Page 166 of Court of Aether and Shadows

Seek Onward

The seemingly solid wall before us began to shimmer, its crystalline surface rippling like disturbed water. The fox's ruby eyes glowed brighter, and I felt the skull mark on my wrist pulse in response. Magic surged through the air, thick enough to taste – like ozone and starlight mixed with something older, something that spoke of ancient pathways and hidden doors.

"Trust me?" I asked my wolves, though we were already out of time.

Their energies wrapped around me in response, four different courts' power harmonizing into something greater than their parts. Even Liam, still contained within my shield, managed to send a pulse of shadow-wrapped affirmation.

We hit the wall at full speed – only it wasn't a wall anymore. The crystal surface parted like liquid mercury, cool and thick as we passed through. The sensation was different from regular portal travel, more like swimming through pure magic. Colors swirled around us in impossible patterns, each wolf's power creating unique ripples in the fabric of reality.

The transition lasted both an eternity and no time at all. We emerged into a classroom that defied conventional architecture, skidding to a stop on floors that seemed to be made of captured twilight. Hundreds of candles floated at various heights, their flames burning in colors that shouldn't exist. Each one cast multiple shadows, creating layers of light and dark that danced across walls that couldn't quite decide if they were solid.

"Well," Nyx breathed, her galaxy eyes wide as she took in our surroundings, "this is definitely not the regular classroom."

She was right. Instead of the standard academy setup, this space felt ancient, powerful. Pillars of pure crystal rose from floor to ceiling, each one containing what looked like captured stars. The air itself felt charged with potential, as if the room was waiting for something – or someone.

"Are we sure this was the right choice?" Solaris asked, his sun-bright energy flickering nervously. "We appear to be the only ones here."

The white fox, seemingly unbothered by our concerns, leaped gracefully onto one of the pillars. It sat there regally, those impossible eyes shifting between ruby and cyan as it watched us expectantly.

"We're in the right place," I said with absolute certainty, though I couldn't explain how I knew. The skull mark on my wrist hummed with confirmation, sending waves of ancient power through my veins.

"How can you be sure?" Cypress asked, his elemental tattoos shifting rapidly as they tried to analyze our surroundings.

Instead of answering, I closed my eyes and held my breath, just as I had when falling between realms. The world shifted, colors bleeding away until only energy remained. I pushed past the immediate signatures – my wolves' brilliant power, the room's ambient magic, even my own swirling mixture of shadow and starlight.

There – a pulse of pure celestial energy, carefully hidden beneath layers of concealment magic. It called to something in me, like a star recognizing its own light. Lord Helios's power sang through the veils of illusion, drawing me forward like a moth to the most beautiful flame.

I moved without opening my eyes, trusting my other senses to guide me. The wolves' energy signatures flared with concern as I walked toward the pillar where the fox sat, but I barely noticed. All I could feel was that familiar aether power, wrapped in mysteries but unmistakable to my awakened senses.

In this state of between, where reality was more suggestion than law, I reached out. My hand found what felt like a cheek – warm skin humming with celestial energy. The touch sent sparks of power racing through my arm, making the skull mark blaze with responding light.

"Well done, my star," Helios's voice whispered through the veil of magic, his hand covering mine where it rested against his cheek. The contact sent waves of warmth through my entire being, like standing in the first light of dawn.

I released my breath, allowing reality to crash back into focus. My wolves gasped in unified shock as the illusion shattered, revealing Lord Helios exactly where I'd known he would be. His perfect features held an expression I'd never seen before – something softer than his usual imperial mask, though no less powerful.

The smile he gave me made my heart stutter in my chest. It transformed his face from mere perfection into something almost unbearably beautiful, like trying to look directly at the sun. His iridescent robes shifted through impossible colors as he stepped closer, though he made no move to release my hand from his cheek.

"Congratulations," he said, his voice carrying harmonics that made the very air vibrate with pleasure. "You've successfully completed your first trial."

"Trial?" Nyx found her voice first, though her galaxy eyes kept darting between Helios and me with growing interest. "You mean this was all planned?"

"Of course," Helios replied, finally stepping back, though his eyes never left mine. "Did you really think I would allow corrupt magic to infiltrate my classroom? The other students are currently experiencing their own versions of this test, though," his perfect lips curved in another devastating smile, "none quite as... dramatically as your group."

"The corruption in the hallway," Solaris began, understanding dawning in his sun-bright eyes. "The wrong energy in the original classroom..."

"All carefully crafted illusions," Helios confirmed. "Designed to test not just your magical abilities, but your instincts. Your willingness to trust each other, and more importantly," his iridescent eyes found mine again, "your ability to see beyond surface appearances to deeper truths."

The white fox chirped smugly from its perch, looking entirely too pleased with itself.

"And my spirit guide?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew the answer.

"A manifestation of ancient magic," Helios explained, reaching out to scratch the fox behind its ears. It leaned into his touch like an old friend. "One that seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

I felt the skull mark on my wrist pulse warmly, and understanding blooded through me. "It's yours, isn't it? Or... part of you?"

His smile turned mysterious. "It is now as much yours as mine, little star. A bridge between our powers, just as you are a bridge between realms."

The implications of that statement hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning that made my wolves shift restlessly. I could feel their different reactions – Nyx's amused interest, Cypress's analytical curiosity, Solaris's complex mixture of respect and concern, and Liam's...

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