Irene hunched over the ancient scroll at her mother Olivia's behest. Olivia was a mentor in magic, but more than that, she was a woman of wisdom. The parchment was dense with arcane symbols and texts, all of it promising the secrets to unsealing one's sigil. But as the minutes wore on, so did Irene's irritability. Her interest waned; esoteric words became nonsensical ones. She huffed in frustration and thrust the scroll aside, the flutter of its edges like a trapped bird.

Irene paced her room, grappling with the impatience she'd witnessed in Ela, the friend whose power served as a constant reminder of how far Irene felt she lagged behind. away from reaching her. "There has to be a simpler way," Irene muttered. She stopped mid-pace, thoughts swirling in her mind—her mother, a guiding light in the tempest.

"Mother?" Irene found Olivia in the tranquility of their garden, lost in feathered brush strokes. The garden mirrored her serenity, a blanket of colors and scents.

"Hi," Irene said breathlessly, resolute.

Olivia glanced up at Irene, eyes serene. "Hello, dear. You look like you're a bit breathless. and Your hair looks nice, Did you visit Ela?"

Irene's cheeks bloomed with pink. "Yes, and I... I styled my hair for Ela's mother," she admitted, toying with a lock.

Olivia's laughter was light and understanding. "What brings you here, Irene?"

To pride's bitter end, Irene confessed, "Mother, I need an easier way to unseal my sigil. I... I can't seem to focus on the scrolls."

"Irene, did you read the scrolls I gave you?" Olivia's eye held a knowing spark.

"Y-Yes," Irene said, voicing the lie before her mouth could close.

Olivia's with a nonchalant manner. "I see. Then why seek my help?"

"I can't wrap my head around any of the concepts. Can't you just summarize it for me?"

Olivia drew a line with her brush. "Why study if you aren't willing to put in the work? If you believe it should happen, shouldn't you be patient?"

"If it can happen on its own, why study at all?" Irene could feel her frustration gnawing away at patience.

Olivia laid her brush down, her hand gentle. "There's... something about sigils unsealed early. They tend to be stronger. Some parents push for it more for pride than practicality."

"How... how does it happen?" Irene asked, genuinely curious.

"As we grow and experience more of life, we tend to accept our flaws, our insecurities," Olivia said, meeting Irene's eyes. "Acceptance of self. That's the key."

Irene moved Levitas with the clarity of her mother's words echoing in her heart, signaling a new dawn of understanding.

As Ela makes her way back to her room, her steps heavy with the weight of Irene's departure, a sense of melancholy settles over her. The once-familiar corridors of the palace seem colder, emptier, devoid of the laughter and companionship she had shared with her friend.

As she passes her mother in the hallway, Ela braces herself for the inevitable confrontation. Her mother's stern gaze pierces through her, her disapproval palpable as she questions Ela's whereabouts.

"Where have you been all day, Eleanore?" her mother demands, her tone sharp with reproach. "I couldn't find you anywhere." Ela's heart sinks as she braces herself to face her mother's disappointment. "I was in the garden, Mother," she lies, her words barely above a whisper. "Playing with Irene."

Her mother's lips purse in disapproval, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Playing in the garden, at your age?" she scolds, her tone dripping with disdain. "And with that good-for-nothing rascal Irene, no less. You should know better, Ela. You're not a child anymore." Ela swallows hard, her throat tight with unspoken frustration. "I'm sorry, Mother," she murmurs, her words a fragile shield against her mother's disapproval.

Her mother's gaze softens slightly, a fleeting glimmer of concern in her eyes. "You should spend your days more wisely, Eleanore," she advises, with a gentler tone, but no less firm. "There are far more important things than idle play with your friends." Ela nods obediently, her gaze fixed on the floor as she fights to keep her emotions in check. "Yes, Mother," she replies, her words hushed to a murmur.

A flicker of satisfaction crosses her mother's features as she nods. "See that you do, I only want what's best for you, my dear," she says, her tone laced with authority. "Now, walk straight and raise your head. You are a Grace, and you will comport yourself accordingly."

Ela nods obediently, her gaze fixed on the floor as she obeys her mother's command. With a curt nod of dismissal, they part ways, and Ela hurries into her room, the weight of her mother's expectations bearing down on her like a heavy burden.

Alone in the refuge of her room, Ela collapses onto her bed, her tears flowing freely now. She buries her face in her pillow, muffling her sobs as the pain of her mother's words washes over her.

After a week Irene practically bounced with excitement as she embraced Ela in the forest for their rendezvous. "Ela, I've got something absolutely wonderful to show you!" she declared, her hazel eyes alight with excitement.

Ela laughed, unable to contain her curiosity at Irene's dramatic arrival. "Alright, lay it on me, Irene. You're about to burst with it," she teased, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

Irene's grin turned sly, a playful glint lighting up her green eyes. "But where would be the fun in that?!" she retorted, feigning offense. "You'll just have to accompany me to the cabin. I promise, it's worth it. And no, I won't give you a single hint until we're there," she added, her smile growing as Ela's own anticipation continued to build.

Ela rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up inside her at Irene's infectious energy. "Alright, alright. Take me to the cabin then. I'm dying know what's gotten you into such a tizzy," she relented.

Irene beamed, excitement nearly sparkling off her. "Guess!" she demanded, her voice alight with playfulness as she twirled a strand of her auburn waves.

Ela chuckled, playing along. "Oh alright...Give me a hint at least," she challenged.

Irene leaned in with a conspiratorial whispered. "I'll just say...I've unsealed my Signature Sigil," she revealed with a triumphant grin dancing in her eyes.

Ela's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "You did what?" she exclaimed, her disbelief plain.

Irene pulled the leg of her pants up, revealing the sigil on her right calf as she proudly displayed an ornately framed tattoo encompassing a dead plant, all encompassed neatly inside a circle. "Ta-da! Unsealed and ready to go," she declared with a proud grin.

Ela was unable to hide her shock. "Irene, that's incredible! I've been trying for months, and I still can't even touch mine," she confessed, a slight note of frustration in her voice.

Irene couldn't resist a teasing jab, still feeling the twinge of her own success. "Maybe I'll teach you if I feel up to it," she quipped with a wink and a playfully wicked grin.

Ela laughed, rolling her eyes. "Let's just hope my Sigil doesn't end up somewhere as odd as yours," she shot back, their mood comfortably lighthearted and easy as they played around together.

Ela laughed, rolling her eyes. "Let's just hope my Sigil doesn't end up in some odd place like yours," she retorted, her tone laced with friendly banter.

Irene mockingly gasped, placing a hand over her heart. "Offended! My Sigil is unique, thank you very much. Unlike those boring ones on everyone's hands or necks," she countered, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Alright, show me what your Sigil can do first," Ela urged, her excitement through the roof.

Irene grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Get ready to be amazed!" she replied excitedly. "But first, let's step out of this cabin."

The two girls stepped outside into the woods, where Irene took a stance, determination in her every move. Almost immediately, the ground started to shake, and the tree roots around them began to squirm and change, twisting and turning to grow to inconceivable lengths. Ela gasped in wonder as she watched a few of the roots stretch, almost daintily, until a flower appeared upon one of the roots, placed carefully over Ela's head by the grace of wandering roots, and with an elegant but hurried reverse of what had just occurred, all the roots retracted, returning to their original places.

Ela's hand shook as she reached up to touch the flower, her heart singing with joy. "Irene, that was amazing!" she said, her voice ridden with genuine Astonishment.

Irene smiled, clearly pleased with herself. "Thanks, Ela," she smiled, breathy with exhaustion, "That could use some work, I'll admit, but for now, it's right where I need it to be."

Ela nodded and smiled, truly in awe of what she had just witnessed. "Well, for what it's worth, you held out a lot longer. You're a natural," Her compliment flowed sincerely, heavy with admiration.

As Irene settled to the grass, she shot a contented smile at her friend. "So, what do you say? Ready to learn from the best?" she asked, her eyes glowing.