When Lane opened his eyes that morning, it was the first time in a long while he had slept peacefully.The voices that usually echoed through his mind at night were silent. For the first time, he felt as though something had ended.
He rose from the bed and walked across the creaking wooden floor of the cabin.Looking into the small mirror, he saw that the dark circles under his eyes hadn't fully disappeared, but his expression was calmer.He splashed a handful of cold water on his face, then stepped outside.
In the back garden, the morning mist was beginning to fade.Droplets fell from the leaves of the trees, landing softly on the earth.Old Vaen was sitting beneath the same tree as always, watching the steam rise from his teapot.When he saw Lane, he lifted his head and gestured with his hand.
"Sit down."
Lane approached quietly. Vaen's voice always sounded like an order, yet it carried warmth beneath it.
The old sorcerer flicked his fingers lightly.The air twisted, a thin ripple forming in front of him. For a brief moment, Lane could hear the resonance of mana.Then, two cups of tea appeared on the table.
"Drink," said Vaen, pointing with his eyes.
Lane reached out carefully.The rising steam brushed against his face, and he took a deep breath.When he tasted the tea, his eyebrows lifted."This is… amazing. Refreshing. Did you mix something different into it?"
Vaen smiled faintly."No. Just herbs from around the cabin. I added a bit of mana. I didn't expect you'd like it that much."
Lane held the cup with both hands, the warmth spreading through his palms."Thank you for the tea."
Vaen nodded slowly."Today, I'll teach you how to use ordinary mana—different from dragon mana."
Lane's eyes sharpened immediately. "I'm ready."
Vaen stood up.He set his staff aside and spread his arms slowly.For a moment, there was silence. Then, the air began to tremble.The ground swelled faintly, as if breathing under an invisible wave.Mana started circulating around the old man.
At first, it was calm. Then the wind picked up; leaves lifted into the air and spiraled toward the sky.Lane felt the pressure instantly.It was a weight pressing onto his entire body, invisible yet crushing.
Vaen had released only seventy percent of his power. The earth shook. Trees bent under the force, as if the whole forest held its breath.A thin line of blood ran from Lane's nose. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground.But he didn't look away. His eyes stayed fixed—caught between terror and awe.For the first time, he was seeing raw power unrestrained.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the storm vanished.The wind fell silent; the leaves drifted gently to the soil.
"This," said Vaen, "is mana.This power is the echo of thought. With years of practice, you too can reach this level."
Lane forced himself up, chest heaving.
"Now listen carefully."
Vaen planted his staff into the ground."Mana is the echo of thought. The memory of the cosmos.It is the vibration of consciousness carried by starlight.It is born from three cores."
He raised one finger. "The first—Mind.Mind is the foundation of understanding.Without knowing the laws of the universe, you cannot grasp mana.To comprehend order is to command energy."
He lifted another finger. "The second—Emotion.The form of mana shifts with emotion.Anger burns it; fear freezes it; love gives it direction.Emotion is mana's material shape."
He raised the third finger. "And the last—Memory.It seems the simplest, yet it is the hardest.Mana shapes the future without forgetting the past.To understand it, you must look forward—but never lose what came before.It is stronger than mind and emotion, for it is the energy of remembrance."
Vaen fell silent. He drew a circle on the ground with the tip of his staff."Its nature is cosmic memory—conscious resonance and photonic flow."
Lane said nothing. His head was spinning."To look forward but not forget the past…" he murmured. "What does that even mean?"
"You don't have to think so hard," said Vaen calmly. "Everything comes with patience. Find your flow—the current will carry you."
Lane lowered his head. "Alright."
Vaen inhaled deeply. "Now come here. Let's uncover your foundations—see what element your core leans toward."
Lane approached and knelt, turning his back.Vaen placed his palm on the back of Lane's neck.
A faint tremor spread. Mana seeped into his veins."My body's heating up," Lane whispered."Normal," Vaen said. "Focus on the energy moving through you. Feel it—not with thought, but with emotion."
Lane closed his eyes, holding his breath.A light breeze began circling around him.Leaves lifted, sparks flickered.Then streaks of blue light fell from the sky.
Vaen's eyes narrowed. "Lightning mana… but what's that black energy?"
From between the blue bolts, a dark mist began to rise.The two energies twisted together—then a golden wave pulsed outward.The echo of dragon mana.
Three colors—blue, black, and gold.The air itself cracked with three resonating tones.
Vaen's pupils widened. "Three cores…" he whispered."Lightning, dragon, and darkness… such a combination shouldn't exist."
Slowly, the energy faded.Lane knelt on the ground, panting.
"My boy," said Vaen, "you're blessed. I expected two cores at most—but you awakened the dark one as well.Your lineage always favored lightning, but darkness… that's something else entirely."
Lane remained silent.This isn't luck, he thought. It's a weapon given by fate.
Vaen raised a hand. "Now, activate them—one by one."
Lane closed his eyes again.First, the dragon core: heat rising deep in his chest, spreading outward.His breath grew warm.Then, lightning.
"Don't force it," said Vaen. "Feel the flow."
Lane inhaled deeply. Sparks danced beneath his skin.Suddenly, lightning burst from his hands.
"What do you feel, boy?"
"It's like sparks racing through me," Lane said. "Strange… but powerful."
"That is lightning mana," Vaen said. "The most destructive of all."
"Now—try the dark mana."
Lane took another breath, closing his eyes.He sought the flow—but every time he neared it, the energy slipped away.Time seemed to slow.
A black fog began swirling around him.The silence thickened. Even the sky seemed to fade from existence.And then—he was somewhere else.
The void.No up, no down.No light, no shadow.Only presence.
Something was watching him.It had no eyes, no shape—but Lane felt its gaze.It wasn't fear he felt—it was recognition.An echo.
Then, a distant voice broke through the emptiness.Vaen's voice. "Boy! Wake up!"
Lane jolted awake, gasping for air.Vaen was kneeling beside him, sweat glistening on his forehead."What did you see?" the old man asked. "Why did you take so long to return?"
Lane's voice trembled."I tried to reach the core, but it slipped away.Then… I was in a black void. I looked at it—and it looked back.It was terrifying."
Vaen's expression hardened.He gripped Lane's shoulders."Never again. The void lies beyond comprehension.Even if it calls you—don't approach it.The void devours meaning itself."
Lane lowered his head. "Understood, Master."
Vaen exhaled slowly."That's enough for today. Your cores are active.Tomorrow, we begin the training of mind and emotion. Go, rest."
Lane walked back toward the cabin.With each step, the mana within him faded, but the echo in his heart grew stronger.
He entered his room and sat on the edge of his bed.His eyes fell on his sword.I've found my path, he thought.
He changed his clothes and sat in silence, planning.First control, then depth.
Half an hour later, he returned to his master."Master," he said, "how do I train my mind and emotions from now on?"
Vaen looked into his eyes—where childhood and wisdom intertwined."Starting today," he said, "you'll clean this place daily.You'll wear five kilograms of weights.The mind grows through patience, the body through endurance."
Then he raised his hand.A streak of light appeared.The air tore open, and twenty books floated out.
"You'll finish these in one month," said Vaen. "They're not spellbooks.They teach the meaning of life, creation, and awareness. They'll expand your mind."
Lane accepted the books.They felt heavy in his hands, yet strangely comforting."Thank you, Master."
Vaen smiled. "It's nearly evening. Let's hunt in the forest—find our dinner."
"Alright," said Lane.
The old man tapped his staff against the floor.The wooden planks rang with a metallic echo.A board shimmered, transforming in his hand into a short, silvery staff.
He handed it to Lane. "You'll train with this from now on."
Lane held it with both hands.The runes carved along its surface glowed faint blue."Thank you," he said quietly.
They stepped out of the cabin.The forest was bathed in golden light.Long shadows stretched beneath the trees, and the wind rustled the leaves as if clearing a path for them.
Vaen lifted his head, gazing at the sky.Beyond the clouds, the moon was slowly rising.
This child, he thought, will change the entire continent.
Lane said nothing—but his steps were steady, his resolve unshakable.And that evening, two figures walked through the heart of the forest—one carrying the wisdom of the past,the other, the silent storm of the future.