The training grounds were nothing like the palace halls.
There was no silence here.
No stillness.
Everything moved—guards sparring in controlled strikes, metal clashing against metal, footsteps shifting across packed earth with purpose and precision. The air carried heat, effort, discipline. This was not a place for uncertainty.
Which made Lyra stand out immediately.
She felt it the moment she stepped onto the field, the subtle shift in attention, the way movements slowed just enough to acknowledge her presence before continuing. Not openly. Not disrespectfully.
But noticeably.
"They'll get used to you," Kai said lightly beside her, though his eyes were already scanning the space more carefully than his tone suggested.
Lyra crossed her arms slightly. "That's not what it feels like."
"That's because they don't know what you are yet," he replied. "People tend to stare at things they don't understand."
"That's not comforting."
"It's not supposed to be."
Ahead of them, Rowan stood waiting.
Of course he did.
His posture was already set, controlled, grounded—like the entire space belonged to him. When his gaze landed on Lyra, it didn't soften, didn't hesitate.
It assessed.
"You're late," he said.
Kai let out a quiet breath. "We're exactly on time."
"You stopped walking," Rowan replied.
Kai smiled faintly. "She needed a moment."
Rowan didn't look convinced.
But he didn't argue.
His attention shifted fully to Lyra. "You said you don't want to be controlled."
Lyra met his gaze. "I don't."
"Then learn control," he said.
Simple.
Direct.
Unavoidable.
Lyra's fingers tightened slightly at her sides. "I don't even know what I'm controlling."
Rowan stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
But deliberately.
"You will."
That didn't sound like reassurance.
Before she could respond, another presence moved into the space.
Quiet.
Unannounced.
But immediately felt.
Lyra turned slightly.
Orion stood just beyond the edge of the training circle, his hands loosely at his sides, his expression as unreadable as ever. He hadn't been there a second ago.
Or maybe—
She just hadn't noticed.
"Control doesn't come from understanding," he said calmly. "It comes from awareness."
Rowan didn't argue.
That alone said enough.
Lyra frowned slightly. "And what exactly am I supposed to be aware of?"
Orion's gaze met hers.
Steady.
Focused.
"Everything."
That wasn't helpful.
Or maybe—
It was too helpful.
Rowan stepped back slightly, creating space between them. "Show me," he said.
Lyra blinked. "Show you what?"
"What happens when you stop trying to ignore it."
Her breath caught slightly.
Because she had been ignoring it.
The warmth inside her shifted faintly, reacting to the attention, to the expectation pressing in around her.
"I don't know how to do that," she admitted.
"Then stop trying to do anything," Orion said.
Rowan glanced at him briefly, then back at Lyra. "Stand still."
She hesitated.
Then did.
The noise of the training grounds seemed to dull around her—not disappearing, but fading, like her focus was pulling inward whether she wanted it to or not.
"Close your eyes," Rowan instructed.
She did.
The moment she did—
Everything sharpened.
Not outward.
Inward.
The warmth was there.
Waiting.
Steady.
"Don't force it," Orion's voice came, quieter now. "Just feel it."
Lyra inhaled slowly.
The sensation responded immediately.
Not rising.
Not flaring.
Just... present.
Like it had been there long before she noticed it.
"Good," Rowan said.
She almost flinched at the word.
"Now don't lose it."
Too late.
The awareness slipped.
Just slightly.
And the warmth flickered.
Her eyes opened.
"I—"
"Again," Rowan said.
No patience.
No softness.
Lyra exhaled, frustration rising. "You said don't force it."
"And you're forcing the frustration instead," Orion replied.
She turned slightly toward him. "That's not helping."
"It's not supposed to be easy."
That—
That was getting irritating.
Kai stepped in then, just enough to break the edge of tension without fully interrupting. "Alright, that's enough for one minute," he said lightly. "You're both starting to sound like her worst thoughts."
Rowan ignored him.
Orion didn't react.
Lyra, however, felt the tension ease just slightly.
Kai caught it.
Of course he did.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough to keep it between them. "You're trying too hard to understand it," he said. "That's not how this works."
She frowned. "Then how does it work?"
His lips curved faintly.
"You let it understand you."
That didn't make sense.
And yet—
Something about it did.
Lyra inhaled again, slower this time, her focus shifting—not inward forcefully, but... allowing.
The warmth responded.
Stronger.
Clearer.
Her breath steadied.
And for a moment—
Everything aligned.
The ground beneath her felt sharper.
The air clearer.
The space around her—
Alive.
A faint shimmer flickered again at her fingertips.
Not as brief as before.
Not as controlled.
But real.
Rowan saw it immediately.
Orion didn't look surprised.
Kai—
Kai smiled.
Soft.
Genuine.
"There it is," he murmured.
Lyra's eyes opened slowly.
The shimmer faded.
But the feeling didn't.
It stayed.
Steady.
Real.
Her chest rose with a quiet breath.
"I felt it," she said.
"You didn't just feel it," Rowan replied.
"You held it."
The words landed differently.
Stronger.
Before the moment could settle—
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Steel against steel.
Not part of the training.
Too sudden.
Too aggressive.
Every guard in the yard turned.
Rowan's posture snapped instantly.
Kai's expression dropped.
Orion's gaze shifted.
And Lyra—
Lyra felt it.
Before she saw it.
A presence.
Familiar.
But different.
Stronger.
Colder.
From the far end of the training grounds, another prince stepped forward.
Slow.
Deliberate.
His expression unreadable—but his intent was not.
Clear.
Unyielding.
And directed—
At her.