65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulzRjBNkPu"Ending up in the Healing Center twice in one day," a voice teased. "You really are something, Eilara."
Silence settled over the room as Eilara slowly sat up.
"Not so fast," Doctor Fihn cautioned. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as she groaned, the world tilting before her eyes. He handed her a small, frosted vial labeled Healing. "Drink this."
Eilara swigged it back. It tasted like wet dirt and old copper, but as she gulped it down, a spark of warmth bloomed in her chest.
"She’s awake!" Doctor Fihn called over his shoulder. "You two can come in now."
Mary Beth burst in first, her face tight with worry. "Are you okay?"
"I was so worried about you!" Kael added, stumbling over Mary Beth’s feet as they both scrambled to reach the bedside first.
"Do you know why it happened?" Mary Beth asked, looking toward the Doctor. Fihn simply shook his head and sighed, his expression unreadable.
Kael leaned in, whispering, "Did you get the power, though?"
Eilara looked down at her hands. The skin was red and sensitive. "I have no idea. It burned... it felt like my fingers were on fire."
"D-do you want to test if it got into you, though?" Kael asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
"Sure," Eilara squeaked.
"Whenever you’re ready, then," Mary Beth said, though she looked hesitant. "Take your time if you need to recover."
"I don't." Eilara jumped out of bed, her resolve hardening. She was reaching for her cloak when a blur of feathers swept through the window.
"Lina!" Eilara cried. The familiar owl landed on her shoulder, ruffling its wings. "You worried me! You didn't come back on the first day... when I asked the teacher, he said you were injured!"
Lina gave a sharp, indignant snap of her beak. “Don’t apologize,” the owl seemed to say. “You deserve to rest.”
"I have to test if I got my power, Lina," Eilara explained softly.
The group waved goodbye to Doctor Fihn and stepped out into the hallway. Instead of the plain, boring corridors of the infirmary, they turned into a wing lined with massive, colorful doors labeled Training Rooms.
"Here it is!" Kael said, swinging open a heavy door. Inside was a vast chamber filled with targets and glowing sensors.
"So," Mary Beth stepped onto a raised platform. "Use the power inside you to bend it into a bow."
A sudden gust of frost swirled around Mary Beth’s fingertips. With a sharp crack, the ice solidified into a shimmering longbow. She lined up her aim, held her breath, and let go. The arrow hissed through the air and slammed into the bullseye.
A screen overhead flickered to life: Score: 317.
"Not bad!" Kael laughed. "Your turn now, Eilara!"
Eilara took a deep breath and stepped onto the platform. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She reached deep into her gut, searching for that same "tinkle" Mary Beth had described.
Then, she felt it—not a tinkle, but a roar.
A violent swirl of wind erupted from her palm, spiraling upward. She closed one eye, focused all her fear and adrenaline into the center of the gale, and released it. The "arrow" didn't just hit the target; it pierced clean through the wood, through the wall behind it, and caused the monitor to scream in a high-pitched electronic whine.
The screen flashed a jagged, bright crimson: 941.
"941..." Eilara whispered, her hands trembling as the wind died down. "What can I accomplish with a magic this strong?"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAiakZo9sP
and then Add to home screen.