Page 139 of Shadowvein

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“Magic isn’t something you do, it’s something youare. The manifestations are expressions of energy that already exist inside you.”

He moves to one of the shelves lining the wall, and retrieves a small, clear stone that fits into his palm. “Let’s see if this helps. It’s called a focus crystal, designed to resonate with natural energy. Hold it.”

His fingers brush against mine as he passes the stone to me, a light touch that sends a jolt through my already unsteady center. I blink and lick my lips. He doesn’t seem to notice … or hechoosesnot to.

I cup the stone between my palms. It feels cool against my skin, its surface smoother than should be possible, as if it’s been polished beyond normal means. Nothing happens when I hold it. No flicker of light, no mysterious power awakening.

“Now close your eyes again.” His voice comes from behind me once more, low and steady.Toosteady. “Don’t try to make anything happen. That’s what’s blocking you. Just feel the crystal, and let your awareness center on it. The power isn’t something foreign, it’s already within you.”

I do as he says, cradling the stone in both hands and closing my eyes. For several seconds, there's only silence and the weight of the crystal against my palms. My mind races despite my attempts to quiet it, scattering into a thousand fears I can’t quite hold down.

Then I feel it—a subtle vibration. A humming that seems to passfrom the crystal into my hands, spiraling up my arms, and pooling in my chest. The sensation grows stronger, through muscle and bone, threading itself into all the spaces inside me.

“It’s warming up,” I whisper, surprised by the intimacy of the feeling. “And vibrating.”

“Good. Keep focusing.”

The vibration deepens, resonating through my body like a tuning fork against my bones. The pressure builds behind my eyes again, but this time it feels natural, not forced. Something shifts inside me, like a door cracking open.

“I think something is happening.” I’m afraid that speaking too loudly might break whatever connection is forming.

“Open your eyes. Slowly.” His command comes soft.

When I lift my eyelids, I gasp.

The crystal is glowing. Not brightly, just a faint silver light, barely visible, but it’s definitely illuminated from within, pulsing gently in time with my heartbeat.

“Am I doing that?” The question comes out breathless.

“Yes.” He sounds amused. “That’s your natural energy responding to the crystal’s properties.”

The glow pulses weakly, fading in and out with my concentration. When I try to intensify it deliberately, it dims completely, returning only when I stop reaching and let it rise naturally on its own.

“It’s so unpredictable.” Frustration builds as the light flickers and fades again. “I can’t control it.”

“Control comes with practice. You’re making progress.Manifesting energy without emotional distress as a trigger is hard.” His voice holds that steady control I recognize now as hard-won.

I stare at the crystal, willing the silver light to return, but it remains stubbornly blank. “It’s gone.”

“Energy depletes with use, especially for beginners.” He takes the crystal from me, fingers brushing mine once more before he turns it over in his hand.

“What happens whenyoufocus on the crystal?”

“My power is different.”

“Right, shadows. But can you do it too? Make it glow?”

The corner of his mouth twitches—not quite amusement, but something close. “The crystal responds to latent energy. Shadows don’t typicallyglow.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, and you know it.” I cross my arms, and step closer. “I want to see what happens when you try.”

He studies me for a second, then sighs, and cups the crystal between his palms just as I had.

“Watch carefully then, Mel’shira.”

At first, nothing happens. Then the shadows around us shift. The crystal remains clear, but the darkness deepens around his hands, spreading outward in tendrils that dance across his skin.

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