Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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"They are beautiful…", I breathed while staring at Lumiona's two sets of wings.

Lumiona flapped her wings in fluid motions and her smug expression told me that she was pleased with my reaction.

"Pay attention, child.", Lumiona's stern voice snapped me to reality.

"The wind is all around us and every other element depends on it. You can use it as a weapon…" Lumiona flicked her hand to her right, and I heard a high pitch whistle rip through the air for a split-second before a narrow crack in the wall appeared. She just broke the rock with an air current! That's some firepower!

"You can use it as a shield…" Lumiona lifted her hand toward me, with her open palm forward and I could see ripples of air converging in front of her palm, forming like a big dinner plate that was transparent, yet hazy a bit.

"Try to break this.", she told me.

I threw a punch at her air shield. I didn't hit it hard, but it felt like I've hit a stone. Impressive.

Lumiona saw my eyes widen in surprise and I could see her pride swelling.

"The air can help you move…" A second later, Lumiona was hovering above the ground.

I was excited about this, and I wondered if I could fly with enough practice.

As she slowly touched the ground with her feet, Lumiona spoke again, "The winds can be a powerful ally or a terrifying enemy. It's up to you how you will use it. The more you talk to them, the more they will listen…"

Lumiona paused and looked into me. "Your father said that you used winds before."

I nodded in confirmation.

"Tell me about it.", she demanded.

"I was upset, and I created a storm.", I decided to stick to the short version.

"Why do you think you created a storm?"

"I…", I let out a long exhale. "I was hurt, and I wanted it to stop."

"You wanted to destroy things.", Lumiona summarized her understanding, and she was spot on.

"Yes.", I admitted.

"That's a good start."

"It is?"

Lumiona nodded. "We don't create energies. We use what's around us and amplify it. In your case, your emotions took over and your desire to destroy was echoed by the winds that responded to your call."

"This room amplifies wind energies, and it will allow you to feel them easier.", she gestured toward the incense burners. "The scent will stimulate your soul to relax and embrace your nature."

That all sounded nice, but I wanted the on-off capability before fine-tuning. "Can you teach me to suppress this ability? I don't want to go through destroying things again."

Lumiona was not pleased with my request, but she answered grumpily, "There is beauty in chaos. However, if you want control, I need to disappoint you as you can't control the winds. You need to control yourself and the elements around you will echo your state."

Easier said than done. How can I be calm if I don't know what's coming? "How?"

"Be it love or hate or fear, the only thing that puts our soul in disarray are uncertainties. Find closure. Regardless of what it is, it will bring you peace. Only like that, your mind will be calm enough to control your emotions and the energies will follow…"

After Lumiona's impressive demonstration and mind-stirring lesson, I returned to my cave. I needed to think about what I learned and sitting in that room with Lumiona nearby was not helping.

Actually, I knew what I needed to do. There was only one thing pending for me to face, one man who could make me soar into the skies from happiness at the sight of his heartstopping half-smile, and experience hell at the thought of his rejection.

It was time to take that control away from him.

It was time to stop avoiding him.

Duke.

I had no plans of going to London, but there were other ways to face my demons and leave that chapter of my life behind me where it belongs, in the past. It was time for closure.

I stood at the entrance of my room-cave and glared at the bed like it's my biggest enemy.

Since I reached here, I didn't sleep. While awake, I could control my thoughts and I feared that if I sleep, I will dream and remember things I didn't want to. But now I had to go through it.

My legs moved toward the bed and I laid on it.

Days of no sleep took a toll on me and even though technically I don't need to sleep like humans, my body gets drained, and sleep helps me recharge. Just like food.

My eyelids were heavy and before I drifted into restless dreams, a sigh escaped my lips. "Duke…"

I saw Duke from our first day of high school, as he entered the classroom while his scorching blue eyes didn't leave mine, and I felt butterflies in my stomach awaken… the two of us sitting side-by-side on the rooftop of the main building of our high school… on the playground that was halfway between our school and my home… in the sweetshop… In every memory, Duke was looking at me with eyes full of emotions that I mistook for affection.

I knew that scenes in front of me are part of the past that will never happen again, but I took it all in hungrily because I needed to remember every good thing before I closed that door, leaving it in the past forever.

My plan was simple. I will remember all the good things and acknowledge them. Next, I will remember my lonely days without Duke and accept them. Good and bad it's all part of life, and they balance each other because without darkness we would not know how to appreciate light.

The mistake I made previously was that I used to focus only on the good memories, fooling myself how that is the reality to the point that when the bad images resurfaced, I crashed.

Now I will remind myself that darkness and light are side-by-side, creating many shades that we call life. I will stop with unreasonable expectations and face the reality and all the colors it brings.

Up to this point, my dreams went according to my plan.

After observing a vast number of scenes, just as I reached the end of my high school days, everything turned dark.

Well, this was not planned.

The familiar scent of pine trees mixed with the ocean enveloped me as I found my head resting on the warm and firm chest.

It was completely dark, and I couldn't see anything, but I didn't need to guess who that was.

The current situation deviated from my vision of how this night should end, but I could work with it.

After a brief hesitation, I decided to enjoy the moment before I confront Duke and hear the ugly truth. Sure, it might not be the real thing, but it definitely feels real, and I will go with it.

As my arms snaked around his torso, Duke's body jolted, and then his arms swiftly wrapped around me.

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