Colin remained motionless in the heart of the forest, a clearing surrounded by tall, dense trees where shafts of sunlight pierced timidly through the canopy, casting a play of shadows across the moss-covered ground. His eyes were fixed on the horizon as he waited for Safira and Brighid to arrive.
The previous night had left behind unsettling echoes, but the urgency of the moment left no room for reflection. A tense silence hovered over the clearing. Suddenly, the soft sound of approaching footsteps cut through the stillness. Safira and Brighid emerged from the forest's shadows.
Colin turned to greet them, their eyes meeting his.
"You're here first—what a surprise, hihi!" Brighid teased, fluttering closer to him. "Did you miss me so much that you decided to show up early?"
Colin nodded with a smile. "And what if I said I did?"
Brighid froze, cheeks flushing. "Y-you better be ready—the training today will be tough, g-got it?"
He merely nodded. The sun was rising now, painting the scene in warm, golden hues.
"All right!" Brighid positioned herself at the center of the circle. "You felt the mana last night, right? Felt it manifest in your body, coursing through your veins and muscles. You've each conjured mana before—remember that sensation?"
"The first time, I felt… relieved. Like I could do anything," Safira said. "The second time, I only felt anger…"
"That's good," Brighid replied. "Emotions are a powerful conductor for channeling mana, though not the primary one. A few prodigies can manifest mana without training, but ordinary folk usually need practice. Even though you're veil-born, I've chosen rigorous training to meld mana, body, and mind. You have the body and the mana—now you must master the mind."
Brighid snapped her fingers, and a magic circle opened beneath them. Shoots sprouted and grew, but instead of forming a tree, they solidified into wooden swords.
"Take one!" she commanded. Instantly, Colin grabbed a medium-length sword and Safira a dagger. "Your task is simple: channel your mana into the blade. If your mana is too dense, the sword will shatter; if too weak…"
"It breaks too?" Safira asked.
"Exactly! You need the precise balance. Imbuing an object with mana can work at first, but if you're not careful, you'll destroy your weapon every time. You would rather not have to buy new swords—or risk them exploding mid-battle—right? So focus."
Brighid beat her wings and hovered above them, watching. "Concentrate on your breathing, feel your heartbeat, stay aware. You've awakened and surpassed human limits—you can do this!"
Colin gripped his wooden sword firmly, eyes fixed on the blade. He inhaled deeply, recalling the surge of energy when he had faced the coachman, that pulsing power that had enveloped him. He summoned that memory, letting the magic awaken within, and began to channel it into the wood.
Beside him, Safira mirrored his efforts in her past experience with a pocketknife guiding her. The memory of that first dagger, ignited by her mana, still burned vividly in her mind.
WOOSH!
Flames erupted around Safira's dagger, yet she felt no heat.
"Excellent, Safira! Keep it up for another minute, then ease off—imagine you're slowly turning off a faucet, letting the water flow just right."
Sweating, Safira adjusted, tapering her mana until the flames stabilized.
"Excellent! Hold it!"
While Safira mastered the exercise with finesse, Colin's attempt diverged. As the mana surged through his sword, he sensed its intensity spiking—an odd mix of exhilaration and dread seeped through him. He shut his eyes, narrowing his focus to calibrate the precise amount of mana.
Then, with a sudden tension, the sword exploded in a thunderous crack.
BAM!
Shards of wood flew outward, one splinter embedding itself deep in a nearby tree.
Safira stared at Colin, eyes wide with shock. Brighid descended, her expression curious.
"That was… unexpected," she observed, examining the shattered pieces.
"Damn!" Colin muttered in frustration.
"Don't worry, Colin. It's normal at the start," Brighid soothed. "Practice makes perfect. Adjust the amount of mana you're infusing. Keep trying until you find the balance. It's all part of learning. And you, Safira, continue your training—but this time with a larger weapon."
"O-okay!"
With that aggressive mana, of course he would struggle, Brighid thought, watching Colin pick up another sword. He wasn't human, but he wasn't an elf—at least, not a pureblood. Safira's control was exceptional; her mana was calm and gentle. For her, it must truly be easier…
WOOSH!
With a medium-sized sword in hand, Safira stabilized her mana in seconds, leaving Brighid speechless.
"Excellent! Test a few more weapons, and then we can move on to the next exercise!"
Colin bristled, though he hid it well. He had taught Safira to fight, and in a few weeks she had become incredibly skilled—just like Elara, who taught her to cook, and soon she was preparing incredible dishes.
"Tch!"
Colin persisted with his training, but it always ended the same way. It wasn't long before Safira surged ahead, leaving Colin in her wake.
"Pay attention, Safira. Now we'll learn to keep your mana active after the object leaves your hand. You'll take a wooden dagger, imbue it with mana, then throw it—and the mana must remain."
Safira nodded and picked up a wooden dagger.
"Got it!"
She gripped the dagger firmly, her expression reflecting intense focus as she listened to Brighid's instructions. As she channeled her mana into the dagger, she felt the energy flow from her hands into the wood. But the moment the dagger left her grasp, the mana dissipated, and the blade became nothing more than ordinary wood.
A look of frustration crossed her face.
"Try again, Safira. This time, focus on maintaining your connection to the mana even after you throw the dagger," Brighid encouraged.
Safira inhaled deeply and refocused. She repeated the process, infusing the dagger with her magical energy. With a decisive motion, she hurled the dagger toward the nearest tree—yet again, the mana vanished the instant it left her hand.
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The cycle of trial and error continued for many attempts. Despite growing frustration, Safira refused to give up. With each throw, she honed her concentration, adjusting both the amount of mana and the precise moment of release.
CLACK!
Finally, after countless tries, something changed. The dagger embedded itself in the tree with a satisfying impact, the magical energy remaining within it even after the throw.
Safira's eyes shone with surprise and joy. Brighid, who had watched every move, applauded enthusiastically.
"Excellent, Safira! You did it! Now keep that focus and keep practicing."
The young Asmurg beamed and nodded eagerly. Colin, observing from afar, let out a low sigh. He couldn't understand how he'd fallen so far behind Safira—despite his physical superiority.
The sun dipped toward the horizon, bringing a cool afternoon.
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Colin continued to pick up one sword after another. He was determined to master mana manifestation.
Each failed attempt drove him to refine his control and better understand the limits of his ability. While Safira progressed successfully through the training, Colin continued his journey of improvement. Brighid remained on the other side, working alongside Safira.
After hours of imbuing objects with mana, throwing them, and keeping the magic active, the task had become easy.
"Safira, I think we can try something more advanced."
CLACK!
She had just thrown her last mana-infused dagger, embedding it in the tree and stopping in the next one over.
"You're able to imbue objects with mana and keep it active even after you let go—and that's good, actually, that's great. You're at a knight's level. Now that you've mastered that, you need to give shape to your mana, let it flow freely and manifest."
Brighid lifted her index finger and conjured a perfect sphere of mana.
"I'm a natural spellcaster, so this isn't too hard for me, but elemental-focus users like you and Colin can do it too—it'll just take more effort. You already know how to keep mana active without contact; use that same principle to conjure a fireball."
Safira raised her eyebrows.
"A fireball," she murmured. "I can really do something like that?"
"You can," said Brighid—and the manasphere shifted into a sword. "Just as you can do that, but remember: you and Colin aren't natural spellcasters, so manifesting mana this way will take time, especially if you're shaping it into objects like daggers or swords."
That only excited her more.
"Okay!"
Safira focused—but, as Brighid had predicted, it wasn't as easy as covering objects with mana or freely manifesting without a solid base to anchor to.
"Keep trying. I'll see how Colin's doing."
Colin was focused. Every sword-shattering explosion was a lesson, and he was determined to learn from each one. Frustration was there, but he used it as fuel to press on.
"All right, I'll get this soon. I can hold the mana for almost ten seconds before it goes unstable. Just need to keep at it."
He braced himself for another try, channeling his energy more consciously. The sword in his hands pulsed with the promise of power. Colin was sweating profusely, but this time was different: his sword stabilized for a moment, surpassing ten seconds, until suddenly, his hands began to tremble.
"Damn, it's going to blow! I can't dial down my mana!"
SCRASH!
Wooden fragments flew through the air.
"Hell!"
"You did well, but you have to calm down," Brighid said. "Be softer, gentler, calmer—and let that show in your mana."
Colin frowned. "Why don't you teach Safira and leave me alone?"
The fairy didn't know what to say, and Colin sighed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's fine. You and Safira are alike. Even though you're more outgoing, you two have more in common than you realize." He smiled. "Don't worry—your teaching style might not suit me, but I'll find my path."
Brighid averted her gaze, downcast. Colin poked her in the abdomen with his finger.
"Don't look so sad, it's going to be fine. The basics are enough to get something out of this, and you're a great teacher—I'm just a poor student. Now leave the rest to me."
He winked and returned to his training. Brighid stayed, watching him.
He's right… with the witches, with the mana beasts, and with my root-conjurations… he always finds a way, even if it's not the most efficient… I suppose that's it—I have to trust him…
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
The training continued, but to Brighid's surprise, Safira hadn't been able to shape her mana consistently, and Colin hadn't managed to last more than twenty seconds without destroying his sword.
The moon had already risen, yet Colin refused to leave until he had mastered the basics of the exercise. Brighid and Safira had long since departed, leaving him alone in the forest with dozens of swords at his disposal.