The warmth of the soft bed enveloped me with a gentle embrace. For a brief moment, the disorientation from waking up startled my senses. This wasn’t my bed, or even my house. As I sat up, escaping the remnants of sleep that had been holding me down, I came back to my senses. The events of the night before came rushing back to me - the blur of a divine meal, meeting Aeris’ parents, and ending up sleeping in the guest bedroom.


    The comfort of the bed was undeniable, but today was a new day. The softness of the silk sheets and plush mattress couldn’t keep me here much longer.


    I had grown used to my humble bed in the farmhouse, resting my head on the pillow again just for a brief moment…


    I must have fallen back to sleep. Still, I laid there gazing at the ceiling. It was elegantly adorned with gentle lights that faintly dimmed like distant stars. If this was the guest bedroom, I couldn’t begin to imagine what the royal chambers were like. How could anything be more extravagant than this?


    I finally shook off the lingering exhaustion, sitting up again and stretching as I tried to remember what we had agreed last night. Aeris’ father had mentioned something about a private tutor session he would arrange with Aeris’ teacher. To help determine whether magic was something I wanted to pursue, whether it was something I wanted to learn, or even if I could learn it all.


    I recalled his keen interest in Old Man Edrin, he had occasionally asked about him with an increasing sense of familiarity. Not impossible given Edrin, but he had never mentioned anything about meeting the Fey before. I’m sure if he had I would have remembered, and asked him a thousand questions. In hindsight, maybe that’s why he had never spoken about it.


    Regardless I had agreed to go ahead with the private lesson, I knew very little about magic and what I did know wasn’t exactly reliable. If I was going to attend actual lessons, it would be best to build up some kind of foundation first. I couldn’t exactly turn down the opportunity for a private tutoring session, though I hoped Aeris wouldn’t mind that I borrowed her tutor.


    The thought of magic, which had suddenly become a part of my life, was both exhilarating and terrifying. What if I was too old to pick it up, or if I just wasn’t compatible? Like the time I tried to learn how to play the lute.


    I eventually managed to get out of the bed, the soft carpet cushioning my feet felt almost too luxurious. I quickly dressed in the simple tunic that had been left for me, my satchel with Edrin’s feverfew had been placed on a small coffee table.


    By the time I was ready and I had opened the door to leave, Aeris was already stood waiting. She stood in the hallway with a bright, infectious smile.


    “Good morning sleepy head!” she beamed, her eyes twinkling with excitement.


    I couldn’t help but feel like I was her first real friend in a long time. There was something genuine about her joy, a far cry from her pained expression when we first met. Her warmth helped to make me feel lighter, despite my nerves.


    “Good morning,” I greeted her with a smile. I felt completely out of place here, but Aeris definitely made it easier.


    “I hope you’re feeling refreshed,” she chirped excitedly. “Today’s going to be amazing, I’ve got a good feeling about it.”


    I nodded, already feeling a sense of excitement bubbling in my stomach. “I’m ready, I think.”


    She smirked at my uncertainty. “Don’t worry, you either have it or you don’t. And you’ve already awakened, so we just need to find out what ‘it’ actually is.”


    She was right, I’ve already used magic once so it’s not like I could fail the test. Her positivity was contagious, being at home and in her element definitely showed me her in a new light. I figured her parents must have forgiven her for her self sanctioned scouting mission.


    Without another word, Aeris led us through corridors, her steps quick and light. She was no longer favouring her injury. The palace was even more grand during the day, sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting golden beams of light across the marble floors. The air felt alive with energy, the smell of vanilla was instilling a warmth I could get used to.


    We made our way outside behind the palace, Aeris advised that the training grounds for the court mages and warriors were located here. Usually reserved for serious training, but today it was ours.


    When we arrived, a tall figure was standing in the center of the grounds - a woman who carried herself with strength and the confidence of someone who had seen countless battles. She wore a grey tunic, covered by a flowing pale blue robe that shimmered under the morning sun, the light refracted from her robe like glitter on the ground. Her blonde hair held back in a ponytail, shifting gently with the breeze and revealing her pointed ears.


    Aeris waved enthusiastically. “This is my instructor, Nivara.” she said. “She’s a mage of the Winter Court, she fought alongside my father for years.”


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Nivara turned her ice-blue eyes towards us as we approached, nodding her head respectfully towards Aeris. “You look happy, Princess. This must be your ward, I’ve heard much about you.”


    Aeris grinned. “Father said you agreed to give Caden a crash course, I’m looking forward to someone else doing your grueling training.”


    There it was, that’s why Aeris was so excited this morning.


    Nivara let out a soft chuckle in retort. “Who said you would be getting a day off?”


    Aeris played coy, nervously trying to insist that helping me would be more of a benefit for Aeris’s own development.


    Nivara eventually gave in, shifting her focus to me as she began to study me with a quiet intensity. I wasn’t sure if it was unique to Fey, but the way they appeared to peer into my soul never ceased to make me feel exposed. “Let’s get started then, shall we?”


    She led us to a set of ancient looking stone tablets, arranged in a circle. In the center of the circle was a large crystal sphere that radiated a faint light resting on a stool. “These crystals are used in our coming of age ceremonies, every Fey goes through it to determine their potential and magic domain.”


    “There’s normally a large pedestal and a big party,” Aeris added with a smirk.


    Nivara looked at Aeris sternly, as if she was threatening her with laborious exercise routines. “This crystal will measure your aptitude for magic,” she went on to explain. “It will show how much mana your body currently has, and it will highlight your mana’s preference.”


    “So if it fills with water, then your mana is best suited for water magic. If it freezes over, then you’re best suited for ice magic, you get the gist.” Nivara added, seeing my inquisitive look.


    I nodded my head, stepping forward cautiously. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my pulse was racing and my stomach churned. I wasn’t sure what to expect, or what I wanted the crystal to show. I was just fortunate for the opportunity. Nivara gestured for me to place my hand on the crystal, and I did with clammy hands, feeling the cool surface beneath my fingertips helped to ease some of the pressure I had started to put on myself.


    A soft hum filled the air, the crystal pulsed with light. At first, it was a steady glow, but then it grew brighter, swirling with energy. My hand tingled, I could feel the flow of power stirring in my stomach, warming as if it was a response to the swirling crystal , a deep resonance that synchronised with my heartbeat that felt both foreign and familiar.


    After a few moments, the crystal’s glow stablised, Nivara raised an eyebrow, scanning the results with a quiet intensity. After a few moments she gestured for me to step back while she inspected the crystal, she ran her fingers along it and examined it in intricate detail.


    The crystal’s glow flickered, still swirling in dizzying patterns. I could feel my heart racing as Nivara analysed the contents of the sphere. Unsure if I had done something wrong. All I could hear was the hum of the crystal, blocking out everything else as I waited in anticipation.


    Finally she looked back at me before placing the crystal back on the stool. “I’m sorry, could you do that again?” she asked, she looked almost perplexed.


    I stole a glance at Aeris who looked just as confused, she shrugged her shoulders and nodded towards the crystal.


    I wasn’t sure what the issue was, the crystal glowed brightly so I guess that made my domain light? So what was the issue? I followed Nivara’s instructions again, placing my hand on the crystal which was still cool to the touch.


    The soft hum filled the air again, the light of the crystal flared before synchronising with my heartbeat and turning to a steady glow before swirling with energy. I could feel the connection better this time, the power from my chest swirling through my stomach before traveling through my body and into the crystal through my hands.


    “Remarkable,” Nivara muttered under her breath, almost to herself as she examined the crystal again. I could see her composure faltering for a brief moment. She looked almost- concerned? She glanced back at me, her gaze searching, as if she was weighing her next words carefully.


    “Sorry,” I said, slightly confused. “What’s remarkable?”


    She looked at me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. “Your aptitude for magic is higher than most master wizards. Your potential rivals some of the most experienced court mages. But…” she paused, her brow furrowing. “Your mana is unusual, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so pure. There’s no clear alignment to a domain, it doesn’t seem to connect with any particular type of magic.”


    Her eyes widened as she looked at me, as if the anomaly was both fascinating and unsettling. “Does that make sense?”


    I shook my head. “Not really?”


    A sudden urgency flashed across her face. “It means you could potentially learn any type of magic, you could cast any spell. With enough study and practice of course. This is completely unheard of, even among the Fey. There’s always one or two domains you align to, which restricts what type of magic your body can produce.”


    Before I could respond, Nivara quickly excused herself and rushed back to the palace, likely to inform the Queen about what she had just witnessed. I stood there with Aeris, trying to process the whirlwind of information. Maybe I didn’t channel my mana into it properly? Or maybe I was pushing it in the wrong direction.


    Aeris placed a hand on my shoulder encouragingly, her golden eyes sparkling excitedly. “Caden, that''s amazing, do you know what this means?” I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, I still hadn’t really processed the gravity of the situation. Aeris was looking at me eagerly with anticipation, maybe even awe. Like I was the key to a question I didn’t know had been asked.


    I could hardly believe it, the spark of possibility had raged into an inferno.


    “We don’t have to do weighted laps!” Aeris exclaimed, her grin widening as she caught the look on my face. Her words helped to lighten the mood, pulling my back from the tempest of my own emotions. As if she was reminding me that whatever is happening, I wasn’t facing it alone.