I want to protest, to insist that I''m fine, but the truth is, I''m grateful for the suggestion. My legs feel like jelly, and the idea of sitting down is appealing.


    Very appealing.


    I want to sit down.


    Right now.


    Magister Orion agrees, leading us to the familiar sitting area nearby. As I sink into a plush armchair, relief washes over me. I hadn''t realized just how much effort it was taking to remain upright.


    "Now," Magister Orion says, settling into his own chair, "let''s discuss what happened during your practice session. I''d like to hear about your experience accessing your magic for the first time."


    My thoughts are jumbled now that the moment''s arrived. How do I even describe the rush of power, the vivid memories, the feeling of connection to something greater than myself?


    "It was intense," I begin, searching for the right words. "Like I was drowning in dreams, or maybe memories. They were awful ones, where I died in a fire. It was horrible and painful. I felt a surge of energy and then, before I knew it, the rune paper was on fire."


    Magister Orion leans forward, his eyes sparkling with interest. "For the wizards of the past, past life memories were not uncommon when first accessing one''s magical core. It''s as if the magic itself carries the echoes of its previous incarnations. While it isn''t normal, it isn''t unheard of. Usually, it comes with a great level of power."


    Relieved that he doesn''t think I''m crazy, I admit, "It felt so real. Like I was there, experiencing it all over again."


    "That''s because, in a sense, you were," he explains. "Magic is timeless, Ava. It exists beyond our mortal understanding of past, present, and future. On a different plane, as it were. When we tap into it, we sometimes glimpse the vast tapestry of existence."


    His words are both awesome and terrifying.


    Many consider it a useless ability, but some become addicted to the visions, unable to make decisions without them."


    "So even if she said something..."


    "Ava Grey," he interrupts, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "whatever you''ve learned, or whatever you''ve been told, don''t fear the future. The knowledge any prophecy gives you is fleeting and uncertain. Far more important is to live a life that makes you happy and proud, not to lead one based off your fears."


    Hearing it from someone like Magister Orion, deeply integrated with the world of magic, finally lifts the worry from my shoulders, and I sigh in relief.


    He smiles. "Worry not, my pupil. What will come to pass is always in a state of flux. Even time can be unreliable."


    "How can time be unreliable?" Vanessa asks, the curiosity in her voice unmistakable.


    She''s been drawn into all this insanity with me, and all this knowledge only deepens her hunger for more. Unlike me, who stresses over my power and how to control it, she just wants to learn about this world. About magic. About the possibilities that it brings.


    "Once upon a time, there were Archmages in this world. These people were special enough to reach the level of the gods and change time at their will." Magister Orion sighs. "Alas, nothing good comes from such a level of power."


    "What happened to them?" This time it''s Marcus, even his stoic bearing broken by his intrigue.


    "None of the stories agree." He spreads his hands in regret. "I have been looking for these answers all my life, but I''ve yet to find any account that stands out as the absolute truth. What I do know is that it changed the world as we know it, tearing apart everything. The gods disappeared. The Archmages died. And the Lycans—your forebears—were erased from both worlds."


    Confused, I blurt out, "Both worlds? What''s the second world?"


    "This one, of course, child. The realm of Fae."