138

MAXINE

I felt my heart drop at what she said. "Would I die?" I asked.

"It's not death, per se," Zel replied. I was reminded of how much she knew about these types of things. "Your body is going to be here, breathing. But after a long time without its soul, it will eventually die, giving you nowhere to come back to."

"That sounds scary," I admitted.

"It is why we don't play in the realms. But, do not worry, as long as you're with me when it happens, you'll be fine. I won't let you." Cinder assured me with a smile. "Now," she clapped her hands. "Shall we continue?"

We spent the rest of the day practicing balance. Cinder wanted me to get the basics down before we moved on to other techniques like channeling energy, focusing my thoughts, and then finally, controlling the transformations.

The morning sun filtered through the leaves, casting a gentle light on the forest leaves. I stretched, feeling the familiar ache in my muscles. Zel was already up, meditating with the windows open.

Howev