Aria's pov
"What—?" Isabella's shock mirrored my own. She tried again, her magic more intense this time, but it didn't even come close. My hand tingled with an unfamiliar heat, and I realized I was the one causing it to fizzle out.
Simon's confidence wavered as he exchanged a worried glance with his sister. "Don't just stand there—end this!"
He lunged at me, sword raised high. But something in me had shifted. I felt no fear, only certainty. My hand moved on its own, and suddenly, a blinding light shot from my palm. The force of it sent Simon flying back into a tree with a sickening thud.
Isabella screamed in rage and charged at me, her magic flaring. But I didn't flinch. The power inside me burned brighter, hotter, and with a single thought, I sent her crashing to the ground, immobilized by an invisible force. She struggled, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"What are you?" she hissed, the fear in her voice evident.
