Page 174 of Court of Aether and Shadows

"But how?" I asked, watching their powers dance and intermingle despite their obvious attempts to maintain distance. "It felt... natural. Like the paths were already there, just waiting to be discovered."

"Because they were," Helios explained, his teaching voice carrying centuries of knowledge. "Reality is not the solid, unchangeable thing most believe it to be. It is more like... a piece of finest silk, with natural folds and creases that can be gently manipulated by those who understand its true nature."

He gestured, and the air between us filled with patterns of pure light, creating a magical diagram that somehow managed to look both beautiful and impossibly technical. "Most realm walkers," he continued, "approach these barriers like battering rams. They gather their power and simply... force their way through. Crude, but effective."

"And exceptionally draining," Aetheron added, his shadows creating their own patterns alongside Helios's light. "Not tomention dangerous. Reality has a way of... pushing back against those who try to dominate it."

"But you," Helios's iridescent eyes blazed with something that made my newly awakened power surge in response, "you did something entirely different. Instead of fighting against the natural order, you worked with it. Found the places where reality naturally wants to fold, and simply... encouraged it along its preferred path."

Their powers merged as they spoke, creating displays of such beauty it almost hurt to look at them directly. Shadow and light, darkness and radiance, weaving together in patterns that spoke of possibilities yet unexplored.

"The truly remarkable part," Helios continued, seemingly unaware of how his celestial energy reached for Aetheron's shadows, "was your handling of Liam's resistance. To maintain such precise control while essentially dragging an unwilling wolf through multiple dimensional planes..." He shook his head in wonder, making the fox chirp in agreement.

"He fought you every step of the way," Aetheron observed, his golden eyes holding ancient pride. "Yet you never lost your grip on the pathways, never allowed his struggle to disrupt the natural flow of power. That kind of instinctive control is... unprecedented."

Their combined praise made heat flood my cheeks, but something about their interaction fascinated me more than their words. The way their powers seemed drawn to each other, like magnets fighting against artificial restraints. How they moved in perfect synchronization despite their apparent rivalry.

"Did you two..." I started, then caught myself. But their sudden stillness told me they knew exactly what I was about to ask.

"Our paths have crossed occasionally," Helios said carefully, though the fox chose that moment to stretch between them likea living bridge, somehow managing to convey decades of shared history in a single graceful movement.

"Occasionally?" Aetheron's rich laugh filled the room, his shadows dancing with barely contained mirth. "Is that what we're calling the Celestial Convergence Incident now?"

"We agreed never to speak of that," Helios hissed, his formal mask cracking further. "Just as we agreed not to mention the Shadow Eclipse Debacle."

"That wasn't my fault! If you hadn't been so distracting with your ridiculous light show-"

"MY ridiculous show? Who was the one practicing shadow dancing in the courtyard at midnight?"

"It was a legitimate martial art form!"

"It was you showing off and you know it!"

The fox's delighted chirps echoed their bickering, its ruby eyes sparkling with ancient knowledge. Watching them, these two powerful beings with centuries of complicated emotions between them, I couldn't help but wonder what stories they weren't telling. What paths had led them from practicing magic together to standing on opposite sides of court politics?

But those were questions for another time. For now, I had more immediate concerns about my own abilities and the strange ways magic seemed to flow through me.

As if reading my thoughts, Helios composed himself, his perfect features settling back into their usual regal mask. "We should focus on your training, Lady Sparrow. Your natural talent for realm walking is extraordinary, but it must be properly honed if you're to avoid... incidents like today's exhaustion."

The way he said "incidents" made me think there was far more at stake than simple magical depletion. Something in his tone, in the way Aetheron's shadows curled protectively closer, spoke of dangers yet unrevealed.

But as I watched their powers continue their eternal dance of opposition and attraction, I couldn't help but feel that I was exactly where I needed to be. Learning from these ancient beings who clearly had so much more to teach than just magical theory.

The fox chirped in agreement, its ruby eyes holding secrets older than time itself.

Continuing with the scene, maintaining the rich fantasy elements and complex character dynamics...

"Perhaps," Helios said, his iridescent robes shifting through colors that somehow conveyed both authority and concern, "we should discuss exactly what you perceived when accessing the dimensional pathways. Understanding your natural method may help us better guide your development."

The fox, still stretched between the two Lords like a living bridge of starlight, turned its ruby eyes to me expectantly. The intensity of its gaze made me wonder if it saw more than it revealed.

"It was like..." I paused, searching for words to describe something that had felt more instinct than conscious action. "Like seeing music instead of hearing it. There were these... harmonies in reality itself. Places where the fabric of existence wanted to fold naturally."

Aetheron's shadows curled with interest. "You speak of the Song of Creation," he said softly, exchanging a loaded look with Helios. "The primal rhythm that weaves all realms together."

"Few can perceive it," Helios added, his perfect composure slipping just enough to reveal genuine wonder. "Even fewer can move in harmony with it as you did. Most realm walkers spend lifetimes trying to hear even a single note."

"But why fight it?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. "The paths are right there, glowing like ribbons of starlight between worlds. All you have to do is..." I gestured vaguely, "dance with them."

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