I decided to call it the magnetic force. None of the books I read mentioned it, and the alchemists I asked are obsessed with useless rituals and stupid ideas about the elements.

How can the world be made up of just a few things? Nonsense! Anyway, look what I made." Orrin seemed to have taken a strong dose of some stimulant. He darted around his lab looking for things.

Soon, he put together what Sereth identified as a simple compass. It used a cork, a needle, a magnet, and water. The needle pointed to magnetic north, which Nasuada and Trianna didn't understand at first. 

"It's to the north! Something in the north is drawing its attention. A gigantic magnetic force is pulling the needle! I came up with this experiment days ago and checked all over the castle to see if it stayed that way.

Do you know what that means? We won't need to rely on the stars to travel across the ocean or land anymore. Our guide can now truly be in our hands!" The three girls came closer to watch, which made Orrin feel proud since it was the result of his experiments and search for the truth.

"Orrin, this is amazing," said Nasuada admiringly. She wanted to join the boy in his experiments right then and there, even though the lab always smelled bad. Although she liked learning, seeing the real results of knowledge was entirely different. 

"Do you know what this means? Imagine a spell that can give clear directions without any guesswork. And what about those colored lights? If we learn from them, can we create related magic? What effects would they have?

I was recently interested in learning, but now... I feel like I've wasted a lot of time," Trianna murmured. She looked around at the mess in the lab. There was no disgust on her face now, only anticipation.

Was there something here as wonderful as Orrin had said? She felt she could understand the siblings more and more. Then she realized that Sereth had fallen silent. Trianna looked at her friend, who was playing with two pieces of metal that were constantly attracting each other. 

"Are you okay, Sereth?" the young woman asked, getting the princess's attention. She nodded and dropped the objects in her hands, causing everyone to look at her. 

"Why do things always fall? Just as magnets attract and repel each other because of the magnetic force you mentioned, is there something that pulls everything toward the ground, or is it the action of another force?" Sereth's questions made Orrin's brown eyes sparkle. 

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand. Those are the questions we must seek to answer. I don't know if the two forces are related, but look at this." The prince grabbed a magnetized piece of metal, placed it under a sheet of white paper, and sprinkled iron filings over it.

As he waved the paper, lines appeared on it. Then, Orrin took out several more sheets of paper with charcoal drawings that replicated the image he had just created. 

"The magnetic force looks like this, like a blanket, though it should be more like a sphere surrounding the piece of metal like a dome." According to alchemical writings, elves and dwarves have confirmed that the world we live in is round, though no one seems to care about this fact.

So, is there a dome of magnetic force around the world? Is our world like this piece of metal? My little invention is attracted to something. Could that be a point similar to the sides of the magnetic piece? Is our world like this piece of metal?

Could the force that attracts objects have a similar form? "It probably acts differently, but there are surely similarities. We just can't see the connection," Orrin muttered to himself. Only Sereth could keep up with him.

The princess searched through the books and scrolls in the laboratory until she found what she was looking for. After dusting it off and opening it, she found a star map. At the center was the world they were in, along with the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies in orbit. 

"Don't you think this looks similar? It's not the same, but the celestial bodies and our world seem to be connected somehow. However, look at the paths of those stars; they're all over the place," Sereth said, getting Orrin's attention. The prince, however, dismissed it.

"Hehe, some fool drew that. Look how that star is spinning around weirdly just to illustrate his model..." The prince dismissed what his sister had found until he saw her take a sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal and draw something similar.

"Remember when I fainted from looking at the sun and trying to draw it? Well, one of the few things I remember is this: It's not the sun that revolves around us; it's us. If there's a center, it's the sun, not us. So, if you take what's on this parchment and do this..." Sereth quickly sketched a heliocentric model, something she had remembered from her dreams but adapted to this world.

"Sometimes knowing about that past life is helpful, but we have to adapt it here. I'll let Orrin do it. He seems to enjoy it." Then, the princess gathered her thoughts before speaking. 

"Just as there is a force that pulls everything toward the ground, surely the sun pulls our world. But have you seen how waves work? As long as the rotational speed is maintained, the stone won't fall. I feel the same could happen with our world. As long as the speed is maintained, we won't be pulled toward the sun. 

However, there will be times when we're close and times when we're far away, which is why..." Sereth didn't finish her sentence, as Orrin rushed over to her, observing everything closely. He finished her sentence for her. 

"We have seasons! The sun is hotter in the summer because we're closer to it. We're on the verge of being pulled toward it! And when our speed takes us away, just like a slingshot, it gets colder... HAHAHAHA! THERE MUST BE A FORCE IN OUR WORLD THAT ATTRACTS THINGS," Orrin shouted excitedly. He soon calmed down, returned to his workbench, and began writing things down like a madman while muttering to himself. 

But how does it work? What generates it, and how is it produced? How does it affect objects? Are there other forces? There must be other forces, and they must have similarities. In my previous experiments, I made some connections between the magnetic force and this new force. Though not all findings are applicable, there is a demonstrable relationship...

What makes up matter? Suppose it's a basic unit, like a brick. Are there forces that hold that basic unit together? This idea goes against alchemists' beliefs, but I don't believe in that nonsense.

Does the arrangement of those basic units form different materials? Is that why metals are different?" At that moment, thanks to Sereth, many ideas flooded his mind, along with experiments and ways to apply his existing knowledge to achieve various results. 

"That's when my love for knowledge died. He's crazy," Trianna whispered to Nasuada. She nodded since Orrin's state was strange to them, but they were somewhat used to it because Sereth was just as odd. 

"It's a passion for knowledge. I'm like that, too, only you don't notice it. How else do you think I fainted from trying to analyze the sun and bring it into my mind?" Sereth replied on her brother's behalf, making the girls burst out laughing.

The princess was perhaps just as crazy as her brother when it came to her fascination with knowledge. As for Sereth, she decided to find a way to share her knowledge with Orrin.

If he could synthesize them so they could be used in this world, she would have a valid reason to use them and a way to verify their usefulness. 

This way, she could squeeze every last bit of value out of that past life. Afterwards, that life would lose all value and meaning for her except for the existence of the Red Moon and a mysterious, colorful place she had only dreamed of once. 

'What if I slip into Orrin's dream? That would be another experiment. Perhaps if I better understand the mysteries of the mind while one sleeps, I might be able to make contact with the confused minds of animals,' Sereth's gray eyes focused on Orrin's back as she made a decision.

'It would be best to keep this a secret, but giving the glory to my brother is for the greater good. It would pave his way to the throne through knowledge and martial arts. May he be recognized as a wise king.' The princess smiled before returning to chat with her friends about her brother's alchemy laboratory.

Enduring the smell of sulfur had not been in vain!

Chapter Text

Sereth had never imagined sneaking out of her room late at night would be so complicated. The first danger was the darkness, but she knew the castle quite well. Her ability wasn't limited to observing and committing details to memory; she also had excellent spatial awareness. 

Why couldn't she keep a map in her mind? She had created a scroll in her mind where she stored a two-dimensional map of the castle, so it wasn't that she had a super memory.

The scroll also contained the useful knowledge she salvaged from her dreams. She discarded the rest and would eventually forget them unless certain circumstances caused her to remember them again.

All of this was the result of combining her mental arts with her skill, which went beyond the basic applications of her past, mediocre self that she despised so much. Of course, she had limitations. As long as she didn't try to conjure the image of the entire castle or parts of it, she could rely solely on the map.

Another risk factor was that soldiers would obviously patrol the corridors of a castle like this from time to time with lanterns in their hands. The princess used her height to her advantage, slipping away in the darkness. She also used her telepathy to read the guards' thoughts, which gave her an idea. 

Without wanting to harm their minds or her own, she devised a way to subtly interfere with those men and women's perception. It was the first time she had done it, and she almost got caught because the soldiers had no mental defenses, and she was able to conduct many tests. 

She wasn't looking for anything overly elaborate or skillful. Rather, she wanted them to ignore certain strange movements. Otherwise, she would plant thoughts in their minds, causing them to overlook the faint sounds Sereth sometimes made as she slipped away. 

This experience helped her slightly improve her mental abilities, especially her ability to interfere with the consciousness of others. Additionally, she had to make an effort not to get distracted by the gossip she could hear in the soldiers' minds. 

This is how Sereth found out that there was a popular cook among the castle guards, though she paid him no mind because he wasn't strong, and that a female soldier was having an affair with her captain. 

The rumor that interested her the most had to do with her. Apparently, the maid who had been fired for being ignored by the princess had been acting strangely. Eventually, it was rumored that she might have been a spy for the empire. 

The most interesting part? When soldiers were sent to her house to investigate, they couldn't find the maid. A more thorough search led them to papers that had been set on fire, destroying whatever information they contained. 

Thus, the rumor that Ana, the dismissed maid, was a spy gained traction. Sereth had never heard her parents or brother speak of the matter, so she initially doubted the rumor's veracity. Then, an idea came to her. 

'Are they protecting me? Probably. I guess there's nothing I can do,' the princess grumbled to herself. But her steps grew light because she was glad to know how much her family cared about her. 

Sereth then reached the door blocking the entrance to her brother's room. That's when she realized: How would she get in? She didn't have a key! At that moment, she hated not knowing magic.

'Just a few more months and I'll be able to cast spells. But, aah! Just one spell! Just one Ládrin* and I could open this annoying door.' The princess wanted to kick the door, but the noise it would make and the pain it would cause made her give up. 

She didn't like the feeling of failure. She had come this far, slipping past the guards' gaze and getting inside their heads to avoid discovery. This inevitably drained her stamina. However, since everything was going smoothly, Sereth didn't feel bad about it.

In fact, she enjoyed the feeling of stealth, not the feeling of entering others' minds, but the feeling of using her abilities to move silently in places where she shouldn't be. She realized she'd probably make an excellent thief or assassin if she trained in that area.

However, not having the key, the only thing preventing her from completing her mission tonight and achieving her ultimate goal, irritated her greatly. Her childish mind magnified that feeling of helplessness, even causing her stomach to ache. 

She didn't like trying so hard to achieve nothing. It made her feel mediocre and like her past self, which she wanted to shed completely. She even wished she didn't have those memories. 

The joy she had felt just moments before, when she realized her family had been protecting her from things she hadn't even been aware of, vanished, overshadowed by her current unease. 

Not even her improved mental prowess could bring back her joy, so Sereth sat down against the door. In the absolute darkness, she began to think. At that moment, before she could dwell on this experience, an idea occurred to her.

'My mind can pass through doors. Could I interact with Orrin's dreams from here?' This thought popped into her head and grew, lifting her spirits. 

'I can try! I can always try something. I don't know if it'll work, but at least I can take comfort in knowing that I tried. I don't know if being near or far from someone who's sleeping makes a difference. It's my first time doing this, so I'll treat it as another test. Tomorrow, I'll figure out how to get the key I need.' With this conclusion, Sereth turned around. She was still sitting on the floor, but this time her head was resting against the door and her eyes were closed. 

Her mind began to project outward, seeking to detect another mind through the barrier. Shortly afterward, she touched Orrin's mind, which felt strange because her brother was asleep.

First, the prince's mental defenses were gone. His mind was completely open and exposed to anyone who wanted to enter. However, she hesitated to approach because she sensed something akin to a storm. 

So many thoughts, sensations, fragments of memories, and ideas swirled in Orrin's mind while he slept! There was no direction, nothing concrete, not even the slightest hint of peace, at least at first.

As Sereth continued to observe, she found amidst the chaos something that appeared to be a chain of interconnected bubbles. The first and last bubbles were blurry and blank, but the ones in the middle showed something.

They were like half-painted pictures or ones whose paint was running. Whatever was being created or destroyed was still in progress. In the only stable bubble, she could see movement and action. She decided to touch it with her mind. 

Thus, she entered a different space. She had no body and was more like an incorporeal creature. She could perceive the outside world, but only in a blurry, strange way. Only things close to her were defined. 

"I, Orrin the Great, have defeated Galbatorix!" A shout caught Sereth's attention. As she approached, she saw her brother wearing a golden crown, royal robes, and a jeweled sword. 

Beneath him was a creature that could only be described as a caricature. It was tall and skinny, covered in hair, and had distorted facial features. It knelt and sobbed, begging for mercy from this strange version of his older brother.

'Huh? Is this your dream? How childish!' Sereth complained, ignoring the fact that her own dreams were perhaps even more childish. But those were details only she knew, so she felt entitled to judge others. 

'So, is this bubble his dream? The scenes she has already dreamed are the ones before, and the ones to come are the ones she will dream. That's why they are being destroyed and created. Are those lights the 'nutrients' for dreams?' The princess looked up and watched as a few drops of light fell from the storm ahead and seeped into the forming bubbles. 

'Is a person's dream world like this, or is it just my perception? There are so many things to figure out, but I don't have time. I feel like I'm getting tired very quickly.' Sereth quickly realized that perhaps her perception of time had been altered the moment she entered this dream, as she could sense her body was uncomfortable and very hungry. 

After all, telepathy was a manifestation of his magic and, as such, drained her stamina. Sereth decided to act. She stepped out of the bubble and watched the droplets fall into the next one. Her brother would enter that one after finishing with the previous one. 

Then, she paid attention to the chaotic turmoil from before and realized that she couldn't take anything from it, or she would suffer severe damage. So, she decided to replicate the dream-building droplets. 

Initially, she sent mental waves conveying what she wanted to tell Orrin, but she realized this only made the bubble tremble without receiving or changing anything. Instead, she just grew more and more exhausted.

Her method failed, and she didn't want to feel that sensation again. She refused to simply walk away in defeat, so she took one of the droplets and examined it.

She learned that those things were pure impressions that would later construct a dream to be interpreted by the prince's mind. It was very easy for her at that moment. 

She condensed a drop full of impressions related to the knowledge her former self-possessed about the topics they had discussed the day before, such as magnetism, gravity, and light. 

In those memories, her past self-went to school with children who didn't seem to be nobles. She learned knowledge that might have been reserved for a select few and attended institutions that didn't exist in her world. 

She didn't care about her past self's life. It was just knowledge she couldn't apply because she was a girl with limited means. Her brother, however, had more freedom, as he had his own laboratory. 

Although Orrin wasn't a mage, his accomplishments could be considered magic by an inexperienced person. The limit would lie in the available technology, but once she learned magic, she could participate in those experiments. 

She was creating impressions that her brother would dream about when his dreaming mind had a flash of inspiration. He would study these impressions and transform them into knowledge adapted to Alagaësia. This would allow Sereth to truly learn these things. 

Consequently, the princess would possess not only magic but also the knowledge necessary for her spells. If she understood how lightning or light worked, for example, her magic related to those subjects would obviously be much better than someone who only practices magic out of ignorance. 

Although the Ancient Language perfectly describes what can be named, wouldn't it be better to have visual references as well? Then, when using words like Garjzla* or Kveykva*, which are related to natural phenomena, one would rely not only on language but also on knowledge and experimentation. 

But Sereth realized that she couldn't fit all of her desired information into a single drop. It was too small. She would have to spill several drops of impressions, but she no longer had the energy for that, so she cast the one she had into the forming dream. She knew she would have to return the following night before withdrawing her mind. 

She had always been aware of her body while using mental arts. She could speak and walk while projecting her mind. But this time, she had to concentrate so hard that she partially disconnected from herself.

When she 'came back,' or rather paid normal attention to herself, she realized she couldn't stand because she was hungry. Besides, she could hear roosters crowing even though it was still dark. 

That meant it was already late in the morning. She had to return to her room, her stomach growling from hunger and her temples throbbing. Her usual headache worsened due to her lack of energy, and she could barely stand without losing her balance. 

Sereth decided to ask for food. She was hungry and a princess; she could ask for food, couldn't she? Lost in thought, she walked along until she was illuminated by the lantern of a guard on patrol. He was startled to see her.

"Your Highness? What are you doing awake and wandering around at this hour?" asked a woman with blonde hair, green eyes, and a toned physique. Sereth recognized her as the guard who was having an affair with her captain. 

"I'm hungry. It's dark. I'm lost," said the princess, lying only about the last part. The soldier wasn't thinking about whether the princess was lying; she was a little scared.

Wouldn't Her Majesty be in danger walking alone? If she stumbled and fell, it would have very serious consequences for all the servants and guards in the castle, something the queen could not tolerate. 

"Okay, Your Majesty. I'll take you to your room, and then I'll go to the kitchen to get some food. There should be some unless you want something hot," the woman suggested. Sereth nodded, not wanting to make things difficult for her.

"But you have to carry me. I can't walk anymore," the princess ordered. The soldier agreed and removed the top part of her armor to make it more comfortable for Sereth on her back. 

The entire castle was roused by the young princess's hunger, and a new rumor began to circulate. Because she had grown, the princess's appetite had grown, and she was found wandering the dark corridors in the early hours of the morning.

Now, every guard had to be on alert with bags of freshly baked cookies tied to their belts. They were ready to find the wandering princess and feed her as they escorted her back to her chambers.

Chapter Text

"Reisa," Trianna said, focusing on a transparent, circular crystal with a gentle curve. With the power of her word, magic was unleashed, causing the object to float at her command.

Several months had passed since then. Since Trianna was a little older than her two friends, she was the first to turn eight. Her mother began teaching her the secrets of using magic.

With this new power, she could do things like what she was doing now. She controlled the crystal she had made to float with her hand, mimicking a grip to position it in direct light.

"Good, the magnifying glass is in position. Now, make the light passing through it super thin, like a point." Orrin, who had grown a bit in the past few months and turned 12, stood next to Trianna.

He watched with interest as Trianna struggled to adjust the angle properly. Soon, she achieved her goal, and the prince held the sheet of paper he was holding up to the sunlight focused by the magnifying glass.

Soon, the paper turned black, and a flame sprang from it. Orrin deftly tossed the paper to the ground and watched it slowly burn away. Meanwhile, Trianna adjusted the lens and placed it on a workbench.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Magic wasn't a one-to-one exchange of magical power. Inevitably, there was a loss in the process caused by the nature of the energy and by factors such as race, knowledge, and personal skill. 

The girl had recently learned this, which is why she was grateful for her interest in learning. It would allow her to overcome those problems. Of course, she could never reach the level of the elves or the legendary dragon riders, but she was more than just a mage. 

She stroked the serpent bracelet on her arm, feeling a faint but steady connection with the being inside it. This was her family's legacy, her advantage for the future, and the danger she would endure to gain more power. 

"Well, light can burn. Light has various colors. And apparently, light behaves very strangely depending on the experiment," Orrin said, reviewing what he had written in a notebook filled with added papers, extra notes, and scribbles. 

"With the thermoscope I created, we confirmed that the colors of light have different temperatures. It seems there's an extra temperature belonging to colors we can't see..." The prince began writing frantically, staining his fingers with ink, but he didn't care.

Trianna shook her head, knowing Orrin wouldn't snap out of it for a while. She looked to the side where Sereth held a light, yellowish sphere in her hair before brushing it aside.

Several strands of her hair, however, floated on their own, approaching the object in her hand before returning to their original place. The princess repeated this before bringing the sphere close to a pile of paper scraps, which stuck to the sphere for a moment before falling off. 

"Hehe, this is fun," laughed Sereth, who finally had two front teeth, though several of her other teeth had fallen out. That was the normal process for every child, so no one paid attention to that. Rather, they paid attention to the reason for her laughter. 

' Ah, I never thought balloons existed. Even if they're made from animal intestines, they serve this purpose,' the princess thought, looking at the ball in her hand, or rather, the balloon.

Her nighttime project was taking shape. The impressions she left in her older brother's dreams were bearing fruit. She benefited from the entire process and the result. 

Her ability to be stealthy by relying on psychic interference had improved. She hadn't reached the point where she could walk in front of someone brazenly and have them ignore her. However, she could magnify blind spots in human attention to make it easier for her to slip away.

Additionally, she had started a project to explore not only Orrin's dreams but also her own. Previously, she hadn't been able to do this. The most she could achieve was partial lucidity when she realized she was dreaming. 

Now? She could delve deeper into her subconscious and the storm that brewed whenever she slept. Through this process, she was learning many things, even managing to access fragmented memories of her past life that surfaced only in her dreams. 

But what truly excited Sereth were the new things she could observe and record. She knew the body and mind were treasures, but she hadn't realized that she herself was a vast, untapped resource!

However, she could only truly tap into those things once she had access to magic. There were only a few days left until her long-awaited eighth birthday. For now, she focused on her current capabilities, such as emulating the storm of thoughts to strengthen her mental defenses. 

If any mage tried to explore her mind, they'd be in for a surprise! It was an energy-intensive defense, but it would surely work in critical moments. In the meantime, she maintained the classic psychic wall, albeit with her own additions and improvements. 

'So many things to do, and more on the way. Luckily, Orrin helps me, even if he doesn't quite realize it,' Sereth mused, glancing sideways at her brother, who was writing frantically. Then she looked at Nasuada, who was focused on something in particular. 

The girl turned the lever, causing a metal circle to spin. It was all connected to two copper wires that emitted small blue sparks. The faster and harder she turned the wheel, the more sparks flew.

A manual electric generator! Orrin had one already, but with the inspiration from his dreams, he improved it, making electricity generation more efficient.

Nasuada was experimenting because the prototype compass that Sereth knew of was placed next to the wires. Thus, the compass's needle was affected by the nearby electricity. 

Over the past few months, they had learned many basic things from Orrin that regular tutors didn't teach them. You could say they were the prince's alchemy apprentices, even though he was just an enthusiastic apprentice without a teacher.

Months ago, they had only heard Orrin's words, but now Nasuada was testing them on her own. Even though this had happened months ago, she repeated these actions because she was very interested in electricity. 

"Did you hear that some strangers arrived at the castle this morning?" Perhaps tired from generating electricity by hand, Nasuada paused before asking the question. 

"Yes! But Dad didn't tell me anything. He said they were important envoys, and we shouldn't know too much about them," replied Orrin, who had just finished writing in his notebook. 

"My mom told me something similar. It seems they really are important," Trianna commented, looking at Sereth with her blue eyes sparkling with interest. She knew Sereth might know more than they did. 

"Their minds are protected. In fact, they turned to look at me because of that intrusion. I can tell they have a good sense of magic or are familiar with it," Sereth replied, sensing what her friend wanted to know. She deflated the balloon in her hand and placed it on a nearby shelf. 

"Oh? Mages! But weren't most of the skilled mages gathered at the castle? Who are they? Were they on a mission?" Nasuada asked with interest. But no one present could give her an exact answer. What about someone from outside?

Suddenly, the door to Orrin's laboratory swung open, and a hooded figure entered, similar to those they had seen arriving at Aberon Castle that morning. This caused the four children to pay attention.

"Oh, so you've discovered that we are mages, Your Highness? I'm amazed that someone as young as you has such mental prowess. But you'd better not spy on people without their consent. You must be careful; you might run into someone powerful who could read your mind and harm you." The figure spoke first. It was striking that her voice was feminine and somewhat sing-song, as if she were more accustomed to singing than speaking in such a neutral tone. 

"I know that! Master Norm has taught me that, and I'm mindful of it. But someone like you, who walks right in through the front door, wouldn't be a threat to me," Sereth replied, tilting her head. Her eyes were unusually focused on that person, making the latter feel a little strange. Sereth replied, tilting her head. Her eyes were unusually focused on the figure, making it feel a little strange.

Even though she couldn't sense anything, not even the slightest touch of the girl's mind, the figure had a vague intuition that she was being watched in an unfamiliar way. But this shouldn't be magic because her shields were up at that moment.

'Is this the peculiarity Jeanne told me about? Those eyes are looking at me, but it seems like they're picking up on something else. However, her mother only said it was a quirk of hers. Although I feel like she's hiding something from me, I didn't think it was significant until now.

She seems distracted and focused at the same time. How strange. She reminds me of the long-lived elders back home. According to her mother, she has even stranger habits, and everyone else seems used to them,' thought the woman in the hood. She brought her hands up to her hood and pulled it off. Several gasps of surprise greeted her. 

"Does this answer your question about what I am? I hope so." If she hadn't been certain that these children were well protected and possessed certain mental defenses, she wouldn't have revealed her identity; after all, it was a sensitive matter among humans. 

"Älfinn!*" Sereth exclaimed in the ancient language. The elven woman smiled as she rose. She looked closely at the objects in the laboratory, showing a bit of interest, but nothing more.

After all, the things elves could do out of mere curiosity far surpassed what she saw in this place. To her, these things were just old junk, holding no interest whatsoever. 

She was slightly interested in why these human children were playing with them. From Queen Jeanne, she knew that her children were peculiar in many ways, especially Sereth, but Orrin wasn't far behind, being fascinated by alchemy. 

Elves didn't practice alchemy. They had disciplines that were far more advanced and organized than the almost mystical explorations undertaken by humans who call themselves alchemists. This is why elves had dismissed alchemy as a useless discipline long ago. 

However, according to Jeanne, these children had devised useful things. Looking at the equipment, she noticed that they seemed to be investigating phenomena related to light, electricity, and magnetism, topics the elves had described millennia ago. 

"Do you want to know what we're doing here? You might be surprised!" Noticing the elf's not-so-subtle gaze on the items in their laboratory, Orrin approached Nasuada and picked up the compass she had been experimenting with. 

"Look. We call this a compass. It can point north by sensing the magnetic field of our world." He approached the elf woman and showed her the object in his hand, prompting her to take it and examine it. 

The craftsmanship was rough, lacking the charm and beauty her kind usually imbues in objects. There was no trace of magic; it seemed to be entirely handmade. However, after testing the compass, she confirmed that it functioned like similar objects in Ellesmera, as the young human had described. 

"They've clearly put a lot of effort into this," the elf said, barely interested. In fact, her interest shifted to the children. She was surprised that they could come up with something like this. 

"Still, you look like you've seen better days," Trianna said bluntly. The elf smiled, and Trianna handed the compass back to Orrin. She then began to walk nimbly around the laboratory, closely examining every object that caught her eye.

"You should know that we elves live a long time. There are people on our side who have been alive since before the Dragon Riders existed. What do you think someone with magic and almost unlimited time can accomplish?

If it weren't for our species' general lack of interest, perhaps we would have visited the moon or somewhere similar long ago," the elf woman said. The children looked at her in awe, but she had simply spoken the truth. 

A single 4,000-year-old elf could explore the world's nature in a way that surpasses anything a human could achieve in a lifetime and countless generations thereafter. 

This was one of the most fundamental differences between species. Only dwarves, with their longer lifespans and high intelligence, could attempt to keep up with the elves. Even so, in the elves' view, the dwarves were far behind. 

"Well, we can't compete with that, but we're doing this out of a desire to learn. So, can we ask you some questions? And what's your name? I don't think you introduced yourself," Sereth asked. The elf paused, realizing she hadn't introduced herself.

"My name is Arya. It's a pleasure to meet you," the woman replied, smiling. The princess couldn't help but look at her more closely, using her gift to its fullest extent. 

0I expected it, but to confirm it...she really is beautiful,0 Sereth thought, closing her eyes to prevent the nosebleed she would suffer if she continued to observe and take in a being like that without preparation or caution.

"Welcome to our laboratory, Arya," Orrin said, approaching the elf with his notebook in hand. He was eager to ask her the many questions he had jotted down. 

He had to seize the opportunity!

Chapter Text

"That's how the old elf confirmed that urea could be obtained without resorting to animal urine," said Arya, who was sitting on a stool in the laboratory. She had just finished answering one of Prince Orrin's questions when she realized how much time had passed.

The elf blinked several times, somewhat incredulous at what was happening. A couple of hours had passed, during which she had answered many questions from the young prince, who couldn't stop thinking of new questions to ask the woman.

Truthfully, she had expected a different turn of events during this impromptu visit. For decades, her kind had ceased to interact openly with humans. Knowing how fleeting human lives were, the younger generations had only heard stories or legends about elves. 

What had Arya expected? That the children would be curious about her identity as an elf and ask her questions about where she lived, for example. Many children among the Varden did the same, so she thought all human children would ask her those questions, no matter where she was. 

She hadn't expected to spend two hours of her long life answering uninteresting questions! Arya was too young to focus on a subject she would spend centuries researching. In fact, she was barely over a hundred years old, not even close to two centuries. 

She quickly decided to change the subject because she realized that she didn't have the knowledge to answer the prince. Instinctively, she didn't want to appear ignorant.

Arya focused on the three girls present. She recognized Nasuada since she looked a lot like Ajihad. The man had bragged extensively about his daughter a few hours ago, so Arya still had a fresh memory of her features. 

Then she looked at Trianna and noticed the serpent bracelet on her left arm. It made her frown. She sensed a dormant consciousness within the bracelet, similar to the spirits she had heard described. 

She confirmed that this was the young sorceress Jeanne had told her about. The elves did not have a consensus regarding spirits and those who manipulated them. Some elves had delved into sorcery in search of greater power, but they were quite rare.

After all, the threat of a Shade emerging could not be ignored, especially one of elven origin. It would be particularly terrible if that were to happen! Furthermore, the elves had a different concept of spirits because they had interacted with and seen them many times over the millennia. 

What did Arya think? She believed that spirits were simply one species of Alagaësia with their own unique way of being. She didn't consider them to be gods, souls, or any of the other concepts that other species held about these beings.

However, since she viewed them as just another species, their subjugation and exploitation had always bothered her. She relied heavily on the sorcerer, but many sorcerers did not engage in equal dialogue with spirits. Instead, they forced them, which these beings detested.

After all, if there was a freer entity in this world, it would be a spirit, even more so than dragons or the rare and mystical Werecats. Arya understood that people had many points of view and that, in general, almost no one considered what another person thought, much less a being as incomprehensible as a spirit. 

Then the elf focused on Sereth, who hadn't taken her eyes off Arya the entire time. Arya wondered if Sereth was capable of blinking like a normal person because her gaze was truly piercing. 

"What are you observing?" Arya asked, wanting to avoid further questions from Orrin while satisfying her own curiosity. Without realizing it, she asked a question that many had asked the princess before.

"I'm watching you. I want to record your existence, understand you better, and appreciate the magical beauty of your kind," Sereth replied without hesitation. She knew that, without the proper context, the elf wouldn't fully understand her words. However, the others around them at that moment did.

Nasuada looked at her friend's nose and, seeing that it wasn't bleeding, let out a sigh of relief. Trianna mirrored this reaction, even pulling out a handkerchief out of pure reflex.

Arya clearly noticed this series of actions, but, as Sereth had assumed, without the proper context, the elf didn't understand what was going on. She did, however, grasp the fact that she seemed to be of interest to the young princess.

'Sereth is a bit peculiar, you know? She pays unceasing attention only to things that pique her interest and catch her eye. She is capable of ignoring everything else. So take it as a compliment if she stares at you; don't take it as rudeness on her part.'

Arya thought back, remembering Queen Jeanne saying those words to her while talking about her daughter and her quirks. Ever since she'd entered the lab, Arya had noticed Sereth's peculiarities, but the elf knew little of their true extent. She would soon find out, though.

"May I sketch you? I promise it'll be quick, and you won't have to pose," Sereth asked, moving around the lab to grab a sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal. She was ready to start drawing as soon as she was given the go-ahead.

"Go ahead. I'd like to see how well you capture me," Arya agreed to the simple, innocent request. She had even sketched a smile and adjusted her posture slightly, as if to show the girl her best angle.

"Sereth is good at painting and drawing. You'll turn out well. No need to pose," said Orrin. He didn't know how to fit any more of his incessant questions into the conversation, so he decided to go with the flow, much to Arya's delight.

"It's true! She did an excellent portrait of Nasuada and me a few months ago. My mom thought I'd been captured in the painting because I looked so real in it," Trianna added. She decided to stand behind Sereth, wanting to watch her sketch.

However, Sereth covered the paper with her body, turned her head to look at Trianna, and hissed at her like a cat. This made the girl laugh, so she stepped back so as not to disturb Sereth, who resumed her work.

"Why did she do that?" Arya asked in a low voice. Orrin shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. Nasuada, however, had no problem with it. She approached the elf, ready to answer Arya's question.

"You know she can read minds, right? Even though the rest of the castle doesn't know, Sereth has been imitating small animals for a while now, like her family's cat or the birds that perch in the garden." The dark-haired girl recounted one of the princess's quirks and bits of gossip without hesitation since it wasn't private information.

It really was extremely strange. Sereth didn't just act oddly at night, forcing the guards to carry snacks prepared for her while they patrolled. During the day, she observed and imitated animals.

"What does that have to do with reading minds?" Arya asked. She already had certain suspicions, but wanted to confirm them. She also wanted to interact more with these young humans.

"Because she wants to read the animals' minds! She believes that if she imitates them, she'll learn how they think and use that knowledge to sneak into their minds. Do you think that's possible?" Trianna continued the conversation, causing Arya to narrow her eyes as she looked at the busy princess.

"That is very risky. The mind is one of the most mysterious realms of living beings, yet also the most fragile," the elf remarked. Sereth stopped drawing and looked up at the woman with his gray, distracted eyes.

"I am careful with my actions. And, in fact, it's working. I can't read their minds, but I've already been able to sense them. If people's minds are like a campfire, then those of large animals are like a candle; those of small animals, an ember; and those of the tiniest, a spark." The princess raised her index finger, blackened by the charcoal she was using. The others focused only on what she was saying.

"I used to just look at the campfire and ignore everything else, but not anymore. However, I don't intrude on their minds because I'm not delicate enough. I feel that if I barged in abruptly, I'd hurt them or myself." Sereth concluded before returning to her little project.

Portraying the elf took up much of her attention, so she stopped focusing on anything else, wanting to accurately capture her model, albeit unconscious.

Up to this point, Sereth had analyzed Arya as much as possible, activating and deactivating her gift at regular intervals. Though technically, it was always active, she merely increased its intensity as needed.

The princess did this to avoid a bloody disaster. She barely had a mental image of the elf, but the memory of her physical features was imprinted on the long scroll of parchment in her mind. She used this scroll as a reference for her sketch of Arya.

However, her detachment from the world and her focus on her task caused her to miss her brother's, friends', and the elf's reaction in the laboratory as they processed and discussed her words.

"Wait, did she really do it? Is it really possible to sense and read animals' minds, Arya?" Trianna quickly realized the meaning of the elf's words and decided to confirm them.

"Well, reading a mind as you understand it, no. But yes, it's possible to perceive and connect with the consciousness of animals and even plants," Arya replied. She was visibly surprised by the level of mental mastery Sereth had displayed if his words were true.

For an elf like her, it wasn't a big deal. It was a basic skill they developed during their upbringing and magical education. However, for a human who wasn't a rider, it was a considerable achievement!

After all, magical exploration among human magic users wasn't extensive. In fact, Arya only knew of one witch with this ability. She hadn't expected to meet another person with this ability, let alone a girl. 

Even though she hadn't known Sereth for very long, Arya was concerned about her actions since the mind is an area where everyone needs to be careful. She feared the girl might get seriously hurt because of her relentless curiosity. However, she realized her advice wouldn't be well-received.

So, Arya decided to discuss this matter with Jeanne when she met with her again. However, she was snapped out of her brief daze by the conversation the young humans were having. 

"Then she can find out what Misha is thinking!" Nasuada exclaimed. Trianna nodded, but Orrin shook his head while speaking, seeming reluctant to use that ability for something so simple.

"No, you're making it too simple. I could use that ability to spy on our enemies." The prince's words earned him a glare from the two girls, who quickly retorted,

"Who cares about those people? They don't let us participate in those things! Wouldn't it be better to know what animals are thinking when they make noises? Sereth told us that months ago. I still remember that day." Trianna fell silent, not delving any further, but Nasuada knew what she meant.

"Exactly! Sereth can feel what it's like to fly when he connects with a bird. That's way more amazing than spying on other people." The brunette's words made Arya nod in agreement.

As a child, she did the same thing when she learned that skill. Not just with birds, but with moles, foxes, and any other animal found in Du Weldenvarden*. Orrin's approach also gave her an idea: What if she used animals to spy on her enemies? She had never thought of that before!

'Humans can be so resourceful,' thought Arya, who was accustomed to living among them. If she were an elf like her companions, she would have judged and lectured the young people, but she, being younger, was much more flexible. 

"Let's talk about that when I get it. In the meantime, Arya, look at what I drew." Sereth approached the group and interrupted their conversation when he placed the sheet of paper with the elf's portrait in front of Arya.

The drawing was a bust of Arya, rendered in great detail and almost seeming lifelike. However, it wasn't just a realistic depiction of the elf. Rather, Sereth played with the shadows to capture her timeless essence: her confident smile, her watchful eyes despite being in a safe place, and her slender neck holding her head high, portraying the innate pride all elves possess.

Arya had seen paintings created with and without magic, and she had seen drawings far more detailed than Sereth's. But when she saw the portrait he had drawn of her, she could sense that he had captured things she wasn't even aware of herself. 

"It's an excellent drawing. I'll keep it. Thank you," Arya said, holding the sheet of paper. In her mind, she already knew what to give the princess for her birthday: something perfect for the gesture she wanted to make toward the girl and for King Larkin's request.

Chapter Text

The day had finally arrived. Today, Sereth would turn eight years old and begin her magic apprenticeship and martial arts training.

It was going to be a momentous day! It marked the pivotal moment when the young princess's life would change completely. She would gradually begin to assume responsibilities befitting her status. This process would culminate when she turned 16. At that point, she would be considered an adult.

In a sense, she was beginning a preparatory process for adulthood, a time of rapid growth and development, in which she would be nurtured to reach her full potential.

Aberon Castle had been abuzz with activity for several days, but today, the servants seemed to have taken some kind of stimulant. They ran through the hallways, shouting and making sure that everything was ready for the celebration.

The guards had been reinforced because many people from outside the castle were expected, including visiting nobles, party staff, and people with special skills useful for the festivities.

The soldiers were responsible for maintaining order and security within the castle. It was of the utmost importance that everything went smoothly and that no problems arose. Though some had their doubts, the guards who knew Sereth took the matter very seriously.

They were going to protect the princess on this special day! After interacting sporadically with her for years, the guards had grown fond of the girl. Both men and women were willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

After all, it was rare for nobles to learn the names of their subordinates, let alone take the time to chat with them casually while maintaining a certain level of respect and not showing disdain or contempt.

Sereth was one of those people who knew the name of every guard, servant, cook, gardener, and carpenter who did occasional repairs at the castle. She remembered them, and that meant the world to them!

They were loyal to the king, after all. Larkin was an excellent monarch and a great general, but you'd never see the king chatting about a guard's son or how to get him to eat his vegetables.

Not even Queen Jeanne, known for her kindness, was so open with her subjects. Meanwhile, Prince Orrin treated them as people beneath him, though not in a derogatory way. Still, the difference in treatment was noticeable.

Meanwhile, what had become of Sereth on this crucial day? Her face was red, and her cheeks were puffed out as she looked at herself in a polished silver mirror while her mother pulled hard at her hair with a wooden comb.

"What a mess you have on your head, Sereth! Not even Torena's softening potion works! Was it that lightning generator? Why did you let it ruin your hair like that?" Jeanne asked, struggling with the girl's frizzy, tangled hair and making little progress.

"I don't want a party! I want to learn magic now!" Sereth exclaimed angrily, causing Jeanne to look in the mirror and stare directly into a pair of eyes identical to her own.

"But a birthday like this is important, dear. It's not like the small parties you had before. Nobles from all over the country will come to see you. The elves will be here for your celebration, even if they're hidden under their hoods." 

It's an important step. The magic can wait until tomorrow. It won't disappear just because you don't start learning it today," Jeanne said in a soft, understanding tone. The princess kept pouting, exasperating her mother a little. Her expression began to change.

"Sereth Larkinsson! Don't even think about throwing a tantrum, fainting, or getting a nosebleed! Today is your special day! I'll do your hair. You'll wear the beautiful silk dress made just for today. You'll also wear the tiara I had made for you the day after you were born." The woman turned her daughter's body so that they were both staring at each other, one looking up and the other looking down.

Jeanne began speaking loudly, guessing her daughter's thoughts. Sereth couldn't help but check her mental defenses, thinking her mother had breached her mind. Then, the woman crouched down to her level, bringing her face close to the girl's. There, she whispered a few words.

"You will walk out into the hall and smile, dazzling everyone with your beauty and innocence. You will inspire artists and troubadours with your charm. You will eat in silence while they give you gifts. Then, you will dance with your father. Only then, at that very moment, will you be free." The queen's words were not a request, but an order that Sereth must obey no matter what. 

Jeanne was a loving and caring mother, but she was also firm and knew how to discipline her children, especially her restless youngest daughter. At eight years old, she never ceased to surprise her.

Sereth fell silent, lowering her head and relaxing her grip. Even her cheeks sagged. She stared sadly at the floor, but Jeanne wasn't fooled by her look of a wronged puppy.

"You're eight years old now. It's time to start growing up. I wish you could keep playing carefree like before. But as the princess of the only country not under the Mad Emperor's rule, I can't let you do whatever you want, whenever you want. 

Your sweet expression won't change a thing. You're too old for that to work anymore," Jeanne said sternly. Upon hearing her mother's harsh words, Sereth looked up with a small smile on her lips, no trace of sadness remaining.

"How do you always figure out what I'm thinking and doing? You can't read minds anymore!" the girl exclaimed, disbelief evident in her voice. Jeanne lifted her chin, her gaze bearing a hint of arrogant admiration, like a swan.

"My dear, I am a queen and a mother. If I were unable to discern what a brat like you is thinking, it would be best for Larkin to take a second wife. But that will only happen when Angvard claims me for his kingdom," Jeanne replied. She flashed a smile as she touched her daughter's delicate nose, making her laugh.

"I know you heard me clearly. I know you have a gift that lets you see things that others don't. I hope you see the hardships and sacrifices that everyone around you makes for you. 

Because someday, you'll have to do it all on your own. Mom won't be here forever, so spend this day with me, okay? That way, when you're old, you'll have a beautiful memory to cherish." Jeanne softened her tone as she spoke to her daughter. She hugged her after saying those words, a gesture Sereth returned.

"All right, Mom. I'll remember everything you did for me. I'll remember this day clearly," the princess murmured, closing her eyes tightly and making a vow to herself.

'I swear I will never forget everything you have done for me.'

…

A soft yet lively tune echoed through the main hall of the castle, where the celebration was taking place. Some older guests chatted among themselves, sipping wine, while the younger guests socialized or ran about the room.

Though the crowd was small, the festive atmosphere and constant chatter made the place seem lively. Three hooded figures stood out from the crowd with their meticulously tailored outfits and dazzling jewelry.

If anyone could see through the fabric and occasional magical protection, they would notice a beauty surpassing that of a noblewoman's low-cut gown. After all, elves are supremely beautiful!

"Human celebrations are so boring and pointless," said the man to the left of the only woman in the group. His words were scathing, and, not wanting to be understood, he used the ancient language to communicate with his companions.

"What did you expect? I thought you'd adapted after so many years," the man on the right replied, stifling a laugh. The figure in the middle, Arya, shook her head as she enjoyed the fruit served especially for them.

"Fäolin, Glenwing, we are here as envoys and guests. Humans are a bit crude, yes, but they have many interesting qualities," the elf replied in defense of the gathering. However, the man to her left shook his head.

"Tsk. Isn't it just because you like that strange human girl who keeps probing our minds? A rude little nobody whose face we'll have forgotten in a hundred years," said Glenwing sarcastically. The conversation paused for a few seconds until the man on the right replied.

"Glenwing, you're going too far with your comments. Haven't you learned anything in all these decades? That contempt will cost you dearly in the future if you can't control it. You need to be more Midhring*," said Fäolin. Arya nodded, happy that he was defending her. She reached out and held his hand in an intimate gesture.

"So what if she's a fleeting Wérthoro*? So what if she's rude? Aren't all children like that? Didn't you throw mud in people's faces when you were young? I remember that," said the elf, embarrassing Glenwing.

"It's her birthday, so I plan to give her a gift and use our time here to teach her how to use it." Who knows? Maybe it will work; maybe it won't," Arya whispered, using a magic spell that caused both elves to stiffen for a moment.

None of the three had much hope, but what if it did happen? They couldn't simply dismiss the possibility, no matter how remote, so they had to try. Glenwing was reluctant. He believed that something so important shouldn't leave Du Weldenvarden* and that it shouldn't be entrusted to humans.

However, he couldn't decide such important matters. He was merely Arya's protector, and she was responsible for the vital object. Besides, there was clearly a rift between him and his two companions, who were in the early stages of a romance, though it hadn't gone any further.

"If you mean that gift, I think it's a wonderful gesture. I hate to admit it, but your sketch really captured part of your essence," Glenwing said, wanting to lighten the mood. He decided to continue on this topic, prompting Fäolin to join in.

"Yes! Even I was surprised that he didn't use any spells. It amazes me what humans are capable of; despite being disadvantaged by magic. With your gift, it would be like turning the young princess into a Skulblaka*." Fäolin said, gently squeezing Arya's hand. He enjoyed the closeness that this simple gesture brought them, and for now, neither of them needed anything more than sharing warmth in this way.

Just as they were still talking, the king entered and motioned to a servant standing beside him. The servant took out a small bell and rang it, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.

Thus, the nobles, wealthy merchants, famous artists, musicians, and special guests all turned to look at the monarch, who was dressed in full regalia with a jeweled sword at his waist and a golden crown on his head. 

As he met the gaze of those present, King Larkin smiled slightly while gathering his thoughts. Today would be the first time his youngest daughter, the Princess of Surda, Sereth, would make an official appearance. He was equally excited and nervous. 

"Today, you are here to celebrate the eighth birthday of my daughter, Sereth Larkinsson. You are here to witness the beginning of a new chapter in her life and to see her embark on a path that many of us have already walked. I have nothing more to say so as not to steal the spotlight, which does not belong to me today. Please come in, Princess Sereth," said King Larkin. The hall door slowly opened and let in the girl who had been called. 

She wore a silver tiara that adorned her straight black hair, along with a dress made of purple silk with tiny sparkling dots. The countless candles in the hall's chandeliers made her look as if she were bathed in starlight.

Many didn't know her, but her entrance made a strong impression on those present, especially her gray eyes staring absently into space as she walked toward her father. 

"That dress looks nice," Glenwing admitted. Human fashion sometimes surprised him, even though he disliked it. It was well-made, which he appreciated, since creating various types of garments was one of his personal hobbies. 

"She looks like a Fëon* emerging from her cocoon," commented Fäolin, inspired by Sereth's appearance. He was quite skilled at creating flowers and making plants grow with his song.

"Worthy of a Fairth*, isn't it?" Arya whispered. This time, her two companions nodded in agreement. They were young among the elves, and their time with the Varden hadn't taught them much about humans.

This time, each of them learned a little about the true essence of this ephemeral race's aesthetic on their own.

Chapter Text

Sereth was destined to be the center of attention at the celebration, but her stunning appearance and ethereal aura left many in awe. Many of those present had never seen the young princess before. 

As is the case with all members of royalty or noble families, they had heard gossip and rumors. They said the princess was strange, capricious, rebellious, and even rude because she would stare at people intensely and for a long time. 

However, it was also known how intelligent, kind, understanding, and amusing she could be, with her witticisms. Every servant and guard at Aberón Castle had stories about Sereth that inevitably leaked to the outside world.

Even so, those who saw her every day were surprised by her current appearance. Nasuada, Trianna, and even King Larkin and Prince Orrin were no exception. When the princess stopped in front of her father, he blinked several times, trying to confirm that the fairy was indeed his daughter.

"Of course I am," Sereth murmured. She didn't need to read her father's mind to know what he was thinking. Her comment made Larkin burst out laughing as he bent down to hug her, disregarding the etiquette he was supposed to follow.

"You sound just like your mother when you say that," the king murmured as his daughter returned the gesture. Nothing in the world would stop him from doing that! As a father, he wanted his daughter to be perfect and as comfortable as possible. 

But as a monarch, he knew that was impossible. People are imperfect, and comfort is fleeting for a member of the royal family, especially given their duties.

Today, however, he didn't have to think about that. Instead, he thought about how his daughter was growing up, which made him feel both happy and heartbroken. He was happy because his daughter was on the right path: growing, developing, learning about the world, making friends, and learning magic.

He was heartbroken because he feared receiving the news that his daughter had been killed. After all, all Surdans were warriors; they had to be if they didn't want to fall under the oppressive yoke of the Mad Emperor. 

His daughter would fight against threats to the country, be they creatures from the Beor Mountains, the sea, or the north, in the constant border skirmishes. Would his daughter fall victim to a soldier? Or to a bandit looking for a few coins?

Especially now that she might study magic. Mages are a risky profession! They might enjoy high status, but because of their importance, they were always the first to be eliminated in any battle.

Larkin could only keep those emotions buried deep within her heart. She was determined not to let them ruin her daughter's party. Even though she had put up a mental barrier, some thoughts inevitably seeped through due to her emotional turmoil. This allowed Sereth, whose mind was always attuned to hers, to sense them. 

That's how Sereth caught glimpses of her father's conflicting emotions, and she tightened her embrace. On her eighth birthday, she began to realize that her future path wasn't just what she wanted, but what she was meant to do.

'But no one says I can't balance both; after all, I have magic and my gift,' Sereth thought as her father and she broke apart from her father's embrace. Larkin adjusted the princess's tiara slightly, then looked at the crowd in the hall who were watching the pair. 

"Since the birthday girl is here, let the ball begin!" the king declared, bowing to his daughter and extending his hand in invitation with a smile that showed all his teeth.

"May I have this dance, Princess Sereth Larkinsson?" the king asked with feigned pomposity. This caused Sereth to burst into laughter as she curtsied to accept the invitation.

"It will be a pleasure to dance with you, Your Majesty, King Larkin," the princess replied before taking her father's hand. To the sound of soft music, they performed a standard ballroom dance.

The height difference might have been amusing in other contexts, but no one dared make fun of it at a celebration like this. This was Sereth's first official appearance, where she would step into the public eye for the first time among the most important figures in Surda and possibly the Empire. 

It was inevitable, but even so, the atmosphere was festive, and no one dwelt on that subject for long. What if Galbatorix knew there was a new princess in Surda? To him, she was just a country girl. However, the Surdans didn't care about his opinion.

After her first dance with the king, Sereth danced with Orrin, who was uncomfortable with all the attention he was receiving. He hadn't liked his own seventh birthday party, but he was much more mature now.

"How does it feel to have so many strangers staring at you?" the prince whispered. Sereth rolled her eyes and shook her head gently. 

"Strange, but there are also new minds to explore, especially those who are vulnerable. Those artists plan to depict my image. Remember to tell our father to demand payment or an original copy of everything they create," the princess replied in a low voice. This slightly surprised her brother, who burst out laughing. 

"That's an excellent idea! Do you think there should be a law regarding the use of people's likenesses?" Even at a party, the prince's mind never stopped working, always coming up with new ideas.

"Yes! That way, we can exercise some control over our public image. Imagine if they drew me with a big nose and people thought I had a long nose," she said, sticking out her tongue to mock such an unrealistic scenario. Though she was reluctant at first, she was having fun and really enjoying her birthday. 

However, not everything was perfect. Just as there were people who liked the princess and were impressed by her, there were also people who complained about her under their breath, showing their displeasure. 

"Did I really have to waste my time just to see a princess who won't even inherit the throne?" In the dimly lit hall, several people murmured among themselves.

"Hey, she's just a weird little brat, that's all. Look at her unfocused eyes. Maybe she fell when she was little. When I was a kid, we used to kick around a crazy guy who looked exactly like her," remarked one of them, causing the others to chuckle under their breath. 

"By the way, I suppose they'll marry her off to some noble. Or maybe our king will come up with the brilliant idea of returning to the Empire and giving the 'little princess' as tribute to one of those fat nobles from the north," a female voice said, her tone dripping with venom. 

"Don't you dare speak of the Empire in this castle! No matter what affiliations you have outside this castle, here we are all loyal to Surda, right?" the first figure retorted, causing the others to fall silent for a moment. 

"Anyway, I just asked a servant to prepare a modest gift. What does it matter what some girl who'll never sit on the throne thinks? You need to curry favor with Orrin, but I hear he's a weirdo who does weird things in private. 

It's not even an interesting scandal, like sleeping with a noble's daughter. He just practices witchcraft. It really makes you wonder about the future of this country..." The conversation and scathing comments whispered among them didn't stop. They were confident no one would hear them since they were in a secluded spot.

However, there was one very curious person with highly developed telepathic abilities. Not all nobles or important figures had mental defenses. This skill was known to few and was generally possessed by those of great power or renown who had been mentored by a mage or had inherited such knowledge from their ancestors. 

While Sereth danced with her brother, she slipped into the minds of people she had never interacted with, albeit only very superficially. When she detected waves of ill will directed at her, her family, and the country in general, she focused on them. 

Thus, she was able to connect her mind with one of those figures and listen in on part of the conversation. The disdainful words directed at her did not bother her as much as she initially thought they would. However, she was caught off guard by the fact that those people seemed to have certain connections with individuals in the Empire.

Sereth could not, and did not dare, extract those people's memories from such a great distance, much less in public, where she was now. For that, she would need closer contact in a private setting. Simply intruding on their minds to hear their thoughts and grasp their perspectives was enough for her.

'I'll have to talk to Dad after this so he can check on the guests and certain individuals. A hundred years is a long time for some people to forget atrocities,' the princess thought before pushing that thought aside.

The banquet was about to begin, and Sereth didn't want to ruin her appetite by thinking about such things. However, Sereth was somewhat petty and carried out what would be the first of many mental attacks on others. 

As the music drew to a close, she focused her mind, shaping its outward projection into a spike and striking the consciousness of the person who had said the most hurtful things to her.

This caused her victim to experience a terrible headache and go rigid for a moment before collapsing to the floor. Blood streamed from her nose, her eyes were glazed over, and she experienced occasional muscle spasms, indicating that she was still alive. 

This certainly drew attention; someone collapsing at the princess's birthday party? It was an extremely serious matter! But, after confirming that there was no poison in the person's drink and finding no trace of poisoning in their body, even after mage Norm and sorceress Torena performed magic, they determined that the person had simply suffered a sudden health complication, as can sometimes happen.

However, the two magic users who examined the man, as well as the three elves present at the celebration who were hidden beneath their hoods, cast subtle glances at Sereth, who did not shy away from their stares. 

"Well, she's not just a blossoming Fëon*; she's also full of thorns," said Fäolin. He felt little pity for the unconscious person since he wasn't of his kind or group. In fact, he hadn't even seen her before.

"Hehe, it seems even human children are as cruel as adults." Glenwing was still somewhat against Sereth, but his attitude toward her improved when he saw her enter and witnessed how decisive she could be.

Of course, they had no context for the situation. However, knowing the princess's interest in delving into people's minds, albeit supposedly under control and supervision, they couldn't help but suspect that she had seen something in that unfortunate fellow's head.

"I don't think what she did was right. She could have gotten hurt. Children's minds are vulnerable." Arya, the most compassionate of the three, didn't defend the man but instead worried about the human girl. 

The elf was compassionate but selective with her compassion. She had seen plenty of internal strife among human and dwarf societies, whose feuds could span entire clans and centuries of conflict.

"Well, didn't you report it to her mother? Didn't they tell you that the girl knows how to control herself? I don't understand how a child can have self-control, especially a human," Glenwing muttered. Fäolin nodded in agreement.

"The thing is, it's already over, and it doesn't seem to have escalated. The girl looks fine. But if you want, we can cast diagnostic spells on her, just in case we missed something," said Fäolin, causing Arya to snort in agreement. 

Despite the peculiar incident, the banquet continued, though it took a while, as the magic users had to verify that the food wasn't poisoned. This added to the heavy atmosphere, but it soon livened up when the list of gifts began to be announced. 

This was the moment that many people had been waiting for! Through the gesture they made to the princess, they were able to make themselves known and learn about the situation of others, including potential competitors.

If your gift was generic or of little value, it could indicate your decline and serve as a perfect tell for your opponents. A valuable gift clearly showed how powerful and wealthy you were, but there were nuances.

The gift couldn't be too extravagant because it was a little girl's birthday party, after all. What would a child do with a pearl necklace, which is typically worn by married women? Moreover, if you were too ostentatious, it could send the wrong message: that you were trying to show off at the royal family's expense or pretending to be something you weren't.

Mastering the art of giving the perfect gift was a crucial etiquette lesson, though it depended on the person, because some took it too lightly. Today, however, was an opportunity for those who took it seriously to demonstrate what they had learned. 

With the atmosphere relaxed thanks to the wine and food, everyone turned their attention to the highly anticipated gifts. They wanted to see what the princess would receive!

Chapter Text

The gifts were arranged from least to most valuable. The first ones presented were ordinary items, such as rare books, since the princess was known to be interested in them, and common items, like rings and necklaces.

However, things got interesting when one of the gifts turned out to be a goblet made from an Urgal's horn and finely crafted with gold thread on the outside. The Urgals threatened the Spine.

This famous mountain range was located within the Empire, but during their raids, certain groups of Urgals would reach Surda, leading to interactions between the Urgals and the Surdans. This goblet marked the beginning of the finest gifts of the evening.

"John Storm of House Storm presents Princess Sereth Larkinsson with a gem found on the corpse of a Nïdhwal, treasured by his family for the past ten years." This was the second significant gift, causing everyone present to look up, eager to get a better view.

Even the elves present took an interest in it since Nïdhwalar could be considered relatives of the legendary dragons. They may not have been as powerful as dragons in magical terms, but they were intelligent and capable of using telepathy to hunt, making them creatures at the top of their ecological niche. 

These sea serpents are known to have slain dragons and inspired many legends, especially in Surda, a country with a long coastline and a history of seafaring, such as the folk tale of a Nïdhwal that slept at the bottom of the sea and was extraordinarily long. 

Though these creatures lived in the deep sea, it was no secret that they could venture into shallower waters in search of food. Whether in the open sea or not, all Surdan sailors knew that if they saw something dark in the water, they should pray that Angvard would not welcome them into his realm at that moment.

You could say they were the pinnacle of creatures in Alagaësia. Therefore, anything belonging to them was quite valuable, even if it came from a carcass that was found rather than hunted by people. 

A small, ornately shaped box on a red velvet cushion was brought to Sereth, who was seated at the head table of the banquet with her friends. Now, her attention was focused on this gift.

The servant opened the box, revealing what appeared to be an irregular gem with facets and sharp angles. It was the size of a baby's fist and had an attractive bluish sheen. Sereth instinctively focused her mind on the gem, but, feeling nothing, felt a little sad.

'I thought I'd find something. Perhaps I need to look harder,' the princess thought. She nodded as the servant closed the wooden box and took it to a separate room where she could be alone with her gifts after the party.

"Lord Jonas has presented Princess Sereth Larkinsson with a finely forged sword by one of the dwarves of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, among the finest smiths on the continent." This time, the princess was presented with a sword of distinctive design. 

It was not a typical straight sword. Even in its sheath, one could see that it was slightly curved. With King Larkin's permission, Lord Jonas was seated at the same table as his daughter. The servant unsheathed the weapon, revealing it in its entirety.

It was ninety centimeters long, not including the hilt. It was curved with a chilling edge that reflected the light from the candelabras. The blade featured a peculiar wave pattern as well as words written in the Dwarven language. Sereth interpreted them as 'Iron Fang.'

According to Jonas, the dwarf who forged the sword, he had been inspired by the legendary swords carried by the Dragon Riders and wanted to replicate them. During the creation process, he had a flash of inspiration.

The final product is not a typical straight sword but a slightly curved one, like the weapons used by the nomads of the Hadarac Desert," said the presenter. Sereth wanted to touch the weapon, but, since she had no experience with them, she preferred to watch as they sheathed and removed it. 

"To go with the sword, why don't we talk about the next gift? This one is from Lord Ajihad and Miss Nasuada. It's an ocarina made from iron sand from the Hadarac Desert with silver details." The ocarina was presented to Sereth, who, this time, didn't hesitate to take it in her hands with no intention of letting it go.

"Thank you!" the princess whispered to her friend sitting next to her. Nasuada simply smiled at her before making an inviting gesture. Sereth didn't hesitate, bringing the musical instrument to her lips.

A song came to the girl's mind, and she began to play the ocarina instinctively, striking up a lively melody. She didn't know why something from her past life had come to her this way. Perhaps it hadn't been so mediocre after all. That song belonged to a video game she had known in her past life.

This song belonged to a species that never grew up. They lived in a forest sheltered by a great talking tree, and they had lifelong companions called fairies. Could she have an eternal companion like that, too?

The melody captivated the elves, especially Glenwing, who enjoyed listening to birdsong for hours before composing songs based on what he heard. Instinctively, the elf tapped his feet to the rhythm.

"I don't know why, but that song has a distinctly elven quality to it. Where could she have learned it?" Fäolin glanced sideways at Glenwing. Noticing his gaze, Glenwing stopped tapping his feet and looked away, embarrassed.

"It wasn't me! But maybe I could compose a song for her ocarina. Since Arya has a gift for her, it would be rude not to give her something from me as well," Glenwing justified as he received knowing glances from his two teammates.

"That's an excellent idea, Glenwing. You can give your gift along with mine. What will you give her, Fäolin?" Arya asked with a smile, causing her partner to bring his hand to his chin. The question made him pause to think.

"I hadn't planned on doing anything like this. But since the two of you are giving a gift, wouldn't it be rude not to do the same? I'll give her the flower I created when she walked into the hall. 

It represents her completely and will remind her of this day," Fäolin said, snapping his fingers. Arya and Glenwing stepped forward, clearly in agreement with the gesture.

The elves' conversation was interrupted by the crowd's sudden applause. The crowd clapped just after Sereth finished her impromptu recital. The princess simply bowed her head in respect.

"What an excellent piece of music! Thank you for delighting us with your talent, Princess Sereth." The next gift was presented by Lady Torena and Miss Trianna: an enchanted necklace! The enchantment remains a private matter. This gift sparked some conversation among those present.

After all, it is a magical object! The Nïdhwal gem didn't count because, although it came from a magical creature, its significance was only its rarity as belonging to such a powerful being.

Obviously, it was not public knowledge that the gem represented this type of special organ. Therefore, it was regarded as an extremely rare gem whose formation process was likened to that of pearls.

But a magical object? It was incredibly valuable! Moreover, depending on the enchantment, its value could be priceless. When the princess was presented with the necklace, she was amazed.

It appeared to have been woven using gold threads instead of organic materials. A small opal served as the perfect finishing touch, showcasing its multicolored beauty. As the princess examined the necklace, she felt a slight mental probe with a unique combination that revealed the identity of its creator.

'Mom did all the work. I just used a few spells to craft it. It took me a while since I barely know anything about magic." The opal, however, was something my family had stored away for years. We didn't know how to use it until now.

The enchantment keeps your skin soft, but it requires energy. I think you'll be able to improve it once you learn magic,' Trianna's voice emerged in Sereth's mind. Sereth didn't need a secret code to identify her, but they both insisted on using one because of certain ideas they'd had earlier.

Just as it had with Nasuada's gift, the princess's heart melted at that gesture. So far, the best gifts had come from her friends. This was undoubtedly one of the best days of her life.

Without hesitation, Sereth took the necklace and handed it to Trianna. Then she turned away to let her put it on. The princess found herself holding two gifts and appreciating the thought behind them rather than the objects themselves.

She would never part with these gifts, not in a million years!

...

The day after Sereth's birthday, the girl's physical training began first thing in the morning. She had to run around the practice area first to prepare her body for the exercises that followed.

She was starting to hate this. She had barely finished one lap when her face was already covered in sweat. She couldn't wipe it away, though, because if she lost her rhythm, her older brother would call her out on it. Orrin was acting as her physical trainer, a role that would serve as a learning experience for the prince in the future.

The trio of elves watched from a distance. This time, their bodies were uncovered since the area was private and completely enclosed. There weren't any servants nearby, though certain familiar figures from the castle were present.

"How nice that you don't have to leave so soon! Traveling with the elves must be incredible!" Trianna whispered to Nasuada, who nodded before glancing sideways at the two male elves and blushing a little. The same thing happened to the first elf.

The elves were handsome regardless of their gender! They had already seen Arya, whose beauty was dazzling, but they never imagined that Fäolin, with his red hair, and Glenwing, with his silver locks, would be just as handsome.

However, the two men were used to humans being impressed by their appearance. For that reason, and considering that the two were girls, they didn't think much of the young pair's cheeky glances.

Even if they had been adults, the elves wouldn't have cared. Nor would they have taken any interest in the girls beyond what was strictly necessary because, for elves, humans rarely matched their aesthetic or personal tastes.

After all, if you lived among beings who were as beautiful as you, and who could adopt special traits like mimicking animals depending on their hobbies, would you pay attention to simple, coarse humans whose beauty tended to be average at best?

It rarely happened! That's why half-elves were almost a legendary tale in Alagaësia, but they did exist. Getting back to the elves, they held packages in their hands while watching Sereth run.

"Should we interrupt?" Fäolin asked in a low voice. Arya shook her head. She decided to remain silent because she wanted to pay attention to the girl. She saw something in her determination to keep running despite being out of breath.

It reminded her of her own past. She didn't want to interrupt; she wanted to see just how persistent Sereth was. That was partly the reason for her actions. Orrin wanted to know how much stamina his previously pampered sister had so that he and her trainers could devise a suitable training regimen.

Sereth didn't want to give up easily, so she ran another lap. Her breathing was loud and labored, and her chest rose and fell heavily. But she kept running, even though her feet hurt and felt heavy.

One step after another, one lap after another. The whispering and eavesdropping of the two girls stopped. King Larkin, Queen Jeanne, Ajihad, leader of the Varden, Norm, the mage, Torena, the sorceress, the three elven ambassadors, and Prince Orrin all watched her intently. They saw how she refused to give up, even though she was on her last legs.

After six laps, Sereth's body could take no more. She lost her strength, fell to the ground, and cut her hands on the gravel. She didn't cry out, and no one went to help her.

Orrin crouched down beside her and watched as his younger sister lay with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep on the floor. He frowned, wanting to say something. Suddenly, Sereth reached out her blood-covered hand toward him.

"Are you going to help me up or not? My feet hurt!" Sereth exclaimed, despite being almost out of breath. Orrin burst out laughing before taking her hand and lifting her onto his shoulder as he stood up.

"Sorry, I'm late. I just wanted to see if you were awake," the prince said with a laugh. Sereth gently punched his back with her fists as she squirmed.

"Silly Orrin! How am I supposed to sleep when I haven't finished training? Besides, I'm learning magic today!" the princess shouted. She drew energy from somewhere to throw a tantrum, but Orrin didn't let her fall from his shoulder.

"Human children's vitality remains excellent," Fäolin murmured, glancing at the package in his hand and wondering if he should present it.

"Come on, let's hand out our gifts. We're running late." Seeing the pair of siblings approach, Arya looked to the side where the king and queen stood, eagerly awaiting their children's arrival.

After a few minutes, during which Sereth took the same potion his brother always took after training and realized why her brother always grimaced when he did so, the princess found herself face-to-face with the three elves, while her family and friends stood behind her.

"Your Highness, please forgive us for the delay in presenting our gifts. We couldn't possibly conceal something like this, much less our identities, in public," said Arya, gesturing to herself and the others.

They were elves, and elves were no longer viewed by the masses as they once were. Only a few nobles and citizens of Surda knew they were here; the rest remained in the dark. They couldn't reveal themselves at a celebration like Sereth's birthday, or the Mad Emperor might do something reckless.

Besides, their gifts were special, and without context, they could be discarded as discourteous by servants who couldn't appreciate their value.

"Your ocarina sounds lovely, so I adapted my best melodies, learned from the birds, for that instrument. I hope you understand and appreciate its value as much as I do." Glenwing was the first to show the package in his hand. As he unwrapped it, a small notebook with a green cover, resembling tree leaves, appeared.

Sereth carefully took the notebook and opened it. Inside, she saw a staff with musical notes engraved on what appeared to be a thin layer of tree bark. The princess didn't smell ink, but rather chlorophyll. Clearly, everything had been written with this material, which explained why the contents were green.

"Last night, you were like a flower about to bloom, with a few thorns, of course. So I spent part of the night and morning singing to a rosebud, using all my skill to create a specimen that would properly represent you." Fäolin said this as he removed the cloth covering his package.

In a glass jar was a small amount of soil containing a flower that resembled a rose. Its purple petals were edged in silver, and they seemed to shimmer with different colors depending on the angle of the light.

The rose had long, red thorns that looked menacing but also gave the ethereal flower a somewhat earthlier touch. It was an exceedingly beautiful specimen, causing Sereth to instinctively examine her gift, studying it in minute detail.

This rose was not like those that grew in the castle gardens. It was a different kind of existence, richer in detail, so to speak. She had to resist the urge to keep analyzing it; otherwise, she would undoubtedly be captivated for hours, something she could not afford right now.

"And this is my gift. I hope you like it," Arya said. She unwrapped the cloth from her package, revealing a piece of slate with a vivid, detailed image of Sereth from the night before.

"This is a Fairth*, a painting created with magic. In the week we have left, I can teach you how to make them. I think you'd like to know how, wouldn't you?" The elf placed the stone in Sereth's hands. She couldn't take her eyes off her own portrait.

There were several paintings, both hers and those of other artists, but there was something about this piece of slate that was different. She definitely wanted to learn that technique! She couldn't wait to take lessons from the beautiful elf Arya!

Chapter Text

That same afternoon, after Sereth received ointment and bandages for her scrapes, her long-awaited magic lesson began.

Several people had gathered in the room where Sereth had studied since she was five: Princess Sereth, who couldn't miss it; her teachers, Norm and Torena; Trianna; and Nasuada, who wanted to spend her last week with her friends. Surprisingly, Arya was there too.

"Sereth, today your magical training begins. I will do my best to teach you everything I can. You already know all the words of the Ancient Language that I have compiled over the decades of my life," Norm said, sitting in his rocking chair with an unlit pipe in his mouth.

Mentioning his collection of words in the Ancient Language filled him with a touch of pride. After all, since the fall of the Dragon Riders and the elves' isolation in Du Weldenvarden*, access to that knowledge had been extremely limited.

The only thing left to do was search ancient ruins for glyphs that could be deciphered or old scrolls with scattered words of this magical language hidden in crevices. Occasionally, a few mages, warlocks, and sorcerers would gather and share knowledge, but that wasn't common.

More often, you would fight a magic user and find more spells among their belongings. Sometimes, you could extract spells from a magic user while they were still alive through torture, both physical and mental.

This had been the magical world ever since the Mad Emperor came to power. He made sure to tell Sereth all about it. Yes, there were elves around who could give her advice now, but she would be on her own in the future, so she had to be aware of that.

"I've taught you what little I know about telepathy. You know all the necessary precautions, but this time, we'll get down to the real stuff. Remember, magic is neither a game nor a miracle. It is what it is: part of you. Do not worship it, nor despise it," the mage advised, causing Sereth to nod. Judging by the looks on Torena and Arya's faces, however, it was clear they did not agree.

Norm noticed this, but there wasn't much he could do. That's just how magic was. Everyone had their own concept of it, which is why learning was so highly valued. It allowed masters to pass on their thoughts and ideals to their apprentices. 

A case like Sereth's, in which a mage and a sorceress joined forces to teach her magic, had only happened in the past when Dragon Riders were trained institutionally. This had a lot to do with the princess's status and King Larkin's obvious influence over Surda. Otherwise, no matter how close a friend Norm was to Torena's mother, he wouldn't have shared his apprentice with the sorceress. 

What could he say about Arya? She had surely spent more years living and learning magic than he had, not to mention that her first language was the Ancient Language. Arya possessed what he had sought so earnestly in his youth simply by being born. 

Elves were the greatest practitioners and researchers of magic in Alagaësia. What did they think of magic? Perhaps they had differences of opinion, but they could explore them together. Human mages, on the other hand, were only concerned with survival and barely passing on a legacy.

Norm sighed. He had thought the gift Arya would give Sereth would be a dictionary of new words in the Ancient Language, not the method for creating a Fairth*, a process he knew existed but did not know how to make. 

'At least she's here. There's always something to be learned,' Norm thought to himself, gathering his thoughts and returning to his plans for the day: teaching Sereth how to use magical power.

"You already know the meditation process, but now we're going to take it a step further. I want you to close your eyes and focus your mind, just as you've always done." Resuming his instruction, the elderly mage began to speak. His voice was unusually soft but carried clearly throughout the study.

"However, it is not your mind that you will explore, but something deeper. Something every mage is born with. I told you about it before. Call it whatever you like: 'Magic Gate,' 'Magic Well,' or 'Magic Pool.' 

Use whichever concept you prefer, but that is where resistance, vitality, energy, or whatever you wish to call it, is exchanged for magical power." The mage's eyes, clouded by old age, grew unusually bright at that moment, and his back straightened instinctively as he explained.

"Those terms are mere associations. What matters is what you'll do next, Sereth. Look deep within yourself, not in your mind, but beyond it. Not in your body. It's not an organ, yet it's a part of you that you've never seen or touched. It's there, waiting." At that moment, both Arya and Torena looked at the Norm with a touch of awe because, despite being just an old man, a mortal, a simple mage, a strange sensation emanated from him.

It was the weight of the years, the burden of experience, and the value of knowledge. This moment had resonated with a higher power, with the tides of magic. It was as if this primordial concept were closely observing the emergence of a new user of its power.

"It's already working. Your talent for telepathy proves it. But it's functioning automatically, like your heart. What we will do is take control of it and make it completely yours. It must not be triggered by your emotional outbursts, nor be influenced by external factors. It must be yours." Norm stood up and leaned on his staff. His ruby ring glowed faintly in the sunlight streaming through the window as if absorbing it. 

"Find it, Sereth. Seize its power. When you have it in your grasp, exchange it and obtain the magical power that has always belonged to you. When you do, cast a spell." The mage placed his index finger on the princess's forehead. He didn't unleash magic or do anything like that; he was just repeating something.

It was just as when he first used magic and his master touched his forehead. Yes, she was a shared apprentice, and perhaps the princess could not devote herself entirely to magic. But she was his apprentice! The legacy of years would now fall into Sereth's hands! That gesture symbolized the transfer!

The spirits of mages, sorcerers, and warlocks who had once roamed the continent peered into the study, silently observing everything that was happening. They had seen many mages, sorcerers, warlocks, and even Shades before.

But this time, they were watching a girl struggle to understand her teacher. Sereth delved deep within herself, searching the darkness for what she was meant to find.

She didn't find it, but she didn't despair. Instead, she kept trying. She felt a slight tug guiding her to the deepest part of herself as if it were calling her. Indeed, it was. It wanted to be discovered. It wanted to be used. It wanted to wield its power in the real world!

Sereth's mind touched what she could only describe as a tiny core. It was a sphere that spun constantly without any discernible color. Was that how she perceived it? Perfect! Then, she touched it with her mind. 

The darkness was dispelled by a sudden glow. Silvery lights enveloped her thoughts, drawing her closer to the sphere and connecting her deeply. No, she was rediscovering a connection that had always been there yet had been ignored.

Then, as it spun endlessly, a silvery liquid began to flow from the sphere. This was her own magical power. Instantly, as if by instinct or ancient wisdom, the princess knew it without anyone telling her. With it under her control, Sereth felt she could make any of her wishes come true. Her whole mind boiled with euphoria in that moment!

"Always remember my warnings and advice, my apprentice. Your intention must be clear, and your thoughts must be focused. Be aware of your limits; be aware of yourself." Norm's cold voice interrupted the unbridled thoughts and illusions into which the princess had fallen.

"It will be intoxicating when you gain that power. You'll want to do anything, but magical power isn't a miracle. It's your very essence. It's a limb you never knew was there until you rediscovered it. 

Now, if you've found the source of your magic, cast a spell." Norm stepped back but kept a short distance from Sereth, ready for any emergency that might occur when she cast a spell.

The girl opened her gray eyes and focused them on her open palm, which she raised before everyone. Then, a word came to her mind, a term closely related to her and the people who surrounded her.

"Garjzla*," she whispered. The magical power dissipated, and a small sphere of faint grayish light appeared in the princess's right hand. Though it barely glowed, its appearance signified one thing: Sereth had cast her first spell!

However, since it was her first time using magic, despite having memorized the entire process, knowing many tips, and taking the necessary precautions, she was a complete novice.

Overcome by the excitement of casting her first spell, she lost her concentration, the most basic mistake a mage can make. Thus, the gray sphere of light flickered several times before fading away completely.

That moment had passed, though. The princess had used magic for the first time, and the door to a new world swung wide open. Before, she could only peer through the cracks, but now she could step inside and take part in it. The magical surge that had manifested dissipated, satisfied with what had happened. Magic was blossoming once more in another person!

The other consciousnesses remained, watching and debating as Sereth wiped the sweat from her forehead, stood up, and approached her desk, where she had several pastries.

Even though it seemed easy, the process had drained her mental energy. It had also taken a physical toll, making her hungry. Now, with her mouth full of crumbs and her cheeks puffed out, she focused on reliving the sensations she had experienced.

When she accessed the core of her magic, as she had decided to call it, she felt that her constant headache, which was sometimes aggravated by her gift, had diminished considerably. 

'Could reconnecting with my magical core have made me able to handle my gift better? That would be interesting to find out!' Sereth's eyes shone brightly, eager to test this theory. Instead, she focused on recalling the sensation of seeking, connecting, and using magic.

She wanted to become completely familiar with the sensation of using magic. If possible, she wanted to be quick yet careful with the process. She knew it would be difficult, but adapting was part of the process.

"Old Man, I didn't think you still had such incredible poise," said Torena. Her lips were pursed, and her eyes were narrowed. She was a woman in her thirties with tousled blonde hair, blue eyes inherited from her mother, and a low-cut blue dress. 

Rather than looking like a magic teacher or an herbalist, she looked like a somewhat disheveled noblewoman, or rather, a humanoid fox. She looked at the master-apprentice duo carefully, assessing something that existed only in her mind.

"It seems I have a thing or two to learn from you, Master Norm," said Arya. As an elf, she was more sensitive to magic and could sense more clearly what had happened.

Magic was sometimes like that: unrestrained and not entirely bound by words, which were merely a means of interacting with it. Rituals didn't have to be elaborate. Anything could become a ritual if the circumstances were proper and the means were used.

For Arya, what had just happened was a small ritual, a sort of rudimentary magical initiation. Elves had their own rituals, and one similar to what had just taken place was common among them. She hadn't expected to see something like it among humans, though.

After all, humans had only had contact with this great power for 800 years. People's perceptions of time differ, but many things have happened to humans over eight centuries. For an elf, however, it was merely time that had passed. 

"My teacher did the same thing to me. He said his teacher did it, too. And so on, until we reached the first one. He's said to have been one of the first children to arrive on the continent long ago. He was also one of the first to learn magic," Norm replied. He didn't feel particularly proud of it. Sereth, however, was hearing this for the first time. She snapped out of her daze and looked at the old man in amazement. 

"Sereth, could you light my pipe for me?" The old man suddenly asked, holding out the pipe to the princess. She nodded, excited to use magic again.

She closed her eyes, and this time, she didn't have to search blindly for long. Instead, she followed the connection she had rediscovered and reached her magical core once more. She drew small portions of magical power from it to use for her next spell.

"Brisingr!" Perhaps because of her enthusiasm and the way she uttered the word, a small silver flame shot from Sereth's hand. Instead of lighting the tobacco, the flame burned the object completely.

Everyone looked down at the ground and saw the charred object emitting a somewhat intoxicating aroma. An old man lamented deeply to himself because that pipe had been with him for years.

"Master, have you forgotten who I am? I am a princess! I will have dozens of pipes made for you from the finest woods in the kingdom!" Sereth declared arrogantly, causing Norm to look at her with a forced smile. 

What an excellent apprentice the princess was!

Chapter Text

Later that afternoon, the atmosphere in the classroom had become quite lively thanks to the spells the princess had cast. After all, it was a significant milestone. 

"Now, you need to internalize the process of casting spells. Get used to keeping your mind focused while multitasking because you won't always have the luxury of casting magic with impunity," said Norm. He was still upset about the loss of his pipe, but the class had to continue. This time, he wasn't teaching alone. 

"Not only that, but you must also commit the necessary calculations to memory. How much fire is too much? How much energy should this spell consume to achieve exactly what I need? These are things you must explore. Luckily, you have us as guides for that process," Torena continued, and both the princess and her daughter nodded.

Trianna had started her magic classes right away, but that didn't mean she could outpace Sereth by much. Magical progress isn't measured by metrics or scales. It depends heavily on the user's learning speed and willingness to improve. 

Trianna was far from stupid; no fool can become a mage, but one could say that Sereth had the advantage, as she had been immersed in knowledge from a young age, not just about magic but about other subjects as well.

Although Trianna had taken an interest in that kind of knowledge, she couldn't make up for the two-year gap. However, she was a talented young woman, and her family had an excellent magical heritage. 

"Of course, magic can be refined with words, but remember, meaning and intention are also important. You can say a long incantation to achieve something, but an experienced magician can accomplish something you cannot with just a phrase or even a single word. 

There's a perfect example of this. A young mage had to cast a lengthy spell to obtain a gem from the ground. Meanwhile, an elderly mage on the verge of death only had to utter the word 'Adurna'* to replicate the same gem using only water." The sorceress recounted this, causing Sereth to tilt her head in confusion. What did a gem have to do with water? But, well, maybe that was just how magic worked.

"Hahaha, that's an excellent example. Too bad I haven't reached that level yet. The power of pure intention..." Like all old people, Norm's thoughts wandered as he recalled things from his past. However, he soon pulled himself together when he felt Torena's nudge, signaling him to continue with the lesson.

"Ahem, sorry. As I was saying, the power of pure intent will always be present, but so will control. Your best tool for wielding magic is control. 

Don't seek great power, the flashiest spell, or a legendary feat. Always seek control. As I've warned you, spells cannot be absolute; they must allow room for error. That is a sign of control." After clearing his throat, the old mage continued his lesson in magic.

"For example, a magical protection spell. You must clearly state the things it will protect, how many, and when it should yield. If you simply want it to protect you from all threats, can you guess what will happen?" Norm asked, wanting his apprentice to exercise her critical thinking skills. 

Sereth began to think. What would magical protection against all threats entail? What is a threat, exactly? Many things occurred to the princess, causing her gray eyes to glaze over. 

"Master, I've thought about it. The air can contain harmful substances, so the protection would shield you from them. Without excellent control, you'd suffocate." Sereth's answer took the group by surprise, especially the magicians, since it wasn't the answer they wanted to hear, though it was valid. 

"That's an interesting way of looking at it. What if the spell considers the air in a crowded room a threat? That would be terrible," Arya murmured. She hadn't thought of that. Could someone have died because their magic shield wouldn't let them breathe properly? Probably.

"Master, if the spell suffocates you, it could be classified as a threat. It might then attack itself, entering a loop. It needs to protect you from both the air and itself." 

Not to mention the energy consumption that something like that would entail since the outside world is essentially full of threats," Sereth replied, causing Nasuada and Trianna to burst out laughing and the adults to put their hands to their heads. 

Who would be foolish enough to die of exhaustion because their defensive spell was defending itself? Even so, the three of them decided to review their future magical protections to avoid this kind of logical trap. 

"Master, I've been thinking. I'm sure there are spells to protect you from enemy spells, but would anyone protect themselves from a protective spell? 

If I cast a protection spell against 'the evils in the air' on a person and include the air we breathe as 'slow-acting poison to the body,' wouldn't that bypass their defenses and suffocate my enemy?" The princess had strayed far from the initial question, imagining future scenarios and applications of a possible suffocating spell. 

She didn't need to cast lightning bolts or fireballs. In this lesson, Sereth discovered the true essence of magical combat: logical traps and loopholes.

"Sereth! The answer I was looking for is that it could cause exhaustion since the spell isn't very clear. By treating everything as a threat and given that the duration and levels of protection are somewhat undefined, it could drain a lot of energy from the caster over time, killing them." Norm didn't want to hear Sereth's murderous thoughts anymore, so he interrupted her.

Seeing the silly smile on his student's face, the old man knew the girl would continue pondering those things in private. He sighed and made a grabbing gesture, wanting to bring the pipe to his mouth. Then he remembered it had been collected to be used as firewood for the castle.

"Through intention, you define the parameters of the spell, and through control, you anchor them within it. That way, a simple Brisingr* can float on my finger instead of burning things recklessly," Torena resumed her lesson, demonstrating her magic by generating a yellow flame at the tip of her index finger. The flame floated gently like a firefly before fading away. 

"I determined its size, its intensity, and that it be under the control of my thoughts. Thus, I created that small flame that floated just as I wanted it to. This is intention; this is control." The sorceress's practical example greatly illuminated Sereth's understanding, and she wanted to try it herself. 

"You can try it. We're here to protect you." Arya noticed the desire on the girl's face. As a guest teacher, she granted the princess's wish, and she smiled before closing her eyes. 

Intention, control, and knowledge. What did Sereth intend to accomplish with this spell? What did she want to achieve? What did she want to demonstrate? These questions and others arose in her mind. Even though her head was a mess, she had an advantage over other mages: her special ability.

She quickly formulated a plan, set the necessary parameters, and gained control over what she was about to do. All of this was captured on the scroll in her mind, complete with an illustration that exemplified her goal.

Then, she drew grayish magical power from her core, opened her eyes, and held her palms facing each other as if she were holding something between them. Judging by what she was about to do, she would undoubtedly possess it.

"Garjzla*," Sereth repeated, casting her first spell. A sphere of light the size of a baby's fist appeared between her palms and emitted a soft grayish glow. Soon, however, this changed to red, then blue, then green.

She waved her left hand, and the ball of shifting colors followed her gesture, floating in the air. Under her control, it spun around her while constantly changing colors and shades.

Sereth inevitably burst out laughing because she was having so much fun doing this. Although she was hungry due to the continuous energy expenditure involved in maintaining the spell, the joy she felt far outweighed her hunger!

'Magic is very much like programming, what my other self knows. Too bad her memories only contain basic knowledge learned in school. As an adult, I doubt she remembers it. I certainly did,' the princess thought as she drew the sphere toward her and placed it a short distance from her eyes.

The glare was annoying, but she didn't care. She kept using her gift, recording every detail of the spell. This was the first time she had recorded her own magic, not someone else's. 

She didn't see the parameters she'd set for the sphere yet, but that didn't matter. She now had a better model of the spell in her mind than before, since she was recording it with her special ability and not just in her mental scroll.

The best part? This spell could be improved and tested, so she could record it each time. If she managed to access its basic parameters, she could achieve many things. 

However, Sereth snapped out of her daze when she felt someone's hand on her face. She realized it was Nasuada wiping her nose with a handkerchief since it had started bleeding again. 

"Sereth, stop! You're pale!" Trianna was standing next to the princess as well. Although she was referring to the spell, she was also alluding to something the adults didn't know about, something only the three of them knew.

"All right," Sereth said, snapping her fingers and causing the multicolored ball of light to fade. The time she'd spent expending her energy took its toll, and she felt weak.

On top of that, she had used her Mental Recording to its fullest capacity, which caused her head to ache intensely and her nose to bleed slightly. She was now very tired, but she wasn't willing to simply let her first magic class end.

"I have so many questions! How do I know how much energy is enough? How do I know when I'm about to overdo a spell? Is there a way to detect other spells? How do you interfere with someone else's spells?" The princess asked rapidly since, although she had been taught a little about magic, they hadn't covered most of the subject or its nuances.

In fact, they had only taught her the bare basics so that she would have the proper context. With this lesson, her interest in magic exploded, and her enthusiasm was so great that her teachers ended up sighing because they seemed like they were going to be completely drained by a curious novice mage.

"Those are topics for future lessons! Today, I only taught you how to access your magic. But it seems I must first teach you moderation. Look at your face; there's no color in your cheeks," Norm pointed out before murmuring a spell.

"Svell Adurna*," he said, and water was drawn directly from the moisture in the air, forming an oval mirror of ice that floated in front of Sereth, allowing her to see her current appearance. 

The princess saw her ugly countenance. Not only was she pale, but her eyes were red, and her cheeks were sunken, giving her a disturbing appearance she greatly disliked.

"I understand, but for the next class, I'll have all my questions ready, and I demand answers," Sereth said. Not entirely convinced, she gave in, knowing they were doing it for her own good. She would make sure to ask her teachers plenty of questions in return.

The three adults saw the mischievous smile on the girl's face and felt a chill. However, Arya sighed because her stay wasn't permanent, and she would be leaving in a week.

However, when the elf realized that she had to teach Sereth how to use her birthday gift, she, too, shuddered at what awaited her, joining Norm and Torena.

Dealing with an apprentice who was also a princess would be no easy task!

...

That night, in the castle's private dining room, where only the royal family dined, the conversation wasn't about the food the four were tasting; it was about Sereth's actions. 

"This was the first spell I ever cast!" the girl exclaimed, holding a chicken drumstick in her left hand. With her right hand outstretched, she closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and whispering a spell.

"Garjzla*," said Sereth. A silver ball of light then emerged from her palm for the third time that day, floating under her control across the table amid the amazed gazes of her parents and older brother. 

"Magic really is a useful power..." Orrin murmured, thinking about the experiments he could conduct if he could conjure a ball of light so effortlessly. 

"Then we must toast the emergence of the family's first female mage!" King Larkin exclaimed, raising his wine glass. However, Jeanne shook her head and held his arm, causing him to lower it. 

"I understand your excitement, but first, we must talk about what happened this afternoon during class. Arya told me that..." Queen Jeanne scolded her daughter again because the girl was too excited, causing the royal cat, Misha, to chase the ball of light frantically.

Seeing that she wasn't being listened to, Queen Jeanne resigned herself to the situation. She took a big gulp of wine, which made King Larkin laugh. However, upon seeing his wife's murderous glare, he stifled his laughter. 

"I wish I could make my voice linger so Sereth could hear me at all times," the queen murmured absentmindedly. She was unaware that her eldest son had raised his eyebrows at the idea that had crossed his mind. 

'Is there a way to record someone's voice? There must be! Maybe I can ask the elves for help.' Orrin decided that tonight he would meet with the trio of elves, along with his sister, who needed to learn how to perform a Fairth*.

It was time to learn how to create magical images! And maybe record sounds too? We'll see!

Chapter Text

After dinner, Orrin and Sereth walked together toward the part of the castle where the elves were resting and where important guests and royalty were usually received. The princess looked up and focused her attention on her older brother. He had his head bowed and was muttering to himself as he seemed to sort through his thoughts.

She didn't need to use her telepathy to sense the storm raging inside his mind. Though she was curious about what had plunged him into that state, she didn't probe his mind. Instead, she refocused on what she had learned that day, especially the method of utilizing magical power. She was very interested in that process.

Having to close her eyes, connect with her magical core, and adjust her resistance, she decided to frame the concept of her energy to save herself trouble, and then obtain the magical power necessary for a spell was tedious.

Unlike breathing, which was automatic until she became aware of it, allowing her to take control, this process had to be carried out consciously. That didn't mean she would suffocate from lack of air if she forgot; she would simply keep breathing. 

One of her goals was to achieve that same kind of familiarity with the exchange between resistance and magical power, making it so instinctive that she wouldn't have to do it consciously unless she chose to focus on the action.

However, she could already foresee how complicated that would be, so for now, she simply familiarized herself with the standard procedure she had learned. What better way to get used to an action than by doing it?

"Garjzla*," Sereth murmured, generating a small orb of grayish light in her right hand. This time, however, it didn't change color or move under her control. Instead, it floated above her palm and emitted a soft glow that illuminated the castle hallway. Orrin glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but the princess wasn't focused on him. Rather, she was focused on the aftertaste of the casting process.

'It's pretty slow. They say I can refine it, but I feel like the process is tedious. Plus, I don't have a fixed focus. Sometimes, I feel like small drops of magical power are being wasted,' Sereth thought, absently watching the magical light burn out as she lost herself in her thoughts.

She only knew the Dragon Riders were capable of using magic because she was a princess of Surda. They had a mark on their hand that they used to first touch the dragon they were connected to. This mark was called Gedwëy Ignasia*, or 'Shining Palm,' and was basically a discolored area on the hand.

Sure, that was part of her 'knowledge' of this world, but she didn't pay much attention to it, except for a few instances when she used it as a reference, though not as something 100% set in stone.

Getting back to the topic, the 'mark' representing the deep bond between a rider and their dragon served as a natural focal point for the rider to use magic, making them feel more comfortable channeling it.

Could she develop a similar comfort with one of her hands in the future? She had to choose carefully which hand to use, although it would be best if both hands were adapted to the process.

Furthermore, she lacked a great deal of magical knowledge. Could she craft something akin to those staffs or wands like in the fictional stories that surfaced in the memories of her former self?

'I hate having so many ideas and lacking the means or knowledge to carry them out!' Sereth complained mentally. What she knew about magic was nowhere near enough to satisfy her curiosity.

"Is something wrong? I don't need to be a mage to see that you're angry and upset," Orrin remarked, smiling amusedly. His younger sister looked up at him, puffing out her cheeks as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I feel so clueless when it comes to magic. You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to filling my head with all the knowledge I want, and making everything easy!" Sereth complained, her voice rising at the end, and stamped her foot in frustration.

Her shoulders slumped, and she walked heavily down the hallway. This caused her older brother to chuckle to himself. He earned a glare and a pout from the princess in return.

"Pff, I love magic. I've longed for it ever since I learned of its existence, but it feels so tedious..." Sereth let out the breath she'd been holding. Everything felt like a problem to her.

"I get it. When I heard about alchemy, I felt the same way. I read everything I could and asked everyone I could with great enthusiasm. But when I had a lab and started devising my own experiments, I realized how little I knew and how inexperienced I was.

I came to feel that it was extremely tedious and exhausting." Orrin placed his hand on his younger sister's hair, ruffling it and causing her to burst out laughing. She tried to pull away from her brother, but he continued messing up her hairstyle.

"But that's because you haven't gotten used to it yet. You haven't made the process part of your routine. In time, you'll adapt. You'll find those moments that used to be tedious quite relaxing. You'll even lose track of time." The prince continued before patting Sereth on the head. She kept turning around, trying to grab his hand so she could bite it.

"Stop trying to bite me! Don't let this kill your enthusiasm for magic. You just have to get used to it. Besides, isn't it better to learn and discover things slowly? You're perfect for that process!" Orrin first complained to his sister, who had almost bitten his hand, causing him to burst out laughing.

Then he pointed to his eyes, which Sereth understood as a reference to her own special ability based on her vision. At this point, she agreed with her brother.

"Fine! Then I must get used to it quickly. It won't stop me for long. It's just one more step toward my greatness. All of Alagaësia will soon witness the rise of Sereth Larkinsson, the world's greatest mage! HAHAHAHA!" Regaining her childlike liveliness, Sereth burst into an arrogant laugh. She brought the back of her right hand close to her mouth, partially covering it.

'I must tell Mom not to let Sereth attend her tea parties with her friends.' Orrin could only blink several times as he watched his sister behave that way, though a subtle smile spread across his face.

Seeing his sister behave so freely and childishly, with few worries beyond such trivial matters, only reinforced the prince's desire to become stronger and more capable, so that he could protect what mattered to him.

'Though I still envy that special ability. Should I invent something that lets me see more details in things? Like a telescope, but focused on things hidden from plain sight.' As he watched Sereth frolic down the hallway, unable to stay still, jumping and briefly flashing a magical spark in her hand, Orrin had another idea. But this time, he could only store it in his mind while focusing on what was most important:

His upcoming conversation with the elves! Once they reached the elves' area, he stopped walking. Sereth stopped playing with magic and stood still, feeling dizzy from Garjzla's constant spellcasting and all the turns she'd made during their walk.

The two stood in front of two closed wooden doors. After greeting a guard on patrol, Sereth pointed to the room on the right.

"That's the room for the male elves. They asked to stay together. Is it a cultural thing? Or maybe they're just really good friends. I don't get it. I'm going to see Arya. See you later," the princess said. She pointed to the room on the left, then said goodbye to her brother. He simply waved as he watched the girl knock on the elf's door and step inside.

'Well, let's see if I can make my mother's scolding haunt Sereth for much longer,' Orrin thought, smiling and trying to contain his laughter. He had to remain serious during his first private conversation with Fäolin and Glenwing.

He really hoped these two elves could help him with his idea!

...

"If you're interested in the Erisdar*, I can give it to you," Arya said. She sat in front of a stool and gazed at her reflection in a large mirror as she slowly brushed her long black hair.

She wore a light white nightgown that fell below her knees and highlighted her most beautiful features, but there was no one present to admire her.

The only person in the room who could have done so was too young to grasp the nuances, aside from the obvious fact that the elf was beautiful. She chose to ignore the woman's voluptuous curves and soft, muscular lines, focusing instead on the shiny object that had caught her attention.

She really liked this magical object because it lit up the room without the hassle of candles or lamps. Upon hearing the elf's words, she shook her head, though she resisted.

"No, my own magic can solve the problem, and it serves as practice for me in the process," Sereth replied. She stepped away from the Erisdar* to approach Arya and admire her well-groomed black hair, which made her envious.

Does she use spells to keep it looking so well-groomed? Should I look into that in the future? A spell to keep hair well-groomed and neatly styled!" thought the princess, her usual distracted look causing the elf to stop brushing her hair and glance at Sereth intently out of the corner of her eye.

Arya wasn't stupid. She could tell there was something about Sereth that even her friend Jeanne didn't want to tell her. But she didn't press her for answers. Instead, she chose to appreciate just how peculiar humans could be despite being a young species on the continent with a short history.

"Are you done? When do we start the training? I can't wait any longer!" Sereth focused her eyes on Arya and instinctively began to take in her features, taking advantage of their proximity for this process.

The elf was far more complex than a human, though, so before long, Arya felt her headache throb more intensely and the salty scent rise to her nose. She lessened the intensity of her gift to prevent another nosebleed.

However, she instinctively brought her hands to her nose. Arya narrowed her eyes and hesitated for a moment before placing her hands on the girl's head and whispering a few words.

"Heill*," a soft greenish glow emerged from Arya's palm, completely covering the crown of Sereth's head and half her face. It worked on her flesh, nerves, and bones, healing any wounds she might have had.

At that moment, the princess felt as if someone had poured a stream of cold water over her. This greatly eased her headache and stopped her nose from itching. However, she knew that her migraine would soon return, as would the nosebleed, when she strained herself too much using her gift.

She was grateful to Arya for this gesture because it was the first time in a long while that she could stay alert without ignoring the dull ache in her head that had seemed to be with her since birth.

"Thank you! It wasn't necessary, but I'm used to it. I always carry plenty of handkerchiefs in my pocket because of this," said Sereth. Noticing Arya's slightly concerned look, Sereth reached into the pocket of her blue dress and pulled out a handful of white cloth handkerchiefs.

"Do you have some kind of illness? I've seen you bleed or show signs of a nosebleed many times during my stay. Besides, everyone seems to be used to it." The elf couldn't resist her curiosity to learn more about the situation.

Noticing that the atmosphere was perfect for such a question, she simply asked it. However, she justified her lack of tact with an extra explanation that only made Sereth burst out laughing.

"I'm fine except for a constant headache! Seriously, don't worry about it. Just teach me how to make a Fairth*. I've been dying to learn how to create them!" Sereth didn't trust Arya enough to tell her something as personal as her special ability. If anything, Sereth would have to spend much more time with Arya to build a strong enough bond to do something like that.

Just as she had done with her parents, her older brother, and her two friends. Sensing the girl's desire to avoid the subject and learn, Arya resigned herself to it. She nodded gently and stroked Sereth's hair.

"I'm sorry. I was too hasty. Come on. I'll explain how to make a Fairth*. Did you know that this was a method the young Shur'tugal* used to train their minds? Because of how these objects are created, the first decent portrait they made was always related to the Skulblaka* they had a connection with." Arya apologized for her insensitive question. Wanting to change the subject, she began her lesson.

"Related to what you were taught today, learning this technique allows for gradual improvement in focus and control." The elf stood up and approached the bed where her travel bags were. She rummaged through them for what she needed.

"Usually, you need a slate prepared with pigments derived from nature. However, this technique works on any surface and with any paint you have on hand. However, we'll use these slates that I prepared for you." Arya took several small, square pieces of slate out of one of the bags. They were quite small, but useful for what she was about to teach the princess.

"But first, let me show you how to infuse the pigments you have on hand into an object. The first step is…" Arya began to explain carefully to Sereth, who had sat down beside her. The elf broke down how to obtain what was needed for a proper Fairth*, even teaching her the corresponding phrase in the ancient language, step by step.

The knowledge wasn't particularly difficult, but the elf emphasized the need for a focused approach, full awareness of what one wanted to capture, and control to represent it. With every word she spoke, Sereth's gray eyes shone brighter with desire.

In a way, a Fairth* resembled her own ability, just as she had suspected! Knowing this, she knew that mastering the technique would be easy since she could apply her knowledge to what she was learning tonight.

"When you have an object ready, like one of these slate slabs, just concentrate on the image you want to capture or represent on it. Then, say in the Ancient Language, 'May what I see in my mind's eye be duplicated on the surface of this tablet,' or replace the final word with the object in question." The final part of Arya's explanation was simple enough, but with everything Sereth had learned so far, she could appreciate the spell's nuances.

"Can you give us a demonstration?" the princess asked. Arya nodded and set almost all the slate tiles aside, holding a single one in her hands under Sereth's watchful gaze.

The magic was about to unfold right before their eyes!

Chapter Text

"May what I see in my mind's eye be duplicated on the surface of this tablet.*" After a moment of thought, Arya whispered the spell, causing a soft green glow to emerge from her hands and spread across the slate slab she was holding.

The pigments embedded in the stone reacted to her intentions, creating a tangle of colors on its surface. A tangle of colors emerged, twisting and rearranging themselves under the influence of the magic.

Soon, a fairly realistic image appeared on the slab: a dimly lit bust of Sereth with her eyes closed, holding a black iron ocarina with silver details in her mouth and wearing a silver tiara. Unfortunately, she wasn't wearing the necklace Trianna had given her.

This photo clearly captured the moment Fairth* decided to play that melody during the presentation of her birthday gifts.

"The necklace is missing, isn't it?" But although it's possible to create unreal images in a Fairth*, this is a feat reserved for extremely experienced mages. I'm not that kind of mage," Arya said as she handed the slate to Sereth, who took it carefully for fear it might break.

"What if I play the ocarina again? I have it in my pocket, so I can take it out with my necklace," said the princess, looking up after admiring her magical reflection.

"Hehehe, later. But first, you should try making one yourself. What do you think? Do you think you can do it, or are you too tired?" Arya suggested, taking another blank slate and offering it to the girl.

"Of course I can! Come on, let me do it." First, Sereth carefully placed the Fairth* made by the elf beside her, making sure it wouldn't fall or roll toward her since she was sitting down. Then, she took the slate Arya gave her and closed her eyes. The princess took a deep breath and began to think: What was worthy enough to be depicted in her first Fairth*?

She had to think in silence for several minutes to answer that question. Arya didn't interrupt her; instead, she quietly settled herself on the bed while searching for something among her bags.

Soon, she pulled out a black pouch containing the most important and valuable thing she possessed. She carefully stroked the covered object but didn't dare take it out or put her hand inside, as that could endanger Sereth.

'It seems I'll have to speak with the king and queen. Perhaps Sereth can bring the young Skulblaka* from the eggshell?' Arya thought hopefully, though she didn't have much faith in the matter since the object had remained silent and inert for so many years.

"May what I see in my mind's eye be duplicated on the surface of this tablet.*" As the elf pondered this, Sereth opened her eyes and spoke the spell with great conviction.

A gray magical glow emanated from the girl's hands. Under two pairs of watchful eyes, the pigments gradually formed the designated image.

However, the final result was a bit unusual. It was a chaotic jumble of colors with barely any discernible form, simply pigments mixed chaotically, except for one thing that could be vaguely made out as something distinct.

It vaguely resembled the torso of a woman with a stern yet kind face and a smile in her eyes. However, because the Fairth* turned out to be so distorted, one could barely tell it was a person.

"This is horrible..." Sereth muttered, completely disgusted by the ugly result she had obtained, which made her feel disgusted but also a little sad, since she had wanted to get it right the first time.

"Don't worry. You can't always get things right the first time. Your attempt is better than many people's. Others would end up with a chaotic jumble of indistinguishable colors. You at least managed to vaguely depict someone. If I'm not mistaken, it's your mother, right?" Arya said in a comforting tone as she stroked the girl's hair. The girl began to calm down after hearing her words.

"I suppose it is, but it doesn't look anything like her. It looks so bad it's giving me a headache," the princess complained. Instead of smashing the tile, however, she carefully placed it next to the Fairth* Arya had made for her.

"Then practice until you can create a perfect Fairth*, and after you do, keep practicing. As I said, it's not just for representing things; it's also for training your focus and control," the elf explained in a didactic tone. Sereth nodded in agreement, but she still had a sad expression.

"I wanted to get it right the first time! I don't like doing things wrong. I don't like failing," the princess exclaimed, lowering her head and wiggling her feet, which were floating in the air.

"Hehe, I understand, but you must understand that you're a complete novice at magic. It's normal to make mistakes like these. In the future, you'll make more. What matters isn't those failures, but what they teach you. If you fail 99 times trying to perfect everything so you can get the 100th attempt right, then accept those 99 failures." Arya chuckled at the girl's childish attitude and decided to give her some advice.

But when she saw that Sereth was nodding but still keeping her head down and pouting, Arya stepped away for a moment to pick up another slate tile. This caused Sereth to look up and watch Arya intently with her unfocused gray eyes.

"Didn't you want me to draw another Fairth* of you playing the ocarina again? How about playing again to cheer yourself up? You can do that. Accompany every failure and every success in your life with a melody. That way, when you remember those moments, the music will be there, cheering you on and reminding you of your efforts." This time, Arya's advice made the girl smile. She nodded several times vigorously.

"Yes! That's perfect! That's an excellent idea. Thank you!" Sereth quickly hugged and surprised Arya before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the ocarina Nasuada had given her.

This time, as she brought it to her mouth, she didn't feel the same impulse as when she first used it. Instead, she thought about what she wanted to play. Then, a tune similar to the first song came to her mind, so she began to play it.

The melody was soft and soothing, sounding like a lullaby. It was another song from the same source as the one he had played last night. After all, they both came from the memories of his former self and were associated with a fictional story.

In that story, this song was a lullaby sung to a princess just like Arya, so Sereth and this melody were closely connected. As the music played, the girl noticed something.

Now that she was aware of her magical core, she had noticed its strong connection to her mind. Small drops of magical power were constantly generated there with barely any consumption. This allowed her to project her mind.

This exchange process only became more pronounced when she did more demanding things. But now, another such process had emerged, and she soon realized what was causing it:

The song! As she blew into the ocarina, letting the lullaby resonate through the room, her mind began to feel relaxed and calm. The disappointment from her failed attempt to create her first Fairth* faded much faster than before. It also made her sleepier, and that feeling grew stronger.

It wasn't a spell or wordless magic; it was simply a resonance phenomenon that worked similarly to her telepathy. It could be said to have arisen naturally, an expression of her magical prowess.

When the song ended, she stared at the ocarina in her hands, smiling widely. She hadn't expected this. She never thought Nasuada's gift would help her discover a new aspect of herself.

"Music, like art in general, is a way to express one's true nature. For example, we elves can sing and perform magic at the same time." Arya spoke in wonder. She hadn't expected to witness the subtle effect of the princess's melodies firsthand.

She moved closer to the girl, causing Sereth to look at her. The elf simply waved the slate in her hand, which already bore an image she had drawn while listening to the song.

"The Fairth* can be considered the same thing. But what you just did isn't standard; it's more like a talent, just like your developed telepathy. Not all magic users awaken this gift before learning magic. They must first practice," Arya explained before showing her what she had drawn on the slate: a bust of the princess.

This time, her gray eyes narrowed like a fox's as she played her ocarina with a smile on her lips. Although she lacked a tiara, the necklace around her neck with a shining opal provided the missing touch.

"Last night, you played a lively song that made everyone want to dance. There was a strong elven atmosphere in the melody. Even my companions and I thought you were an elven girl raised by humans," Arya said. Arya's words prompted Sereth to recall more about that song, revealing additional context she had overlooked all this time.

In that story, the song was played by a woman who resembled the elves she knew. It was so lively that other races danced joyfully to its rhythm.

'It seems I need to study those songs more. I don't expect to gain super-powerful magic from them, but they activate something that belongs to and is part of me. If I understand them better, I can create my own songs with effects under my control,' Sereth thought, planning a much more serious exploration of her memories from her previous life. Perhaps there were other hidden gems she was missing?

After having that thought, the girl carefully picked up the new Fairth* made by Arya and felt good seeing it. Although she envied a level that would take her a long time to reach, the princess's determination was at its peak.

She had an advantage that others didn't! She just had to figure out how to use it to her advantage, as she planned to do with spells and everything else she found interesting.

…

"So, that's the nature of sound? I've never done any experiments related to it. Interesting," said Orrin, who was pacing in the guest room where Fäolin and Glenwing were resting.

"Of course, I'm a musician. How could I not delve into the nature of the medium through which I sing? Although this knowledge was acquired by other elves, I've made it my own. I can imitate the sound of any bird after hearing it a few times!" Glenwing boasted, running his hand through his silver hair. His arrogant gesture made his companion roll his eyes.

"I sing too! I use it more to cast magic, but I know about the subject. What you're proposing is technically feasible since we elves can store sounds through magic. However, you're not a mage, so you can't use our methods efficiently." The red-haired elf's words made Orrin frown, and then he snapped his fingers.

"You told me about the waves. You said they have patterns, that they're regular, and that they follow rules. No matter how chaotic they may seem, everything has a rhythm and a frequency, right?" The prince looked at Glenwing with eyes brimming with emotion, making the elf feel uneasy. However, he nodded.

"Yes, although sound is also..." Glenwing couldn't finish his sentence before he saw Orrin repeatedly bang his head, causing the elves to go on guard.

"What's going on? Is someone attacking you mentally?" Fäolin asked, standing up and drawing his sword. Glenwing grabbed his spear, ready to fight. Their actions only made the prince look at them strangely, though.

"What? No! I was testing something. The sound comes with force and energy, doesn't it? What if we create something sensitive to sound that can transmit this force and graphically represent its content?

It'll be complicated... we'd have to learn how to interpret the result, but a mage could cast a spell to play back the recording, couldn't they?" Orrin explained what had occurred to him, causing the two elves to stare at each other before looking back at the prince.

"Yes, in theory it's possible. But wouldn't it be a problem for you to rely on a mage for that? Besides, the sound quality might not be very good," said Glenwing, who knew a thing or two about the subject. However, Orrin waved his hand, dismissing the concern.

"My sister is a mage, and so is her friend. I'm also a prince. If I need a mage, do you think she could refuse my father's order?" the young man asked casually.
Fäolin clicked his tongue and nodded.

"I admit it; you've got us there. What do you have in mind to build? We can help you. At least I can. I'd like to see what you can produce," said the red-haired elf, glancing at his companion. He nodded.

"I want to help, too. Maybe this will expand my knowledge of sound and music even further. Human boy! Your thirst for knowledge has convinced me," Glenwing replied grandly, making Orrin smile.

"Well, let's take advantage of the fact that I'm a prince and make some requests of people this late at night," the young prince declared before walking toward the door, followed by the elves who had put on their hoods.

It was time to invent and create!

Chapter Text

"May what I see in my mind's eye be duplicated on the surface of this tablet.*" Sereth whispered, causing the slate in her hands to glow briefly. After the pigments rearranged themselves, she got a result, but, like her first attempt, it was a failure.

"Why can't I get a Fairth* right!?" The princess shouted, wildly waving her arms and causing Nasuada and Trianna to step back, afraid of being hit.

Sereth clenched the wretched slate tightly. It was nothing but a tangle of colors, barely discerning the vague silhouette of an animal. Because the process of creating the Fairth* went so badly, it wasn't clear exactly what it was.

"Have a cupcake. All those spells have made you hungry and worked you up," said Trianna. She took advantage of a brief pause her friend made to pop the cupcake into her mouth. This caused her friend to start chewing while squinting her eyes.

"Mmm! Mmm!" Because her cheeks were puffed out, Sereth's words came out muffled as she spat out a few crumbs, making the other two girls laugh at her.

"Girls, I need you to be quiet for a moment," said Fäolin, approaching them and giving them this warning. The trio nodded, understanding what he was asking. Then, the red-haired elf walked over to Glenwing and Arya, who were standing next to Orrin in front of a new contraption.

Where were they now? In Orrin's laboratory! It was already the afternoon of the following day. After many ideas, all-nighters, and asking the castle servants for help, they had obtained this object.

"I'm glad I documented the process of creating this thing. Even though magic is convenient, it's good that it can be done without it," said Orrin. He had sleepy eyes and spoke slowly due to fatigue. He yawned as soon as he finished speaking.

"Wouldn't it be better to name it? Calling it a 'thing' feels so empty," said Glenwing, examining the object with his hands to check that everything was in order.

What did the object look like? It consisted of a simple wooden and bronze frame that held a conical wooden horn connected to a thin, flexible skin membrane. Attached to the center of the membrane was a small wooden arm ending in an iron needle.

Beneath the needle was a roll of smoked paper wound around and threaded onto a spindle connected to a small crank. Glenwing turned the crank, causing the parchment to rotate. With a few turns of the crank, he raised the parchment.

He carefully unrolled it and repeated the process of turning the crank and raising the base to test it. When he saw that the process was smooth, he rolled the parchment back up and nodded to his companions.

This contraption took up an entire workbench and was the result of a joint effort by three people. Two of them were elves who knew how to use magic, but this object could be replicated without spells.

"We'll name it once we test it. If I give it a name and it doesn't work, it'd be sad to destroy it and remake it," Orrin replied, shaking his head in exhaustion.

"It would be best to record a beautiful voice, Miss Arya. Would you do us the honor? You just have to speak into this speaker."
Orrin, who was beginning to undergo natural biological changes, clearly wanted to please the beautiful elf, causing her to chuckle.

"Thank you for giving me that pleasure, Prince Orrin," she said before positioning herself in front of the speaker and bringing her face close to it to prevent the sound of her words from dispersing.

"So, I guess we can get started, right?" Arya said. She watched as Glenwing nodded his approval. Then, the elf waited for his companion to speak before turning the crank.

"Somewhere over the rainbow~ Way up high~ And the dreams that you dream of~ Once in a lullaby, oh~." The elf began to sing in the Ancient Language. Fortunately, those present could understand it, though the humans could only do so haltingly. Arya's soft voice and sweet melody solved that problem.

The song lasted no more than two minutes. During that time, Glenwing repeatedly turned the crank to raise and unroll the scroll.

Arya's voice activated the machine; it was picked up by the horn and traveled to the wooden arm, which reacted to the vibrations and caused the iron needle to leave marks on the smoked paper.

During those two minutes, everyone fell silent and enjoyed the song. Sereth swayed gently, closed her eyes, and let the song carry her away, feeling as though she could truly fly high, all the way to the sun.

When the song ended, the silence lingered until the girls were the first to clap. Orrin, now fully awake, happily joined them.

"You have a wonderful voice, Arya!" Nasuada praised. She was moved by the song and had tears in her eyes, just like Trianna.

"I don't know why, but the song sounds so beautiful. The lyrics I can understand are lovely, yet there's a deep melancholy to it," remarked Trianna, wiping away tears that had rolled down her cheeks.

"The lyrics were written by a Dragon Rider 300 years ago. Did you know he was human? He called himself Kamaka, and he was from the nomadic tribes of the Hadarac Desert," replied Arya, stepping away from the machine's speaker. Her answer made Nasuada's eyes sparkle with emotion.

"Can you write a version in the Common Tongue?" Many do not know the Ancient Language. I feel this song should be heard by more people," the brunette requested. This caused Arya to hesitate for a second before she nodded.

"No problem. I can give you the lyrics in both languages. That way, you can practice your pronunciation, too. You're not a mage, but it wouldn't hurt to learn more of the ancient language. I'll give you a copy as well," the elf replied, causing the girls to start whispering among themselves.

"All right, so this is what was recorded. Do you think a spell to reproduce Arya's voice would work? That's the initial idea, and I think it's feasible, though I don't know anything about magic," Orrin told the two elves, carefully examining the scroll.

"It should work. Otherwise, we wouldn't be so busy with this, and we wouldn't have slept," Glenwing grumbled. This made Fäolin chuckle. Instead of answering, however, he looked at Arya.

"Arya, would you like to cast a spell, too? Glenwing and I created it last night, and it's very simple. It's Hórna Du Sund*, and you must think about what you want the patterns to transform into and what they were before," said the red-haired elf.
Arya approached the partially unfolded smoked paper before her, since not all of it had been used.

"Hórna Du Sund," the elf said, extending her hand toward the paper and emitting a faint greenish glow from her palm that fell upon the object and reacted with it.

The patterns engraved on its surface seemed to tremble. Then, one of the patterns was covered in a glow similar to the spell Arya had cast. Crackling sounds began to be heard, along with a voice everyone recognized.

"Somewhere over the rainbow~ Way up high~ And the dreams that you dream of~ Once in a lullaby, oh~." That was Arya's voice! The spell had worked, interpreting the patterns as sounds and playing them back.

It sounded fuzzy with constant, annoying noises, but that was the elf's voice. It was recorded on a medium that didn't use magic and interpreted by a spell, a perfect combination of two disciplines.

"This is perfect," Orrin said, his eyes turning red. The song hadn't particularly moved him, but hearing it come from something born of his own ideas brought tears to his eyes.

"Brother, you've achieved something momentous with the elves' help, but you bear a third of the responsibility," said Sereth as she patted the prince on the back. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at her comment.

"Do you know why I wanted to create this thing? So Mom could scold you, and you could take her scolding with you." Orrin revealed his wicked purpose, causing Sereth to look at him with disgust. She puffed out her cheeks, flushed with anger.

"Ah! Evil Orrin! I'm going to bite you!" No sooner said than done, the princess, in all her majestic grandeur, lunged at her older brother like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, trying to bite him.

"Should we break them up?" Arya whispered to Trianna and Nasuada. Both shook their heads and laughed, clearly accustomed to this sort of scenario.

That's just how siblings are!

…

That night, back in the royal family's private dining room, they were not alone. Ajihad was there with his daughter, as was Torena with her daughter. Norm held one of the new pipes that his apprentice had gotten for him. The three elven envoys were also present. They were still hooded, but the magic that obscured their appearances had been deactivated, making them easily recognizable.

A small table next to the dining room held the creation crafted by the two elves and the prince. In an open space in the dining room, a piece of smoked paper lay, bearing patterns that glowed with a silvery light.

A long series of rhythmic whistles emerged from this piece of paper, sounding like birdsong. If you looked closely, you could see Glenwing puffing out his chest as the recording continued. Even with its flaws, the beauty of its melodies was evident.

When it ended, King Larkin clapped, not bothering to maintain the decorum befitting his position since he was in a private space.

"That's an excellent piece of music! I prefer hearing you in person, Glenwing. At least when you leave, I'll have this sheet with your melodies. Thank you." Larkin thanked him sincerely before looking at his son, who was slumped carelessly over the table, overcome by sleep.

"Orrin, I'm proud of you," the man said, not as a king but as a father. His son lifted his head with a smile, happy at the words he had received.

"This changes a lot of things, you know? History will no longer be passed down by word of mouth or through runes; it will also be preserved for our descendants to hear. Papers can be preserved with spells or potions. In the future, there will be mages who know what our voices sounded like," said Torena with an intense gleam in her blue eyes as she imagined the future possibilities brought about by this invention.

"Hehehehe, just imagine if, in 100 years, an apprentice mage could hear my words! Prince Orrin, may I record a message?" Unlike Torena, Norm was very comfortable with the royal family. He made a direct request to the prince, who simply waved his hand without speaking and let out an affirmative snort.

"First, how about we plan the future use of this... Voice Collector? Wasn't there a better name?" Queen Jeanne complained, but Orrin was too exhausted to answer his mother. She turned to the elves instead.

"The idea was his. We only contributed knowledge and a bit of magical assistance. We gave him the right to choose the name, but it can be changed in the future," Fäolin replied to Jeanne's doubtful gaze. She nodded before continuing.

"What we should do is create a sound library. We should record as much as possible, preserve the results with magic, and store them in a safe place for posterity or future reference," the queen said. Everyone present felt that it was a perfect plan.

"Do you think the Empire will oppose this project?" Ajihad asked, somewhat concerned about the matter. His question plunged the room into a deep silence because it was a genuine concern.

"Who can guess what that madman is thinking? Perhaps the nobles on the borders have some ideas, though. We should reinforce them before starting our project," King Larkin replied after a moment's reflection.

"Perhaps it would be wise to wait until we have an improved version. We'll pass through the dwarves' territory on our way there, and Ajihad will accompany us. He can take the blueprint of the object and transport several items that pass inspection by those guys. They will surely be interested in this," said Fäolin, eager to help. Glenwing clicked his tongue in resignation but said nothing, knowing his companion was right.

"Yes, we can do that and have them return the improvements to us. We can sign an agreement; it's good to strengthen our relationship with them beyond war. Trade is fine," the king concluded, looking at his youngest daughter, who was quietly enjoying her meal.

"Sereth, did I hear you bite your brother?" Larkin asked suddenly. The princess stopped in her tracks, slowly turned her head toward her father, and smiled innocently.

"He started it!"

Chapter Text

"Do I really have to stand out here in the sun and do this?" Sereth, wearing period-appropriate athletic clothing as she intended, was at her usual training ground, but this time, she was holding a spear in her hand.

There was nothing unusual about the weapon; the shaft was made of wood, and the tip was made of iron, but she had to hold it as straight as possible while maintaining a standard stance, all while the sunlight beat down directly on her.

"Yes, we all go through this. You won't just be training physically. You also need to learn how to integrate into other units. In real combat, having allies means everything you learn here will help you avoid acting like a headless chicken," said Orrin, who was doing his own exercises.

The prince held a fairly simple iron sword and moved smoothly across the training ground, striking some fairly standard sword stances.

"But I've been here for an hour already! I'm going to get a tan!" the girl complained. Orrin stopped and looked at her for a moment, then simply shrugged and continued striking sword stances.

"Well, at least you'll get a little color. Even Mom is tanned, and you're not. Besides, aren't you studying with Lady Torena? Isn't there some cream that whitens your skin? I'm sure there is!" the prince replied to his younger sister. This only caused her to keep grumbling, but he stopped paying attention to her.

After all, he couldn't make his sister stop training just because she was family. He himself had gone through this process under King Larkin's watchful eye, so it was only fair that she goes through the same thing while he kept an eye on her.

"Don't worry, Sereth. I have water ready for you," Nasuada told her. She stood in the shade next to Trianna, which made the princess happy until she remembered something important.

"But it's just saltwater with herbs!" Sereth complained again, which made her friends laugh at her reaction. There wasn't much the princess could do, though. At the very least, she'd have to wait until she was free.

For the next hour, Sereth kept moving, forcing her brother to come over and show her how to adjust her posture. Under the harsh morning sun, sweat covered the girl's forehead, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

After two hours of training, Sereth took the appropriate potion and drank water. Although she disliked the taste of both, it was necessary for her well-being. She decided to stay at the training ground with her friends. She had some free time before eating and attending her magic class for the day, especially since today would be her first time learning sorcery, but that's a topic for later.

She wanted to take advantage of her rest time to play her ocarina. The night before, she had reviewed the memories associated with those melodies, learning more about them and the stories in which they appeared.

'Hmm, it seems like I need to prioritize reviewing those fictional stories, so I don't miss out on inspiration like this.' By the way, do fairies exist in this world? That's a mystery I'd love to uncover!" Sereth thought, making a mental note of it.

She had intended to use those memories when she began her magical training. Now that she had started, however, she hadn't put that plan into action because of the events of the past few days.

But now it was time! She knew she wouldn't be able to imitate everything she reviewed, but she sought inspiration, not something concrete, but rather a broadening of concepts.

Just like these songs. In that story, each song had a momentous effect. One song was capable of switching day and night the moment it was played, and another song could summon storms.

She didn't expect those results and certainly couldn't achieve them, but she wanted to use these melodies to study the phenomenon she experienced two nights ago: the unconscious manifestation of magic, similar to her telepathy.

Sitting on a bench with Trianna and Nasuada, Sereth picked up her ocarina and began to play one of the songs. Unlike the first two melodies, which were cheerful and relaxing, respectively, this one had a special quality.

It made one instinctively think of warm sunlight and wanting to be beneath it. Sereth paid close attention as she played the melody, observing how her magical core generated small bursts of gray energy that she instinctively used while performing this action.

When she finished, she decided not to wait and played a regular song. It wasn't one of her original songs, but a popular one that had become well-known through troubadours. It told a typical story that she didn't bother to recall.

As she played, she noticed her magical power reacting, but barely. Had she not been actively looking for it, she would have failed to notice the process of generating magical power taking place because of her performance.

After trying several popular songs of the same style, she realized that, aside from a slight variation in quantity, the production of magical power was practically the same. It was greatly diminished compared to the songs in her memory. However, she had to try them all to confirm this.

"Why are you playing so many songs?" asked Nasuada, who was intrigued by this, because, although she knew her gift was something valuable, this was the first time she'd seen Sereth do this.

"Why is there such a big difference between the first song you played today and the ones you played afterward?" Trianna asked, having noticed something odd about this, though she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Because I'm experimenting with something. The other night..." Sereth didn't hide this from her friends since she didn't see the need to. However, she spoke somewhat confusedly and vaguely about how the songs had such a marked effect, so she decided to tell a story first.

"Do you remember my dreams? Like the one about the Red Moon," the princess began. Both Nasuada and Trianna felt a slight chill. How could they forget that story?

The painting Sereth had made that day would remain in their memories forever. It appeared in their dreams in the days that followed, though fortunately, they only saw the moon turn crimson without any of the strange things Sereth had described.

"Yes, the painting you did a few months ago. How could we forget it?" Trianna replied. Nasuada nodded. The princess simply smiled as she gazed absently at the ocarina in her hand.

"I had a similar dream. In it, I was a princess, and just like here, there was a threat posed by another country, or rather, by the ruler of that place, a powerful mage, just as the Mad Emperor is described." Her friends trembled and looked around as they always did when she mentioned that taboo term, but no one else was present besides Orrin, who was still training.

However, at this point in her story, even Sereth realized that what she was recounting bore clear similarities to her own situation, causing her to ponder certain things.

'In those memories, my world and the world of video games are fictional. But just as I am here in a real environment where Alagaësia clearly exists, is that realm real as well? It seems history always repeats itself with slight variations.' The princess reflected before shrugging mentally.

'What do those things matter in the end? Aren't those fragmented memories fiction to me? For me, my past is her reality. I haven't lived them, so I haven't experienced them.' The girl's gray eyes focused for a moment before returning to their usual lost look.

'It wasn't me who grew up in that home, went to school, or had a partner who betrayed me and was later killed by her. I simply share some intrinsic aspects with that previous life. But we are completely different beings. How grateful I am for that.' At that moment, Sereth's self-awareness strengthened, but she wasn't aware of it. She simply continued with her story.

"In short, there are many things in that dream that we apparently don't have here, or at least not yet. For example, there are some very interesting and fun creatures called fairies..." The princess first described the setting of the story and some details before moving on to the most interesting part.

"In this world, there are special melodies that possess magic or react to it. I listened to them, learned them, and played them. My goal is to study why they react to my magical power and create my own unique melodies. I doubt I'll achieve their full effect, though. I'll be happy with just faint memories." Sereth gently shook her ocarina with a big smile on her face.

"That world sounds interesting! Your dreams are fascinating. Could you make a copy of those songs for me? I'd like to learn them," said Nasuada, genuinely interested in the story her friend had told her.

"Exactly! I want to see if those songs respond to me, too. It should be possible since I can use magic. After all, I can use magic, too!" Sereth exclaimed, causing the princess to stare at her.

"We could try. It's not like I wanted to hide those songs from you. I plan to give Arya a copy of them, too. She's been teaching me how to create a Fairth*, and even though it's a gift, she's spent her time making it," Sereth replied, bringing the ocarina to her mouth. But a hand stopped her. It was Trianna who looked at her with her huge blue eyes.

"By the way, does that story have a name? Do you think we can find fairies in real life? After all, there are many things we can't understand yet, like spirits," the girl said, causing the princess to nod in response.

"As for fairies, maybe they do exist. Perhaps in the depths of enchanted forests like Du Weldenvarden* in the Spine. Even in the Hadarac Desert! Alagaësia has many mysterious places." Sereth first answered the question about fairies, lowering her head as she thought of her response to Trianna's first question.

"We could call that story 'The Legend of Sereth.' I think that would suit it well. I'll tell you how the story continues later. For now, let's experiment with another melody. As far as I know, this melody causes storms in that story," the princess replied before playing another new melody. It felt full of impulse and wildness, similar to the winds seen during a storm.

This song instantly became Sereth's favorite!

...

"May what I see in my mind's eye be duplicated on the surface of this tablet." Sereth said this while sitting in her usual spot in the study. She spoke softly and carefully, holding a tablet in her hands.

She had lost count of how many times she had tried to create a Fairth* over the past two days. All of her previous attempts had been an eyesore. The results were always the same: a chaos of colors. But at least there had been a slight improvement. It was now clear that the animal she wanted to depict should have four legs, unlike her past attempts, which had three or seven.

"I don't think you should waste your energy right now, young princess," said Torena, smiling as she watched Sereth fail.

After all, Sereth had proven herself quite intelligent and capable, even in her herbalism classes. After several reminders, she could recall her lessons. Seeing her fail like everyone else made the sorceress realize that she had flaws too, which made her appreciate Sereth all the more.

She realized that the princess was just like them: a person capable of making mistakes. Now that she could interact with her beyond classes and when she attended to her during serious illnesses, she began to notice nuances hidden by her status and limited interaction.

"But I need to practice!" Sereth exclaimed in frustration as she set the slate down on the desk. Her words caused Norm, who was present in this class like Arya, to react.

"Girl! You're looking at this the wrong way. Don't force things. You need to rest a bit. Sometimes, when we pause, we can see things from a different angle. It's part of the concept of focus." The old man paused for a moment and blew several rings of smoke before continuing.

"It's not just about focusing on a single point. That's only one aspect of focus. You must also be aware of everything that encompasses what you're focusing on. For example, you focus on the anthill, not the ants near your feet that are about to bite you." The example Norm gave made Sereth blush because it was a direct reference to something that had happened to the princess when she was younger.

In her defense, the details of the anthill were really interesting! However, her teacher's words made her realize that she might be pushing things too far. She decided to stop trying to create a Fairth* every time she had free time and started playing melodies or drawing instead.

Perhaps the perfect Fairth* would come to her if she stopped searching for it so intensely. Sereth smiled and nodded at Norm before turning her attention to her teacher, Torena.

It was time to learn about sorcery!

Chapter Text

"Contrary to what you might think, not all sorcery involves summoning spirits. In fact, summoning one of these beings is so complicated that only the strongest and most experienced sorcerers can accomplish it," Torena began, causing those present to look at her with interest. This topic was quite intriguing, though far more obscure than magic in general.

The woman leaned back in her chair and stroked Trianna's head. Trianna sat next to her. The sorceress looked at the bracelet on her daughter's left arm, gazing at it with fascination.

"If an average sorcerer can't summon a spirit, how does this branch of magic work? Simple. Through rituals and prayers. We seek out places with a high concentration of energy, set up an altar, and make our request." Torena's words made Sereth frown instinctively, feeling a certain distaste for them.

"I can see it on your face. You think it's cumbersome and annoying, don't you?" But every sorcerer who wants to connect with a spirit must go through that step, whether they like it or not. I'll explain how to do it later. First, let's continue with what happens next." Torena simply waved his hand, not worrying too much about his apprentice's reaction or the reaction of Norm and Arya upon hearing his words.

The old mage was clearly displeased by those words. They reminded him of the foolish practices of certain shamans and alchemists who were charlatans and tarnished the reputation of magic and scientific inquiry.

As for Arya, such practices reminded her of primitive cults. Elves didn't believe in gods. Not because they denied their existence, if they existed, the elves could accept that, but because of everything surrounding the deities and the concept of worship.

'Why should I ask a spirit for something when I can achieve it with magic?' The elf thought, shaking her head. She reaffirmed her belief that sorcery was not for her, and perhaps not for elves in general.

Torena wasn't stupid. She could sense the duo's thoughts, but she understood them since her own were similar. Yet, after her personal experiences, her perspective had shifted.

"When a sorcerer contacts a spirit, certain things will happen. No matter how strong you are, you'll never overcome the raw power these beings possess. Trying to capture or confine them with magic is counterproductive. You'll only cause the spirit to flee, attack you, or worse, possess you, triggering the transformation process into a Shade." Although they were in a safe environment, the mere mention of that term caused the sunlight streaming through the window to dim while a cold wind blew.

"What a sorcerer must do may sound strange to many of you, but you must open your mind and let the spirit explore your thoughts and memories. Let it assess you and create a subtle connection with you." If his words had been troubling before, Torena's statement now left those present feeling utterly dismayed.

"You must understand, Sereth, that spirits are intelligent. They perceive the world very differently from humans, elves, and other species in Alagaësia. Resisting them is not an option, so it's best to be sincere, since they will make a decision themselves." Torena took her time explaining, unafraid of the complaints those present surely had, except her daughter, who had been learning from her for a long time.

"What you must do is build a relationship with the spirit. Others choose to battle them mentally to subdue or earn the respect of spirits through confrontation. However, my preferred method is to build a friendly relationship." The sorceress then did something no one expected. She stood up and showed the ring on her left thumb.

This piece of jewelry was made of gold and had a topaz embedded in it. Instead of simply showing it off, Torena brought it close to her lips and whispered a few words in the ancient language that no one could hear.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed, and a chirping sound resembling laughter emerged from nowhere. A ball of yellow light appeared around the blonde and spun happily, circling her body several times before floating toward her face and brushing against her cheek.

"When you make initial contact with a spirit, you can ask it for help. You can't use these beings' power directly unless they possess you, but we already know the consequences of that. Also, you must learn what it likes and dislikes because if you order it to do something it doesn't want to do, it might get upset with you and leave." The sorceress raised her hand and gently caressed the ball of light, which chirped happily in response.

Then, the spirit 'noticed' the people around it and began to spin gently as if surveying those present. It didn't look at Norm for very long nor make a sound. However, when it looked at Arya, it floated gently toward her and touched her forehead for a moment.

The elf didn't react hastily. Instead, she let the entity do as it pleased. Fortunately, this spirit was very kind; it simply touched her head gently, ruffled her hair, and, with a series of playful chirps, left her.

The smiling sphere of light touched Trianna's head and settled on her left arm. It chirped constantly at the metal snake bracelet. Though it did not move, the bracelet emitted sounds similar to hisses.

The two beings seemed to exchange something before the spirit left. Suddenly, the yellow spirit stopped and turned to look directly at Sereth, whose nose was covered in blood.

"Ah! It happened again!" Nasuada, who was also in the class, stood up and wiped away the smudges on her friend's face with a white handkerchief.

The spirit floated slowly toward the girls. It first touched Nasuada's cheek, causing her to scream. Then, she began to laugh as she suddenly felt great happiness coming from somewhere.

Seeing that she was moving away from its objective, the ball of light floated toward Sereth and came to rest just a few centimeters from her face. The room stood still, watching with rapt attention.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation," Sereth blurted out suddenly. Her gray eyes were unfocused, and her face was pale from the headache and slight blood loss.

The spirit replied with a cheerful chirp, seeming to accept her words. It gently touched her forehead, causing a chill to pierce her skull and ease her headache.

The blood that had separated from her body was drawn back by an invisible force, even pulling away from the fabric of the handkerchief and restoring its white color. The precious liquid then reentered through her nose. She felt no discomfort, only that she felt much better.

"Thank you," the girl said. Her eyes narrowed like a fox's. In that moment, her gaze focused, observing every detail of the spirit and registering them with her special ability.

Perhaps other highly sensitive people would only understand that Sereth's gaze was special but not unusual. However, the spirit was a different being with a distinct perception of reality. When the princess used her ability on it, the spirit sensed it.

The spirit chirped in a hesitant tone as if asking the human a question. Sereth nodded, a distant look on her face, sensing the meaning but not fully understanding it.

"I just want to take a closer look at you. Will you let me?" She asked in a neutral voice, as if her emotions had been turned off. All her mental processing was focused on registering everything she could about the spirit, taking advantage of the benefit it had granted her a moment ago.

After a few seconds of silence, the spirit squeaked before slowly turning on its own axis as if it wanted the human to fully appreciate it. In fact, when it showed her its entire 'body,' so to speak, the entity floated quickly toward Torena, gently touching her cheek before disappearing.

"Okay, what just happened here?" Norm asked, utterly dismayed by the experience his apprentice had just gone through. He wanted to know more, but, seeing how Sereth was staring at him blankly, he held back his questions.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your class, Teacher," the princess said, bowing to Torena. Torena had sat down, stunned by what had happened. If it weren't for her excellent relationship with the spirit she had summoned, she would have thought Sereth was the sorceress, not her.

"It doesn't matter. What you just demonstrated confirms your talent for sorcery. So let me continue with my lesson, okay? Not only must you build a relationship with the spirit, but you must also maintain a strong focus and control, as in previous lessons." The sorceress clearly wanted to delve deeper into the matter, but she let it go, knowing that it wasn't the right time or context.

"You must build your relationship with the spirit and use your mind to leave your mark on it. That's how a connection is created between you and the spirit. Sometimes, we associate this mark with an important object, like this ring," Torena said, showing her hand where she wore the topaz ring.

"Spirits are inherently restless, curious, and wild. Without the power to subjugate them, your mind becomes your best weapon for dealing with them. You must 'educate' them as you would a child, imparting a bit of your human understanding to them.

Otherwise, the requests you make of the spirit will not be fulfilled as you wish. That's where those stories come from, people who ask a spirit for something and have it granted in the worst possible way." Torena then went on to tell a story that many children considered a mere bedtime story, but which she said was true*.

"Do you understand? While others use their minds to battle spirits, command them, or control them forcibly, our family's philosophy is to make them part of our family, part of our inner circle." Torena concluded the story, causing Sereth, whose mind had cleared once more, to smile.

"I understand! But what if the spirit that was drawn to me, the one I encountered or that belongs to someone else, is clearly against me?" the princess asked, making the sorceress smile.

"My dear, just because our family wants to befriend spirits doesn't mean we can't defend ourselves or that we don't have methods. Along with the ritual, I'll teach you how sorcerers fight and subdue these beings. I'll teach you how to bind them to an object if they desire, just like the spirit inherited by our family," Torena said. Torena pointed to the bracelet on her daughter's arm. Though the metal serpent did not move, everyone had the vague sensation of being watched by it.

"Whether for your own benefit or to harm others, knowing more is always good. So, in short, there are three paths: Friendship, Struggle, and Subjugation. All three will be taught to you, as they are interconnected," the sorceress continued, essentially summarizing everything she had taught and would teach in the future.

"I hope you'll befriend the spirit you choose to connect with because, even though they don't wield the same power as us, if we share similar ideals, their actions will benefit me." The sorceress asked with a smile. She wanted to convey her family's ideals to the princess about dealing with spirits. Just as with magic, there were many sorcerers with their own views on sorcery.

Sereth had seen as much of a spirit as possible, but she couldn't say she understood them. In fact, their past actions only filled her with more questions. However, after this first lesson, she began to accept Torena's philosophy about sorcery. Still, she hoped to learn more before deciding on her own path.

"I understand. But you won't be teaching me anymore today, will you?" Sereth was clearly eager to learn more. As she looked out the window at the fading sunlight, however, she realized that, just like her magic classes, the most interesting parts would have to wait for another day.

"Indeed. Furthermore, sorcery is very risky. Even if you're friends with the spirits, you must remember that they don't see the world as we do. They have their own thoughts, perceptions, and biases. They can turn against you, even after decades of friendship." Torena glanced at the fading sunlight, ready to end the lesson, but not before emphasizing some advice the princess should always keep in mind.

"Also, more isn't always better. It's best to have a connection with a single spirit. That spirit's power belongs solely to it. The sorcerer only has indirect access to that power. Start with a weak spirit that grows with you in strength and experience. Never practice sorcery without my supervision.

No matter how kind the spirit seems, never trust it. It's always best to have your teacher with you for protection." The sorceress knew how mischievous Sereth could be, so she looked her straight in the eyes as she spoke, hoping to prevent misfortune.

"Above all, be cautious, young princess. Sorcery will place you on the edge of the Shades; it always will." The blonde's final warning was ominous, but she felt it was necessary, since sorcery was neither a game nor a peaceful quest for power.

It was a journey fraught with difficulties, dangers, and hardships, something she would be sure to teach Sereth throughout her training. The princess listened intently and committed the words to her mental scroll, highlighting them so she would always see them whenever she revisited her mind, just as she had with many other things.

She would never forget her teacher Torena's advice in this lifetime!

----------------------

Extra story:

The Man and the Spirit. 

Once upon a time, a man found a bronze oil lamp in the desert. The strangeness of the situation naturally made him wonder about many things, but since there were no people around, he simply assumed it had been dropped by a traveler.

As he picked it up, he decided to brush the sand off the object, causing a spirit to emerge. This spirit was extremely powerful, but seemed to be bound to the lamp and mentally communicated to the man that it was only able to grant him three wishes.

The man wished that his hands could generate wealth, so the spirit transformed his hands into gold. The man's second wish was to return to his original form, and the spirit transformed the man into a small child.

Realizing that the spirit did not fully understand him, the man, now a child, did not make his third wish immediately, but instead began to converse with the spirit every day, and slowly, he imparted his way of seeing the world.

Years passed, the child became a man once more, and after a long time, he made his third wish: that the spirit no longer be bound to the lamp and be able to live freely.

This could have gone wrong in many ways in the past, but now, having understood many things it hadn't before, such as the value of freedom, its power allowed it to free itself from its bonds, vanishing into thin air and leaving behind that bronze lamp, now turned to gold, and containing an infinite supply of oil.

'Wealth will flow from your hands' was engraved on that lamp. It was a reminder of the first wish the man had made, but he no longer needed it, because the true wealth he had gained was the friendship of a companion who stood by him as he grew and changed.

Chapter Text

That night, after dinner, Sereth wandered the halls of Aberon Castle, making her way to Arya's room. Arya had asked her to meet there right after their spellcasting class ended.

The princess held her ocarina in her hands and played one of those special songs, carefully examining the reaction of her magical core and gaining a slightly better understanding of the resonance phenomenon occurring between the melody and her magical power.

The song she was playing? It was an ode to order. The notes conveyed a feeling that filled people with determination, inspiring listeners to offer support in times of need.

Where to act? Wherever necessary. Perhaps in a swamp where an innocent lies captive? Or on a mountain where a child weeps for his father? Or in an ocean, where a beautiful voice has fallen silent. Not to mention the valley where war rages beyond the graves.

This song was created to summon four beings and to tell the story of a hero who is running out of time, yet has all the time in the world.

Sereth never stopped playing this melody, considering it one of her favorites because of the spirit it conveyed. She could never compare to that legendary hero, but she would give her all to protect her loved ones. 

As these thoughts crossed her mind, the princess paused and gazed intently at her ocarina. Without realizing it, her own song had brought out her most inspired side. She had become so immersed in her performance that the melody's special effect guided her emotions.

'I must be careful,' she thought. If I play a song that evokes negative emotions and I'm not ready, things could go wrong. Not to mention how it will affect others,' she reflected. Resuming her walk, she limited herself to simply playing the cheerful melody she had first played at her birthday party.

Thus, her journey through the hallways became much more pleasant. She only stopped playing the melody when she arrived at Arya's door. After knocking, the door opened to reveal the elf.

"Come in quickly so no one sees us," the woman said, hiding behind the door in case anyone was there. She had previously cast warning spells in the vicinity and used her mind to scan the area. She had also cast several magical detection spells before approaching the entrance. 

She was very cautious! However, Sereth was unable to grasp the depth of this caution because he had not yet developed an adequate perception of magic and others' spells. She simply thought Arya did not want her elven identity discovered.

The princess walked confidently into the room. As the elf closed the door, Sereth approached the chest of drawers. There was a half-length mirror and various objects, including the slate tablets that had caused her so much trouble in recent days.

"Why did you summon me? I thought you had nothing left to teach me," Sereth asked curiously, watching the elf's reflection. The elf approached the bed to pick up a peculiar black bag.

The princess had seen it before, on the night she learned to create a Fairth*, but hadn't given it much thought. However, Arya seemed to attach great importance to it, which made Sereth wonder what was inside. 

Nevertheless, she decided to resist the urge to use her ability on the bag, feeling that she should respect the woman's privacy. However, after seeing the serious expression on Arya's face, she became increasingly tempted to use her gift on that object. 

"For this. I hope you'll keep what you see a secret. I've discussed it with Queen Jeanne and King Larkin. Orrin came into contact with this object in his time, and now it's your turn," the elf replied, approaching the chest of drawers where Sereth stood. She placed the bag on top of it after moving a few things aside. 

"Oh? It must be very important! I promise! I'll keep it a secret! I can even swear to it in the Ancient Language!" The princess's declaration caused Arya to look at her in surprise. She placed one hand on the princess's shoulder and brought the other to her mouth as if ready to stop her if necessary.

"I wouldn't make a girl like you take such a serious oath! If you do it when you're 16 and an adult, that's another matter. But right now, I can't let you do something so drastic. It would be an unnecessary burden that I don't want to place on you," the elf explained quickly, seeing Sereth's stunned expression. At first, Sereth didn't understand the reason for the woman's abrupt reaction. 

"I understand. I apologize," the princess replied. Arya sighed and brought her hand to her chest. The princess didn't want to look up at the imposing woman. Instead, she kept staring at the intriguing bag.

"What does it contain that deserves to be a secret?" Sereth asked, causing Arya to compose herself. She untied the knot that closed the pouch, reached inside, and carefully pulled out the object.

It was a gem, the most beautiful the princess had ever seen up close. It was a huge, pure sapphire without any impurities or flaws. It was slightly oval with somewhat white edges. Overall, it didn't even look like something made by human hands. 

It was perfectly smooth, and under the light of the Erisdar* illuminating the room alongside the lamps, the gem seemed to emit a subtle, intoxicating glow. Sereth was spellbound the moment her eyes met such a marvel; her special ability was activated to its fullest extent.

However, just as with Arya or the spirit from that afternoon, she quickly felt that she had reached the limit of her observation and perception. Yet, she pushed herself beyond that limit, wanting to capture its almost perfect image in her mind. 

She needed to record it! She needed to appreciate every detail. She needed to preserve it somehow! Sereth's eyes turned red, her face flushed, and blood gushed from her nose like a fountain, alarming the elf.

"Don't stop me!" the princess shouted when she noticed Arya approaching her. Although the emotions gradually faded from the girl's face, there was a fervent desire in her unusually focused eyes. 

"It's just... beautiful," Sereth murmured, her eyes filling with tears. She closed them, unable to hold back the tears. Her head ached, everything spun, and she felt weak, but a smile gradually formed on her lips. 

Arya remained silent, holding Sereth as if she were a baby and looking at her with concern. She wanted to offer support, but the princess's words had made things clear, so she didn't act; she simply stared at her.

Sereth had stained the pink dress she was wearing with her blood, as well as the handkerchiefs she had used to clean up the bloody mess that was her face. Though her eyes were still red, she was no longer staring obsessively at the gem. Instead, she looked up and focused on the elf's green eyes. 

"Don't worry. Even though I'm on the verge of fainting, I learned to stop just in time. Just let me recover a little so you can explain what that thing is," the princess murmured, causing Arya to nod as she gently caressed the gem. 

"Er¹ Ai² Skulblaka³ Echk⁴*," said Arya, causing Sereth to freeze. She simply didn't know how to process what she'd heard. Perhaps her migraine, caused by her recklessness, had something to do with it. Regardless, the human girl was genuinely shocked by such a response.

Then she pointed at the object with her trembling hand and leaned back against the dresser. She inhaled and exhaled slowly to avoid making her dizziness worse, but she seemed to be hyperventilating. 

"Why on earth do you have a dragon egg!?" Sereth muttered under his breath. He wanted to shout, but he knew he couldn't do that when it involved something so important.

"Ara nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya*," said Arya, casting a soft greenish glow that faded into the air and raised a new protective barrier in her room.

"You can make as much noise as you want now," the elf told the princess. She wasted no time letting out several shouts and complaints. Perhaps it was because she was a well-mannered girl, but there were no curses or swear words. 

"What!? If you could lie in the Ancient Language, I wouldn't have believed a word of it," Sereth said, having vented a little. He spoke in a calmer voice, making Arya chuckle.

"Many who know the news react just like you. I reacted similarly. But it's a long story full of twists and turns. I can't tell you now since it would be too late. What I can tell you is that I brought you this egg to see if you were destined for it. 

I wanted to see if you could give birth to this young Skulblaka*, thus becoming a new Shur'tugal*. Would you like to hold it?" After answering the princess's question, Arya made this proposal. She approached the girl and presented the egg to her very carefully.

"Well, if you insist, I'll do it. If nothing happens, that's fine. But if someone manages to hatch it in the future, I'll be able to tell the dragon that its egg was held in my hands. That would give me a slight advantage over it," Sereth agreed, smiling. Arya chuckled.

Even if the princess couldn't hatch the dragon, her laughter would cover up any disappointment. When the girl held the egg, however, nothing happened.

After chatting for about five minutes and seeing that the egg simply wouldn't change, Sereth handed it back to the elf, who pursed her lips. 

"Well, it's been years of waiting, and I have a long life ahead of me. I can keep waiting," Arya murmured before placing her hand on Sereth's head. It was a gesture Sereth hadn't expected.

"Don't be disappointed. It's like this with everyone." For some reason, the elf felt the need to justify the egg, causing the princess to look up and gaze at her distractedly, barely focusing on her directly.

"No, I'm not disappointed. I'm simply not the Shur'tugal* destined for this Skulblaka*. Besides, I'm studying sorcery. Maybe there's a spirit in there that's already chosen me as its companion. That could be why the egg didn't accept me." Sereth joked before reluctantly glancing at the egg one last time. 

Saying she wasn't disappointed would clearly be a lie, but Arya didn't let the princess's facade slip. She simply decided to make one last gesture for the night and used magic once more.

"Heill*." A single phrase, but a green glow enveloped the princess's head, easing her headache and dizziness slightly. It wasn't much, but it would allow her to return to her room without stumbling.

"Perhaps there's a spirit out there waiting for you to call it. Though I hope you'll be careful about that," the elf advised. Sereth nodded and walked toward the door. Before leaving, she picked up a slate. 

"May what I see in my mind's eye be duplicated on the surface of this tablet." Despite her current state, she decided to cast the spell. Gradually, what she saw made her smile. Although it was still a chaotic jumble of colors, the vague shape of a blue egg brought a smile to her face and lifted her spirits, which had been dampened by the young dragon's rejection.

"Hehe, something good in the end." After letting that comment slip, the princess left Arya's room. Alone again, Arya stroked the dragon egg as if it were a kitten. 

"You're more particular than I thought, but whoever you choose is sure to become a figure of great importance," the elf murmured before placing the egg in the pouch. She took the pouch with her to bed and slept while wrapping her body around it, protecting it from the outside world. 

...

In the northern part of Alagaësia, deep within the Empire's territory and near one of the continent's most peculiar places, a boy slept peacefully in a warm bed to protect him from the cold mountain air.

He was very young, but over the past few months, he had heard many stories that fueled his imagination and chaotic dreams. He didn't remember them when he woke up, and he probably wouldn't remember them once he got older.

In those dreams, however, a blue dragon similar to the ones in the stories played with him. His young imagination didn't allow for much, even in the dream world, but this simple reverie made him smile as he slept. 

It would still be a long time before those dreams came true in the most literal sense. All he could do was wait.