Days passed, and Kaelis returned to the creek each evening. The shimmer remained, subtle yet persistent. Each time he touched it, he felt the faint pull of something larger—an ability waiting to be claimed.

  “You’re obsessed, you know that?” Kael’s voice interrupted his concentration. Kael leaned against a tree, arms crossed. “It’s just water. You don’t need to… whatever you’re doing.”

  Kaelis chuckled. “It’s never just water, Kael. Everything has potential, even the simplest thing.”

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  His brother frowned but didn’t argue further. Kaelis ignored him, focusing entirely on shaping the energy. Slowly, methodically, he learned to draw it into his elemental flux, folding shadow and light into the water without breaking the flow.

  By nightfall, Kaelis sat on a rock beside the creek, exhausted but elated. The shimmer had become part of him, a small yet undeniable addition to his control. It wasn’t High-tier, but it was a start—and for Kaelis, every start mattered.

  Above, the stars shone faintly, almost as if watching. Somewhere in the void, the threads of fate stirred, nudged by the careful hands of a boy who would one day touch the Beyond.