Page 167 of Court of Aether and Shadows

"Oh!" I gasped, suddenly remembering the shadow shield still containing our brooding wolf. "I should probably..."

With a gesture, I dissolved the protective barrier around Liam. He materialized fully, his shadows coiling tight around him as he fought for control.

"Peace, wolf," Helios said, his voice carrying subtle command. "Your protective instincts do you credit, but she is quite safe here."

Liam's only response was a low growl, though he made no aggressive moves.

"Now then," Helios continued, his robes shifting through colors that shouldn't exist as he moved to what appeared to be a teacher's podium. "Shall we begin your first lesson in proper realm walking? I believe you've already demonstrated a natural talent for it."

As my wolves moved to take seats that materialized from pure magic, I couldn't help but feel that we'd passed more than just an academic trial. Something had shifted – in the magic, in our pack dynamics, and most definitely in whatever was growing between Lord Helios and me.

The fox jumped down from its pillar to wind around my ankles, its fur briefly shifting to display the same skull pattern that marked my wrist before settling back to pure white.

"—and so the key to successful realm walking lies not in brute force or raw power, but in understanding the natural pathwaysthat already exist between—" Lord Helios's lecture cut off as the far wall rippled violently, distorting like a poorly executed portal spell.

Lady Aurora burst through first, her perfect hair distinctly less perfect and her court robes showing signs of magical combat. Five other students stumbled after her, all looking similarly disheveled. They practically fell into the classroom, magic leaking from them in uncontrolled bursts.

"Lord Helios!" Aurora straightened immediately upon seeing him, attempting to smooth her appearance. "We made it! You wouldn't believe what we had to overcome – there were these terrible shadow creatures in the halls, and poor Jasmine almost got absorbed by a void rift, and Timothy actually did get pulled into some sort of pocket dimension?—"

"We had to figure out how to combine our court magics just to survive," one of her companions added breathlessly. "The corruption was everywhere, and then the wall wouldn't let us through until we?—"

"Wait," Nyx cut in, her galaxy eyes sparkling with barely contained amusement. "Are you talking about the trial illusions? The ones we cleared through about..." she made a show of checking an imaginary watch, "fifty-five minutes ago?"

Aurora's perfect features twisted with indignation. "Impossible! No one could have?—"

"Actually," Cypress spoke up, his elemental tattoos dancing with subtle mirth, "we not only made it through but did it within the five-minute grace period. Didn't even lose any students to pocket dimensions."

"Though Liam did almost get corrupted," Solaris added helpfully, earning a dark glare from our shadow wolf.

"You're lying," Aurora insisted, her Aether magic flaring erratically. "We followed every protocol, analyzed every threat?—"

"Which is precisely why you failed," Lord Helios's voice cut through the chaos like a blade of pure light. His iridescent robes shifted through dangerous colors as he rose from his position at the podium. "This was not a test of protocols or procedures. It was an evaluation of instinct, of understanding the natural flow of power between realms."

The late arrivals stared at him in growing horror as understanding dawned.

"But... but we fought so hard to get here," one of them protested weakly.

"Indeed. And in doing so, you missed the entire point of the lesson." Helios's perfect features arranged themselves into an expression of academic disappointment. "You are now fifty-five minutes late to a sixty-minute class. The essential principles have been covered, the practical demonstrations completed."

"We can catch up," Aurora stepped forward, her voice taking on that harmonious quality she used when trying to be persuasive. "If you'd just give us a chance to?—"

"You are interrupting the conclusion of my class," Helios stated flatly, his power filling the room with subtle pressure. "The other students managed to arrive within the designated grace period, complete their first practical trial, and absorb an hour's worth of crucial information about realm walking theory."

Aurora's face had gone pale, while her companions seemed to be trying to fade into the background.

"There is no point in you remaining for the final five minutes," Helios continued, his iridescent eyes cold. "You have missed the foundational knowledge required for future lessons. I suggest you use your time more wisely in preparing for tomorrow's class – assuming you still wish to pursue this course of study."

"Of course we do!" Aurora's voice had taken on a slightly desperate edge. "Please, my Lord, if you'd just?—"

"Your continued presence is disrupting my students' concentration," Helios cut her off again, this time with finality. "Good day, Lady Aurora. Perhaps tomorrow you will better understand the difference between fighting against magic and working with it."

The dismissal was unmistakable. Aurora's face flushed with humiliation as she turned to leave, her followers trailing after her like wilted flowers. They disappeared through the wall with considerably less drama than their entrance, leaving behind only the lingering scent of failure and wounded pride.

"Now then," Helios turned back to us, his perfect features softening slightly as his eyes met mine. "Where were we? Ah yes – the natural pathways between realms. As demonstrated perfectly by our star student and her wolves..."

The white fox, which had been watching the entire exchange from its perch near my feet, made a sound suspiciously like a snicker.

I couldn't help but notice how the skull mark on my wrist pulsed warmly at Helios's praise, sending little shivers of power through my veins.

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