Chapter 10 — The Wild Threads of Magic

The city was quiet at this hour, lanterns flickering along the cobblestone streets. Kael moved like a shadow, Lyren following silently behind him, hood pulled low.

“Where are we going?” she whispered.

“Somewhere we won’t get interrupted,” Kael replied lazily, hands in his pockets. “You need space… your magic’s unstable. And I need to see what’s going on without someone panicking every time something moves.”

Lyren shivered but nodded. They passed through the outer walls of the city and found a small, secluded glade in the forest. Sunlight filtered weakly through the thick canopy, and the air smelled of earth and dew. Here, she could try her magic without fear of anyone seeing.

⸻

Lyren’s hands shook slightly as she attempted a simple illusion spell. The air shimmered, her form flickering, unstable. She forced it into a small animal — a fox — but the magic wavered, and black veins pulsed faintly along her arms.

Kael watched lazily, leaning against a tree. “Don’t focus on making it perfect. Focus on the flow. Feel the magic, not the result.”

Next, she tried wind magic. A small gust swirled around the clearing, tugging at leaves. But it twisted unevenly, whipping dangerously close to her. Kael’s eyes followed every movement, calm as ever.

Then came forest magic — vines curling up from the earth at her command. They were beautiful, alive, and dangerous in their unpredictability. She tried to subdue a nearby stump as a practice target… and accidentally wrapped Kael in thick, twisting vines.

“Ah…” Kael groaned lazily, looking down at himself trapped but unbothered. “Okay. Now try and put me down carefully.”

Lyren panicked. “I-I’m trying! I can’t control it—Kael, I’m sorry!”

Kael tilted his head, smiling faintly. “You won’t hurt me. Calm down. Stop thinking about me, about these vines. Think about the forest. The soil, the spirits, the trees. Feel them, don’t fight them.”

She swallowed hard, focusing. The vines loosened slightly but remained under her control, responding to her will instead of her panic. Her breaths came in shaky, uneven pulls, but the pulse of her magic began to settle.

Kael nodded lazily. “Better. Now keep it steady. You’re not trying to hurt me — you’re working with the forest. The magic responds to your focus, not your fear.”

Slowly, carefully, she released him completely. He stepped free, brushing some leaves off his shoulders.

“You’re… really strong,” Kael said, voice still calm, almost bored. “But the corruption in your magic is why it keeps misfiring. The more you panic, the worse it gets.”

Lyren collapsed onto the grass, exhausted. “I can’t… hear the elemental spirits anymore. They’re gone…”

Kael crouched beside her, observing the faint pulses of corrupted magic in her arms and hands. “Not gone,” he said. “Just… blocked. Focus. Let the forest guide you. Don’t fight it — feel it, shape it.”

She nodded weakly. “I’ll try…”

Kael leaned back, relaxed as ever. “Good. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

And for the first time in days, Lyren felt the tiniest hint of control. A small spark of confidence that maybe, just maybe, she could master her corrupted magic.