Micah sat on a rock as he watched Elysha stand nearby, staff in hand, her gaze distant—almost dazed.

  ‘It’s been a long day today,’ he thought to himself, tail flicking as he observed her. ‘Hm, Micah wonders what Sorcha has been up to. She’s probably in her room picking out her favorite dress for the upcoming festival. Ana and her team are probably finishing their movie project.” Then he yawned. ‘Meanwhile, Micah is stuck here babysitting Miss Determined over there.’

  He scratched his neck under the layers of his brown bushy fur, then cocked his head at her motionless posture, as if her eyes were fixed on something unseen.

  ‘If only Micah could know what was going on in her head, then this would be more interesting,’ he mused. ‘She’s probably still thinking about the tag game or her own core, Micah guessed, or she’s thinking about out her next steps in practicing theonum.’

  Suddenly, she tilted her head, as if a light bulb had just flashed above her, and turned abruptly to face him. At the same time, his ears pricked up in alert.

  “Hey Micah?”

  “Yep, what is it?”

  “Can you show me more of your element?” she asked, resting the butt of her staff in the grass.

  “My element?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I want to see more of what you can do with your theonum. Your element is air, and I want to see more of that.”

  “Oh, I get it now!” he jumped off the rock. “You want to see the range of Micah’s abilities. Well, certainly!”

  “I remember seeing your larger form and that you can fly in the air and create strong winds,” she said. “Is that all?”

  “Your eyes see things right,” he replied. “Fewer questions. Now then, look closely!”

  With that swift movement, Micah leapt into the air, defying gravity as if the wind itself held him in place. He soared higher, his small frame agile as he flew across the clearing—effortless as a leaf adrift on a breeze.

  “You’re flying in the air…” Elysha muttered, her eyes following him. “Though I’ve seen this before—both from you and others.”

  “That’s not the full extent of Micah’s theonum,” he said, voice carrying down from above. “Watch this.”

  As he moved, a faint shimmer formed around him, a blue-green aura that made the air quivered. He then used it to sweep all the leaves and broken twigs from the ground, as if magnetized by his power, and swirled them upward in a funnel of wind. Elysha watched, her eyes widening as the leaves bunched together in the air to form a large floating sphere.

  She breathed, “Woah…”

  “And then…”

  He snapped his tail in one swift movement. His eyes flashed the same hue as his aura. The sphere of debris suddenly burst, sending leaves scattering far out into the surrounding woods in every direction.

  It was only when he touched back down—landing lightly on his feet—that the swirling wind settled into a gentle current brushing across Elysha’s face.

  “So?” He tilted his head. “What did you think of that?”

  She blinked, a bit breathless. “That was…”

  “Awesome?”

  “Interesting.”

  “Just interesting?” he huffed. “That means Micah needs to show you more of what Micah can do!”

  His tail wagged as he leaped back into the air again. This time, a form of cloud surrounded him, turning the area into a misty field. Elysha’s eyes flicked around, trying to find where Micah had gone—then, to her surprise, shapes began to emerge in the fog.

  She saw different kinds of creatures flying around her, including birds and familiar Zhivopians. “Micah? Where did you go?” she asked. Soon, she noticed an new figure emerged from the mist.

  “—!”

  It was her identical likeness, looking back at her with a mischievous smile before waving.

  “Is that… me?” Elysha asked, startled.

  “Ehehe, have you found out my special trick?” said the lookalike, Micah’s playful voice coming out of her mouth. “Look, it’s me, Elysha.”

  “No, you’re not me. I’m the real Elysha,” she insisted, brows furrowing.

  “Hmm… aww, darn,” the double sighed, “but it’s fun to be someone else for once, even for a little bit.”

  The image of herself walked toward her, then around her, and twirled around with her dress as he giggled. Elysha raised her hand to touch her double, but it went through like touching water, except it was air. Then she shook her head and said, “Stop it, Micah.”

  “Okay, if you say so.”

  With that, the lookalike dissipated, and the remaining creatures dissolved along with the mist itself. When the fog cleared, Micah reemerged in the air, hovering lightly.

  “What did you think of that special trick?” he asked, cocking his head.

  “How can you do that?” Elysha asked. “Was all of that real?”

  “It’s an illusion—and one of Micah’s best skills, having the element of air,” he replied. “Micah can create illusions by combining air, water, and Micah’s theonum.”

  “That’s interesting,” she murmured, recalling the vivid details of what she’d just witnessed.

  “Mm-hm, and besides, we Zhivopians exist as manifestations of the Asnoiji’s ‘dreams,’ dependent on the fulfillment of the Asnoiji’s ‘wishes’—just as you Elbijans are dependent on the fulfillment of the Asnoiji’s dreams through us. We cannot thrive without the balance of each other. We live in the Asnoiji’s world as His creations.”

  He flew closer, peering straight into Elysha’s eyes. “That’s why we exist: by fulfilling the wishes and desires of Elbijans. And Micah wants to be the BEST innovator of cool ideas and concepts—so everyone in this forest will see me as the greatest mastermind of awesome tricks. That’s right! Micah the Mastermind!”

  Elysha blinked. “Mastermind?”

  “You heard me,” he said with a wide grin. “And Micah is not done yet with everything else Micah can do. Look at this!”

  With a flick of his tail, he leapt into the air once more. Elysha watched, her eyes following Micah’s every move. He continued to demonstrate his tricks and skills to her, as if participating in his own talent show, before finally landing back on the ground.

  As he landed, the grass beneath him flattened with a soft rush of wind, a gust following his descent. Micah then turned to her with a satisfied grin on his face. “Did you see what Micah did, Elysha?”

  Elysha felt a light pulse of air brush across her face, ruffling the loose strands of hair at her temples. She nodded back, “I did.”

  “Now, then… what did you think of it?”

  “It was inter—awesome. You’ve flown so freely. Like… like a bird.”

  “Micah is NOT a bird! Micah is Micah!”

  Then, clearing his throat, he continued, “That, what you just saw a minute ago, was my element in action. Like all elements, my element allows me to connect with the world around me, to feel the currents and harness their energy,” he nodded. “It’s like a rush in your body that makes you go ‘OH WOW MICAH FEELS SO ALIVE!!!’ Just like that, ehehe.”

  Elysha blinked. “Um, from that display, would that mean you have expressed your soul identity, right?”

  “It is through the connection to my core that I am able to express my own soul identity, so yep! That’s right!” He then smirked and flaunts off his ego. “If you think Micah is so cool, then you should clap your hands for me.”

  “Clap…?”

  He stood himself and clapped his two paws together. “Like this!”

  Elysha watched his movements and then slowly raised her hands together to mimic the same motion. “So, like this?”

  *clap*

  His ears perked up and his tail wagged happily. “Yayyyy! Micah can take all the applause he can get! Thanks, ehehe!”

  She clapped a few more times until she stopped. Elysha thought about it then, lowered her head a little and said, “I also really liked the way you showed it so well.”

  “Showed you what well?”

  “Your soul identity. The way you showed it… I liked it. If you found your soul identity, Micah, maybe I can find mine. Maybe one day.”

  Micah tilted his head at her words and replied, “Elysha, do you remember that time when we spent ourselves in the ruins the other day?”

  Recalling the memories, she nodded, and he continued, “Micah knows that you tried your hardest during that trial, and from your perseverance, Micah believes that you could.”

  He stepped closer to her as he went on, “Everyone has their story’s beginnings and their journey of self-discovery, and knowing you the more as the days go by, Micah trusts that your path will reveal itself when the time comes. Not only that, but Micah is here with you, too.”

  Elysha’s slowly raised her head, uplifted by his words, “Thank you Micah.”

  “No problem! ehehe.”

  ~ ??? ~

  After the two of them talked, Elysha went ahead and practiced materializing her own orb with Micah’s theonum. She calmed down, focused, and visualized a conceptual image.

  ‘Micah can sense that you are nervous, Elysha. Stay calm and focus on the orb.’

  “Okay.”

  ‘You’re doing great, by the way,’ he remarked. ‘You’re improving at a fast pace.’

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Elysha remained calm as the faint glow of her theonum surrounded her staff. She formed a transparent sphere at its tip, which remained intact for a considerable length of time.

  ‘Looks like you don’t have a problem making an object anymore,’ Micah commented.

  She opened her eyes and replied, “It seems so, but I already learned how to do this spell.”

  ‘Even my lax lifestyle can’t match the concentration and persistence you put into your efforts,’ he sighed, stretching and yawning in her mind.

  Elysha tilted her head. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Not really. For persistent and perfectionistic people, it’s a good thing for them! It takes a lot of practice and effort in general just to learn, but I know you’ll get there, I’m sure.”

  “Really?”

  “Because you are stubborn like a fletching who keeps on learning how to fly. And also, Micah is here! You cannot learn this fast with me, isn’t that right?”

  A smile touched Elysha’s lips. “You are right, thank you, Micah.”

  ‘Anyway, let’s keep going. Show me what else you can do.’

  Together, they devoted the next stretch of time to practicing more conjurations, with each attempt showing increasing improvements. Elysha went on to manifested butterflies, flowers, toys, books, and even food.

  “Um, Micah? I don’t suggest eating that fruit I made,” she warned.

  “Huh? Why not?” he asked, physically outside of the pendant and looking close at the apple sitting on the ground.

  “Because I don’t know if it’s good or not to eat it. It’s made of theonum.”

  “But an apple is an apple. If it’s created by Micah’s theonum, so why not if Micah can take a taste out of it? The whole world is made of theonum, after all.”

  “Because, um…”

  “Hm? Micah is listening.”

  “Because it’s a fake apple. That apple is not real, and I don’t like that.”

  He rolled his eyes and sighed, “Fine, Micah will take your advice on that one. Micah can taste it later when you are not looking.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing! Micah said nothing,” he said, his tail wagging.”

  As her practice continued, Elysha experimented with different shapes, sizes, and textures. She watched as the light, ephemeral butterflies fluttered around in bright blue-green glows.

  ‘You sure liked to create butterflies,’ Micah commented within her mind.

  After the butterflies dispersed into luminous particles, she conjured, knelt down, and picked up the flowers that she had materialized shortly after. They emitted a scent and watched their movements between her fingers.

  Finally, as the sun began to sink lower in the sky, Elysha and Micah felt a sense of accomplishment wash over them. The hours of concentrated practice had left them both tired for the day.

  Micah transformed back into his smaller form and stretched. “Okay, I think we’ve done a good job,” he said, his voice showing signs of fatigue. “Micah’s getting tired.”

  Elysha stretched her limbs and replied, “Yes, that’s enough for today. I’m tired too.”

  She settled down against the base of the tree, finding a comfortable spot in the cushion of fallen leaves. She rested her staff beside her, and watched as Micah hopped onto a nearby branch and found his own resting place.

  It was in this tranquil moment that he asked, “Hey, so did that old witch abandoned you or something? Micah thought you said she would come back eventually.”

  “Yes, I’m waiting for her.”

  “Well, she’d better be back or it will be like that time in the woods where Micah had to babysit you again, hmph.”

  “Micah.”

  He paused and looked down to see Elysha turned head towards him and asked, “Do you think Elder Mera would be proud of me?”

  His ears perked up at her words. “Well, what do you think Elder Merakia would say to you, hm?”

  She turned her gaze back to the staff next to her and replied, “I think she would say I did well for my efforts.”

  “Yes, you both did well.”

  Elysha flinched, her mind recognizing the voice immediately. She turned around and saw Elder Merakia sitting on a branch and leaning against a tree.

  “What the—!”

  Micah jumped upon sight at seeing her and lost his balance, causing him to fall from the tree. He managed to land safely onto his legs like a cat, however, his body was still shaken up as his eyes locked onto the elder mage’s figure. “WHAT? SINCE WHEN DID YOU SHOW UP?” he shouted.

  Elder Merakia disembarked from the branch with elegance and landed onto the ground at ease. She walked closer to Elysha and Micah and asked, “How are you two doing since I was away?”

  “I’m good, thank you,” Elysha replied, though her voice held a hint of nervousness. She then asked, “Elder Mera, how have you been?”

  “Quite all right, moreso well,” Elder Merakia replied, placing a hand lightly on her hip. “I could tell you both did quite well this afternoon. I’m pleased you’ve progressed a great deal since this morning.”

  Elysha swallowed hard, feeling her pulse quicken.

  This was precisely the moment she had been waiting for: a chance to show Elder Mera how far she’d advanced. She picked up her staff, trying to steady herself against the swirl of eagerness and anxiety inside.

  ‘This is it,’ she thought to herself, ‘I need to be ready.’

  Elder Merakia noticed the child’s cautious expression and curled a smile. “During my time away, I have been wondering as to how much progress you two had made in the last hour.”

  “What? Don’t tell me you are ready to face her again a second time?” Micah asked.

  Elysha pursed her lips straight and exchanged gazes with him. “Micah, one more time, okay? I have worked hard for this last time today.”

  She turned back and said, “Elder Mera, I wanted to show you the progress I have made.”

  “Well, I will be more than happy to see it then.”

  “Ugh, fine,” Micah said, then changed back into the pendant attached to Elysha’s collar. ‘One more time and then Micah’s done for a while.’

  ‘Thanks, Micah,’ she replied back, placing her hand over the pendant.

  Elder Merakia’s gaze rested upon her, calm yet expectant. “Now,” the elder mage said, folding her arms, “show me what you have improved.”

  Elysha swallowed, feeling her heart skip a beat at Elder Merakia’s words. She gripped her staff tightly and took another calming breath before stepping forward, remembering all of her recent training.

  “Yes, Elder Mera,” she answered with a firm nod. “I’m ready.”

  The elder mage’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I won’t fall for the same tricks like last time, child,” she said. “Let me see how much you have learned and improved.”

  Elysha closed her eyes for a brief moment. She could sense Micah’s silent encouragement within her. With a small shift in her stance, she braced her staff at her side and concentrated theonum onto its tip.

  Without warning, she burst forward and swung a swift, theonum-infused strike with her staff—sweeping it through the air as though it were a sword. Elder Merakia sidestepped effortlessly, her cloak fluttering behind her.

  Elysha pressed on, pivoting on her heel and launching another slash from the opposite side. Her guardian simply leaned back, causing the glowing tip of the staff to sail past, missing by a hair’s breadth.

  The little girl exhaled sharply, her forehead furrowed with determination. ‘I keep missing her!’

  ‘She’s fast, huh? You’re going to have to outwit her, Elysha,’ Micah spoke from within her mind.

  Elysha grumbled. “Okay,” she whispered, half to Micah and half to herself.

  She channeled more theonum until the tip pulsed with a bright glow. Elysha then aimed it at her guardian and unleashed a concentrated beam of light.

  A faint, singed scent wisped through the air, and the elder mage’s eyes widened slightly as she sprang aside, the beam grazing the very ends of her dark brown hair. She raised her fingers to touch her hair, her smile still unwavering.

  “Impressive,” Elder Merakia remarked. “That was faster than your previous attempts, and it had more focus. Even with Micah’s assistance, you are becoming more comfortable with theonum.”

  Elysha took a step back, her chest rising and falling with the effort. Even if she used Micah’s core as a substitute, she learned that excessive use took a toll on her body as well.

  A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead, but she felt a surge of pride at her guardian’s praise. “Thank you, Elder Mera, but I’m not tired yet.”

  “Do you still want to go on?” Elder Merakia asked. “Even though you show signs of fatigue and there is a distance between us?”

  Elysha nodded her head, “Yes,” she replied, her breathing uneven but her resolve strong. “I want to keep going.”

  “That is a fine spirit,” Elder Merakia said with a slight nod.

  Without another word, the little girl lunged forward once more. She swung the staff in a flurry of slashing arcs. Sparks of light flickered as she poured energy into each strike. Once again, Elder Merakia slipped aside with graceful ease, her cloak rippling in the wake of each near-miss.

  This time, however, Elysha had anticipated the dodge.

  She planted her feet, twisted her stance, and sent Micah’s theonum through her arms—right into the staff. A sudden gust of wind blew up, swirling around the clearing, kicking up leaves and twigs in a mini-storm.

  Caught off guard, Elder Merakia staggered back a step, her hair and robes flapping wildly as her eyes narrowed. The swirling debris momentarily obscured her view, giving Elysha the opening she sought.

  ‘Let’s settle this!’ Micah shouted within her mind.

  “Elemental powers? How impressive,” Elder Merakia remarked. “Well played, dear child. Now, let’s conclude our session.”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, she lunged forward, theonum’s aura flickering around her. Elysha raised her staff, preparing to meet her head-on.

  In a split second, however, she vanished before the elder mage’s eyes—her small form blurring into the environment as if she’d merged with the swirling air and foliage.

  “She disappeared?” Elder Merakia muttered, scanning the clearing with narrowed eyes.

  A brief moment later, Elysha reappeared at an unexpected angle, launching another gust of wind laced with water particles drawn from the damp forest air. The combined elements, amplified by Micah’s theonum, whirled upward and then crashed down as a sudden torrential downpour—like a concentrated squall focused on Elder Merakia.

  Reacting swiftly, she conjured an elemental shield. Glowing walls of energy enclosed her, repelling the fierce bombardment of rain and wind. Droplets sizzled into steam where they collided with the barrier, and the ground around her became slick with moisture.

  Elysha pulled back, panting, the staff still held in her grip. Despite her best efforts, it wasn’t enough. The translucent shield stood firm, holding Elder Merakia securely inside.

  Biting her lip, Elysha retreated into her thoughts, searching for a way to break through. ‘Micah, what should I do next?’ she asked silently.

  A grumble sounded in her head, and she asked again, ‘Micah?’

  ‘What?’ he replied curtly.

  ‘I’m running out of ideas. Do you know how I can tag her?’

  ‘Uhh, um, try using a similar trick that you did last time with the butterflies, and combine it with what you just did with that storm.’

  ‘Oh, that one again?’

  ‘Either try that one more time or let’s call it quits for the day,’ he huffed. ‘Micah’s getting very sleepy again.’

  Elysha nodded in acknowledgment, tightening her grip on her staff. “All right,” she whispered aloud. “Here goes.”

  She raised her staff and gathered the remaining particles of light that still drifted through the damp forest air. Channeling her theonum, Elysha formed these glowing fragments into a large, swirling orb above her head. She then divided the orb into a multitude of smaller shapes—shimmering butterflies that fluttered around her, each one reflecting light off its wings.

  Standing within her translucent shield, Elder Merakia watched the display with interest. “Using illusions again, are we?” she mused softly, her red eyes tracking the fluttering silhouettes.

  Elysha took a deep breath, recalling the few times she’d tried this tactic before. She flicked her wrist, voicing out, “Go!”

  In response, the shimmering butterflies swarmed toward Elder Merakia’s barrier. Mid-flight, their forms sharpened, transforming into thin, needle-like shards—each aimed straight for the protective magic surrounding the elder mage.

  *pssh*

  A sharp hiss of energy sounded as the light shards collided with the barrier.

  However, with one swift, fluid motion, Elder Merakia raised her hand and shattered the flurry of glowing needles in a single sweep. Fragments of refracted brilliance rained down harmlessly, sprinkling the wet grass and leaves below.

  “What…?” Elysha muttered in frustration, her jaw tightening. “How am I supposed to tag her if she won’t let me? I… I-I can’t do it.”

  Inside her mind, Micah groaned sympathetically. ‘She’s always gets like this when she ever gets vain. Her inner ego leaks out.’

  “Is she?”

  ‘Yep, she was and still is very well known, in case you didn’t know. She has a record for everything she has done in the past, and she even has a name for it, too, but Micah forgot it.’

  Elysha let out a shaky sigh, shoulders tensing, “How was I supposed to know?”

  Micah gave a low chuckle, ‘You should’ve seen all the times when she and Lucius fought each other. Trust Micah, it was crazy awesome.’

  Before Elysha could respond, Elder Merakia made her next move. She clasped her staff and channeled her theonum, creating several mirror images of herself. Like reflections in rippling water, the duplicates spread out across the clearing, each adopting the same cool, poised stance.

  ‘Micah thinks she’s trying to get you to give up,’ he guessed.

  Elysha’s eyes darted between them, searching for the slightest tell that might reveal her real guardian. Her heart hammered. “They all look so real…”

  ‘If you look closer, it’s not so real,’ he said, then changed the subject. ‘What are you planning to do next? Even from within your mind, Micah can sense you’re getting tired.’

  She scanned the area, keeping herself steady. Then her gaze fell upon the faint pinpoints of light lingering from the shattered butterfly shards. A spark of realization flickered across her face, and her grip on her staff tightened.

  “I have an idea.”