Four years have passed since blood stained the stones of Morhenhall. I walk through the familiar corridors. My stride is firmer now, my shoulders broader. I have learned more about my ability. It fits me. I would have preferred to create it myself, but one takes what they can get.
I enter the dining room. Mother is sitting at the head of the table. She gives me a stern look. "Really, Kael. You must eat before you train. Don't turn into Aurora and prioritize training over everything."
"Sorry, Mother. It won't happen again," I say, taking my seat. Aurora. She barely shows herself anymore. Like Eamon, she trains every free second, just not with us. She trains with Valerius, Daemon's brother. She eats with him. She talks with him. To her, Mother and I are just background noise.
When she passes me, she hardly grants me a glance. She's twelve now. Perhaps it's puberty hitting early, or maybe she's just becoming a second Daemon—cold and distant.
After breakfast, I prepare for the training grounds. In the corridor, I run into her. She looks through me as if I'm part of the wall. "Long time no see, Kael," she says suddenly, stopping without turning around.
I slowly turn around. "To be precise: one month." "Could be," she says indifferently. "I didn't pay attention to that.
She turns to me, her eyes scanning me. Thats funny, You havn't changed at all. what were you doing? Taking a nap?
"What do you mean?" I ask.
Your mana level has increased by 15... no, 20 percent. A weak performance." "Wait a minute," I interrupt, "How would you know that? How can you tell exactly how much my mana has increased? I haven't even released it."
An arrogant grin touches her lips. "Maybe you'll find out tomorrow. Valerius thinks he needs to grind you and Eamon one last time in the week before Father returns. He doesn't want Father to be completely disappointed in you." She turns away. "Come to the western grounds tomorrow. or don't. I'd actually prefer it—I won't be holding back."
I watch her go. She read my mana level without me radiating it. That's new. I should probably train alone today to polish my special ability.
I head to a secluded spot in the woods behind the castle where no one can see me. I stand before a tree.
"BLESSING OF STRENGTH!"
My fist punches a hole straight into the wood. I can create any ability I want, provided it follows the rules: I must create a "Blessing" that can be weakened or strengthened , using mana as fuel. I can't give myself a "Blessing of Fire" to throw flames—that would be elemental magic. But I have granted myself a Blessing of Flame Resistance. It doesn't make me immune, but I can withstand more heat than a normal human.
I tried to create a Blessing of Bloodsteel—similar to Daemon's ability—but failed. The logic behind it is too complex. My Blessings must remain simple.
I've already developed several others. Some were just for testing, while others are vital. I keep them active at all times:
Blessing of Protection: Safeguards me from physical harm.
Blessing of the Mind: Shields me from psychological or spiritual damage.
I once created a Blessing of Weakness. I thought I could use it to weaken opponents. The result was... educational. I nearly collapsed because my own legs turned to jelly. The Blessings only ever affect me. I can't delete them; they stay in my mental inventory, but I can deactivate them.
"I'll be ready for the fight tomorrow," I mutter.
The next morning, the western grounds are still cast in shadow. I arrive on time, Eamon beside me. He's bouncing on his toes, brimming with energy. Aurora is leaning against a tree, arms crossed. "Don't be a burden," she says coldly. "I won't!" Eamon shouts back eagerly.
Valerius steps out of the building. His new arm is no longer bandaged, and he moves it almost naturally. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?" We nod. "I hope you ate well, too. Maelis will have my head otherwise." More nodding.
He stands before me. "Long time no see, Kael. I see your mana level hasn't increased as much as I'd hoped. I thought you could manage it on your own." "I didn't have much time to focus on my mana," I reply. "I've been training Eamon. He isn't quite able to control his mana yet, so we let it be." "Mistake," Valerius counters immediately. He places a hand on Eamon's head.
"Eamon is extraordinary. To awaken his mana at age eight... I didn't think such a thing was possible. But then again, you two already proved me wrong ." He looks between Aurora and me. "You should have been training him, Kael. He would have a massive advantage over those who don't awaken until ten."
He claps his hands. "But there is still time. This week, we will train and strengthen your mana." "Yes!" Eamon cheers. Aurora rolls her eyes. "What am I supposed to do? I already know all this. I thought I was going to fight Kael or Eamon." "That wouldn't be fair," Valerius says gently. "You have far more experience with mana and combat."
"Mhm." She acts annoyed, but a small, arrogant smile plays on her lips.
"Let's begin," Valerius says. "Aurora, you can watch and refresh your knowledge." "No thanks," she says, pushing off the tree. "I'll train alone." She leaves.
A shame, I think. I still won't get to see her ability.
"Let's start with you, Eamon." Valerius shows Eamon how to consciously channel mana from his core and wrap it around himself like a second skin. Naturally, Eamon succeeds on his first try.
Valerius freezes when he sees the aura. I blink in surprise as well. It's blue. But not a standard water-blue. It's a bright, radiant sky-blue. "Ah, now I understand," Valerius whispers. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Is it a sub-type? Ice? Steam?" "I thought so at first," Valerius says. "But the blue is too light. I can't think of a sub-type that matches it ." He smiles at Eamon. "It's because he doesn't belong to a type yet."
"What?" Eamon exclaims in horror. "I thought everyone belonged to a specific type of magic!" "That's true," says Valerius. "But you're still very young. I suspect your body hasn't been able to decide yet." "I got my ability when I was six," I interject. "That's true, but perhaps he doesn't belong to any type yet due to a lack of mana training," Valerius corrects me. "Eamon just turned eight. Maybe your mana color will change in a few months. And then you'll have an ability."
Eamon glares at me. "If only we had trained our mana." "I'll show you something else instead," says Valerius. "You too, Kael." He looks at me. "You're probably wondering how I was able to determine your mana level so accurately." I nod. "It would be useful to know."
"If you want to find your opponent's mana strength, you usually just feel it when they release it —that is, during the fight. That's what everyone who doesn't know better does ." He raises a finger. "That has disadvantages. You can only see it once they let it out. Before that, they're invisible to you. And even then, you only feel as much as they want you to. A strong opponent might throttle their mana to make you think they're weak."
"But by pumping mana into your eyes, you are able to see their mana core. To feel it. And thus, to recognize their true power." "I see," I say. "It's that simple."
"Oh, yes," he continues. "You just have to be careful not to—" I stop listening. I try it immediately. I channel mana into my optic nerves. The world sharpens. Colors become intense. I look at Valerius.
He falters. "Uh... the lesson wasn't over yet." I see it. His core. It looks like a tornado viewed from above—a swirling circle in his chest. The color is white. A Special Type, just like me. And it's incredible... his mana is massive. Far more than mine. No wonder he held off the demon horde alone. I wonder how strong Daemon really is.
Suddenly, his core closes. It turns black. Almost undetectable, like a hole in space. "That's another possibility," Valerius says seriously. "Hiding your mana from those who can see it. There are other methods, but this is the most effective ." He sighs. "I don't know any other. Still, it's the most dangerous. If you seal your mana completely, you can't use it. In a fight, that can be fatal."
"Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. Most people use mana completely wrong. they don't see the possibilities it offers. They only pump it into their muscles to get faster and stronger ." He spreads his arms. "But it can be used much more diversely. In the eyes to sharpen sight—plus identify the type. Or in the ears to amplify hearing. In the senses to gain better reflexes."
Eamon stares at him, wide-eyed. "Are you going to teach us all that?" "Not everything. But I'll try to teach you as much as I can this week ." His expression shifts. The "teacher" smile vanishes, replaced by the grin of a warrior. "But first, I want to find out your combat strength. The only way to do that is to fight you."
"That shouldn't be a problem for you, right? After all, you've been training your combat skills for nearly four years."
Eamon laughs. "I'm down!" "And you, Kael?" Valerius looks at me with determination. "No objections," I say quietly. "Very well. I won't be using my mana, of course ." He goes to the weapon rack and grabs three wooden swords. He tosses two to us. "Neither will you."
He takes his stance. The sword hangs loosely in his hand. "Don't worry. I won't go too hard on you. Aurora only had a few bruises. You two will probably have fewer ." He winks. "There are two of you, after all."
There's a hint of arrogance in his voice. That condescension of an adult who thinks he's just playing with children. I grip the wooden sword tighter. I begin to grin.
I am going to destroy him.