Amber light slipped through the window cracks, washing over the dust motes drifting inside the shop. The warmth of late afternoon, however, failed to thaw the silence in the room.
"Alicia, what do you mean?" Eva's voice dropped, edged with a bitterness she could not quite hide. "Don't tell me you…?"
Alicia noticed none of it. Her face shone instead, lit by unfiltered excitement.
"Yes, Aunt Eva! I did it!" she exclaimed, her smile stretching wide. "I can feel it. I can feel the flow of Aether in this world!"
At that confession, Eva and the woman beside her, Kalia, exchanged a look. Neither spoke.
This went beyond anything they had anticipated.
"Kalia… is this real? I'm not dreaming, am I?" Eva asked softly. Her hands trembled slightly as she turned to her friend.
Kalia drew in a long breath, her gaze fixed on Alicia in disbelief. "I-I can hardly believe it either. But judging from her reaction… it might be true."
Eva muttered under her breath, almost inaudible. "Impossible. It took me a full two weeks just to sense Aether for the first time."
Still brimming with excitement, Alicia stepped closer, unaware of the storm brewing inside the two adults before her.
"Aunt Eva, I can feel it now. So what should I do next?" she asked eagerly. "Can I start forming my Core right away?"
Eva blinked, pulled from her thoughts. She cleared her throat, trying to steady herself. "Ah. Wait a moment, Alicia. What exactly are you feeling?"
Alicia tilted her head, puzzled by the question. To her, the answer seemed obvious.
"Huh? What do you mean? Of course it's Aether," she replied innocently.
"There's so much of it around you, Aunt Eva. It's really bright. It almost makes my eyes hurt," she added, pointing at the empty space near Eva's shoulder.
The words struck Eva like a steel mace. She instinctively stepped back.
Beside her, Kalia felt her knees weaken. She nearly lost her balance and had to steady herself to remain standing.
"She… she can sense my energy?" Eva whispered, eyes wide.
That level of perception was not something a beginner who had just discovered Aether should possess.
Eva inhaled deeply, forcing her racing heart to calm. She turned to Kalia.
"Kalia, how about I start teaching her to form a Core tomorrow? The sooner, the better," Eva said, her voice firmer now.
Kalia nodded slowly, though doubt lingered on her face. "B-but isn't that dangerous? She only managed to sense it today."
Eva shook her head with certainty. "It's fine. I won't repeat the mistakes I made in the past. You don't need to worry."
She then turned back to Alicia, her gaze sharp yet filled with pride.
Stepping forward, Eva placed both hands on the girl's small shoulders. "Alicia, I have to admit, you're incredible. Perhaps… extraordinarily so."
Eva picked up an old book she had prepared earlier. It was thick, dignified in appearance.
"Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to form your Core. This is the book I prepared for you," she said, handing it over.
"I originally planned to give it to you in a few weeks. But it seems now is the right time," she finished with a faint smile.
Alicia's fingers traced the surface of the cover. It felt refined, far different from the worn books she was used to.
Aether Core Knowledge. The title was embossed elegantly across the front. Alicia could not stop imagining what tomorrow would bring when she began to delve into its contents.
"Alicia, why don't you head home first? Your mother and Aunt Eva will follow after we close the shop," Kalia said.
She looked at her daughter warmly. The happiness in the little girl's eyes was impossible to hide.
Alicia turned and nodded obediently. "All right. I'll go ahead then, Mom. Aunt Eva."
She skipped out of the shop, waving briefly before disappearing around the corner.
Eva and Kalia stood at the doorway, watching her small figure until it vanished from sight.
"So, Eva. Are you really going to teach her how to form a Core tomorrow?" Kalia asked.
Her voice sounded heavy, anxiety threading through it.
Eva let out a short breath and leaned against the doorframe, gazing at the sky. "I told you. It'll be fine."
Kalia wanted to argue. Worry pressed against her throat, but the words refused to come.
In the end, she surrendered and chose to place her trust in her friend.
They tidied the remaining items and locked the shop securely before heading home.
The sky, once orange, gradually deepened into shades of bluish violet. The last sliver of sunlight clung to the western horizon like dying embers.
The house door was unlocked. Kalia pushed it open gently, greeted by an overwhelming silence inside.
"Eva, wait in the dining room. I'll call Alicia for dinner," Kalia said.
She headed up the wooden stairs to the second floor, where her daughter's room was.
Eva nodded and pulled out a chair at the dining table, sitting quietly.
Upstairs, the hallway had begun to darken. Kalia switched on the lights to guide her way.
Reaching the wooden door to her daughter's room, she knocked softly.
Knock. Knock.
"Alicia? Sweetheart? Are you in there?" she called.
No answer came. The silence made her frown slightly.
She turned the handle slowly. The door creaked open, revealing a pitch-dark room.
Kalia flipped the switch. Warm yellow light filled the space at once.
There, at her favorite study desk, Alicia was slumped forward.
She had fallen fast asleep, her head resting on her arms. The book Eva had given her lay open before her.
Kalia approached and gently stroked her daughter's hair.
"She must be exhausted…" she murmured, almost too softly to hear.
Carefully, Kalia slipped one arm beneath Alicia's knees and the other behind her back. The girl felt so light, almost weightless in her arms. Her breathing was soft and steady, occasionally brushing against Kalia's neck as she carried her to the bed.
After tucking the blanket up to her chest, Kalia glanced at the book on the desk. She straightened it, then left the room with silent steps.
Downstairs, Eva sat with her chin resting on one hand. Her fingers tapped the wooden table in a slow, monotonous rhythm. At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, she looked up.
"Where's Alicia? Weren't you going to call her down for dinner?" Eva asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kalia pulled out a chair across from her and sat down with a soft sigh. "She fell asleep. She must have been really tired. She even started reading the book you gave her."
Eva nodded slightly. The corner of her lips curved faintly, as if she understood exactly what had drained the girl's energy.
Dinner passed in a comfortable silence. No heavy conversation, only the soft clink of cutlery against porcelain plates.
The hands of the wall clock crept toward 11:30 p.m. Outside the window, the night sky stretched dark and wide, pale moonlight spilling across it, stars glimmering without motion.
One by one, the lights in the house were turned off. Each of them retired to their own rooms, surrendering to sleep as the stillness of night claimed the house completely.