Breathing in brief, erratic gasps, I stood in the clearing as the chilly morning air swept across my body. I tried to slow my racing heart by wiping the sweat off my brow. My training was intense, with each session challenging me more and making me face a power I hardly recognized.
But something felt strange today, different. As though the forest itself was holding its breath, the hush was thicker and the shadows seemed darker. My mind swirled, a storm of uncertainty and anxiety that felt like it might engulf me.
I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate, to summon the strength that Ethan had been teaching me to use. But instead of feeling powerful, all I experienced was an emptiness where confidence ought to have been. What happens if I lose control of it? Could it be that my power was
