The morning mist settled over the training grounds as Althea stood in the center, her hands glowing faintly with orange light. She took a steady breath, narrowed her eyes, and focused on the shape of the barrier she wanted to create. A simple sphere. Solid. Strong.

  Keal watched her with his arms crossed, as calm as ever. The omegas gathered around her in a loose circle. They still kept some distance, but their expressions had changed over the past day. They were no longer afraid of her—only unsure. A few even whispered encouragement.

  Althea thrust her hands forward to release the spell.

  The light burst outward, bright and sharp, but instead of forming a clean shield, it cracked apart with a loud pop. The force jolted her backward, and dust rose in a ring around her feet.

  She groaned. “That’s failure number twenty-three…”

  Keal raised one eyebrow. “You’re getting more dramatic with each one.”

  Rowan, the smallest omega, hurried over and helped her up. “It looked cool, though.”

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Thanks,” Althea sighed. “I’d prefer a working barrier to a cool explosion.”

  Training continued, shifting from her magic to the omegas’ attempts. The truth became clear quickly: none of them had real skills yet. Some tried to summon energy and got nothing. Others produced tiny sparks that died instantly. A few got exhausted after only a few seconds.

  But they were trying, and that alone made Althea feel hopeful.

  Lyssa approached her during a break, brushing her silver hair from her face. “They’re starting to trust you,” she said softly. “You give them confidence.”

  Althea’s cheeks warmed. “I just want to help.”

  “You are helping,” Lyssa replied with a small smile. “Even when your magic fights you.”

  “So… it’s bad?” Althea asked.

  Lyssa laughed gently. “Unpredictable.”

  That made a few omegas smile too.

  When training neared its end, Keal called out, “One more attempt, Althea. Try again.”

  She nodded, pushing aside her frustration. This time, she didn’t force anything. She let the magic gather slowly, like warm air forming in her palms. The glow softened instead of flaring out wildly.

  A thin shimmer appeared in front of her.

  It was small and fragile, but for the first time, it held its shape.

  Her breath caught. “It’s actually working—”

  The shimmer wobbled, flickered, then burst like a bubble.

  The omegas gasped. Rowan clapped excitedly. Lyssa covered her mouth in surprise. Keal’s expression softened almost into a real smile.

  “That was the closest you’ve come,” he said.

  “It lasted two seconds,” Althea muttered, but she couldn’t hide her small grin.

  “You’re improving,” Keal replied. “And so are they. Slowly, but surely.”

  Althea looked at the group around her. They were tired, undertrained, unsure of their abilities—but they were hopeful. They were beginning to believe in her.

  She wasn’t sure if she believed in herself yet, but she knew one thing:

  She

  wasn’t going to give up.

  And for today, that was enough.