Chapter 16: A Good Place to Land
By the time everyone had taken their turn with the spell, the air on the platform was thick with the sharp scent of magic and sweat.
Some students had managed a few half-second steps before wobbling. Others had only succeeded in making themselves dizzy. A few got the hang of it just enough to smile and stumble with pride.
But none had stuck the landing like Ethan.
Still floating effortlessly between two platforms, Professor Quen clapped their hands gently, and the sound echoed across the sky like wind chimes.
"Well done, all of you," they said with a warm smile. "Whether you stood for one breath or none at all, you all attempted. That is more than most."
Their robes shimmered like evening starlight as they hovered to the center of the group.
"I hope this was a lesson not just in magic," they continued, "but in momentum. The first step is always the hardest, yes—but once you take it, you find you're already somewhere new."
They clasped their hands behind their back again, that ever-present glimmer in their crystalline eyes. "You may not understand it all now. You're not meant to. But if you keep showing up... you'll get there."
A quiet breeze passed over the island. Students shifted. No one wanted to be the first to move.
Quen grinned. "Now, enough poetry. You've done well, and that's enough floating for one day."
With a gentle wave of their hand, a series of soft glyphs flared to life beneath each student's feet—glowing in shades of warm blue and silver. They pulsed once, and the sensation was nothing like teleportation.