Amethyst
The successful test of the Voice of the Moon had filled me with a quiet, bone-deep certainty, but Stage One was only the introduction. The next steps—mastering Elemental Command—were a matter of life and death, both for me and for Jackson. My power was Alaric's poison, and I needed to learn how to administer the dose.
We returned to the underground training chamber the following morning. The air still carried the faint metallic scent of ozone from the previous night, but today the atmosphere was heavier, charged with elemental anticipation. Jackson, Uncle Ethan, Beta Jessie, and Gemma were present, their faces serious.
“Stage Two: Elemental Command,” Jackson stated, standing before me. “This is the Shadow Conduit. It is the power that proves the scrolls’ truth and confirms Alar
