THE ASHES OF LIGHT ✔

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Valencia

Valencia decided not to follow Ronan out the hall, instead opting to read the piece of paper that he had given her. It was the eighty-fourth page of some book and the side was uneven like it had been ripped out.

She began to read, hoping that Ronan would be right about the paper answering some of her questions.

Genetics and ability are very closely related, as discussed in the previous chapters. Over the history of the kingdoms, there have been people who seem to be able to have more than one ability.

This is a result of a genetic mutation, causing the gene that limits someone to having only one ability to not exist—allowing someone to have unlimited abilities.

The first ability to manifest is channeling, as it is considered to be the most natural one. Light wants to have a physical form, making channeling the easiest to master and the first to appear.

After channeling, healing typically manifests. This ability uses skills learned from weaving strands of light into physical objects and uses those skills to weave together wounds instead.

Once healing has been practiced, telepathy is typically the next ability to appear. This is because the body and the mind are closely related—once you learn to heal the body, your mind craves to be healed as well, thus sparking into existence telepathy.

After that, enhancing is the next ability. This is closely related to the mind, as it takes both lessons learned from channeling and lessons learned from telepathy to have enough mental concentration to enhance someone.

Next is both telekinesis and conjuring—the order of these is interchangeable, as they both use similar techniques. They both involve moving objects with your mind. Telekinesis is moving objects existing in front of you, and conjuring is moving objects that you cannot see so that they are transported into your possession.

The last ability to manifest is shifting, as this is the hardest ability to master. It takes a great deal of mental concentration, skill with manipulating light, and moving objects with the mind in order to be a prominent shifter...

The text stopped there, trailing off into the next page, which Valencia didn't have. Ronan was right—it did answer one of her questions; now Valencia was certain that she could one day be able to use all the abilities, and she now knew in what order she would have to learn them.

She shoved the paper into one of her pockets. Valencia needed to leave, and the only place she could think of to go was the Infirmary.

She stepped into the hallway. Valencia vaguely recognized where she was, but this was only her second time in this area of the palace. She had no idea how to get out.

Valencia decided that the best thing to do would be to stick to one wall and keep walking in the same direction—that had to lead to an exit door at some point, right?

She walked with her back hugging the wall as she continued down the hallway, constantly looking in front and behind her in case guards would appear. Valencia knew that they would figure out she escaped from the dungeons sooner rather than later, and she didn't want to think of the consequences that would ensue if she were discovered.

The halls were eerily quiet as Valencia made her way towards what she hoped would be the exit. As soon as a door to the outside finally came into eyesight, she heard the sound of footsteps coming her way.

Without thinking, Valencia shut herself into the closest room. Luckily for her, the room was empty.

Valencia tried to silence her heavy breathing to catch at least a snipped of what was happening beyond the wall.