CHAPTER 56: THE GARDEN OF SPELLS

It was the next day.

After yesterday’s conversation, after Elunara’s sharp words and the uncomfortable truths she had pressed on them, Emma and Evelyn had decided—if only reluctantly—to try and be a bit more understanding. If nothing else, they could use this time to learn from the Queen herself, who seemed willing, almost eager, to teach them.

The morning came quietly. They woke, ate a simple but refreshing breakfast, and dressed themselves in proper clothes. Servants guided them without a word, leading them deeper into the castle than they had ever been before.

It was strange. Every step they took away from the outer halls made their curiosity rise. The path turned narrow, winding into the very heart of the fortress. Five minutes of walking, past one corridor after another, until the guards stopped at a door that looked unlike any they had seen. Its frame was engraved with curling patterns of flowers and trees, as though life itself had taken root in the wood.

The door opened, and beyond it was a garden.

A real garden.

At the center sat Queen Elunara, at a table set beneath a canopy of blossoms, books stacked neatly beside her. Sunlight poured in, gentle and filtered through the leaves, carrying the faint scent of earth and magic.

Evelyn froze. Her lips parted as she whispered, "The place looks like a fairy tale."

Emma blinked. "Fairy tale... stuff looks like this?" She tilted her head, confused. Her voice was flat, almost skeptical. Emma had never read books like that, never watched television, never been told those kinds of stories. The church had kept her world narrow, filled with discipline and prayer. The closest thing she had ever had to "stories" were the ones Caelen whispered to her when no one else was around.

The elf guard who had escorted them said nothing. With a bow, he turned and left, vanishing beyond the patterned door.

Evelyn glanced at Emma, then at the Queen again. The garden seemed alive. Every leaf moved as though it listened, every flower seemed too vibrant to be ordinary.

"Welcome," Elunara said, her voice carrying the calm weight of authority. She lifted a delicate cup to her lips, sipping. "This is my family garden. From today onward, this will be where you train—and where you will begin learning spells."

Emma and Evelyn walked forward slowly. Their eyes moved everywhere—branches, petals, the faint shimmer in the air that hinted at enchantments woven into the soil. Elunara’s amusement flickered across her face as she watched them.

"This place is..." Evelyn paused, her tone softer now. "...amazing."

Her gaze slipped to the Queen’s cup, curiosity plain on her face. Elunara noticed. She did not mind.

"It is a human design," the Queen said, setting the cup down and brushing her fingers against the table. "I changed this place when I saw how your kind crafted furniture. The artistry was unique. I... enjoy the design."

Emma’s eyes went to the stack of books. Still groggy from waking, her voice dragged slightly. "Those... are the books we’re using?"

Elunara smiled faintly, pulling one free. She handed it to Evelyn. "This is an Earth Magic primer. Not a spellbook—something better. It explains how to feel the element properly. Read this first. When you understand it, then you will move to this." She held out the second book. "Earth Spells. Do not try to use them until you grasp the foundation."

Evelyn nodded quickly, taking both with care. Her fingers brushed the covers as though they were sacred texts.

Elunara lifted the third book, her gaze shifting to Emma. "This is different. Dark Magic."

Emma’s brow furrowed.

"Yes," Elunara continued. "I want you to understand your Light Magic from another perspective. Only when you study darkness can you truly see what light is." She handed her the black-bound book. "Once you finish this, you will read this one." Another book, this one white, placed in her hands. "Light Magic theory. The proper way to channel it. Do not ask for the spellbook yet. Not until you absorb this."

Emma looked down at the two books in her arms—one dark, one light. She already felt heavy just holding them. She wanted to groan, to refuse. But the thought of Caelen, of slowing him down because she was too weak, silenced her. She hugged the books to her chest.

Elunara’s eyes stayed on her. "Tell me, Emma. What spells do you currently know? List all of them."

Emma hesitated, shifting her weight. "Light Pincer. Light Barrier. Light Sword. Light Beam. And..." She frowned, trying to recall the exact names. "One healing spell that restores stamina and mends injuries. And another that heals injuries only."

Elunara’s expression sharpened. "That’s all? Those are beginner spells." Her voice cut sharper, disbelief plain. "How old are you?"

Emma’s lips pressed tight. "...Twenty-two."

The Queen leaned back, studying her with narrowed eyes. "Twenty-two years old. Wielding Light—one of the original opposing forces—and all you can use are beginner spells? With the single exception of your healing?"

Emma’s hands tightened around the books. She said nothing.

Evelyn’s voice broke in quietly, almost protective. "The church... no, the woman who trained her. She only taught her that. Nothing else."

Silence fell.

Elunara looked at Emma for a long moment. Her gaze wasn’t unkind, but heavy. Eventually, she exhaled. "...I see." She tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "Then listen carefully. You are here now. Whatever limits you had before, they no longer matter. If you remain weak, you will be left behind. So put in the effort. No excuses."

Emma lifted her chin, meeting the Queen’s gaze. "...Okay."

Without another word, she stepped away from the table. Her back found the trunk of a tree near Evelyn, and she slid down, opening the black-bound Dark Magic book first. The pages glowed faintly with strange symbols. She didn’t understand them yet, but she forced herself to stare, to try.

Evelyn, meanwhile, sat cross-legged, flipping carefully through her own Earth Magic text. Her lips moved silently, trying to mouth the strange words written in Elvish and translated below.

The garden was quiet except for the faint rustling of leaves and the steady sound of Elunara’s cup being set back down.

For the first time, Emma was beginning her true lessons.

-

[Definition of Dark Magic Book]

Dark Magic is the shaping of chaos given form. Unlike elemental or divine energies, which align with natural laws, dark magic thrives on breaking them. It is not a single element but the corruption of all elements. Where fire warms and destroys, dark fire consumes without end. Where water heals and nourishes, dark water rots and decays.

At its core, dark magic corrupts, distorts, and consumes. It seeps into the mind, whispering false clarity, eroding will, and bending thought toward despair, obsession, or violence. It destroys order and balance, turning strength into weakness and certainty into doubt.

To wield it is to call upon the primal chaos that existed before creation. Dark magic unravels structure, twists intentions, and amplifies the darkest fragments of the heart. Left unchecked, it does not simply strike at the body, but warps the soul.

Yet it is not without purpose. Through understanding dark magic, one can better see the fragile threads that hold light, order, and life together. Where light creates and mends, darkness tests and breaks. To master both is to understand existence not only as it should be, but as it can be when all safety is stripped away.

-

Inside the book, Emma went through multiple pages in a fast manner without realizing, and only Elunara was looking at how she was going from page to page, wondering if she was scanning such an important book. Elunara thought, folding her arms.

Emma continued reading the book, and Elunara’s eyes twitched a bit. Somehow, Evelyn felt something was up, and she looked up, pausing her own reading.

Her eyes followed Elunara’s, and that’s when she noticed it, Emma’s casual silence, her steady hands, her eyes gliding across lines like she was just skimming.

Another page flipped. Two seconds.

Evelyn blinked. "...Is she really reading the book?"

Elunara’s jaw tightened. She leaned back in her chair, fingers tapping on the table. "Seems that way."

Emma didn’t respond, didn’t even glance up if she was in her own world. She kept moving at her own pace, as if she had fallen into some flow where the book was unfolding directly into her mind. Page after page, smooth, unbothered.

"I told her to read the book, and my intention was clear..." Elunara muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes. "That book took me an entire day."

Evelyn tilted her head. "You read it all?"

"Yes," Elunara snapped, voice sharp with pride. "Every word, every passage. It demands study, not... this." She gestured at Emma with a quick flick of her hand.

As if to answer, Emma’s hand turned another page, this time in less than a second.

Elunara felt her cheeks heat. I feel like she’s mocking me. Is she mocking? She has to be.

Evelyn frowned. "Maybe she’s—"

"Scanning," Elunara cut in, glaring now. "Treating it like a cheap pamphlet instead of a scripture of power. Does she even understand what she’s holding?"

Emma, unfazed, kept her eyes on the pages, still quiet. Another flip. Another twitch from Elunara.

The silence stretched, thick with tension.

"If she thinks she can just skim through that book like a bedtime story... then she’s insulting me. Insulting everything I learned."

"What the hell happened to you?" Evelyn questioned due to the sudden switch of Elunara, she was somewhat refined, and now she is getting grumpy all of a sudden.

-

(Changing the light magic spells from gold to light, so there are moments where I have described them that way, now they will be glowing white in color.)