The next morning, the air in the training wing felt electric—like every psychic pulse in the building was humming at full volume. Even the coffee machine seemed to be vibrating in solidarity.
Julian met me at the door to the Echo Chamber, arms folded, expression grim. Alvin hovered behind him, clipboard clutched like a shield.
"Breakfast?" I offered, voice shaky.
Julian shook his head. "No time. We have a window to trace Cassian's location before they wipe him again."
I swallowed. "I—okay."
Alvin opened the door. "Ready for your grand debut, Echo Queen?"
I jabbed him in the arm. "Don't call me that."
He waved me through. "You know I love a good nickname."
Inside, the Echo Chamber lights dimmed, and the sapphire line spiraling up the center glowed bright. This time, they'd reconfigured the chamber into a psychic triangulation grid: floating pillars at the corners, each inscribed with runes pulsing in sequence.
Julian stepped to the center console. "We're going to lock onto the psychic residue you felt—the black thread. It anchors Cassian's mind to his prison. When you trace it, we'll follow."
He handed me a small crystal probe. "Hold this against your temple."
My heart hammered. I pressed the cool crystal to my skin. Immediately, I felt a darkness ripple beneath my thoughts—like stepping barefoot on a sunken, shattered mirror. My vision blurred, and the Chamber's walls melted away.
I stood in a corridor of shifting shadows, the floor breathing beneath my feet. Around me, distant screams echoed—Cassian's voice, twisted and distorted.
"Julia…" his voice whispered, laced with fear.
I stumbled forward. "Cassian? I'm here."
The corridor split in two. On the left, a door glowing red; on the right, a hall lit by flickering blue light.
Julian's voice echoed in my mind: Trust your Echo. The red path leads to danger. The blue to your strength.
I exhaled. Blue.
I moved toward the blue hall. The air shimmered, and a figure collapsed at my feet—Cassian, pale-skinned, eyes vacant.
"Cassian!" I knelt beside him, but before I could touch him, a razor-sharp thought rammed into my mind: Get out!
I staggered back as a woman—silver-haired, eyes glowing a fierce red—materialized behind Cassian. She raised a hand, and Cassian convulsed.
No! I thought, and instinctively, I channeled every ounce of Echo power I had. A wave of warmth pulsed from me, amplified Julian's mind shield across the corridor, and the woman's hand froze mid-air, crackling, powerless.
She hissed—a sound that shook the corridor walls—and vanished.
Cassian slumped. I dropped beside him, pressing my hands to his temples. "Wake up. It's me, Julia."
His eyes fluttered open, confusion in their depths. I felt the echo of his relief smudge across my consciousness.
He whispered, hoarse, "You came."
I nodded, tears welling. "Julian's on his way. Hang on."
Behind me, the corridor shimmered again—it was time to go. I scooped Cassian into my arms and turned, racing toward the central console.
The Echo Chamber reformed around us with a soft whoosh. Julian and Alvin were there instantly, concern etched on both their faces.
I set Cassian down gently. He coughed, blinking at Julian.
Julian swept him into a careful embrace. "I've got you," he murmured.
Cassian's shoulders trembled. "She said you'd come."
I pressed the probe to his temple, tracing the final threads of the red intrusion until they dissolved. "She's gone," I told him.
Alvin let out a whoop. "Mission accomplished!"
Julian gave him a withering look, then turned to me. "You—Julia—saved him."
I shivered, exhaustion and pride and relief crashing together. Cassian managed a weak smile and whispered, "You're his Echo. His heart. You broke the spell."
My chest tightened. As I watched Julian hold Cassian, I realized the Echo effect wasn't just about power—it was about connection. About amplifying hope, courage, love.
And in that moment, I understood what my parents and Julian had known all along.
I was exactly where I needed to be.
⸻
The recovery ward at the Gossamer Network headquarters was unusually quiet for once. Soft golden lights shimmered from the walls, casting everything in a sleepy, magical hue. Cassian rested in a containment cocoon, his vitals stabilized and psychic patterns slowly realigning. The medics said he'd be okay. But his mind had been stretched, frayed. It would take time.
I stood outside the transparent barrier, watching him sleep. His face was peaceful now, but I couldn't forget the agony I'd seen in that dream realm—the psychic corridor of screams and shadows.
Behind me, soft footsteps approached. Julian.
"You stayed," he said gently.
"Of course," I replied, not turning.
He stopped beside me, folding his arms, eyes on Cassian too. "He's lucky. Most Eclipsed psychics don't make it back. They either disappear or come back wrong."
"But he didn't." I looked up at Julian. "We brought him back."
"You did," he said. "I followed your signal, but you were the one who traced him, broke the illusion, stood up to her."
I turned fully now. "Who was she?"
His face darkened. "Her name is Lysandra. She's a psychic rogue—used to be part of the Elders. She betrayed the Network and built a faction we've been fighting for years. We thought she was gone. Clearly… not."
I swallowed. "She was strong. Like… scary strong."
"She's powerful," Julian agreed, "but not unbeatable."
He looked at me then, really looked. "And you're stronger than any Echo I've ever seen. You've trained for three weeks, Julia. Three. And you managed to project your consciousness into a mind maze and pull someone out alive."
My cheeks flushed, but it wasn't just from pride. There was something about the way he was looking at me—like I wasn't just a psychic, or a problem to manage, but someone who mattered. Deeply.
"You helped me," I said, quietly.
"We help each other." Julian took a step closer. "And… I didn't just bring you here because of your powers."
That made me blink. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, then reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "You're different. Not just as an Echo. As you. You ask questions nobody else dares to ask. You don't just follow orders—you follow your instincts. You see people."
I blinked up at him. "Even when I sneak out behind my parents' backs?"
He laughed softly. "Especially then."
The distance between us felt charged, like static before a storm. We were standing too close, but I didn't step back. Neither did he.
"Julia," he said, voice suddenly low. "You have no idea what it's been like training you. Every time I think I've figured you out, you surprise me."
"Is that… a good thing?"
"I think it might be the best thing."
And then, without asking, he leaned in. Slowly. Carefully. Giving me every chance to pull away.
I didn't.
Our lips met in the softest, most hesitant kiss. Not dramatic, not fireworks—just warm. Real. The kind that starts a storm deep inside your chest.
When we pulled apart, both of us were breathless, smiling stupidly.
"That was…" I began.
"Unexpected?" he offered.
"Perfect," I corrected.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway, and we broke apart as Alvin burst in, holding up a tablet. "GUYS! You're not going to believe this."
We both turned, trying to look normal. (We probably failed.)
Alvin squinted. "Did I interrupt a moment?"
Julian cleared his throat. "What did you find?"
Alvin flipped the tablet around. "Lysandra's signature just showed up again. Not in Cassian's mind. In the real world. She's resurfaced."
My blood ran cold. "Where?"
Alvin glanced at me, then Julian. "At the Academy. The Psychic Academy. She's targeting young recruits."
Julian's jaw clenched. "She's trying to corrupt the next generation."
I stepped forward. "Then we stop her."
He looked at me, nodding slowly. "We do. Together."
And just like that, the storm calmed. The spark stayed lit.
⸻