‘I work at the castle. In the library,’ she continued. ‘Everyone there is nice and I’m sure they’ll just want to be helpful.’

Sapphire didn’t reply. She just snapped her focus forward, not able to bear the weight of those kind eyes any further.

Sapphire was desperate for any ally – but Martia’s avoidance of strangers was constantly in her mind. A few more awkward seconds passed before Evera turned her attention to her mother, accepting that the conversation was over.

They had been walking for what felt like hours when the view finally gave way to glistening water. Lush green trees and rolling hills followed. For a moment, Sapphire longed for the small charcoal set the twins had given her, and enough time to commit the landscape to paper.

‘Astral – the city of water,’ Lelani announced as they made their way down a stone path towards a canal. Ahead was a wooden dock, a small, weathered platform floating beside it.

The man that occupied it scrambled to his feet and smiled as they approached.

‘Keep your eyes down, Sapphire.’ Evera’s voice was low and timid in a way she hadn’t heard before.

Sapphire wasn’t in the mood to argue, entirely taken by the scene unfolding before her. A world so rich with colour she once again convinced herself she was trapped inside a vision. Still, despite its beauty, her panic grew with every step. She had never felt comfortable in the water, and though she had tried to learn to swim she had never mastered the skill.

Evera held out a hand to assist her on to the rocking platform. Once settled, she took a few deep steadying breaths and challenged herself to focus on the world around her. She dipped her fingers into the water and sighed. It was cool enough to feel like a balm across her hot skin, and clear enough that she could see straight through to the bottom, which helped settle her nerves.

But it was the man who directed the floating platform who truly enthralled her. With a simple wave of his hand, he sent them along the canal. At first, she didn’t quite understand how the boat moved with such ease but then it dawned on her – this was another element. Astral was a city of water, and the people who lived there controlled it, as Evera controlled her fire.

The canal opened up into a much larger lake, and a huge castle came into view. She sucked in a breath as she took it in. The castle was perched upon a large hill, surrounded by water on all sides, pristine at every angle. As they moved closer, she noticed each white stone was even and square.