The guard’s lips trembled, but he said nothing. Alia nodded approvingly.
“Exactly. You are not imagining these feelings. You are touching the echoes of his soul.”
After the session, the guard bowed low and left, his steps lighter.
“That,” Alia said firmly, “is why your gift matters. And why it must be controlled. An untrained empath can drown in the emotions of others. But a trained one? A trained empath can bring peace where war brews. Heal what others cannot even see.”
By the time the sun began to dip behind the palace walls, River was both mentally and emotionally drained.
She sat down heavily on one of the cushions, her fingers trembling.
“It’s… a lot,” she whispered.
Alia smiled gently and crouched before her, taking her hands.
“And yet you handled it better than I expected. Y
