Morning light washed over the Ironridge training ground, pale and cold.
Reeve stood at the center of the field, boots planted against trampled earth, wooden practice weapons scattered around him. His breathing was steady, controlled—yet something beneath that calm had begun to stir.
At first, it was subtle.
A faint pressure behind his chest.
A warmth crawling through his veins.
Mana.
It didn't flow like it should.
It didn't circulate or disperse—it accumulated.
Lunareth, standing at the edge of the ground with her arms crossed, felt it instantly. Her eyes narrowed as the air around Reeve thickened, bending ever so slightly. The grass nearest to him leaned away, as if repelled.
"…That fast?" she muttered.
Reeve took another stance, raising his weapon.
The moment his foot struck the ground—
The pressure spiked.
Mana surged outward in a silent wave.
The soil beneath him darkened, cracks racing outward like veins. The grass didn't burn—it died, shriveling into blackened threads as if life itself had been erased.
"Reeve!" Lunareth shouted.
She vanished.
Five pale silver sigils erupted into existence mid-air as she appeared beside him, slamming two fingers against his chest.
Seal of Suppression — Level Five.
Light carved itself into his body.
The overflowing mana was forced inward violently, compressed beyond its limit. Reeve's eyes widened—then rolled back as his body gave out.
He collapsed.
The ground beneath him continued to decay for several breaths before the mana finally stilled.
Lunareth caught him before his head struck the earth.
"…You idiot," she whispered, jaw tight.
She lifted him effortlessly and moved—fast enough that no one on the training ground noticed more than a sudden gust of wind.
By the time she reached home, the seal still glowed faintly beneath Reeve's skin.
She laid him on the bed and sat beside him, silent.
Carefully, she took his hand.
Her mana slipped into his body, tracing the flow, seeking the source—
And stopped.
"…This doesn't originate anywhere."
It wasn't his core.
It wasn't external absorption.
It wasn't even unstable mana.
It was endless.
Her fingers tightened slightly around his.
"This shouldn't exist…"
Before she could attempt a deeper read—
Knock. Knock.
Her eyes snapped to the door.
"Lunareth," a guarded voice called. "Did you see someone pass through the training grounds earlier? Someone with an… abnormal mana presence."
She withdrew her hand instantly, expression smoothing into calm indifference.
"No," she replied. "I've been here since morning."
A pause.
"…Understood."
The footsteps faded.
Only then did she look back at Reeve.
"…What exactly are you?"
Five Days Later — Inside the Void
Darkness.
Reeve floated within it, aware but formless.
[System Online]
"…System?" he thought.
[You have been unconscious for 5 days, 3 hours, 19 minutes.]
"So… I lost again."
[Negative.]
[Your body failed to adapt.]
"Adapt to what?"
[This world's mana laws.]
Reeve frowned.
"What's wrong with my mana?"
[You do not absorb mana.]
[You generate it.]
"…Continuously?"
[Yes.]
His mind went quiet.
"That's why it keeps overflowing."
[Correct.]
"…Can it be controlled?"
[Yes.]
[But not using Sylvarin's systems.]
Reeve didn't hesitate.
"Then teach me."
Silence followed.
[Warning: Your growth will draw attention.]
"I already have."
[Acknowledged.]
Awakening
Reeve gasped as light returned.
Pain exploded through his body as he tried to sit up, forcing him back onto the bed.
"…Tch."
"You're awake."
Lunareth stood near the window, arms crossed, watching him carefully.
"You collapsed on the training ground," she said. "And nearly turned it into dead land."
Reeve stared at the ceiling.
"…Sorry."
She looked at him for a long moment, then turned away.
"Next time," she said quietly, "don't lose control."
Outside, the wind moved gently over scorched earth.
And deep inside Reeve, sealed tightly beneath layers of suppression, something vast and patient waited.