Atticus released a slow breath and cleared his mind. The only way forward was to try. Turning his attention to the elemental molecules around him, he observed them in silence, then narrowed his eyes as something immediately stood out.
'Something's different.'
The elemental molecules closest to him were still, utterly unmoving, unlike those farther away that drifted gently through the air as they always had.
That had never happened before.
Whether near or far, the elemental molecules had always been in motion when he wasn't actively controlling them, constantly interacting with the world around them.
Atticus furrowed his brows.
'True control…'
The woman's words echoed in his mind. True control would render the molecules completely subservient. Even without attunement, even without intent, they acknowledged him, not as a wielder, but as a master.
The strange woman suddenly glanced toward him, her gaze sharp as she silently observed.
Atticus released another breath and spoke.
