Arthur sat down in a meditation position and gestured for me to do the same. We both sat facing each other on the grass of the training garden, the afternoon sunlight casting long shadows around us.
"Mana rotation," Arthur began in a low, serious voice, "is a technique that goes beyond normal mana absorption. It's not just about filling your core. It's about creating a perpetual cycle."
I nodded, paying absolute attention.
"Imagine your core as a water wheel in a river. Normally, mana enters your core when you meditate, stays there like stagnant water, and you use it when you need to cast a spell. Does that make sense so far?"
"Yes."
"But with mana rotation, you make the mana in your core spin constantly, like that water wheel. This constant movement creates a current, a vacuum that naturally draws in more mana from the environment without you having to consciously focus on it."
Arthur extended his hand and created a small sphere of water in his palm, making it rotate slowly. "Look. When water spins, it creates a vortex at the center. That vortex pulls more water inward. Your core will work the same way."
It was fascinating to watch him explain. I could see that he had thought deeply about how to teach this, probably remembering how Sylvia had taught him.
"There's another benefit," Arthur continued, dispersing the water. "As the mana rotates, it is automatically purified. Impurities in the mana are expelled by centrifugal force, allowing your core to advance to higher stages faster."
"How do I make it spin?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine anticipation.
"First, you need to feel the mana inside your core. Close your eyes."
I obeyed, closing my eyes and extending my awareness inward. There it was—my core, shining with solid orange light at the center of my chest. The mana inside was dense, compact, vibrant.
"Do you feel it?" Arthur asked.
"Yes. I can see it… it's orange. Bright."
"Good. Now I want you to visualize that mana moving. Don't force it. Just imagine it starting to spin in circles, like water in a whirlpool. Go slowly at first. Speed will come with practice."
I kept my eyes closed and focused. I visualized the mana in my core as a dense, heavy golden liquid. I imagined an invisible current gently pushing it, initiating a circular motion.
At first, nothing happened. The mana remained still, resistant to change.
I tried again, this time imagining it more clearly. The mana as water, beginning to flow in concentric circles, creating a spiral pattern.
Slowly, very slowly, I felt a slight movement. The mana began to shift, rotating in a lazy, clumsy circle.
"Good," I heard Arthur's voice, sounding pleased. "You're starting to get it. Now maintain that movement. Don't force it to go faster. Let it flow naturally, like a river finding its course."
I maintained the visualization, and gradually the movement became smoother, more natural. The mana flowed in increasingly defined circles, creating a hypnotic pattern inside my core.
And then I felt something new.
A pull. A gentle suction.
Particles of mana from the outside began to enter my core, drawn in by the rotational movement. I could feel them—tiny motes of energy being absorbed into the vortex I had created.
But something was wrong.
It wasn't just a few particles. It wasn't a gentle trickle like it should have been for a beginner.
It was a flood.
I opened my eyes in shock, and the world exploded in color.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of mana particles of every imaginable color converged toward me from all directions. Blues from the water in the nearby fountain. Greens from the plants in the garden. Reds from distant torches. Yellows from the air itself. Whites, rare and precious, descending from the sky. Even blacks, dark and mysterious, emerging from the shadows.
All of them came toward me like a multicolored storm.
"Kael? What is—?" Arthur's voice sounded alarmed, distant.
I couldn't respond. The Legacy had awakened.
My core spun faster—much faster than I had intended. The rotation accelerated from a gentle whirlpool into a ravenous hurricane. And with every revolution, more and more mana was sucked into me.
The air around my body began to glow with visible light. The mana particles were so dense that they formed a multicolored aura that pulsed and rippled.
And then came the pain.
My core began to expand, the contained walls of energy pushing outward with agonizing force. It felt as if my chest were being inflated from the inside, stretching beyond its limits.
"Kael!" Arthur was on his feet now, his eyes wide with horror. "Stop the rotation! NOW! Your core is going to explode!"
To be continued….
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