We worked until noon.
By then, I could create complex runic structures without conscious thought.
Defense grids. Containment fields. Even basic healing matrices.
The Tear's power flowed through my carefully constructed channels. Still enormous. Still dangerous.
But no longer threatening to overwhelm me at every turn.
"Good work," Thea said. "But remember—this is just the foundation. The Tear will keep testing you. Keep pushing boundaries. You have to maintain the channels constantly."
"What happens if I let them collapse?"
"Then we're back to the dam situation. Pressure is building until something breaks." Her expression was grave. "This isn't a one-time fix, Sophia. This is a lifestyle. Forever vigilance."
"Forever," I repeated.
The weight of that word settled on my shoulders
