First power

Later that afternoon, Elysia returned to the nursery to find Lyra asleep in the rocking chair, Eren curled contently against her chest. The sight brought a smile to the princess's face, momentarily easing the worry that had become her constant companion.

She approached quietly, careful not to wake either of them. As she gazed down at Eren's peaceful face, she whispered, "What am I to do with you, my little miracle? You refuse to follow the rules, even now."

Eren's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her voice, instantly alert in a way that sometimes unnerved her. Those eyes—so much like her own, yet carrying something else, something older.

'Rules were made to be broken,' Eren thought, looking up at his mother's worried face. 'Especially the ones that say I shouldn't exist.'

Elysia sighed, brushing a stray curl from his forehead. "You're getting stronger every day. Soon, I won't be the only one noticing."

She had ignored the signs for as long as she could, excusing them as coincidences, but they were becoming impossible to overlook. The way Eren moved, how he responded to the world around him—it was too precise, too knowing. He did not behave like an infant. Not truly.

And though her daughters had not voiced their suspicions outright, she could see the questions forming in their eyes, in the way they watched their youngest sibling. Even Naia, who had always been playful and carefree, had started to study Eren with a quiet intensity.

A tiny hand reached up to touch her face, and Elysia caught it gently between her fingers. "Whatever you are, whoever you are meant to be... I will protect you."

'But for how long?' Eren wondered. 'Secrets have a way of coming out, no matter how hard you try to keep them hidden.'

Lyra stirred slightly but didn't wake. Elysia carefully lifted Eren from her arms, cradling him close as she moved to the window. Outside, the forest of Moonlight stretched toward the horizon, silver-blue leaves shimmering in the afternoon light.

"I've consulted the ancient texts," she whispered. "Searched for any mention of your uniqueness in our history. There are only myths and warnings—tales of a time before the Sundering, when our world was different." She sighed, pressing her forehead against Eren's. "Nothing to tell me why you're here, or what your coming means."

'Maybe I'm just an evolutionary throwback,' Eren mused. 'Or maybe someone upstairs has a weird sense of humor. 'Let's drop this guy into a world where he's an impossible anomaly. That'll be entertaining.'

Eren's eyes remained fixed on hers, unnervingly focused.

"The Council is already asking questions about your rapid development, you can only very grow at night when you exactly two years old," she continued. "I've managed to deflect them so far, but they'll want to perform the traditional blessings soon. The rituals are... specific. I fear what might be revealed."

'Ah yes, the old 'this baby isn't what you think reveal,' Eren thought. 'I'm sure that'll go over great at the elfin equivalent of a baby shower.'

A soft knock at the door interrupted her musings. Elysia turned to find Naia peering in, her azure hair loose around her shoulders.

"There you are," Naia said, entering with her characteristic energy somehow muted to a quiet bounce. "Is she sleeping?"

"Wide awake, as usual," Elysia replied with a small smile. "Would you like to hold your sister?"

Naia was already reaching for Eren with eager hands. "Come here, little starlight," she cooed, taking Eren from Elysia. "Sorrel told me all about your adventures today. Walking already! You're going to be trouble, aren't you?"

'Trouble is my middle name,' Eren thought with satisfaction. 'Or it would be, if I had one in this world.'

As Naia carried Eren to the toy chest in the corner, chattering animatedly, Elysia pressed a hand to her chest, willing her racing heart to calm.

"Mother," Naia said hesitantly, watching Eren grab at a wooden block, "is it normal for a child to develop so quickly?"

Elysia forced a smile. "Normal? Perhaps not. But neither is being born to the royal line. Our family has always been blessed with exceptional gifts."

Naia seemed satisfied with this explanation, but as she watched Eren arrange the blocks with unusual precision, her expression grew thoughtful. "She moves differently than I remember the other children moving. More... purposeful."

'Because I'm not actually a baby,' Eren thought. 'At least, not in mind. This whole situation is like being trapped in an escape room where the only tools are rattles and teething rings.'

"Each child is unique," Elysia said automatically, the phrase becoming her shield against increasingly difficult questions.

"Yes, but Eren is..." Naia trailed off, searching for the right word. "Special. More than just unique."

Elysia placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "All my children are special to me, Naia."

"Of course," Naia agreed quickly. "I didn't mean—"

"I know, dear one," Elysia assured her. "Now, would you watch your sister for a while? I need to speak with the elders about the Thornvale negotiations."

As Elysia headed for the door, she paused. "And Naia, remember—no water practice indoors. The last time you flooded the eastern corridor."

Naia blushed. "That was an accident! I'm much better with water control now."

"Even so," Elysia said firmly before departing.

When her mother was gone, Naia grinned mischievously at Eren. "Let's play warriors, little star! I'll be the legendary Moonblade, and you can be... well, you can be whatever you want! The possibilities are endless!"

'If only you knew,' Eren thought, looking up at his playful sister with a mixture of amusement and melancholy. 'The possibilities really are endless, especially when you're something that shouldn't exist.'

Naia grabbed a blue silk scarf from a nearby chest and tied it around her waist. "The Moonblade rides again!" she declared, striking a dramatic pose.

'So this is what passes for entertainment around here,' Eren thought, watching his sister with amusement.

"Oh no!" Naia gasped suddenly, pointing to an imaginary threat. "The water sprites are attacking! We need the Moonblade's special power!"

To Eren's astonishment, Naia swept her hand through the air in a graceful arc, and droplets of water materialized above her palm, hovering and dancing in the light from the window.

'Actual magic or?' Eren's eyes widened as he watched. 'Real elemental manipulation?'

The water droplets swirled into a miniature whirlpool in Naia's hand. She guided them through the air, making them dance and shimmer.

"Take that, evil sprites!" she declared, sending the water droplets flying in a controlled arc that circled the room before returning to her palm.

Lyra stirred in the rocking chair, blinking awake. "Naia," she said, her voice carrying a note of warning. "What did your mother just say about playing with your element indoors?"

Naia looked sheepish. "Sorry, Lyra. I was just showing Eren."

"Mother would be most displeased," Lyra said, rising from the chair. "Water element requires proper supervision, especially around an infant."

"It was controlled," Naia protested, but she closed her hand, the water dissipating into mist.

Eren had barely noticed Lyra's admonishment. His mind was racing. 'If water element exists, what else is possible? Fire? Earth?'

An idea formed in his mind. He settled himself on the plush carpet and stared at his own tiny hand. 'Fire,' he thought intently. 'Warmth. Heat. Flame.'

Nothing happened.

'Maybe I need to move my hand like Naia did?' He tried mimicking her graceful gesture, but still nothing occurred.

Frustrated, Eren closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might, thinking of heat, of burning, of the passionate intensity of flame. Suddenly, he felt a strange tingling in his fingertips, a warmth that spread through his palm.

When he opened his eyes, a tiny flame—no larger than a candle's light—flickered above his hand.

"Lyra!" Naia shrieked, her voice a mixture of alarm and amazement. "Look at Eren!"

The flame wavered as Eren's concentration was broken, but it didn't disappear. Instead, it danced cheerfully above his palm.

'I did it!' Eren thought triumphantly. 'Actual fire element!'

Lyra rushed forward, her face pale with shock. "By the stars," she whispered. "That's impossible."

"Not the age," Lyra said, her voice trembling. "The element. Our family has always been aligned with air and water. The royal house has never produced a fire wielder."

'Well, there's a first time for everything,' Eren thought smugly, watching the flame dance above his hand.

Lyra knelt beside him, her expression a mixture of fear and wonder. "Eren, please, extinguish the flame."

'Fine,' Eren thought, unclenching his fist. The flame disappeared instantly, leaving only a wisp of smoke.

"We must tell the princess immediately," Lyra said, gathering Eren into her arms despite his squirming protest. "This... this changes everything."

"What changes everything?" Naia asked, following Lyra to the door. "It's just a different element, isn't it?"

Lyra paused, adjusting Eren on her hip. "In all of Moonlight's history, no child in the entire kingdom has ever manifested fire magic. It's always been water and air—the elements of clarity and wisdom." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Fire is unpredictable. Dangerous."

"But it was just a tiny flame," Naia protested.

Lyra shook her head gravely. "It's not the size that matters. It's what it represents. The Council must be informed."

As they hurried down the corridor, Eren felt a strange sense of satisfaction. 'So I'm breaking their rules again,' he thought. 'Good. Maybe now they'll start paying attention to what I really am.'

With a heavy heart, Elysia continued down another corridor, unaware of the new development, knowing only that each day brought them closer to a revelation that could shake the foundations of their world. Her child was developing too quickly, showing too many differences. The secret she had guarded so carefully was beginning to unravel, one small step at a time.

And in the nursery, Eren had just accelerated that unraveling dramatically, all while thinking, 'I'll play along for now and learn about this world. But someday, I'll show all of you what I'm really capable of. Someday, I'll change everything.'