Chapter 54
The next few days passed in a blur of training. The moment I unlocked my seer powers, Calliope wasted no time throwing me into an intense regimen. Mornings were dedicated to sharpening my senses, trying to see beyond the physical world, while the evenings were filled with attempts to channel and control the raw magic now coursing through me.
But it wasn’t easy.
I’ve always been headstrong, as stubborn as the mountain I stood on now, but controlling magic was a different battle. The first time Calliope instructed me to "see" beyond, all I got were shadows—flickers of something just out of reach. I couldn’t make sense of any of it. Just impressions, like a memory I couldn’t place.
“Focus, Velvet,” Calliope said, calm but firm, standing across the room from me. “Ground yourself. If you don’t, the visions will slip away.”
I tried, I really did, but it wasn’t enough. I stood in the center of the training chamber, eyes closed, trying to force the images to sharpen. Something flickered—a vague shape of Polar, his cold smirk unmistakable as he stood over… over what? Axe? The vision blurred, then disappeared entirely, my concentration shattered by the rising frustration.
“Dammit!” I growled, clenching my fists, heat rising in my chest.
“You’re forcing it,” Calliope reminded me, walking closer with that infuriating gentleness that made me want to scream. “Magic doesn’t respond to brute strength, Velvet. It’s part of you. You have to let it flow.”
I exhaled sharply, shoving the loose strands of hair out of my face. “I don’t know how to do that,” I muttered, more to myself than to her. “I’m not patient like you. I need to—”
“You need to listen,” Calliope interrupted, her voice still calm but with an edge that made me stop. “Magic isn’t about control. It’s about trust. Trust yourself. Trust your power. Trust the process.”
I looked away, jaw tight, my frustration boiling beneath the surface. But I nodded. She was right, and I knew it. I just hated feeling so... out of control.
The next morning, I returned to the training chamber, determined to do it right this time. I closed my eyes and let go of the need to force anything. Instead of pushing for the vision, I focused on my breathing. The hum of the mountain beneath me. The cool air brushing my skin. The quiet thrum of magic inside me, waiting.
“Good,” I heard Calliope’s voice from the other side of the room, her tone encouraging but not intrusive. “Now reach out. Don’t chase the vision. Let it come to you.”
I kept my eyes closed, trying to relax. And then, slowly, I felt it—like a whisper at the edge of my consciousness, a soft tug that I didn’t push away this time. I let it wash over me.
The vision came.
I saw myself, standing on the battlements of a castle, my hand raised, power flowing through me like a storm. Around me, winds howled, but I stood calm, commanding the magic as if it were an extension of myself. In the distance, I could see him—Polar, shrouded in darkness. And behind him, Axe, trapped under piles of stone.
My eyes snapped open, my breath catching in my throat. The vision had been clear this time. Too clear.
“You saw it, didn’t you?” Calliope’s voice was softer now, her knowing smile just visible in the dim light.
“I did,” I breathed, my heart still pounding. “I saw Axe. And Polar. I was fighting him, but—”
“But visions are only one possibility,” Calliope reminded me. “The future is not set. Every decision you make can shift what you see.”
I nodded, the images from the vision still burned into my mind. It had felt so real. But Calliope’s words echoed in my ears—nothing was guaranteed. Not yet.
Days turned into weeks, and I grew stronger with every trial. I learned to sense the energy of those around me, to feel the threads of fate weaving through the world. I could see into the hearts of others, sense the light and shadow within them. With each small victory, my confidence grew, but the weight of what lay ahead—freeing Axe, stopping Polar—hung over me like a storm cloud.
Then came my greatest test.
Calliope led me deep into the mountain, where the ancient magic pulsed strongest. My task? To find Axe, wherever he was, using only my connection to him. It felt impossible at first, like trying to find a needle in a vast, dark ocean. The strain of it was unbearable, like fire burning through my veins. I almost gave up more than once. But after what felt like hours, I found him. A faint flicker, like a distant star. He was there, and I knew he was fighting, just like I was.
That was when I knew I couldn’t stay here any longer.
That night, I stood on the balcony of the mountain, staring out at the kingdom sprawled below. The stars glittered like scattered diamonds in the night sky, but I couldn’t find any peace in the sight. I had learned so much here, had unlocked a power I never thought possible. I could feel it, humming beneath my skin, ready to be unleashed. But I couldn’t stay hidden on this mountain forever. Axe was still imprisoned, and Polar was still tightening his grip on the kingdom.
My place wasn’t here anymore.
I heard the soft sound of footsteps behind me, and Calliope appeared at my side. She didn’t speak for a while, just stood there, gazing out at the same horizon.
“You’ve made your decision,” she finally said, though it wasn’t a question.
I nodded, my gaze never leaving the distant silhouette of the castle. “I have to go back. I can’t stay here.”
Calliope was quiet for a moment, then turned to me, her expression both proud and sad. “Your power is still growing, Velvet. But you’re ready. You have the strength to face what’s coming.”
I met her eyes, a fierce determination burning inside me. “It’s time to stop hiding. Time to face Polar. I’m not letting him win.”
The first light of dawn was just breaking over the horizon as I made my way down the mountain path. I wasn’t the same person who had climbed up here, desperate for answers. I was stronger now. And I was ready to face the battle ahead.
Polar didn’t know what was coming for him. I would stop at nothing to free my lifemate. And this time, I wouldn’t let anything stand in my way.