Page 39 of Knot My Wonderland

Chi's smile widened. "Intent. Will. Desire." His voice dropped lower on the last word, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. "The magic of Wonderland is consciousness made manifest. It responds to what you truly want, not just what you think you want."

"That sounds... intimate," I said, uncomfortable with how accurately he'd read my reaction.

"All magic is intimate," Chi replied, unperturbed. "That's why most find it so difficult to master. It requires honesty with oneself." He stepped closer, his movement liquid and precise. "Now, hold out your hands, palms up."

I complied, watching as the silver light beneath my skin gathered in my palms, pooling like quicksilver.

"Good," Chi murmured, his voice dropping to that silky register that seemed to bypass my ears and speak directly to something primal within me. "Now, think of something you want to protect. Not abstract—something specific. Something precious."

I closed my eyes, trying to focus. My mind immediately went to my life back on Earth—my small apartment, my few friends, my incomplete degree. But those things felt distant now, like memories from someone else's life.

Instead, I found myself thinking of this strange house that had taken me in. Of Varik with his careful kindness and ancient eyes. Of Chi with his dangerous smiles and unexpected moments of vulnerability. Of the garden that turned to follow my movements as if I were its sun.

"I want to protect this place," I said softly, surprised by the truth of it. "And the people in it."

The silver light in my palms brightened, responding to my honesty. It felt warm but not hot, like holding sunlight.

"Excellent," Chi murmured, circling behind me. "Now, imagine that protection taking form. Give the intent shape in your mind."

I pictured a barrier—something that could wrap around what I wanted to protect. Not a wall, which seemed too rigid, but something more flexible. A sphere of light, perhaps, that could expand or contract as needed.

The silver pooling in my palms began to rise, tendrils of light weaving together like living threads to form a small, glowing orb that hovered just above my skin.

"It's working," I whispered, afraid that speaking too loudly might break my concentration.

"Don't just see it," Chi instructed, his voice close behind me now. "Feel it. What is its texture? Is it solid? Permeable? Hot? Cold?"

As I concentrated, the sphere transformed, its surface taking on a pearly, opalescent quality. It looked almost like a soap bubble, but with layers that shifted and rippled like living tissue.

"It's... elastic," I murmured, feeling the texture through my connection to the magic. "Strong but adaptable. And it knows who to let through."

"Consciousness," Chi confirmed, his breath warm against my ear. "You're not just creating a barrier but a sentinel—something with awareness."

The sphere floated higher, expanding slowly until it was the size of a basketball. Within its translucent surface, I could see currents of silver and gold winding together like DNA strands.

"Now," Chi continued, moving to stand in front of me, "send it outward. Give it purpose."

I hesitated. "How?"

"Intent," he reminded me. "The magic follows your will.”

I took a breath and focused on the sphere, imagining it expanding outward, wrapping around the garden, the house,creating a protective shell. The orb pulsed once, brightly, then shot upward into the air where it seemed to hover for a moment before expanding rapidly in all directions. Silver-gold light cascaded downward like a waterfall, creating a dome that encompassed the entire clearing before spreading further.

"Remarkable," Chi breathed, his eyes wide with genuine surprise. "I expected perhaps a small shield, not... this."

The dome continued expanding, flowing over the house, the gardens, settling at what I somehow knew were the boundaries of Varik's territory. Where it touched the ground, delicate patterns formed, like frost on a window—intricate whorls and spirals that pulsed with protective energy.

"What exactly did I just do?" I asked, watching in awe as the shield settled into place, its energy humming softly like a distant melody.

"You've created a ward," Chi said, his voice filled with something that sounded almost like reverence. "Not just any ward, but one tied to your specific magical signature. It will recognize allies and repel threats."

I stared at the shimmering dome, now almost transparent except for the occasional ripple of silver. "Is it permanent?"

"Nothing in Wonderland is truly permanent," Chi replied, circling me with new interest. "But it will hold until something stronger breaks it, or until you choose to dissolve it." His tail swished thoughtfully behind him. "I've never seen a first attempt manifest so completely. Varik will be... surprised."

"You mean angry," I corrected, suddenly worried. "You said he wouldn't approve of this kind of training."

Chi waved a dismissive hand.

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