Balance could be improved.
So I would just have to keep improving.
This was the deepest we’d managed to press into the palace thus far. Magic continuously coursed from my body as we moved, as I concentrated on controlling my breathing and my shadows along with it, adjusting my power so it kept the unstable energy in the air at a bearable weight against us.
“Hopefully, I’ll be able to bring Bastian as well, next time,” I thought aloud. “And maybe some of our other allies, too. It’s only a matter of improving my magic’s ability to fill in the spaces, to even out the power in the air here. At least, that’s what Eamon said; he thinks the capability is well within my reach.”
“Hm.”
“…Thathmsounded unconvinced.”
Thalia shrugged. “Eamon is exhaustingly optimistic.”
I gave her a slight grin. “He and I have that in common, don’t we?”
A corner of her mouth twitched, as though she’d thought about returning my grin. “Well, hopefully you’re both right,” she replied, though her eyes were clouded over in doubt.
I pretended not to notice that doubt.
And, for as long as I could, I pretended not to feel the constraints of my power, either.
We moved swiftly but purposefully, gathering up as many sources of knowledge as possible. Thalia had brought along a canvas bag nearly as big as me; it wasn’t long before it was overflowing with books of all sizes, along with several tightly-bound scrolls, scraps of parchment scribbled with notes, and a couple of torn, yellowed maps.
I spotted an interesting looking alcove off to my right, lined with marble busts—a few of which appeared to be mostly intact.Nothing we could bring back to Noctaris, but I was curious about who these statues represented all the same.
As I approached the space, however, the shadows that had been circling protectively around my body suddenly recoiled, slamming back into my chest with a viciousness that nearly knocked me off my feet.
It was too overwhelming, the pocket of other magic hovering here; I couldn’t summon enough of my own to balance it out.
I backed away slowly, studying the way the air shifted and wavered, all too aware of the frustrating limits of my powers.
“This has been a successful excursion already,” Thalia said, making her way to my side. “We should head back.” Her usually stoic expression betrayed a hint of worry; I must have looked even rougher than I felt.
I nodded. Reluctantly. I knew I was fast approaching the current edge of my powers, but that didn’t mean I was ready to quit.
“Ready to take us home?” Thalia pressed.
“Ready enough,” I replied, swallowing down the lump that formed in my throat at the mention ofhome.
I still wasn’t sure that was the right word for the palace we would be heading back to.
It was where I was born. Where I’d found my brother, after believing he was dead for well over twenty years. And yes, it had started to feel like I might be where I belonged…
But home was more than a place.
For me, home was a person.
And now that person was gone.
Still, Noctaris was waiting for me. Its people expected me. Needed me. So, rolling the tension from my shoulders, I focused on making my way back to them.
We returned to the point where we’d first entered Midna. The evidence of our arrival still shimmered in the air, spiralsof violet-colored energy twisting around like a whirlpool ready to suck us back down to the Below. The energy was fainter now, moving more sluggishly. I wasn’t sure how long it would ultimately last. We hadn’t dared to stay longer than a few hours on any of our trips, and we were pushing the length of the longest visit, now.
Even so, I couldn’t help looking toward what remained of the Aetherstone’s chamber.
Thalia let out a disapproving sigh, knowing what I was going to do next, but she otherwise didn’t object. She simply kept watch while I went perfectly still, willing my tired body to manage one last bit of magic.
With a deep breath of concentration, I severed a piece of my soul from my body and shaped it into an apparition. It was an old trick that I’d been using for years, but it had grown stronger as my true self awakened over the past few months; this apparition was far more solid, aware, and capable than the spirits I used to summon.
