A tremor ran through Jasmine's infant body, a ripple of emotion so powerful that the crystal floor beneath them hummed in response. The Council members drew back slightly, startled by the sudden surge of energy.
"What do you mean?" Gaelen asked, his voice tight with concern as he held Jasmine closer.
The Ancient One's form shimmered, particles of light rearranging themselves into a more defined shape. "The souls of those we call Lila and Mei did not follow the typical path after their human deaths. They were... intercepted."
"By the Watchers?" Belga asked, her violet eyes wide.
"Yes," the Ancient One confirmed. "And like Jasmine, they were brought across the veil. But unlike her, they did not retain their memories. Their souls were too damaged by the trauma of their deaths, too fragile to withstand the transition intact."
Jasmine felt a crushing disappointment, followed immediately by a fierce determination. Through her bond with Lyra, she projected a single thought: "Where are they now?"
Lyra voiced the question aloud, and the Council exchanged glances once more.
"The souls you knew as your sisters have been reborn in Aethoria," the void councilor said, their voice echoing with both distance and proximity. "But without their memories, they would not recognize you, nor you them."
"Unless..." the possibility councilor interjected, her form shifting through countless potential shapes. "The soul-bond between Jasmine and Lyra creates a unique opportunity. Through it, Jasmine might be able to recognize the essence of her sisters, even in their new forms."
Hope flared within Jasmine's chest, bright and painful. She had lost everything in her human life—her future, her dreams, even her sisters. Now, in this strange new existence, she might find them again.
"Such a search would be dangerous," warned the fire councilor, flames dancing in his hair. "The Shadowbound are already stirring. If they learn of her quest, they will use it against her."
"And against us all," added the earth councilor gravely.
The central Ancient One raised a hand, silencing the debate. "The choice must be hers." She turned her luminous gaze to Jasmine. "Child of two worlds, you stand at a crossroads. You may choose to embrace your new life fully, accepting the loss of your past. Or you may seek out the reborn souls of your sisters, knowing that the path will be fraught with peril, not only for you but for all of Aethoria."
Through Lyra, Jasmine projected her response without hesitation: "I will find them."
A solemn silence fell over the Council chamber. Finally, the central Ancient One nodded. "So be it. The prophecy unfolds as it must."
"What of her training?" Gaelen asked. "She's still developing, both physically and in her understanding of our ways."
"Her growth is accelerated," the water councilor observed, her fluid form rippling thoughtfully. "The soul-bond with Lyra has already enhanced her development beyond what we would expect of a human-born child. Within a year of our time, she will have the physical capabilities of a young adult by human standards."
"And her magical abilities?" asked the fire councilor.
Gaelen stepped forward. "Already manifesting. Last night, her cradle was floating three feet above the floor when we checked on her. She appears to have a natural affinity for dimensional magic, like myself."
Belga nodded in agreement. "And something else—something I've never seen before. When she dreams, she creates echoes—phantom images of her previous life that materialize briefly before dissipating."
The Council members murmured among themselves, their voices creating a harmonic resonance that filled the chamber. Finally, the central Ancient One spoke again.
"The twice-born child will require guidance beyond what even you, Master Gaelen, can provide. Each councilor will assign a mentor in their respective domains. She must learn not only to control her developing abilities but to understand the responsibility they carry."
"And what of the Shadowbound?" Belga asked, concern evident in her melodic voice.
"They must not learn of her quest," the void councilor stated firmly. "Saryx has spies everywhere. The knowledge that the sisters' souls are in Aethoria would give him leverage he must never possess."
The Ancient One nodded gravely. "From this day forward, the true nature of Jasmine's search must remain known only to those in this chamber. To the rest of Aethoria, she is simply an extraordinary child being trained in the magical arts."
"And to the Shadowbound," added the possibility councilor, "she must appear to be nothing more than a curiosity—a human soul that crossed the veil through unusual circumstances."
Jasmine absorbed all of this, her infant mind working to process the enormity of what she had learned. Her sisters were here, somewhere in this vast, magical realm. She would find them, no matter what it took.
As if sensing her determination, Lyra squeezed her hand. We'll find them together, she promised through their bond. "Sisters help sisters."
The Council session concluded with a formal blessing, each member contributing a small portion of their essence to create a protective ward around Jasmine. The energy settled over her like a second skin, invisible but tangible to her developing magical senses.
As they left the crystal spire, Jasmine looked out over the sprawling beauty of Aethoria, seeing it with new eyes. Somewhere in this realm, Lila and Mei existed, reborn into new lives. And she would find them.
The journey home was quiet, each family member lost in their own thoughts. When they reached their dwelling, Gaelen placed Jasmine in her cradle, which now seemed too small for her rapidly developing form," he said with uncharacteristic gentleness, "we begin your true training. The Council has spoken, and your path is set." His star-flecked hair seemed to shimmer with suppressed emotion. "I want you to know that whatever happens, whatever you discover about your sisters, you are our daughter now. Nothing will change that."
Belga joined him, her violet eyes luminous with unshed tears. "Rest now, little one. The days ahead will demand all your strength."
As her parents left the room, Jasmine lay awake, staring at the ceiling where patterns of light danced like living constellations. Through the window, she could see the moons of Aethoria casting their multicolored glow across the landscape. So different from Earth's single, pale satellite, yet beautiful in their own alien way.
" Are you afraid?" Lyra's thought drifted into her mind.
"Not of what's coming", Jasmine responded truthfully. "Only of failing. Of never finding them."
"We won't fail", Lyra assured her with a child's simple confidence. "I can already feel them sometimes, through our bond. Echoes of your connection to them."
This revelation sent a jolt through Jasmine. "You can sense them?"
"Not clearly," Lyra admitted. "Just... impressions. Like seeing shapes underwater. But it's enough to know they're here, somewhere in Aethoria."
Hope blossomed in Jasmine's chest, warm and fierce. With Lyra's help, perhaps the impossible task before her wasn't so impossible after all.
Sleep eventually claimed her, and as she drifted into dreams, phantom images began to materialize around her cradle—ghostly reflections of her human life. Lila's laugh, Mei's serious expression as she read a book, the small kitchen where they had huddled together for warmth and comfort. The images flickered like old film, moments of love preserved across the veil between worlds.
The year that followed passed in a blur of accelerated growth and intensive training. True to the water councilor's prediction, Jasmine's physical development progressed at an astonishing rate. By her sixth month in Aethoria, she had the motor skills of a human toddler. By her ninth month, she could run, climb, and manipulate objects with the dexterity of a five-year-old. And as her first year drew to a close, she resembled a human child of ten, though her features held the otherworldly beauty of her Aethorian heritage.
Her magical training progressed even more rapidly. Under Gaelen's tutelage, she learned to manipulate the dimensional energies that flowed through Aethoria, creating small portals that allowed her to move objects across short distances. From Belga, she gained an understanding of Spirit Magic, learning to sense the unique energies of different souls—a skill that would prove crucial in her search for her sisters.
The Council-appointed mentors each brought their own perspective and teachings. From the fire councilor's representative, she learned to channel her emotions into controlled power rather than destructive outbursts. The water mentor taught her fluidity of thought and adaptability. The earth mentor instilled patience and persistence. Each domain added a new facet to her developing abilities.
But it was the void councilor's teachings that proved most unsettling. The void mentor, a being named Nyx whose form seemed to absorb light rather than emit it, taught Jasmine to sense the spaces between spaces—the shadow pathways that connected different parts of Aethoria.
"The Shadowbound use these paths," Nyx explained during one particularly intense session. "To understand your enemy, you must understand their methods."
"Are they truly enemies?" Jasmine asked, her voice now clear and articulate despite her relatively young age. "Or just... different?"
Nyx's expression shifted, darkness swirling across features that never quite remained stable. "An insightful question. The Shadowbound were once Aethorians, like us. But they chose to embrace the darker aspects of existence—entropy, chaos, destruction. They believe these forces are necessary for creation."
"Aren't they?" Jasmine pressed. Her human life had taught her that darkness and light often existed side by side.
"In balance, yes," Nyx conceded. "But Saryx and his followers seek to tip that balance. They believe the barriers between realms—including the one separating Earth from Aethoria—should be eliminated completely."
"What would happen if they succeeded?"
Nyx's form seemed to contract slightly. "Chaos. The human realm isn't prepared for direct contact with magical dimensions. And other, darker realms would gain access to Earth as well. Billions would die in the resulting upheaval."
Throughout these lessons, Lyra remained by Jasmine's side, their soul-bond growing stronger with each passing day. Though chronologically five years older, Lyra's physical development was now matched by Jasmine's accelerated growth, making them appear like twins to outside observers.
"I felt something yesterday," Lyra confided one evening as they practiced manipulating light crystals in their shared chamber. "Through our bond. A... resonance."
Jasmine's heart quickened. "Like the echoes you mentioned before? Of my sisters?"
Lyra nodded, her silver-lavender hair catching the light. "Stronger this time. I think one of them was nearby, perhaps in the eastern quadrant of the city."
"We should go there," Jasmine said immediately, rising to her feet.
Lyra caught her arm. "Not yet. We're still being watched too closely. The Council has spies everywhere, and so does Saryx. We need to be patient."
Patience had never been Jasmine's strong suit, in either of her lives. But she recognized the wisdom in Lyra.