Lyrilla Casta's Arc

Chapter 2 of 10

Lyrilla stepped onto the practice platform. Her bare feet touched warm stone. The master stood beside her and held up one hand. "Before you command others, you must command yourself," he said. His voice was firm. "Close your eyes. Find the center of your mind. Feel where your power lives." Lyrilla obeyed. She breathed slowly and searched inside herself for something she could use. At first, she found only fear and doubt. But then she felt it—a small pulse of energy behind her thoughts. It flickered like a candle flame. The master told her to hold onto that feeling. "This is your beginning," he said. "Every master started here." The next morning, the master led her across the guild grounds to a building made of red alien stones. Green fluorite windows caught the light and cast strange colors on the ground. Inside, shelves lined every wall from floor to ceiling. Books and scrolls filled each shelf, their pages worn from countless readers before her. The study hall smelled like old paper and dust. "These texts hold the foundation of mental influence," the master said. "Read them. Learn the patterns our ancestors discovered." He placed three thick books on a wooden table and left her alone. Lyrilla opened the first book and began to read. The words described how to plant thoughts in another mind. They explained the rhythm of voice that made listeners trust and obey. Page after page showed her the building blocks of the power she wanted. Hours passed. Her eyes burned, but she kept going. When the light through the windows turned orange, she closed the last book. The flame inside her mind burned stronger now. She had taken her first real step toward the respect she would command. On the third day, the master brought her to an open courtyard before dawn. A sound bowl sat on a stone pedestal, crafted from quartz with rubies set into its rim. "Knowledge means nothing without focus," he said. He struck the bowl with a wooden mallet. A deep tone filled the air and made Lyrilla's bones hum. The sound wrapped around her thoughts and pulled them into a single point. Her scattered fears fell away. The pulse of power inside her grew clear and steady. The master struck the bowl again. This time, Lyrilla felt her mind reach outward, following the vibrations into the space around her. She could sense the master's presence without looking. She could feel the energy moving between them. When the sound faded, she opened her eyes. The master nodded. "Now you are ready to practice on living minds," he said. Lyrilla looked toward the study hall in the distance, then back at the bowl. She had learned the words. She had found her focus. Tomorrow, she would test her power on another being for the first time. That evening, the master walked her through the guild grounds as darkness fell. A hovering crystal floated above the courtyard, glowing light blue in the shape of an octahedron. Its glow pushed back the shadows and lit the stone paths. "Training does not stop when the sun sets," the master said. He gestured at the crystal. "We practice in all conditions. Your mind must work in daylight and darkness." Other students emerged from buildings and moved toward practice areas. The crystal's glow touched their faces and made their eyes shine. Lyrilla watched them take positions on platforms and begin their exercises. She understood now. Learning happened in stages. First came self-control. Then came knowledge. Then focus. Now she would train until her body and mind worked as one tool. She stepped toward an empty platform under the floating light. The master had given her everything she needed to start. The rest was up to her.