Now I understood.
Adventure had two faces: the one children dreamed of… and the one that broke men.
The next day came too quickly, not giving me time to rest. Without processing it. Without fully understanding my emotions or the pain I should be feeling. And with him, my training. Like a vivid memory, those sensations were still there, clinging to me.
I had been completely marked, and, hand in hand, a natural distrust of Ravenscroft was born. He went to the trouble of coming all the way to my home to make sure nothing was missing. That gesture, far from reassuring me, kept me on edge… even more defensive around him.
When we reached the clearing, I didn't start running or follow my usual training routine. I stood completely still, watching him, waiting for his first move.
"What do you want me to explain first?" he asked. Aura or spiritual bonds?
He didn't seem affected. Not in the slightest. And that started to irritate me.
"Aura, please," I replied instantly, trying to keep my distance.
As if nothing mattered to him, Ravenscroft stood before me. Imposing. His mere presence made the air feel heavier.
Since you're about to take an even bigger step, I need to make a few essential things clear.
He raised his voice and looked me straight in the eye.
—The most important thing, and you must never forget it for anything in the world: you must not reinforce yourself with mana. Those wolves from your mission were among the beings capable of doing so. But any living being lacking those abilities is doomed.
He pointed to his own body with the tip of his finger.
—In simple terms: never try to channel mana into parts of your body. No to the arms. Not even the legs. Much less to the eyes.
His tone became even more severe.
—It's forbidden magic, and the consequences are anything but kind. At best, a fracture. But even the slightest use, even if it lasts only a blink, can make you lose half—or all—of your mobility. Neither the best mage nor the most powerful healing spell can repair that damage. That's how insane it is for any living being.
He paused briefly.
—It's weird. Strange, I know. Mana concentrates in the palms to form spells, but it can't be carried beyond them. They are simple, strict rules of magic. Just like mispronouncing a spell or forcing a spiritual bond. Everything follows rules… and whoever breaks them will suffer the consequences.
Then he continued as if nothing had happened.
That said, to begin seeing a person's aura, you must pay attention to your subject. Concentrate. Imagine, little by little, flames of fire all around: serene, flickering… like water flowing in a river.
I let him finish his explanation, but I didn't follow his instructions. I was barely listening to him. The fact that he spoke so casually, as if nothing had happened the day before, made my blood boil.
How can he talk like that? As if everything were normal?
He sighed, as if he'd been waiting for my complaint.
Look, Drake… calm down. Life goes on. It's your decision whether to cling to the past or move forward into the future. It's a pain you'll have to channel yourself, alone… or with outside help, in the worst case.
His words gave me goosebumps. The rage began to rise uncontrollably.
—You won't understand it right away, but…
"No," I replied furiously.
Ravenscroft fell silent.
—I won't let you downplay my situation—I gritted my teeth, my fists trembling—. It hurts me to think that you might be even worse than I imagine. And not because you're not like that girl… we suffer differently…
She didn't let me finish.
—That girl suffered just as much as you, or even more!—he burst out.
The veins on his forehead stood out clearly.
Don't think you're the center of the world. We all carry problems. Just because they aren't experienced in the same way doesn't make them any less important.
—Get rid of those mediocre ideas or you'll end up like…!
He stopped dead in his tracks. He was about to mention a name he didn't know.
"Like who?" I demanded. Who are you comparing me to?
He took a deep breath, holding himself back. When he spoke, his voice was firm… raspy.
—So you're still not ready to understand pain, Drake. Neither yours… nor mine.
My hands trembled uncontrollably. I couldn't find any words. Fury clouded everything.
I turned around and ran instinctively. I needed to clear my head… or shatter it in the process.
***
I ran aimlessly, without thinking. The pain, the emotions, the memories… nothing could calm the storm.
Not only that.
—¡Crac!
I turned around immediately, looking for the source of the sound. Nothing. The sounds of the forest kept me on edge.
I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I wanted to break something. To scream from the depths of my soul.
I didn't find any answers. I kept moving forward, letting the wind decide for me.
***
I lost track of time. I don't know when I managed to calm down enough to return.
I returned to the clearing with doubts. I seriously considered going home. But running away wouldn't solve anything. I chose this path from the very beginning. I was warned that it wouldn't be easy. At least I had to learn how to handle moments like this.
Ravenscroft was still there, sitting on a rock, just as I'd left him.
—I'm sorry I didn't understand your situation better, Drake.
I paused for a moment before speaking.
—I'm sorry I blew up, too.
"It was my mistake," he admitted. You're still a child, and I… I'm already treating you like a man.
There was guilt in his voice. But there was also something else. An old burden I couldn't understand.
—So… Could you tell me what to do?
He sighed before answering.
There is no formula, spell, or remedy. It's not something that disappears overnight.
Some take refuge in other things and let time do its work. Others lean on family, on love… sometimes that strengthens bonds, other times it breaks them. Some turn pain into learning. Everyone finds their own method.
He watched me closely.
—I've noticed that you don't know how to process your emotions in certain situations. Maybe, deep down… you're afraid.
—Fear?
Don't get me wrong. Fear doesn't make you weak. Facing it… that makes you stronger.
He told me to sit down.
—Let me tell you a story.
I approached cautiously, keeping a certain distance.
—Once upon a time, there was a kingdom with a peculiar race. They were neither water creatures nor demons. They resembled humans, but their height set them apart.
—Their greatness lay not only in their size, but in their knowledge. Geniuses ahead of their time.
—The race of giants, the architects of descent.
I didn't understand why he was telling me this… but something in his tone compelled me to listen.
—Consumed by their egocentrism, they built a tower. One that, symbolically, would brush against divinity.
—But it wasn't pointing toward the sky. Against all logic, it was descending toward the ground.
—His arrogance offended the gods. Upon completion of the tower, the race was wiped out by an incurable plague. As punishment, all races were cursed with speech. Not divided… sealed.
"They weren't afraid of us talking among ourselves," he continued, "but of us understanding the world as they did."
—Like manna?
—Exactly. Just let me clarify one more point, equally important.
—It's impossible to identify someone by their aura alone. Everything can alter perception.
—Of course, you'd recognize me if I intimidated you with the Hydra. But most people… don't.
And when you hide your aura, you're not just concealing who you are. You protect yourself from other people's.
—Protect myself?
—A strong aura can put pressure on you and alter your emotions. Withdrawing yours is like closing a door to the wind.
He looked at me seriously.
—The strong always try to impose themselves. Learn to conceal your aura… and they won't be able to touch you like that.
—For now, just train. Then, if you want, I'll keep explaining it to you.
—Okay.
That day I didn't get very far. Everything was more out of obligation than out of choice. But I realized something valuable: pain isn't overcome… you learn to carry it.
And that was the first step.
And that was the first step.
Although training managed to distract me from my thoughts, I avoided using the Alber stance as much as possible. All it took was positioning the sword at that angle for my heart to start racing and my concentration to vanish completely. The memory returned unbidden, piercing me like a thorn.
At a moment when I decided to stop to catch my breath, Ravenscroft spoke.
"This is a separate point," he said. Spiritual bonds with mythical creatures.
I looked up, my pulse still racing.
—A clear example is Charles von Mondragón, who had a phoenix as his companion. It was said that their bond was so deep that if either of them suffered even the slightest scratch, the other felt it just the same.
Maybe he was trying to distract me. Or perhaps to regain some of the trust that had been fractured between us.
"Just like him," he continued. I have a bond with the Hydra.
For a moment I hesitated. The questions crowded my mind. Ravenscroft noticed it immediately and was blunt.
—It's none of your business how I got that link. Hold your tongue, he said.
Then his tone softened ever so slightly.
—If you think about it, a bond is something beautiful. Two wills united and reinforced by each other. Shield and sword. Strong in the face of any adversity. They are so loyal that the bearer's emotions are reflected in the creature. Stress, anger, pain… they make them overprotective, even aggressive. In moments of calm or happiness, on the other hand, they are docile, almost affectionate. They are a reflection of oneself.
I swallowed.
What happens when the creature dies?
—It is reborn. It needs time to regain its power and size. In some cases the bond breaks, but most of the time it persists.
—And what if the person dies?
—So the bond breaks completely. The creature can, immediately or over time, establish a new one with someone else.
He paused for a moment before continuing.
Don't expect everyone to have a spiritual connection. Having a cat or a dog doesn't mean anything in that sense. True bonds are rare… special. They border on the divine, because we're talking about legendary creatures.
"Is it really that hard to find one?" I asked.
—With some, yes. Others, not so much. They live in their own territories or protect entire civilizations. They are neutral; they do not take sides in the wars of men, demons, or elves. But that doesn't mean they live in peace. There are fierce disputes among them. Clashes so colossal that the world still bears their scars.
He watched me closely.
—Relax. I'll explain it to you as many times as necessary. Both the aura… and the spiritual bonds.
***
That nite, lying in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the consequences of reinforcing my body with mana. Ravenscroft never said things in jest… but maybe this time he was exaggerating. Just like when he claimed that studying was a luxury.
The more I thot about it, the more convinced I became.
My heart started racing.
I sat up abruptly and sat cross-legged. I raised my hands, palms open, staring fixedly at my bedroom door.
I started.
I closed my eyes and let the mana flow into my palms, just as when reciting a spell.
I tensed my arms, thinking that would help guide the flow to my eyes. And, strangely… it worked.
The mana rose little by little. Not only because of the tension, but also because I imagined it as a river flowing upstream. That image made the process easier.
The feeling was amazing.
It ran along my forearms, my elbows, my muscles, my shoulders. An intense tingling, accompanied by a heat impossible to describe. Something I had never felt before, not even on my best days.
I was going up. I was going up.
Until it stops at the neck.
No matter how hard I tried, it didn't move forward.
It stalled.
The sensation began to fade. The heat disappeared.
I opened my eyes.
Nothing. Everything went dark.
Horrified, I brought my hands to my face, forcing my eyelids open to make sure they were open.
They were… but I didn't see it.
In an instant, I had gone blind.
Before I could scream, something crushed my neck with brutal force.
No air. No view.
I was dying in the darkness of my room.
—AAAAAAHH!
The heat dissipated suddenly. I no longer knew if I was awake… or dreaming.
—Hah… hah… hah!—I gasped, running my hands over my body.
The door burst open.
"Drake!" my father shouted.
My mother appeared behind me.
What's happening?
I couldn't answer.
They both took my hands.
—Breathe.
—Let it go.
—Breathe.
—Let it go.
I didn't know if it had been a dream, a mana reaction, or a panic attack… but the fear had been real.
***
My saliva burned as it trickled down my neck. My parents' comfort helped me calm down little by little. The sensations were still there, deeply etched. They weren't the same as those of Ravenscroft and his aura… but they were similar. Something difficult to explain in words.
The strangest thing was that my neck didn't have any marks.
And yet… it burned. As if someone had actually strangled me.
My mother held me in her arms. My father was stroking my back.
My breathing was still ragged.
—Mmm… Drake… —My father tried to say something, but he stopped when he heard Thomas crying—. I'll take care of it.
He left the room.
—Mom…
—Yes?
—You can go with Dad now… I'm fine.
"I won't leave until you fall asleep," he declared.
I was still scared. In just two days, unimaginable things had happened to me.
—You'll always… always be with me, right?
—Of course, my love. Thru thick and thin. We are a family. And we support each other.
I clung to her, sobbing.
With a sweet whisper, stroking my head, she began to sing:
—La, la, la…
—From the kingdom, a very special child….
—Drake, his name will resonate…
—Sir, hero, magician, or something else…
—La, la, la..
—Sleep peacefully, my sweet sun…
—I always keep your dreams safe for you…
—Even if the nite tries to scare you…
—My voice will always be with you…
—You'll always be my mama's boy.
—La, la, la..
With a kiss on his forehead, Angie snuggled up next to Drake.
One thing was certain: There are wounds that don't bleed… but they weigh more than any scar.