The next morning, the sanctuary was unusually quiet. No one spoke during breakfast. The excitement of discovering the ancient rune array had settled into nervous anticipation.
Herkid sat cross-legged beside the fountain, carefully recreating the intricate array onto several large sheets of parchment. Every line was measured twice before his charcoal touched the paper. One misplaced rune or one crooked line—one symbol drawn at the wrong angle—and the entire array could fail. Or worse, it could injure Zhu's soul.
For the first time since meeting him, Zhu had never seen Herkid look so serious. "You're making me nervous."
"I'm nervous."
"You?"
He nodded. "I only get one chance to draw this correctly."
Zhu swallowed. "...Now I'm even more nervous."
Fear is appropriate. Carelessness is not. Leave Herkid alone so he can focus, Faral's calm voice echoed inside her mind.
Thanks. I feel much better, Zhu thought back, rolling her eyes.
That was not my intention.
I know, she sighed. This stinky fart just loved to argue with her. You really need to work on your encouragement strategies.
Noted, Faral said dryly.
By midday, Herkid finally lowered his charcoal. "...Finished."
If any ancient language researchers from the academies saw him—a backwater, D-rank wind elementalist who hadn't even finished high school, deciphering and creating a complicated rune array in under two days—they would eat their own hats.
The enormous rune array covered nearly the entire stone floor of the sanctuary. Dozens of interconnected circles surrounded a larger central formation. Hundreds of ancient runes flowed together so naturally that they resembled vines growing across the stone. Even Zhu, who understood absolutely nothing about runes, could tell it was beautiful.
"It almost looks alive."
"It is."
Everyone looked at Faral—or rather, the lotus holding his soul hostage as it floated gently on the surface of the fountain.
"What do you mean?" Zhu broke the silence.
"The array has no consciousness," Faral clarified. "But runes are designed to guide spiritual energy." He paused, information flowing into his mind from that unknown 'Source.' "When mana begins flowing through them..."
"...they awaken."
Mara slowly stepped forward. "So..." She looked toward the lotus. "What do I do now?"
Faral's voice became instructive. "You are a Spiritual Mana User."
Mara nodded.
"Unlike ordinary mana, spiritual mana naturally resonates with consciousness itself."
"I've always been able to sense emotions more easily than other people," Mara admitted. "But I'm just an F-rank."
Faral sensed the trepidation in her voice. "There is no need to concern yourself with that. Your healing mana is a manifestation."
She frowned. "I don't understand."
"Ordinary mana strengthens the body," Faral explained. "Elemental mana shapes the world." He paused. "But spiritual mana touches the soul. Your ability to heal is not simply an expression of how much mana you possess. It is an expression of how your spiritual mana interacts with another person's existence."
Mara remained silent.
"When you heal someone, you aren't merely forcing their flesh to regenerate," Faral continued. "Your mana searches for what has been disrupted and attempts to restore it."
"Their body?"
"Their body. Their mana. Their life force." Faral's voice softened. "And, to a limited extent, their spirit. That's why you can sense emotions. Your spiritual mana naturally reaches beyond the physical body. You are unconsciously feeling the fluctuations of another person's spirit."
"So... I've been doing that this entire time?"
"Without understanding what you were doing," Faral confirmed. "Your rank only tells you how much power you currently possess, Mara. It does not tell you what your power is capable of."
Zhu's eyes widened. "Wait..." She pointed at Mara. "Are you saying our little F-rank healer might actually be an awesome, unique elementalist?"
Mara blushed, her eyes widening. "Stop, I'm not awesome!" She wasn't used to people praising her.
Faral calmly agreed with Zhu. "Yes. This is a rare trait of a spiritual mana user. It is because of your mana that this plan has any chance of succeeding."
Mara blinked. "...Mine?"
"Yes."
She looked genuinely surprised.
"You will provide a link between myself, the plant, and Zhu's mental world."
Hearing this, Mara's heart beat faster. "I've never done anything like this before."
"No one alive has," Faral said matter-of-factly. "But you have the intelligence to learn."
"...Thank you." Mara didn't know whether to feel proud or nervous.
"It is simply truthful. Your Healing Manifestation is not simply healing flesh, Mara. It is Restoration."
"Restoration?"
"Your spiritual mana searches for what has been damaged, disconnected, or displaced, and attempts to restore its proper relationship." He looked toward Zhu. "That is precisely what we need."
Mara stared at Zhu. "You want me to restore the connection between her and Faral?"
"No." The dark purple lotus's petal twitched. "I want you to temporarily reorganize the connections between all three of us."
Mara's expression tightened. "All three?"
"Zhu. Myself. The lotus. Herkid has created the pathway. You, Mara, will become the bridge, and Zhu's mindscape is the destination."
"And the lotus..." Finally, everyone's gaze settled upon the plant.
"...is the consciousness we must bring across."
Now that everyone understood their roles, Faral began giving instructions.
"Mara."
"Yes!" Mara shot to attention.
"You will stand at the eastern point of the array." She obeyed immediately. "Zhu."
"Yes, sir!" Zhu saluted.
"To the center."
She carefully walked into the largest circle. Immediately, the intricate runes surrounding her felt far more intimidating. She suddenly felt as though she were standing inside something ancient... something sacred.
Herkid remained outside the array. "What about me?"
"You will stabilize the runes."
"How?"
"Through your understanding." Faral explained patiently, "The array responds to intention. You copied the runes. You understand their function. Your mind will recognize when the flow begins deviating."
Herkid slowly nodded. "So... I simply guide it back."
"Correct."
His shoulders relaxed. "I can do that."
Faral's voice became solemn. "Once we begin, no one is to interrupt the process. If Zhu's consciousness separates too quickly, it could damage her soul. If Mara loses concentration, the pathway will collapse. If Herkid alters the wrong rune, the bridge will become unstable."
Zhu slowly raised a hand. "So… where are you going to be?"
The plant needs to be placed in the western section of the runes. We'll form a triangle, Faral instructed mentally.
"I vote for Herkid," Zhu said suddenly. She did not want to be the one to take the plant out of the fountain. To tell the truth, she was terrified of the thing; it felt entirely too alive.
Everyone laughed at the expression on Zhu's face as she stared at the plant as if it might bite her at any moment.
"Sure, sure." Herkid accepted the assignment.
Mara raised her hand next.
Faral sounded exasperated. "Yes, Mara?"
"How do I use this power? I never even knew I had it, much less how to control it."
"A very good question, Mara," Faral praised. "Let's practice now. Take Zhu's hand."
Zhu bounced over, and Mara clasped her hand in the middle of the runes.
"Very good. Now close your eyes and release your healing mana. Feel the connection between you and Zhu. Gently guide your mana into her body as if you want to heal her. Do not push your mana into her mind. Listen to it."
Mara frowned. "Listen?"
"Your spiritual mana is not meant to force its way into another person's soul. Allow it to resonate with hers."
"And then?"
"When you find Zhu's spiritual rhythm, follow it."
What am I supposed to do? Zhu asked.
Relax and be quiet, Faral instructed tersely.
Zhu mumbled about his attitude, but followed his instructions anyway.
Mara took a slow breath, her hands trembling.
Faral's voice came quietly through their spiritual connection. Do not force your mana into Zhu.
Mara nodded. "I understand."
"Your task is not to search for her mind," Faral explained softly. "Search for her rhythm. Think of it as feeling for a pulse, only you are not using your mana as fingers."
A pulse. That sounded simple enough, yet knowing what was at stake made her heart race.
She closed her eyes.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her own heartbeat seemed deafening. She took another deep breath. Slowly... in, then out. Again. She focused on the movement of her lungs, the rise and fall of her chest, allowing the sounds around her to fade—the fountain, the wind, Herkid moving around the edge of the array. Even Zhu's occasional nervous shifting disappeared.
There was only her breathing, and her mana.
Mara extended her spiritual energy toward Zhu. At first, she felt nothing—only warmth, followed by confusion. Zhu's spiritual presence was unlike anything Mara had ever encountered. It wasn't a single, steady rhythm. There were layers. Mana flowed through Zhu's body in strange currents, intertwining with something deeper.
Mara nearly pulled away in shock.