But eventually, Aqua realized that what her brother said was true. He really had nothing else to do.
Even though she felt indignant, even though she wanted his attention all on her—she turned around with a sullen look on her face and went back to practicing her domain.
But this time, the excitement was gone.
She was somber. Quiet. Her heart wasn't in it.
She kept glancing back, hoping Cassius would look at her.
But he never did. He was fully focused on Maria, constantly teasing her, playing with her, making her giggle.
It made Aqua sad.
But she couldn't let her stupid pride get in the way.
He had done so much for her. The least she could do was focus.
So, she continued to read more pages.
She didn't stop at water. She moved to wind, then earth, then fire.
She had all five elements at her command, and she practiced each one meticulously.
Spells came to her effortlessly—new combinations, new techniques, entire sequences of magic that she had never even dreamed of before.
