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The servants called it obsession.
His mother called it dedication.
His father, who observed from afar on his rare evenings home, simply nodded with something like approval in his eyes.
Dante called it necessity.
Day bled into night, night into morning. He lost track of time, measuring progress instead by incremental improvements. Each spell cast without a circle grew stronger. Each shadow manipulation became more precise. Each breath during meditation went deeper.
On the first day after their initial training session, he rose before the purple dawn touched the Underworld's sky. The eastern courtyard welcomed him with its stark simplicity.
"Firebolt," he whispered, snapping his fingers toward a fresh training dummy. The flame that leapt forth was barely enough to engulf the surface.
He tried again. And again. By midday, sweat drenched his training clothes.
"Young Master." Ariel appeared at the courtyard entrance, a tray balanced in her hands. "You must eat."
He wiped his brow, noticing the slight tremor in his fingers. "Not hungry."
"Irrelevant." She set the tray down. "Your body requires fuel."
He glared at her, but she met his gaze evenly. Those crimson eyes didn't waver.
"Fine." He dropped onto the stone bench. "But I'm not stopping early."
"Of course not." The faintest smile touched her lips. "I would expect nothing less."
As he ate, she examined the training dummy, running her fingers over the scorch marks that peppered its surface.
"Your accuracy has improved."
He snorted. "Hitting the target isn't the problem. Power is."
"Then why not use circle casting?" She turned to face him. "It's more efficient."
"Because everyone expects it." He set aside the half-eaten meal. "No one prepares for the unexpected."
Ariel nodded slowly. "Like skipping a chess match."
He grinned. "Exactly like that."
She watched him resume his position. "May I train alongside you?"
"Sure." He gestured to the spot beside him. "Show me what you've got."
By sunset, they had established a rhythm. He focused on fire manipulation without circles, while Ariel practiced enhancing her natural fire affinity with the new technique. Her flames consistently burned hotter than his—a fact that simultaneously annoyed and motivated him.
That night, he collapsed into bed, muscles aching and magical reserves depleted. Sleep claimed him instantly.
===
Day two brought wind manipulation. The invisible element proved more challenging than fire—harder to visualize, more difficult to control.
"Sever," he commanded, pointing two fingers at a dummy fifty feet away. The air rippled slightly, but the dummy remained untouched.
"Dammit."
"May I suggest something, Young Master?" Ariel stood nearby, her own practice temporarily paused.
"Go ahead."
"You're thinking of air as empty space." She stepped closer. "Think of it as countless invisible particles. You're not cutting nothing—you're organizing something."
He frowned, considering her words. "Alright."
He tried again, this time imagining microscopic particles arranging themselves into a cutting edge.
"Sever."
The dummy's arm dropped to the ground.
Ariel clapped her hands together. "Excellent!"
He stared at his fingers, then back at the dismembered dummy. "That was..."
"Effective?"
"Fun."
That evening, after dinner with his mother (his father was absent again, attending to "political matters"), he found himself restless. His magical reserves had replenished somewhat, but not enough for serious training.
He paced his chambers, frustrated by the limitations of his body. In his previous life, he'd pushed through physical exhaustion countless times—studying all night, working double shifts. But magical depletion was different. It couldn't be overcome with willpower.
A soft knock interrupted his brooding.
"Enter."
Ariel slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. She'd changed from her training attire to her standard maid uniform, though her hair remained in the practical braid she wore during their sessions.
"Lady Selene asked me to check on you." Her eyes scanned the room, noting the scattered books on magical theory and meditation he'd been referencing. "You should be resting."
"Can't." He dropped onto the edge of his bed. "Too much to learn. Too little time."
She tilted her head. "Time for what?"
He hesitated. How much could he share? "For becoming who I need to be."
Ariel stepped closer, her expression thoughtful. "You changed in the void."
It wasn't a question, but he answered anyway. "Yes."
"For the better, I think." She sat beside him, maintaining a proper distance. "You've always had potential, but now..."
"Now?"
"Now you have purpose." Her eyes met his. "It's... compelling."
Something shifted in the air between them—an awareness that hadn't been there before, or perhaps had always existed beneath the surface.
"I've been researching Essence Drain," he said abruptly.
Her eyes widened slightly. "But you've only—"
"Only used it once." He nodded. "But I should learn. It's part of my heritage."
"Your mother would be the best teacher for this."
He shook his head. "This needs to stay private. For now."
Understanding dawned in her eyes. "You want to practice. With me."
"Only if you're willing." He held her gaze. "It requires physical contact, and it might feel... strange."
A faint blush colored her cheeks. "I serve House Valac in all things."
"That's not consent, Ariel." He frowned. "I need you to want this. For yourself."
She blinked, clearly surprised by his insistence. After a moment, she nodded. "I am willing. Curious, even."
"Tomorrow night," he decided. "After training. We'll start small."
The third day focused on combining elements. Fire and wind together created hotter, more directed flames. Water and wind generated ice crystals or fog, depending on the ratio.
His mother joined them briefly, observing their progress with calculating eyes.
"You've advanced quickly," she noted, watching him create a miniature firestorm above his palm—no magic circle in sight.
"Practice helps," he replied, letting the flames dissipate.
"Indeed." Her gaze shifted to Ariel, who demonstrated a similar technique with greater intensity. "You work well together."
Something in her tone made him glance up sharply.
"Ariel's a good training partner," he said carefully.
His mother merely smiled. "I'm pleased you've found someone who challenges you appropriately."