Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 234 Ava: Magister Orion Explains Things

| want to protest, to insist that I'm fine, but the truth is, I'm grateful for the suggestion. My legs feel like jelly, and

the idea of sitting down is appealing.

Very appealing.

I want to sit down.

Right now.

Magister Orion agrees, leading us to the familiar sitting area nearby. As | sink into a plush armchair, relief washes

over me. | hadn't realized just how much effort it was taking to remain upright.

"Now," Magister Orion says, settling into his own chair, "let's discuss what happened during your practice

session. I'd like to hear about your experience accessing your magic for the first time."

My thoughts are jumbled now that the moment's arrived. How do | even describe the rush of power, the vivid

memories, the feeling of connection to something greater than myself?

"It was intense," | begin, searching for the right words. "Like | was drowning in dreams, or maybe memories.

They were awful ones, where | died in a fire. It was horrible and painful. | felt a surge of energy and then, before |

knew it, the rune paper was on fire."

Magister Orion leans forward, his eyes sparkling with interest. "For the wizards of the past, past life memories

were not uncommon when first accessing one's magical core. It's as if the magic itself carries the echoes of its

previous incarnations. While it isn't normal, it isn't unheard of. Usually, it comes with a great level of power."

Relieved that he doesn't think I'm crazy, | admit, "It felt so real. Like | was there, experiencing it all over again."

"That's because, in a sense, you were," he explains. "Magic is timeless, Ava. It exists beyond our mortal

understanding of past, present, and future. On a different plane, as it were. When we tap into it, we sometimes

glimpse the vast tapestry of existence."

His words are both awesand terrifying.

Rubbing goosebumps from my arms, | ask, "So, what does this mean? Is it going to happen all the time? Am |

going to remember my past life now?"

"No, no." He shakes a hand between us with a laugh. "Nothing like that. It's a glimpse, a window, but nothing

more than that. It's similar to clairvoyants, who can see or predict future events. Cloudy and uncertain, and

sometimes things change before things cto pass. Or, you see an alternate history that was never written in

your story books."

"Clairvoyants," | murmur, thinking back. "Like Sister Miriam?"

"Ah, Sister Miriam."

Magister Orion leans back, his thick fingers steepling as he considers his words. "Sister Miriam is unique among

vampires."

My ears perk up, and | can even feel Selene focusing more on what she can hear through my head.

"Vampires have their own brand of magic, you see," he continues, his voice taking on the cadence of a lecturer.

"It's tied to their very nature—blood magic, scall it, but it isn't necessarily accurate. Even so, Sister Miriam

is different."

| lean forward, hanging on every word. The fatigue in my muscles seems to fade as curiosity takes over.

"We believe she's of partial Fae descent," Magister Orion says, his eyes distant as if recalling sancient lore.

"Though the truth of her parentage remains a mystery to most. There isn't much known about the dhampir and

what powers they inherit from their non-vampire parent, but Sister Miriam's clairvoyant abilities must cfrom

a Fae bloodline.

There has never been a human wizard with the ability of prophecy."

"Does everything ctrue, if she sees it?"

This is something that's been botheringfor a long time. The prophecy she gave, the one my mother heard.

"No. It doesn't work that way. What a clairvoyant can see is merely a possibility in your life. Sometimes, it works

out exactly as they've foreseen. Sometimes, you make choices that change such a future. And other times,

knowing pushes you to make choices to avoid that future—yet brings it to fruition instead, in a prophetic

paradox.

Many consider it a useless ability, but sbecaddicted to the visions, unable to make decisions without

them."

"So even if she said something..."

"Ava Grey," he interrupts, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "whatever you've learned, or whatever

you've been told, don't fear the future. The knowledge any prophecy gives you is fleeting and uncertain. Far

more important is to live a life that makes you happy and proud, not to lead one based off your fears."

Hearing it from someone like Magister Orion, deeply integrated with the world of magic, finally lifts the worry

from my shoulders, and I sigh in relief.

He smiles. "Worry not, my pupil. What will cto pass is always in a state of flux. Even tcan be unreliable."

"How can tbe unreliable?" Vanessa asks, the curiosity in her voice unmistakable.

She's been drawn into all this insanity with me, and all this knowledge only deepens her hunger for more. Unlike

me, who stresses over my power and how to control it, she just wants to learn about this world. About magic.

About the possibilities that it brings.

"Once upon a time, there were Archmages in this world. These people were special enough to reach the level of

the gods and change tat their will." Magister Orion sighs. "Alas, nothing good comes from such a level of

power."

"What happened to them?" This tit's Marcus, even his stoic bearing broken by his intrigue.

"None of the stories agree." He spreads his hands in regret. "I have been looking for these answers all my life,

but I've yet to find any account that stands out as the absolute truth. What | do know is that it changed the world

as we know it, tearing apart everything. The gods disappeared. The Archmages died. And the Lycans—your

forebears—were erased from both worlds."

Confused, | blurt out, "Both worlds? What's the second world?"

"This one, of course, child. The realm of Fae."

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