Aria Vale
I wake before dawn to a knock on my door. Maya groans from her bed, burying her head under her pillow. I stumble to answer it, still half asleep.
Elder Moira stands in the hallway, looking far too alert for this ungodly hour. "Good morning, dear. I hope you're ready for your first training session."
"Now? It's barely light out."
"The best time to train is when the mind is quiet and the academy is still sleeping. Less distraction, more focus." She gestures down the hall. "Get dressed in something you can move in. Meet me at the training grounds in ten minutes."
She's gone before I can protest.
I throw on workout clothes and pull my hair into a messy ponytail. Maya watches from her bed, her eyes wide and frightened. We still haven't really talked since the ceremony, and I can
