Page 46 of The Ascended
Chavore glanced over his shoulder. "Oh? Why's that?"
"This whole situation. One moment I'm awaiting execution for lacking power. The next, I've eliminated Drakor, and instead of punishment, I gain a prince as a mentor."
His face hardened, all previous humor vanishing. "Not many from Draknavor would be missed."
My pulse quickened at the slip. Fault lines existed between the gods, cracks I might exploit later.
We passed through a gallery where battles unfolded on walls. Beauty and destruction interwoven into endless monuments to their own glory.
"What about Thais?" I asked, genuine worry coloring my words. "She's in Draknavor." The bond between us stretched thin across the distance—enough to know she lived, not enough to sense her state.
Chavore's swallowed. "Xül and I were friends once."
"What happened?"
"Reality eclipsed childhood bonds." He shrugged. "Difficult to maintain friendships when raised with opposing values."
"Opposing values?" I pushed, walking the knife's edge of curiosity and caution.
"The Lord of Death and the King of Order have clashed since the beginning of time." Chavore led me past training fields where Syrenari moved through deadly forms.
"Your sister will endure," Chavore added, perhaps noticing my tension. "Xül is smart and makes certain everyone knows it. She'll survive."
Survive. The barest minimum. But survival meant opportunity, and Thais could handle herself better than anyone I knew.
"Here we are," Chavore announced as we reached the forest's edge.
Trees towered overhead, bark gleaming with golden highlights, leaves shimmering between yellow and green. Power vibrated through the air, raising goosebumps along my arms.
"Right," Chavore rolled his shoulders. "So you shattered bone with just a thought. That's..." He paused, eyes going distant for a moment before snapping back with laser focus. "That's fucking incredible, actually."
He started pacing, but it wasn't nervous energy—more like he needed to move while his mind worked. "Walk me through it. The exact moment. What did you experience?"
I hesitated, but his expectant stare demanded an answer. "I... I could see them. The bones. The veins. Through the skin, through everything."
"You could see them." He stopped mid-stride, pivoting to face me. "Not sense them, not feel them—you actually saw the structure?"
I nodded slowly.
"And then?"
"Then I just... wanted it to stop. And they shattered."
His grin widened. "So it's not just destruction—it's perception first, then manipulation. You need to see what you're affecting." He tapped his temple. "That's the key."
He moved closer, spreading his arms. "Which means we need to train your sight before we can train your power. See if you can do it again—look past the surface. But this time, no breaking anything. Just look."
Fear prickled along my spine. "What if I can't control it? What if?—"
"Then I'll have some interesting scars," he said with a shrug. "Start with me. Try to see what's underneath."
I simply stared at him.
"Relax," Chavore said. "Drakor wasn’t prepared for what you did to him, but I am. And just because I can't set you on fire with my mind or blind you with celestial light doesn't mean I'm fragile."
He picked up a training sword from the weapons rack and bent it into a perfect circle with his bare hands, the metal groaning in protest.
Curiosity needled me. "What is your power?"
