Page 3

2

"N essa Thorne."

My name echoes through the antechamber, and my stomach drops like it's been cut loose from its moorings. The stench of burnt flesh still lingers from when Nolan entered that room thirty minutes ago. His screams had been mercifully brief.

The fire affinity markers he was so confident about hadn’t saved him.

And now it's my turn.

Mireen's hand finds my arm, her copper-red braid coiled like a crown around her head catching the dim, flickering torchlight. "Good luck, Nessa." She gives me a small, encouraging smile that crinkles the crescent-shaped scar at the corner of one eye. "Remember, if you die in there I win the bet.”

I grin. “I’ll see you on the other side, Mireen.”

Just a few short days ago, I thought I already gave up my life when I volunteered. But now I feel soul shaking terror, like I want nothing more than to run from this room and this claustrophobic place. It’s as if some stubborn shred of hope has shone through thick clouds—a beam of yellow cutting across a gray landscape— and now it’s the only thing I can see.

My legs feel weighted with lead as I force them forward, one reluctant step after another. My heart hammers against my ribs. I imagine the other offerings feel the same thing I felt as I watched others enter these doors. Relief it wasn't my turn yet. Guilt for feeling relief.

I take a deep breath and step through the doorway. The doors slam shut behind me with a sound like judgment, locking me inside with whatever horrors wait in this chamber.

The metallic taste of fear floods my mouth as I take in the circular room, far larger than I'd expected. The air crackles with power and smells of storms, burnt flesh, and the unmistakable tang of blood—so potent it makes my stomach heave. My heart thunders in my ears, drowning out everything but the screaming of my instincts to run, to hide, to escape. I force down the bile rising in my throat and scan the room, trying to steady my breathing.

That's when I see them. Bodies. Dozens—maybe hundreds—scattered across the floor in grotesque positions. People who stood where I'm standing not long ago, people who failed whatever test awaits me.

I swallow a scream of terror when I spot Nolan's wide, unblinking eyes staring from his charred corpse. His fingers are curled like claws, as if he'd tried to fight the fire that consumed him. A fire that couldn't have been natural—his clothes are barely singed while his flesh is blackened, like he burned from the inside out.

The scream building in my chest gets trapped behind clenched teeth, transforming into a strangled whimper that sounds pathetic even to my own ears. I force my eyes away from the carnage and look up at the chamber's vaulted ceiling, which disappears into shadow. With a shaky breath, I find some semblance of calm. I'm either going to die here, or I'm going to survive. Either way, I'd rather do it with my chin held high.

I walk up a series of steps, gradually bringing the "test" into view, along with my first glimpse of… them. I avert my eyes at first, almost like looking away from the sun on a bright and clear day, focusing instead on the mundane.

I look at the four decorative stone pedestals, each supporting a vessel.

A bowl of black soil that smells of loam and decay. A silver brazier holding blue-white flames that dance and twist as if alive. A glass sphere filled with swirling air currents visible only through the dust they carry. A basin of water so still it resembles polished crystal, reflecting the room like a perfect mirror.

And behind each vessel stands an elemental of the corresponding element.

Elementals.

The power radiating from them presses down on my chest until my lungs strain for air. It's like being crushed by an invisible ocean, ancient and vast beyond comprehension. Their presence fills the chamber with an ancient, primal energy that makes my skin prickle and my bones ache. Every instinct screams at me to kneel, to bow, to show submission before creatures so much more powerful than myself.

But I don't. I take them in one by one, studying their strange features.

The earth elemental resembles a woman crafted of living stone and twisting roots, her eyes gleaming like a jungle cat's in the dim light. The fire elemental is barely humanoid, more a swirling column of flame with a face that forms and dissolves above the blaze. The air elemental is a shimmering distortion visible mainly through the way it bends light around its vaguely human shape.

And the water elemental... my breath catches at the sight of him. He takes the form of a warrior, tall and powerfully built, his body composed of crystal-clear water that occasionally reveals glimpses of stronger currents beneath, like rippling muscles. His face is strikingly handsome—strong-jawed with high cheekbones and eyes that are deeper than the most distant oceans.

Elementals in stories are always beasts—wolves, great sand worms, flying reptiles and sea serpents. I've never heard anything about elementals who can take the form of humans.

A pressure builds against my mind, making my temples throb.

"Approach."

The word forms in my mind so clearly I think I can actually hear it. No—I do hear it, resonating through my skull like a physical vibration.

My knees almost buckle beneath me, my body rebelling against the sheer power behind that single command. My legs tremble as I force them to carry me forward, stopping at what I hope is a respectful distance. Their attention weighs on me until it nearly forces me to my knees, making me wish I could turn away as I might from the sun on a bright day with clear skies.

"Purpose? Reason? Volunteer?" The questions bubble up in my mind, clear and yet seeming to come from all directions at once.

I realize they're asking why I'm here, why I wear the volunteer's badge that marks me as someone who chose this path rather than being selected.

"It's complicated," I say, my voice sounding thin and weak in the vast chamber.

"Lie. Give us truth, or die."

The command slams into my mind with such force that my knees finally give, making me fall with my palms on the ground and head bowed. I feel the truth being dragged from me, as if their combined will is a hook in my soul.

"I volunteered because everyone was better off without me," I admit, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. Some things feel more noble when they’re never voiced—ideas rooted in logic so flawed it won’t survive inspection.

"Half-truth."

I sigh, fists clenching until my nails dig tiny crescents of blood from my palms. "I got half my family killed, okay? Is that what you all want me to say?" My voice rises, cracking with emotion. "They died because of me. They died because I couldn't control my emotions, and the storm came."

My throat constricts around the words as they claw their way out, each syllable cutting like daggers dragged from my insides. I lower my voice, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"I don't know why it happened or how. I just know it happened because of me. I felt some part of me pulling the storm toward us, stoking it like a flame. It didn't matter how hard I tried to stop it."

I swallow hard, the memory of black waves and screaming winds so vivid I can almost feel the spray on my face. The phantom roar of the tempest fills my ears, drowning out even the thundering of my heart. I think I can even taste the salt water on my tongue for a moment. I can smell that scent of ozone. Magic.

The elementals just stare down at me and the words keep pouring from my lips.

"Both my brothers and my dad died. For some reason… I didn't. My mom and sister never forgave me. I was a reminder to them. An unwelcome memory, and getting in that carriage was my way of making amends for what I did. Trying to, at least."

I hang my head, throat thick with unshed tears. Every breath hurts like I'm inhaling shards of glass. I never talk about what happened—it's been locked inside me so long that speaking it aloud feels like tearing open a half-healed wound.

The elementals seem to confer amongst themselves, not with words but with pulses of energy that make the air shimmer and crack. The fire elemental flares suddenly, its form growing larger, tongues of flame reaching toward the ceiling. The earth elemental remains still, but the ground beneath my feet trembles like the beginning of an earthquake. The air elemental's form becomes more distinct, as if concentrating its essence. And the water elemental leans forward, his liquid features showing what almost looks like curiosity.

"Begin the test."

That's it? I have to pour my fucking heart out and they just tell me to start the test? No words of comfort, no acknowledgment of my pain? Just a command, as if I were some kind of trained animal?

Anger flares hot in my chest, momentarily burning away the fear. The sheer audacity, the callousness—but anger won't keep me alive, and I swallow it down like bitter medicine.

The bodies surrounding me and the terrible smells are enough of a reminder. This isn't the time or place to be difficult. Heart thundering, I force myself to look back up at them. "How do I begin?"

The water elemental gestures toward the four vessels.

"Choose. Touch. Reveal."

I study each vessel in turn as I try to steady my breathing. The water vessel makes the most sense, of course. My home was on the coast. I spent half my life on the water, swimming before I could walk, helping my father and brothers with their fishing nets by the time I was six. And I'm almost certain I carry "water affinity markers" as Nolan would have put it.

But those markers could go fuck themselves. They're the reason my father and brothers are dead—their bones long since picked away by fish in Deep Bay. If I might have an affinity for water, I'm not sure I want it. Every day would be a reminder of what I did and what I lost.

I turn away from the water vessel and approach the fire.

The heat intensifies with each step until it's nearly unbearable, like opening an oven door and leaning in. Sweat beads on my forehead and trickles down my back.

I stare into the flames, realizing they, more than any of the other elements, reflect how I feel inside. Fire, brimstone, ash. Those are the images in my mind—the flavor of my current state. I don't know how this test works. I don't even know if I'll only have one chance to prove an affinity before I'm obliterated like Nolan.

Frankly, I can't find it in me to care. Not right now. Not when everything feels so raw that I’m almost ready to embrace the idea of death.

I killed them. It was my fault.

Grief rises in a suffocating wave, threatening to pull me under completely. I don’t fight it, letting it wash over me like the black waters that claimed my family.

I extend my hand, hovering it above the flames, close enough to feel my skin tighten and redden. I'm so tired of carrying this guilt, this burden. If the fire cleanses me, so be it.

I close my eyes, welcoming whatever might come.

But the fire has vanished, as if snuffed out. All that’s left is the feeling of warmth inside my body, pleasant and powerful.

The fire elemental makes a sound like crackling embers, its form pulsing with what feels like alarm. Or maybe that's anger…

When none of them speak or move, I understand that I'm supposed to continue. I let out a long breath, then move to the next basin.

I approach the earth vessel, the scent of rich soil growing stronger. It reminds me of my family's small garden, of my mother teaching me to plant seeds when I was young. A memory from before everything went wrong. Back then, she was still able to look me in the eye without her hatred and disgust showing through.

As my fingers near the bowl of black soil, green vines sprout from the dirt, reaching up toward my palm and glowing as they touch, filling me with a sense of nature and connectedness. I frown, turning my hand over and finding it unmarked.

The earth elemental tilts her head, stone features grinding as she studies me with renewed intensity. I sense more communication firing between the elementals than before, almost giving me the impression of some kind of argument. Their energy pulses make my ears pop and my skin tingle uncomfortably.

The air sphere comes next.

As I present my palm, the winds collect and flow upward. I feel a lightness and nimble energy gathering inside my body.

The air elemental's form pulses and flickers, becoming less distinct as it retreats slightly.

That sense of raised voices and tempers increases even more. I feel it like a headache building behind my eyes, pressure growing until I'm sure my skull will crack.

Confusion and dread twist together in my gut like serpents. Something is wrong—terribly wrong—and I'm caught in the middle of it without understanding why. I may not understand what’s happening, but I know I need to continue.

With a sense of inevitability, I move toward the final vessel. The water elemental looms above it, watching me with those bottomless eyes. My mouth goes dry as I approach, my pulse pounding so hard I can feel it in my fingertips.

I study the water, eyes cold and heart distant. I reach out toward it, my fingertips hovering just above the surface. For a breath, nothing happens. Then the water begins to float upward in droplets that gather in my palm before sinking into my skin. The sensation of cool calm and serenity fills me to join the other strange feelings.

A deep vibration fills the chamber as the wordless conversation continues. I focus on it, trying to hear the words through the pounding in my head.

Words roar in my mind, each so loud they seem to shake the air itself.

"Impossible."

"Dangerous."

"Potential."

"Kill her."

And then, more clearly and powerfully than any of the words before…

"Unbound."

Movement catches my eye just as I feel heat flare against my left cheek. I whirl and see the huge fire elemental has raised a hand toward me. In that split-second, I know he plans to kill me.

This is it. This is how it ends.

My eyes lock with the fire elemental's molten gaze, and in that moment, I see only hatred—a burning need to erase me from existence. Time slows to a crawl.

Fire erupts from the elemental in a swirling vortex of flashing red and orange. The heat is so intense my skin blisters instantly, my hair crisping at the ends. I throw my arms up uselessly, a scream tearing from my throat.

But then the heat and the roar of fire is gone—replaced by the cool rush of water surrounding me in a perfect, shifting sphere. The water soothes my scorched skin, the pain ebbing away like a retreating tide.

The water elemental. He's saving me from the fire elemental. But why?

Steam rushes away from the outside of the sphere in a deafening hiss, even as the fire elemental roars in rage and blasts more magic toward me. Through the distorted wall of water, I see the water elemental standing between us, one arm extended toward me, the other toward the fire being.

"Do you truly fear a human so deeply, Pyraxis?" The water elemental's thoughts ripple through my mind like waves lapping at the shore.

"You dare call me a coward?" The fire elemental's response is more of a bestial roar than true words, burning through my thoughts.

"No. I ask you to seek understanding. Destruction will bring no answers, old friend. We need to exercise calm. Serenity. Patience." The water elemental's mental voice is deep and steady, like the ocean depths.

"And if our patience allows her power to fester? To destroy balance? To kill more of our kind?" It's the Earth elemental speaking now, her thoughts heavy and slow like the movement of mountains.

"If the fates bring her now, then she IS balance." The air elemental's voice is light and quick. "We should let the winds of fate blow as they blow. It's not our job to stand in their way."

"We should kill her now and put an end to it," Pyraxis hisses, flames licking at the edges of my water shield.

"Our destruction, or our salvation," the water elemental says. "We will not know which future she might create if we destroy her now. All we can know is to continue as we have… we’ve seen the folly in this."

"Our actions here may be of no consequence, in the end,” the air elemental adds. “We should do nothing. We should let fate flow as it flows, as it will always flow."

When the water sphere finally thins, Pyraxis glares at me but doesn't raise his arm again. "I still wish to kill her," he says in my mind, his voice scorching my thoughts.

I decide I'm officially not a fan of "Pyraxis." In fact, he can get fucked.

"She thinks insolent thoughts." The fire elemental's flame-face contorts with rage. Heat blooms from his direction again and the air fills with the scent of embers and ash.

My eyes go wide in sudden terror. He can hear my thoughts?

The water elemental approaches me, those unfathomable eyes studying me with new intensity. "We all can. And you should not be able to understand us when we speak to one another. We must usually... shout... to be heard by those who haven't yet formed the primal tether."

The water elemental gestures, and a small pedestal rises from the floor with a grinding of stone, bearing what looks like a shallow bowl of silver liquid that shimmers with an inner light.

Understanding that I'm meant to place my hand in the liquid, I do so hesitantly. The silver substance is neither hot nor cold, but tingles against my skin as if alive. When I withdraw my hand, I see a mark has appeared—not the colored elemental symbols I've seen on primals or the other students, but a strange, silvery spiral that shifts and changes as I look at it, never quite the same from one moment to the next.

"Go," comes an impression from all four elementals at once, the combined force of their minds making my ears ring.

"What does this mean?" I ask, staring at the mark on my hand. "What am I supposed to do with this? What am I?"

My voice rises with each question, panic edging in as I realize they're about to send me away with nothing but cryptic warnings and a mark I don't understand.

Instead of answering, a door appears in the wall at the side of the room—one that wasn't visible before.

I hesitate, looking back at Nolan's still form. "What about them?" I gesture to the bodies. "They deserve better than to be left here like discarded trash. They had families, hopes, dreams?—"

With a small nod, the water elemental gestures, and gentle waters flow from the ground itself, enveloping each body in a cocoon of liquid. The water of each cocoon swirls together, forms a perfect sphere, and then collapses on itself, leaving no sign of the dead.

A gust of wind pushes me toward the door. I struggle against it, feet sliding on the stone floor, but I'm inexorably moved through the doorway, which slides shut behind me with a sound like rumbling stone.

And then I'm alone and in near silence. It's only me and the strange, silvery spiral on the back of my hand.

I lean against the wall, gasping for breath, legs finally giving out as I slide to the floor. My entire body trembles uncontrollably, the delayed shock hitting me like a physical blow now that immediate danger has passed.

I breathe deeply, feeling a newfound appreciation for the sweetness of air filling my body. For the steady beat of my heart. For the simple miracle of still being alive.

In a way, I feel a strange relief. I offered up my sins for judgment, and... they let me walk away. They let me live.

I'm not ready to forgive myself, but maybe it all means there was a reason for me to keep going. Maybe there's some purpose to my life, and I need to keep fighting to find out why the gods didn't let me die back there.

The sound of nearby voices tells me I don't have long alone. I take one more look at the mark on the back of my hand and my stomach sinks. Based on the way the elementals reacted, I'm certain I won't find anyone else with a mark like this out there.

So how the hell am I going to explain it?

And more importantly—what exactly does "unbound" mean?