Darkness.

It swam around Makaela like heavy smoke from a blazing fire. The blackness suffocated her, squeezing her lungs and wrapping its inky fingers around her throat. She couldn't breathe as he drowned in it. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as the grip on her consciousness faded.

She was losing.

In the distance, she could hear a voice. Their words, while far away, were clear.

"Fight it."

The voice grew louder and louder. They injected power into her veins. A newfound sense of strength coursed through her. Gritting her teeth, she fought back against the darkness around her. A golden light, no bigger than a spark, manifested in the center.

But it grew. And it grew. It kept growing until it swallowed the darkness, dispelling it into the corners of her mind.

Then it began to fade. The darkness came rushing back, filling up every corner and crevice like water rushing in through a leak. Makaela's chest tightened as she tried to summon the light again.

It didn't come back.

A low, screech sounded in her ears. She could hear a faint, demonic laugh in the back of her head as the noises amplified around her. With her heart threatening to burst from her chest, she opened her eyes.

Breathing heavily, she blinked a few times to regain her bearings. Sweat trickled down her forehead. Ice water ran through her veins and chilled her to the bone.

For a moment, she forgot where she was.

"Much better than last week's attempt," the robed, gray-haired woman sitting cross-legged across from her said. "But there is still room for improvement."

It didn't take her long to remember.

Groaning, Makaela collapsed onto her back. She was met with a view of the domed ceiling belonging to one of the many temples scattered around House Vaya's mountainous compound known as Tenzin. Pulsing, silver wards had been etched into the light-colored stone. The whole place was teeming with magic. She could feel it against her skin whenever she went for walks down the snow-covered paths snaking through the small town.

An icy breeze slipped through the pillars making up the walls of the temple and nipped at her hands, which weren't covered by the gray and white robes she wore. She wasn't cold, though. Her garments were charmed to ward off the effects of the harsh, Tibetan climate.

"How did that feel?" Madame Alizeh asked.

"Like I was suffocating."

"You cannot let the darkness take over. That's how the—"

"That's how the Nightling wins," Makaela finished while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I know." Sitting up, she rubbed her aching head. Fighting off the bloodthirsty demon residing in the depths of her psyche also left her with a nasty migraine.

Madame Alizeh pursed her silver-painted lips at the girl. "Take this seriously, Makaela. If you want to stand any chance of defeating Thorian, you will need to master all of your abilities."

Sighing, she nodded. The woman was right. She needed to learn as much as she could as quickly as she could before her next altercation with the dark lord.

Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of it.

She barely survived the last one. Had it not been for Dorian...

A lump formed at the base of her throat. Tears welled in her eyes. She wiped them away before they could fall and freeze her dark cheeks.

Clearing her throat, she rose to her feet and faked a smile. "What's next on today's list? More sparring with Karin?" Her eyes widened. "Maybe another trip to the library? I can never have enough spells in my arsenal. I'm going to need everything I can to take down the Order."

The old woman huffed as she stood up. Her long, silver hair flowed in the breeze rushing around them. "Patience, Makaela. You still have a long way to go until you'll be ready to face the Order again."

Her face fell. "But it's been three weeks. I can't stay here forever."

"If you go after them now, you will surely be killed."

"You don't know that."

"Lumi may not be speaking to me anymore, but even I can tell the outcome of that decision."

A scowl twisted her lips. "I've memorized over a hundred spells in different disciplines, including the Obscurin Arts. I've practically mastered shadowjumping now. I even have my Nightling abilities back..."

Madame Alizeh arched an eyebrow at her.

"For the most part."

"Oh really?" Madame Alizeh tilted her head upwards while folding her arms across her chest. "Well, go on then. Shift."

Makaela froze. "Huh?"

"You heard me. Shift. If you truly have your Nightling back under your control, then shift."

"You see, I would but I'm still a bit tired from our training session—"

"Shift, Makaela!"

"I can't!" she screamed. Angry tears spilled down her face. She didn't bother wiping them away. "I can't, okay? No matter how hard I try, I can't do it." Sniffling, she turned away from the woman. "I can feel it... My Nightling is right there, just under the surface. But it won't come back out."

Madame Alizeh approached her cautiously and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave the girl a comforting look, her weathered features softening as she watched her silently weep.

"Recovering it was never going to be easy," she explained, her voice softer than the snow covering the ground outside. "The charm used on you was a powerful one. Even I cannot reverse its effects."

Makaela's mind went back to the siege on Thania.

It was that night on the beach where her Nightling was taken away from her by Siren. She wasn't sure which charm she had used, but whatever it was had seemingly caused her inner demon to vanish for good. For the last few weeks, she had no access to the dark creature residing within her. The only remnant she had from it was the dark vitalae in her blood that allowed her to perform the Obscurin Arts.

And even those were harder to perform than before.

She had been so angry with Siren. In fact, she wanted to kill the girl. Not only had she taken one of the few things that made her feel powerful, but she had attempted to erase the only thing she inherited from her mother.

Thorian made her believe she was nothing without it. For a while, she believed him.

Now she knew it was just a part of his plan to manipulate her. To use her as his weapon.

But she wasn't under his control anymore. She had returned to the light and she was going to make him pay for his sins. She would be to one to kill him and save their people.

And she was going to lead the magicians into a new era of peace once everything was said and done.

Makaela wiped her face and peered back at Madame Alizeh. "I'm going to get it back."

The wrinkles around her eyes tightened as she smiled. "I know you will." She took her hands and squeezed them gently. "You are the Light. You are destined to vanquish the darkness that is Thorian Thauvin."

She remained quiet. No matter how many times she heard those words, she couldn't seem to shake the pressure and unease that came with them. She had known of her role in the prophecy since she was a child.

Still, a tiny part of her doubted if she would be able to rise to the occasion.

"What if I don't get it back?" she asked, her voice small. More tears brimmed in her golden eyes.

Madame Alizeh raised the girl's chin with her index finger. A stern look filled her mercury-colored irises.

"Makaela Moreau," she began, "you are one of the most powerful magicians to ever grace this planet."

She dropped her gaze. "You're just saying that—"

"It is the truth. I swear on Lumi's name. I've been alive for a long time, child. And in all my years, I have never met a magician with the potential you possess."

"You're just saying that..."

A blush crept along her cheeks. She was glad her complexion was too dark for it to be visible.

"You are the child of Pierre Moreau, one of the greatest lightweavers and casters of our generation, and Nyana Adu, a fearsome Nightling. Never has there been a magician blessed to have such a unique mixture of magical blood within their veins."

Makaela allowed a smile to stretch her lips. Pride swelled in her chest like a blossoming sunflower at the mention of her parents. The sun outside slipped through the subtle cracks in the ceiling of the temple, its golden rays kissing her already sun-kissed skin. Warmth spread across her body. She suddenly forgot all about the cold around her.

Madame Alizeh was right. She was the Light.

And she would defeat Thorian and the Order. She wouldn't rest until they were gone.

The older woman nodded back at her before extending her arm, which was adorned with several silver bangles, chains, and white henna tattoos.

"Come," she said. "I have something I want to show you."

Makaela took her hand and the two of them left the Vayan temple.

#

The pair strolled down the paths networking throughout the snowy mountain range House Vaya called home. They passed by the other Vayan magicians along the way. Some were reading scrolls on the stone benches, others were practicing their wind magic in the courtyards. She could see some of them flying through the air, their grey robes fluttering in the breeze.

She smiled.

Over the last three weeks, she had been lucky to call this place her new home. It was much nicer than the Order of the Black Lotus' headquarters, Castle Braexus in the dark forests of Romania.

She shivered at the thought of the castle.

It was a breeder of darkness, deception, and villainy. Some of the most dangerous and evil magicians on the planet rested their heads within its black walls. She had been one of them once upon a time. Shame was all she could feel whenever she reflected on her time with the Order. Sometimes she still couldn't believe she betrayed her friends and joined the enemy.

But it had been necessary at the time. Thorian might have been a diabolical tyrant, but he was also a very powerful magician. The skills she had learned while under his tutelage would ultimately be crucial to defeating him.

Now she had a new teacher: the wise and legendary Madame Alizeh.

It was no secret that she preferred the woman to her previous instructor.

All of the Eldenarian Council members were legends of some kind. Her father had been a prodigy growing up, Achilles Washington—the deceased head of House Brynjir—was a fierce warrior known for hunting dragons, and Chieftain Naidini had a legacy of her own.

However, Madame Alizeh was a bit different from them all. She was a lot older, being the last remaining member from the previous council class. Her many years of life bestowed her with a vast knowledge of not only magic but its inner facets and machinations. She lived through various historical events in the magician community.

She was a true relic and protector of her people.

Yet, she had been living in seclusion with her house for almost a decade. When House Lumai was being hunted down and slaughtered like dogs, the woman sensed something no one else didn't. She went dark, taking her people with her.

House Lumai's closest ally had abandoned them.

Makaela's smile was replaced with a slight frown. She side-eyed the woman as they approached another pillared building at the top of the hill they were trekking up.

She still didn't know why House Vaya never helped. While the wind mages weren't known for their combat prowess, their assistance could've helped stop the bleeding within the dying house of lightweavers.

There had to be a reason why Madame Alizeh never came to their aide.

There had to be.

"Come." Madame Alizeh hiked her robes up as she trudged up the stone path. Makaela did the same as she trailed behind her. Soon, the two of them arrived at the mouth of the solitary grey hut overlooking the rest of the snowy plains.

Snow swirled in the air around them. Wind whistled through the sparse hemlock trees dotting the mountain range.

Makaela arched an eyebrow at her teacher.

"What is this place? An outhouse? You could've just said you needed to use the bathroom."

Madame Alizeh sent her an unimpressed glance before facing the hut.

Chipped, black tiles styled into a sloped roof sat atop the small structure. Its stone foundation was cracked and half-sunken into the ground. Snow had gathered around the front door, which was decorated with a simple doorknocker and a dull, brass handle. There were no windows. Makaela stared curiously at it as she waited for her the Vayan monk before her to speak.

"Er, hello?"

"This," she began, "is where we come for answers."

Madame Alizeh approached the door and pulled it open from the handle. She gestured for Makaela to step inside. The girl did as she was told, albeit reluctantly.

She could barely see a thing inside the hut. After Madame Alizeh closed the door behind her, she couldn't see anything. Squinting, she waved the dust floating in the air out of her face. She stopped near the door, not wanting to accidentally bump into anything hiding in the shadows.

Behind her, she noticed her teacher had conjured a ball of light. Nodding, she did the same.

Their twin spheres of golden light bobbed in the air. Makaela flicked her hand upward, sending her spark toward the ceiling. Its bright light illuminated the small space, revealing its contents.

A bookshelf overflowing with books and scrolls that looked like they belonged in a different era stood on one side of the room. On the other was a table with two chairs. Sitting on top of the table was an orb of eldricite, a few bundles of sage, and other miscellaneous items. Stormglasses sat on a nearby shelf; their contents were whiter than the snow outside.

Makaela shifted her feet. A feeling of unease trickled down her back.

"Okay," she said, her brows knit together in confusion. "What is this place? Seriously?"

"We must begin the next phase of your training," Madame Alizeh.

"Next phase? But I haven't recovered my Nightling fully yet. How can we already be starting a new phase?"

Ever since she arrived at Tenzin, she had been training nonstop, learning new disciples of magic and honing her skills. The past week had been spent recovering her inner demon. But she hadn't completed that task yet. Now the woman wanted her to start another?

"I'm afraid we are running out of time, child."

"Running out of time?" She blinked twice. "How?"

The Order of the Black Lotus wouldn't be able to find them there—even with her ring's connection to Thorian's. The Vayan magicians had cloaked Tenzin with some of the strongest charms Makaela had ever witnessed.

And even if he did someone find it, he wouldn't attack them there. He knew better than that. House Vaya was known for their peaceful and nonviolent natures, but when it came to their home, they didn't mess about.

"Before we begin your next phase of training, there is something you must know." Madame Alizeh paused. Her expression had changed; a hint of apprehension could be seen in the lines around her mouth.

"Well? What is it?"

Madame Alizeh wrung her hands. Her eyes were trained on the creaking floorboard beneath her feet.

Makaela's heart stopped for a moment as her breath caught in her chest.

"It's Lumi," her teacher finally said. "She's fading."