"You're here late," Thessara's voice echoed through the woods. Adina jumped slightly in fright, she turned around, clutching her chest. The woman was walking out of the woods, holding what looked like a deer.

Adina's brows furrowed as she watched. Since when did Thessara start hunting?

Thessara stood in front of her, brows raised as she waited for the excuse.

Adina flinched like she just remembered. "Oh, um…I was needed for the um…planning for the ceremony," she finally settled on.

Thessara didn't look like she believed her, but she hummed anyways, walking towards the cabin now. "You might want to apply some turmeric paste on your neck."

Adina's hand flew to her throat instinctively. "My neck?"

Thessara didn't bother to turn around as she carried the deer to the side of the cabin. "You're bruising."

Adina blinked. "I—what? No, I'm not." She quickly tugged at her collar, trying to feel the tender spot. Sure enough, it stung. Heat crept up her face. "It's… nothing serious."

"That's what people always say right before it festers," Thessara replied dryly, setting the deer down like it weighed nothing. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes glinting with amusement. "Ceremony planning, hm? Must be rough work if it leaves teeth marks."

Adina balked harder at this, desperately trying to cover the marks. "You might want to tell Thorne to calm down on the bruises. He's not one of those blood-sucking vultures that call themselves vampires."

Adina's cheeks burned. "I–it's not like that! He just—he…" She trailed off, realizing there was no winning this conversation. "Can we not talk about my neck right now?"

Thessara smirked, clearly enjoying herself far too much. "Fine. But if you keel over from infection, don't say I didn't warn you." She wiped her hands on a cloth, then glanced at the clearing just by the cabin. "Come on. You're here for a reason, remember? You want to learn how to control your energy gate, not defend your mating habits."

Adina groaned but followed. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Less talking. More working," Thessara said as they reached the clearing. Thessara motioned for her to sit cross-legged.

"First lesson," Thessara said, settling in across from her. "You need to control your energy gate and your energy itself. Now, what is your energy? The energy I'm speaking of is like a current… It's what allows you to control and move your powers around like you want." She paused for a breath.

"Think of it like this, Your energy is a river inside of you but currently it's stuck in one part of your mind. There is a gate blocking the said river. This gate is what is called 'energy gate.' Now, the more you open the said gate, the more the river that's been blocked gets to flow out. This gate needs to be controlled to perfection because it's way too easily opened and thus making it difficult. If you open this gate too wide, the river flows in an overwhelming amount and floods your body, which makes it impossible to control. The goal is to learn how to open this gate as little as possible while letting out enough energy into your body."

Adina frowned. "So basically… I'm supposed to open a door just enough to peek through, not to let a hurricane blow in."

"Exactly," Thessara's lips twitched. "Except in this case, the hurricane is you."

Adina gulped hard, "That's….not reassuring."

Thessara ignored her sarcasm. "Close your eyes. Think of a gate and you'll see it."

It was instant… Adina saw the gate and it was large, tall, and wide.

"Now, imagine yourself pushing the gate open slightly, just enough to peek through," Thessara watched carefully as Adina whimpered, "Now, Feel for it, not with your hands, not with your head, but with your whole self."

Adina did as told, almost instantly, she felt the strange heaviness again, like there was something foreign filling her body, jerking through every part of her body, from her arms to her back, to her toes, as if something was pressing to get out.

"There," Thessara's voice was soft now. "That weight you feel? That's your energy. You've been shoving it into a corner your whole life."

"It feels….angry," Adina whispered breathlessly.

"Not angry," Thessara corrected. "Restless. It's been kept away for far too long, it needs an outlet. Energy left stagnant becomes poison. If you let it move, it will purify itself. But if you open it carelessly—"

"It'll crush me," Adina finished, remembering what Thessara had said about the river and how it mustn't flood.

"Good. You're finally listening," Thessara shifted slightly, her eyes sharp as ever. "Now, breathe in and picture that river moving. It must be looking for an escape route in your body but don't let it rush through you, force it down and control it. Let it touch your hands, your legs, your spine. Let it flow through you."

Adina inhaled deeply, trying to imagine the current gliding through her body. At first, it was impossible. How does one chase something in their body? Then, without warning, it surged. A pulse of energy shot down her arms, making her flinch as her fingertips sparked faint blue.

"Too fast," Thessara barked. "Don't force it!"

"I'm not!" Adina gasped, swaying slightly as the pressure grew. "It's just— it's heavy and it won't stop."

"That's the point!" Thessara's own energy flared subtly, steadying the air around them. "Anchor yourself! Push it down with your will, you let it out of the gate, it's in your body. You control it. Not the other way around."

Adina gritted her teeth, sweat breaking on her forehead. The energy inside her felt like it was slamming against her ribs, desperate to burst free. It was uncontrollable.

Adina's eyes shot open, she gasped out in pain. She couldn't control it. She can't!

Thessara jumped forward, held Adina's shoulder, and shut her eyes. In a second, it all stopped. Adina sagged down in relief.

"What did you do?" She asked after a moment.

"I shut your energy gate myself. I told you, you must just control your energy. I know it's uncomfortable, it's something foreign in your body, desperately trying to burst out through one part or the other while you're trying to get a hold of it…but here is the thing, if you don't control it, you and those around you will be in danger."