Auraleaf's sunrise was different from the one Lila had ever witnessed. The sky was splattered with streaks of pale violet and gold, and the lanterns gentled their light as the morning sun streamed over the valley. Leaves brushed against each other softly under the sweet breeze that brought scents of wood smoke and wildflowers.
Lila awoke in a small thatched hut, the pendant still glowing softly against her breast. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and noted Eron waiting outside with two steaming cups of herbal tea.
"You need to be ready, Lila," said Eron, handing her the hot mug. "If we are going to defeat Morgana, you will have to learn the magic of this realm.".
They walked to a glade at the edge of the village, where the earth had been carved with old runes, and a circle of nicely polished stones surrounded a flat area of grass. Eron raised his staff, and the crystal at its tip glowed, forming a barrier of light around them.
"Magic here is not the stories you know," Eron said, his voice calm but firm. "It listens to those that listen to it. It answers those that are willing to protect others, not harm."
He placed a smooth, black stone into Lila's hand. "Feel its weight. Breathe. Blank your mind."
Lila shut her eyes, focusing on the coolness of the stone, the birds' chirping through the trees, and the insistent throb of the pendant against her skin. She felt the heat radiating from the pendant, through her fingertips, and the stone she was holding grew warm, as did the air around them.
"Good," Eron's face broke out in a still, proud smile. "Let it go."
As she opened her eyes, the stone floated, emitting a pale blue glow, circulating around her hand like a gentle revolution. She inhaled deeply, nearly dropping it as it settled back into her palm.
"You see?" Eron smiled. "It is not about forcing the magic, but letting it find you."
Daily, Lila trained with Eron. She learned how to tap the strength of the pendant, employing it to create small shields of light and gentle pulses that could deflect shadows. She learned to read the runes and how to inscribe them in the air, each one charged with strength when inscribed with intent.
She would sit before the fire each night with Elin, who told her the stories of Auraleaf and what lay beyond the hidden door.
It was your grandmother who came through the door once," Elin whispered one evening as the lanterns swayed gently in the breeze. "Maeve was a little girl when she first came here. She helped us defeat Morgana's master, binding the witch's magic. But Morgana returned, darker and stronger than before."
Lila's chest constricted. "Why did she not tell me?
"For the care you took of her," Elin said, placing a comforting hand on Lila's shoulder. "But you carry her bravery within you."
Elin handed over the small book, its leather cover sporting the same silver runes. "Your grandmother left this for the returner. In it lies the pendent's secret."
That night, under a lantern's light, Lila read in the book of the hidden door. It had been built centuries earlier to protect both worlds from the darkness Morgana now possessed. The pendant was a key, capable of holding the witch's energy if placed into the Heartstone—a crystal stuck deep in Morgana's dark tower.
There was a price.
Only the holder of the pendant can enter the center of the tower. Only they can awaken the Heartstone, but they must be prepared to face their greatest fear."
Lila closed the book, her hands trembling. She looked over at the sleeping village, the lanterns golden stars above the huts.
She wasn't certain she was ready. But she knew she had to attempt it.
At dawn, she walked to the hut of Eron.
"I'm ready," she said, clutching the pendant tightly. "Tell me how to get to Morgana's tower."
Eron looked at her, a mixture of fear and pride in his eyes.
"We will go together," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But the final step will be yours alone."
With the sun rising, gold bathing the valley, the villagers arrived, their faces hopeful. Elin handed Lila a small, sweet warm bread, and one of the children placed a flower in her hair.
"Return to us, Lila," Elin whispered.
Lila smiled, feeling the weight of the pendant, the warmth of the hope of the villagers, and the promise she made to herself:
She would not be afraid.
And thus, with Eron by her side, Lila first made her way to Morgana's dark tower to face the witch and the darkness within.