Chapter 8
I woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than I had in days. I ran a hand through my hair, thinking about last night.
That’s weird… I didn’t have any dreams last night.
A wave of relief washed over me, but a part of me also felt a pang of disappointment. I still wanted answers—who were those people in my dreams?—though that was the least of my worries for now.
“Right… I have to visit that old man today for his end of the deal we made.”
Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled to the bathroom, splashing cool water over my face and brushing my teeth as I tried to shake off the last traces of sleep.
As I made my way downstairs, I noticed a simple but hearty breakfast waiting for me: a steaming bowl of porridge and a few slices of freshly baked bread. A small note from my sister rested beside the plate.
“Made you breakfast, I’ll come back late today”
I let out a sigh. She was really going to work herself to death at this rate. I shoveled the food into my mouth before heading out of the house.
The moment I stepped outside, a sky heavy with dark clouds greeted me, hanging low as if ready to burst. A cool, damp breeze brushed against my skin, carrying the faint scent of rain. I found myself staring up at the dark mass above, wondering how long it would be before the first drop fell.
‘Just my luck…’
I made my way quickly to the outskirts of the city, where the familiar cabin came into view, framed by the looming expanse of the forest behind it. Warm light spilled from its small windows, flickering faintly against the dark clouds above.
As I approached the entrance, I pushed the door open with a dramatic shove, letting it creak loudly on its hinges as I stepped inside.
The old man, still reading the same book from last time, jolted in surprise when I barged in, his eyes snapping up from the page.
“By the gods, boy! Ever heard of knocking?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”
“What? Don’t tell me that actually scared you,” I teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips.
He clicked his tongue. “As if. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve blasted their skull in already.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But anyway, gramps, I got accepted into the Academy!”
He stared at me for a moment, eyebrows raised, as if trying to process what I had just said, before letting out a low grunt.
“Color me surprised. I honestly didn’t expect you to actually get accepted.”
“Oh, come on! You too?!” I exclaimed, half in disbelief.
The old man ignored my protests and asked another question instead, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
“Tell me—what’s your mana affinity rank?”
“Uh…it was B rank, I believe,” I replied.
“Hmph, not bad, I remember myself getting an A rank back when I first attended the Academy.”
I scoffed, unable to hide my annoyance.
“Alright, I get it—no need to show off. More importantly, remember the promise you made?”
He let out a defeated sigh and closed his book.
“Fine… a promise is a promise. Follow me outside, kid… no. Caelith.”
I punched the air in excitement and followed him outside. The moment we stepped into the open, he suddenly turned around, his expression serious, making me pause mid-step.
“Sooo, why are we going out into the forest when it’s going to rain soon?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to make a mess of my house now, would I?” Suddenly the old man stopped. “Alright, this is far enough.”
“Before we start, Caelith, I have a question—where do you think magic originates from?”
He stood rigidly, eyes locked on mine, I could smell the faint scent of rain mixed with the earthy chill of the wind, making the moment feel strangely solemn.
“Uh… I’m not really sure. It just exists?” I replied, unsure of what else to say.
He looked at me with an unreadable expression before he spoke again.
“There is a legend—a tale of gods and dragons long gone, who once roamed this world. Their bodies carved out the lands, their blood filled the seas, and their wills became the mana that binds everything together.”
‘Dragons and gods, did they really exist?… Wait a second.’
“Over the centuries, people discovered ways to influence mana, forging techniques that allowed them to draw closer to the forms of these so-called ‘gods,’ bending the world to their desires and performing miracles.”
“Huh?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “That just sounds like a children’s fairytale story.”
“A children’s story, perhaps,” he replied, “but it’s truer than you think. ”
I raised my hand. “So… uh, why exactly are you telling me this?”
“Who knows,” he said with a shrug, “perhaps I simply wanted to tell a story I like. Treat it as an old man ranting.”
“Um… okay,” I said hesitantly. “So… are you going to teach me magic now?”
“All right. I’ll stop playing riddles with you now,” he said, his usual expression settling back onto his face.
The old man glanced up at the looming clouds, then back at me with a faint smile.
“Now then, Caelith… since the rain is about to fall, let me give you a quick lesson before the storm interrupts us.”
“As you might know, this world is filled with mana. That, of course, includes us—but in order for us mages to manipulate mana, we need a conduit. This is what’s commonly known as a core.”
“Of course, not everyone can awaken their core.”
“Yeah… is that tied to one’s mana affinity?”
“That’s right," he answered with a nod. “Mana affinity, in short, is the innate talent that determines how well a person’s body resonates with the surrounding mana.”
“Higher rank means you can manipulate mana more easily, while a lower rank makes it harder.”
“But that doesn’t mean someone with a low affinity rank is bound to stay that way,” he continued. “With enough discipline, training, and experience, one can gradually raise their affinity.”
The old man scoffed. “Obviously, everything starts with unlocking your core.”
“That’s great news! But gramps… I don’t have a core yet?”
“Ah, it seems I was going too fast,” he chuckled. “Do you still remember when they first tested your affinity?”
“Uh… I felt a strange sensation crawling up my hand when I placed it over the magic device,” I replied, scratching my head
“That ‘sensation’ you felt was mana flowing through your body from the device.”
“All you have to do is recall that same sensation, but try to gather it toward the center of your body.”
He signaled me to sit down, and as I obeyed, he motioned for me to close my eyes and focus. I took a deep breath, as I relaxed my body.
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. I simply sat there with my eyes closed, feeling the cool breeze brush against my skin.
‘Nothing's happening…?’
A pang of nervousness crept in as I began to second-guess myself. I waited for a few more minutes, but still nothing happened. I was about to give up when, suddenly, a voice echoed inside my mind.
“Giving up already? I guess some things never change.”
Huh? Who’s that? That doesn’t sound like Gramps’ voice… but it sounds… familiar.’
“Stop overthinking and focus on the mana surrounding you.”
I instinctively did as the voice instructed, closing my thoughts and reaching out with my senses towards the air around me and the ground beneath. After a moment, I began to slowly feel the slithering sensation creeping through my body.
“Now… lead that sensation toward the center of your body…”
Bit by bit, I slowly felt the sensation pull inward, converging toward the center of my body. It was starting to feel painful, but I grit my teeth, as I forced the remaining energy to follow its path. The pressure grew unbearable—then suddenly—
BOOM
My eyes snapped open at the deafening roar. I clutched my chest, gasping for air as the shockwave of power rippled through me. Something otherworldly was pulsating inside my chest.
“So… how does it feel, Caelith?”
I looked up and was met with a faint, knowing smile from the old man.
“Surprisingly… decent.” I replied, collapsing onto the ground from exhaustion.
