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Glancing upwards, she noticed the prism world tapered into a point. She squinted her eyes to shield her vision from the bright, white light pouring from the top.

How strange.

Heading across the manicured lawn, she glanced from one side to the other, wondering how she would learn magic there. Previously, Yelena had told them the relevant spells, but alone, there was nothing to guide her.

Adelina halted. Ahead, two fair, golden-haired women appeared. They were barefoot, wearing white dresses with red embroidery along the collars and cuffs of their sleeves. They approached.

“Who are you?” Adelina edged towards the identical women.

“I am the Morning Zorya,” the woman on the left said, then gestured to her sister. “This is my twin, the Evening Zorya. ”

Adelina arched a brow—she’d heard of the virgin goddesses before in the folklore of her country, but never in her life did she imagine she’d meet them. The same could be said for Svarog, yet she’d met him too.

Morning Zorya held a red light in the form of a ring in her right hand.

In her left hand, a torch. From its tip stemmed a light green stripe of magic that transitioned into a deeper green, arching above their heads.

The stripe ended in her sister’s hand. A small bird fluttered from behind Evening Zorya, then soared across the sky. The magic dissipated.

“What was that spell?” Adelina gasped.

“We are sisters of the Sun,” Morning Zorya said. Her voice was light and angelic, almost impossible to hear. “I release the Sun on its daily journey, and my sister waits until sunset to meet it. The green magic represents our connection to each other as sisters, and to our brother, the Sun.”

“Why have you appeared to me?” Adelina asked.

“Astral magic flows within you,” Evening Zorya said and clasped her slender fingers together. “So, you, as the practitioner, are also connected to us and forever will be, for as long as you appeal to the Supreme Power of the Sun.”

“I’m not sure how.” Adelina shook her head. “I know one spell, and it was difficult for me to master. How am I the person with astral magic? Why did it choose me?”

“We cannot answer those questions, for we do not know the reasons why the Sun God chooses his totem,” Morning Zorya said. “The totem is you.”

“I appreciate you saying so, truly, but it doesn’t help me in learning how to use and control the magic,” Adelina said. “Why would you appear to me if it wasn’t to help?”

“We are here to help,” Evening Zorya said—her golden hair billowing behind her on a phantom breeze. “Your fears hold you back, hindering your connection to the Supreme Power. You must clear your mind, liberate yourself from your worries, and feel our connection. Close your eyes.”

Clamping her bottom lip between her teeth, Adelina obeyed. The twins’ voices crept closer, as if they stood right beside her.

“Relax your arms, let your mind go blank,” Morning Zorya said. “Then, you will feel us here with you, beside you—guiding you.”

Adelina shook her shoulders and let her fingers uncurl. She drew in a breath. In. Out. In. Out. Her heart rate evened, beating a steady rhythm inside her.

A tingling warmth spread through her like sunrays enveloping her in a comforting embrace. She leaned into it, relishing in its protection and strength. Its own power fuelled her, ran through her veins, and prickled the fair hairs on her body.

She sensed a tether, like an invisible cord stretching from her, branching out, and on the other end...

“I can feel you,” Adelina whispered. “You’re here.”

“We will always be here,” Evening Zorya said. “Now, use this connection to fuel your magic. Produce a golden orb within your palms.”

“I—I don’t know the spell.” Adelina’s voice wavered .

“The word won’t always be needed, but it will help you until you have enough control over your magic,” Morning Zorya said. “ Linasriel. ”

“We must go now,” Evening Zorya said, her voice fading towards the end.

“Wait!” Adelina’s eyes flashed opened. “Don’t leave me. Won’t I need you?”

The twins grew farther away from her—their bodies disappearing from the prism world.

“We are always...with you,” they said in harmony.

Surrounded by silence and totally alone, Adelina locked her gaze on her reflection in the prism pane. She wiped her hands on her breeches, then lifted and cupped them.

“ Linasriel ,” she said.

Nothing.

She repeated the word several times, but nothing happened. Glancing around, she hoped the twins would return as a guide, but they did not emerge into her layer of the prism world.

“ Linasriel ,” she said again. Her lips parted and her breath hitched as a spark flickered an inch above her upturned palms.

On her fifth attempt, a large flame shot out of her hands and bolted into the prism panel opposite her. The glass shattered, then reformed.

Stretching out her hand, Adelina leaned towards the prism panel—her fingers disappeared through the ethereal surface. She drew it out and glanced at her unscathed hand.

A portal crackled into existence beside her, and she saw Yelena smiling at her from the other side.

“Am I due to come back already?” Adelina asked. “I’ve been here barely ten minutes. ”

“Time works differently in the prism world.” Yelena gestured to the dim lighting of the candles dotted around the training room. “It’s almost evening.”

“But I’ve just started learning the spell,” Adelina protested—her feet rooted to the grass of the prism world.

“You have three months to perfect your art,” Yelena said. “Come.”

Somewhat reluctant to leave, Adelina stepped through the portal—her feet landing on the cold, stone surface of the training room floor.