Adina's body hit the ground harshly, her skin scraping against the sand. "Thessara!"

"Get up and do it again!" Thessara barked.

It was the seventh training lesson she had, and still, she hadn't been able to control her energy gates. As much as Adina was getting frustrated being unable to control her energy gate, Thessara wasn't taking it easy on her at all, and she was barely using a flick of her energy. All she did was stand and flick a finger of energy to Adina.

Adina grunted as she got up, cracking her head as she faced Thessara head-on. "Again," she muttered, stretching her hand as she tried gathering some air into a circle. She focused all her energy on it, eyes stuck on the air now turning into a little windy ball. "Focus, don't lose it this time," she murmured.

The spiral swelled bigger and then shot forward faster than she expected. Thessara's eyes widened a fraction before the blast slammed into her chest, hurling her back into a tree.

"Thessara!" Adina screamed, panic clawing at her chest.

Thessara was hunched by the tree, coughing hard. Adina knelt beside her. "Thessara, oh gods! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to— I'm so sorry," she rushed out, hands hovering over the woman as she panicked.

Thessara laughed in between her cough fits, her face red from doing both. She held her hand out, and Adina helped her sit. "You… did it," she choked out.

"Thessara, please, I know—"

"No, you don't get it. You shut it down yourself! Your energy gates!" she said.

Adina froze. Her own breathing was ragged, her palms buzzing from the release of energy. In the sheer panic of Thessara being thrown over the tree, she hadn't realized she actually shut her energy gate. She did it herself without help from Thessara. She'd done it? She'd actually done it.

"Thessara! I did it," Adina croaked out, her hand stretched out, and she shut her eyes.

Thessara's eyes widened the second she realized what she was about to do. "Adina! No! Don't—You can't open it twice in minutes! You'll—"

But Adina didn't hear her. Or maybe she just didn't care. She ripped her energy gate open again.

"—Drain your body faster from using all that energy twice in such short bursts," Thessara muttered, knowing Adina was long gone.

She sighed and shut her eyes close to recover from the back pain she was feeling.

__________

Adina stood right in front of the gate she'd always tried her hardest to open as little as possible. She inhaled deeply, ready to push it open again, and this time, shut it without Thessara's help. As she took a step towards it, the gate suddenly opened up by itself.

Adina froze. The river? Her energy wasn't supposed to be let out of the gate. It'll flood her body, and she'll die. Thessara said so.

Yet… there was no river flooding out of the gates. Adina stood still for some seconds, from a distance behind her, she could hear Thessara's voice, yelling out her name but not now…

Adina stepped to the other side, and the gates shut just like it opened by itself. Adina looked around, the place was of endless light, where blue and white swirled like living clouds. The air was warm and safe.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw a figure standing still. Adina stepped closer… should there be anyone living in her energy? Thessara didn't say anything of such.

"Hello," she called out, but the figure didn't turn.

"Hello," Adina called out again, and still, there was nothing. Eventually, she stopped a few feet away from the figure. It was a woman, clad in a white dress. Her long hair glowed silver, her skin as flawless and soft.

"Hello," Adina called out, much softer than she'd been before. The woman turned, eyes glimmering, and her lips stretched into a smile, one that looked like she'd been waiting.

The same woman Adina had seen in Crystal Moon. Virelya of the South.

She stretched her arm out. "Daughter."

Adina's heart shattered in a single beat, ears ringing loudly. She took a single step forward, and before she knew it, she ran, throwing herself into her arms, like every cell in her body recognized her.

"Mother," she broke into a sob, holding the woman so tight like she would fade right before her very eyes. Her soul recognized the embrace even if her mind barely did.

Virelya stroked her hair. "Oh, dear child of mine," she cooed, "Forgive your mother… I'm sorry I had to leave you so soon. That you had to grow up alone, but know, I've always been here, inside you."

Adina sobbed into her shoulder. She didn't know why it hurt so much, only that it did, as if all the years of loneliness had finally caught up to her.

"My sweet child," Virelya cooed, letting Adina cry for as much as she wanted to.

Now, Virelya was sitting while Adina's head was placed on her laps, eyes shut as she reeled in the way Virelya's fingers carded through Adina's scalp.

"Tell me, child, what questions do you seek answers to?"

Adina licked her lips… there have been so many questions when she'd been growing. Why? Why did you die? Why did you leave me with a family like this? Why did you come to Crystal Moon of all packs? Why did you leave me? But now… now, these questions had changed…

"M-my energy," she whispered. "They're so… I can't control it. My powers… I can't even—" she broke off, remembering how she had thrown Thessara to the tree.

"Why? Why can't I control them?"

"Child, you possess powers beyond your capability as of now… You seek to control them in the few spans that you have trained," her hands paused in Adina's hair. "Patience, dear child."

"But I—"

"Your powers, your energy… They're more than just yours," Virelya murmured. "Years ago, when the war occurred and I had to flee with you in my womb. Changing my appearance wasn't the last spell I made. I passed my energy and powers into you." Adina sat up, eyes wide with shock.

Virelya held her hands tight. "You hold both — your born power and mine."

Adina's eyes went wide. "That's why it's so much."

Virelya smiled softly, bringing Adina's hands to her lips. "My powers, I know they can be a lot—"

"You were the greatest sage of the realm."

Virelya chuckled, "I was more than the greatest sage of the realm. I was a force… and my powers, my energy. They made me complete."

Virelya's gaze softened. "And now they are yours. That is why you feel them raging inside you. Two rivers running through one channel."

Adina looked around… "There are no rivers here. Thessara said—"

"I know what she said, I'm inside of you, Adina. I know. And right now, there are no rivers because you can now open and close your energy gates. I held them back for a bit to speak to you." She looked around, brows furrowing. "Although, I must say. Time is precious."

Adina swallowed, nodding. "How do I control it? How do I… not hurt people?"

Virelya's expression grew serious. "You must master energy bending. With this, you will learn how to control your energy and powers. You must also learn the manipulation of another's energy, not just your own. It is your greatest strength yet. Tell Thessara to look into 02BC. She will know what to do once she finds it."

"02BC?" Adina repeated.

Virelya smiled faintly. "It is older than Thessara and I, older than these gates. Created by the first-ever sage of the realm. Worry not, all you need do is tell her, and she will understand." Her fingers traced Adina's cheek. "Child, time is running faster than you think. You have to be brave. Trust Thessara. Trust yourself."

Adina hesitated, throat tight. "Wait. There's… one more thing."

Virelya tilted her head. "You must be quick. You've stayed longer than you should."

Adina nodded, feeling the urgency… she could hear Thessara's voice calling out to her faintly.

"My father. Who is he? Is he alive?"

Something in Virelya's smile faltered slightly, but just as quickly, it was back on fully. She cupped Adina's cheek, thumb brushing off a tear Adina didn't know had strolled down her cheek. "Your father…" The pause stretched. "…does not exist."

Adina blinked, stunned. "What? He doesn't—" She couldn't finish her words as Virelya's image started to fade, her voice distant. "I'm always here. Inside you. Be brave, my daughter."

————

"Adina!"

Adina woke with a sharp gasp, sand pressed against her cheek, her head pounding like she'd been hit over the head. Thessara was crouched over her, face pale and furious all at once.

"You absolute fool! You cannot just rip your gate open twice like that!" Thessara snapped, voice shaking. "Do you have any idea how close you were to burning your body out completely?"

Adina pushed herself up on trembling arms, heart still pounding from what she'd seen. But instead of apologizing, she looked Thessara straight in the eye.

"Who is my father?"