Riley's POV
She wasn't sure how long it had been since she felt like this settled. Not safe, not exactly, but… seen. Her dad didn't ask questions the way other people did. He never demanded an explanation or waited for her to say things she wasn't ready for. He just was there. Like gravity. Like breath. The sky above them was that soft shade of blue that made the trees look greener. They stood in a clearing on the edge of the old reserve, far enough from town to feel like another world. He called it "the space between noise." Today wasn't a lesson. Not officially. But when you were the daughter of an Original, nothing was ever just a walk in the woods.
"You feel it?" he asked quietly.
Riley closed her eyes. The wind curled around her ankles, lifting her hair slightly. Not strong just playful. Curious.
"Yeah," she whispered. "It's... light."
"Good," her dad said, a small smile in his voice. "That's air. First to greet you. It always is, for people like us."
"Why?"
"Because it remembers you," he said simply. "And because you've been holding your breath for too long."
She opened her eyes slowly. The leaves above rustled like a hush, a secret whispered to the trees. Her dad stepped back, giving her space. "Try something," he said. "Don't force it. Don't control it. Just breathe."
Riley inhaled, letting go of everything. Her worry. Her need to hide. Her fear of being too much for this world. The wind rose in answer. A soft gust twirled around her, lifting dust and petals and her hoodie's sleeves. The air wasn't just moving it was dancing with her. Her eyes widened. "Whoa." Her dad didn't flinch. "That's yours." Riley's fingers tingled. For a second, she felt like she weighed nothing at all.
And that's how she started her training .
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It was Saturday.
The kind of Saturday that asked nothing more than for you to show up. No school, no alarms lookjust space to breathe and walk and exist. They'd kind of made a plan the day before. A casual "you free tomorrow?" as they packed up after lunch. No specifics, no promises. But sure enough, there they were, meeting near the park entrance around noon like it had been written down all along. Alex had one earbud in, music playing softly from a playlist he didn't bother to explain. Riley didn't ask, and that was part of what made her easy to be around. They walked for a while without needing words.
"Let me guess," she eventually said, bumping his shoulder. "Rainy-day music?"
"Actually," Alex said, pulling out the bud and passing it to her, "sunshine-and-long-walks type vibes."
She listened for a second, then made a face. "Feels more like storm-is-coming energy."
He laughed. "That's just the bridge. Give it a minute."
They kept walking, winding toward the quieter trail that curved past the trees. It was peaceful until it wasn't. The wind shifted suddenly, a burst of air circling around them with unnatural sharpness. It wasn't cold, but it felt focused. Controlled.
Alex stopped mid-step, glancing sideways. "Okay… that wind thing was kinda weird."
Riley tensed. Just for a second. Her hands were relaxed at her sides, but Alex caught it her fingers had twitched, like she'd pulled something invisible back in. He looked at her.
"You… feel that too?"
She blinked. "It's just wind."
"Yeah, but it..." He paused. "It came out of nowhere."
Riley tilted her head, playing casual. "It's a park. Trees. Air. I don't control the weather, Alex."
He squinted, skeptical but not pushing. "Right. Just weird timing, I guess."
"Guess so," she said, already walking ahead.
He caught up, earbud still in one hand, mind half distracted. Riley didn't say anything else, and neither did he not out loud. But part of him filed the moment away, like a bookmark in a story that hadn't revealed its plot yet. As the trail quieted again, she handed him back the earbud.
"You gonna play the next song, or just keep pretending you're DJ Sad Thoughts?"
Alex smirked, letting the moment slip past—for now. "Next track it is."
And the walk continued, like nothing had happened.
And how can she tell him oh I'm something called an original and yes I can control anything air-related, she is not about to change towns again. Meanwhile Alex already had an idea of what he's going on.
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Sienna's POV
Saturday always felt different in her house. It wasn't the sunlight filtering in just right through the lace curtains, or the scent of dried herbs and wildflowers strung across the ceiling. It was the stillness. Like the whole world paused just long enough for the Fae magic in her home to breathe. Her mother moved slowly through the room, hands trailing over polished stones, ancient books, delicate glass bottles filled with light and liquid memory. Her voice was low when she spoke.
"It's coming soon, darling. You feel it, don't you?"
Sienna sat cross-legged on the floor, fingers brushing over the glowing mark on her wrist the one that hadn't stopped pulsing since last week. "I do. It's like… my skin remembers something my head doesn't." Her mother smiled gently, settling beside her with a bowl of warm water, petals floating like promises. "That's your magic remembering what it is. The second transformation is closer than you think. We're just helping you meet it halfway." They began the preparation in silence.
A slow ritual. Not the kind with loud spells or flashing lights. Fae magic was older than that. Wiser. It bloomed in quiet intention and nature's rhythm. Her mother placed drops of oil on her forehead, her wrists, her chest each one humming faintly against her skin.
"You've already changed, Sienna. This next part… it's just the unveiling."
Sienna closed her eyes, letting the warmth settle into her bones. She could feel the magic stirring beneath her skin, stretching, unfurling like wings preparing for flight. Her senses were sharper these days. Colors more vivid. Sounds layered with meaning. And sometimes, she could feel things before they happened.
"I saw someone glowing the other day," she whispered.
Her mother paused, thoughtful. "Someone like you?"
Sienna opened her eyes. "Not exactly. But… not human either."
Her mother's expression turned knowing. "They're awakening too."
A long silence passed between them.
Then, softly: "Are you scared?"
Sienna shook her head, but it wasn't quite true. She wasn't scared of what she was becoming she was scared of what she might have to face because of it. Whatever it was out there pulling people like her together, it wasn't doing it for fun. But still… there was peace in knowing she wasn't alone.
The other person wasn't human and she is was sure of that, but he is also going through transformation more like he hasn't started yet
She looked at the glowing the marks and strips on her hand as she brush her finger against them "I'm ready ma" she said as she started preparing for her second transformation.