Chapter 5

"Try to control your emotions, children," Ms. Mary said, her eyes flashing a bright red as her hands slowly separated, revealing a small ball of fire between them. With a flick of her wrist, the flames leaped to life, lighting the candles placed on the wooden boards in front of the students. "Your emotions and powers are linked, always. The more intense your emotions, the stronger your magic will be." Her eyes returned to their natural color as she continued to address the class.

The students sat in rapt attention, each one with a wooden board in front of them, eager to practice. "Now, you’ve all been given a task," Ms. Mary announced, scanning the room. "I want you to try and control your magic using only your emotions."

Azura stifled a sigh, feeling the familiar wave of boredom wash over her. This was their last class of the day—**Control of Magic**—and it never failed to feel like a waste of time. The notion of learning to control magic through emotions seemed almost laughable to her. She already had full control, more than anyone else in the room. What was the point of all this?

She glanced across the classroom, where Ms. Mary was making her way to each student, assessing their progress. A weather fairy nearby was trying to conjure a small storm over a bowl of water, but her emotions wavered, causing the storm to spiral out of control. The water surged over the edge of the bowl, and Ms. Mary quickly extinguished it with a well-timed spell.

"You need to work on your control, Sheena," she said, jotting down notes in her register before moving on to the next student.

Azura leaned back in her chair, watching the scene unfold with detached interest. Her gaze drifted to the wooden board in front of her. She had yet to even begin the exercise, but what was the point? She knew she could do it. She didn’t need this class, didn’t need someone telling her how to control emotions that she had long since mastered.

Ms. Mary approached her, noticing the untouched board. "Azura," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You haven’t even started. What’s the matter?"

Azura shrugged, her voice carrying a hint of defiance. "I’ve got full control over my powers, Ms. Mary. This is pointless."

Ms. Mary’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing as she looked at the flowers placed on Azura’s board—a handful of dull, lifeless blooms.

Azura sighed, rolling her eyes. Fine. She would humor the teacher. With a single glance at the flowers, her eyes darkened, turning completely black as her magic surged. Instantly, the already wilting flowers withered further, their petals crumbling to ash in seconds.

Ms. Mary shook her head, looking disappointed as she marked Azura’s sheet with only half the available points. "That’s not the kind of control I’m looking for, Azura," she said, her voice calm but firm.

Azura blinked in confusion, her eyes returning to their usual green. "What did I do wrong?" she asked, frustration creeping into her tone.

"You destroyed the flowers. That’s not what control is about," Ms. Mary explained, gesturing to the ashes on the board. "Control doesn’t always mean destruction, Azura. It also means the ability to rebuild, to nurture life, to bring something back from the brink."

Azura stared at the pile of ash, her mind racing. Reconstruction? That wasn’t what she’d been taught. Her entire existence, her very nature, was rooted in destruction. It was what she knew best, what her power excelled at. She could obliterate anything, anyone. But to rebuild, to create—she had never considered that possibility.

Ms. Mary looked at her, the disappointment in her eyes replaced by something softer, more understanding. "Sometimes, Azura," she said gently, "control means choosing not to destroy."

Azura didn’t respond. She simply stared at the lifeless ashes on her board, her mind still spinning with Ms. Mary's words when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. The students began to shuffle out of the room, eager to escape, but Azura remained seated, lost in thought.

"We'll continue this next time," Ms. Mary said as she gathered her things and left the lab, casting one final glance at Azura before closing the door behind her.

Azura stood alone in the now-empty lab, shaking her head at the absurdity of Ms. Mary’s words. Reconstruction? Seriously? She scoffed at the thought, but then a part of her whispered, What’s the harm in trying?

With a sigh, she pushed her chair back and stood, her gaze falling on the remains of the flower she had destroyed earlier. Her eyes darkened again as she focused on the ashes, trying to summon something—anything—that could reverse the damage. But she didn’t know how.

Suddenly, her vision blurred. Her surroundings shifted, and an image began to take shape in her mind—a vision, hazy but vivid enough to hold her attention.

A woman stood before her, wearing a black cloak, her long golden hair cascading down her back. She was using her powers, her hands glowing with a bright yellow light that enveloped the ground beneath her. Before Azura’s eyes, a small sapling emerged from the earth, growing rapidly until it became a tall, majestic tree, its branches heavy with fruit.

"Mumma," a soft voice called, and Azura’s heart skipped a beat.

The woman turned, her green eyes—exactly like Azura’s—shining with warmth. She lifted a little girl into her arms, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"My daughter," the woman said, her voice tender as she held the girl close.

"I want to do that too!" the little girl exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she watched the tree.

"You are the most powerful in our realm, Azura," the woman said gently. "You can do anything you want."

Azura’s breath hitched. The vision dissolved as quickly as it came, leaving her standing alone in the lab once again, but now her heart was pounding.

That was my mother...

For the first time in a long while, she felt something stir deep within her. Not rage. Not hatred. But a memory of something softer. Something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in years.

________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading ❤