The car hummed softly beneath us as we drove toward the Hunter Association's branch office. The road twisted through Vellorin's upper district, lined with towering mana-lamps that flickered with gentle blue light. Sunday air was quiet, almost peaceful.
Rin sat in Mom's lap, giggling whenever the car vibrated. Arin sat to my right, tapping her fingers on her knee—unable to sit still for more than a minute. Dad drove with one hand, eyes steady on the road. Mom smiled nonstop, soft and bright.
She had always smiled… but this was different. Warmer. Alive. As if something inside her reopened when I returned.
I didn't know how to feel about that.
I leaned back, watching mana-lights pass by in streaks.
Then Dad spoke, his voice breaking the quiet.
"Liam," he said, "there are things you need to understand about this world before we reach the Association."
Rin perked up. "World talk?! Papa's going to talk about monsters again!"
"No," Arin muttered, "he's going to over-explain cores again."
Dad ignored both.
He adjusted his grip on the wheel and began:
"Everything in Aeren Thalla begins with the core."
His tone shifted—calm, patient, but carrying weight.
"People think age, bloodline, or talent matter the most. They don't." He tapped his chest once. "It's the mana core behind your sternum that decides your ceiling."
Arin added, "Some kids are born awakened. Lucky brats."
Rin puffed his chest. "LIKE ME!"
"No," Arin sighed, "you awakened early, not born awakened."
Dad continued:
"The core grows in stages—each one marking purity and density."
His voice dropped slightly as he listed them:
Clear—fragile as glass
Yellow
Orange
Red—"where real strength begins"
Green
"Cyan—"where mana obeys more than it resists"
Blue—mastery
Violet—elite mastery
White and Black—"legend-tier, shaping power rather than holding it"
I swallowed.
"Blue…" I whispered. "That's your rank?"
Dad nodded once. "Blue-core. A-tier. Twelve years now."
"Twelve?" I repeated quietly.
He let out a slow breath.
"It gets harder to advance the higher you go. Very hard. Many hunters stop advancing by the time they reach Orange or Red. Some never break past Green."
Arin leaned toward me. "Dad reached Blue twelve years ago. Staying stable that long is already insane for a human."
Dad corrected, "Not insane. Disciplined."
Rin broke in: "Papa's the coolest!"
Mom ruffled his hair, smiling with a brightness I'd never seen before.
Mana Flow & Breathing
Dad continued:
"A core cannot grow unless mana flows through the body. That's where breathing comes in. Mana breathing is the art of drawing the world into the body."
Arin added, "Most kids spend weeks just inhaling and exhaling. It's so boring."
Dad smiled slightly. "Beginners learn slowly because their control is poor. Mana must move through the ribs, down the spine, and into the core. Wrong breathing cracks the core."
Rin looked horrified. "I don't want MY core to crack!"
"No one wants that," Dad said dryly. "Which is why you practice with control."
I nodded slowly, absorbing every word.
Awakening & Affinities
Dad spoke again, voice steady:
"When the core awakens, a person gains their attribute—elemental affinity."
Arin listed them off: "Fire, water, earth, wind, ice—"
Rin jumped in, "LIGHTNING!"
Arin sighed. "Yes, lightning."
Dad continued:
"Attributes shape how mana behaves. Fire is passion and explosiveness. Water is patience and fluidity. Earth is stability. Wind is instinct."
"And shadow?" I asked quietly.
Dad's red eye flicked to mine through the mirror.
"Shadow users are rare. Instinctive. Unpredictable. Often gifted in ways others aren't."
The way he looked at me made something twist in my stomach.
"But that's for later," he said.
He went on:
"Many people awaken one affinity. Some awaken two—dual affinities. Very few awaken more."
Arin smirked. "Rin has dual affinities."
Rin lifted both hands dramatically. "Wind and fire! I am unstoppable!"
"You are mischievous," Arin corrected.
Dad nodded. "Rin awakened early. Eight years old. That makes him talented. And his affinities are compatible—rare."
Mom kissed his head. "Our little storm."
Rin giggled so hard he almost slid off her lap.
Hunter Ranks
Dad shifted into the next explanation:
"Hunters are ranked by ability."
F-tier—beginners
E-tier—juniors
D-tier—functional fighters
C-tier—competent
B-tier—advanced
A-tier—elite
S-tier—national-level
SS-tier—near-mythical
"Sovereigns—"the peak of power"
Arin looked proud. "I reached E-tier from G-tier in three years."
Dad added, "And you'll break into E-rank fully in a few weeks."
She beamed.
"Some nobles awaken later than you did," Dad added. "Your pace is above average."
She looked away, cheeks pink.
Liam's IQ & Learning Speed
Dad then looked at me again.
"And you, Liam… you learned our entire language in one month."
Arin elbowed me. "Show-off."
"It wasn't hard," I muttered.
"It was impressive," Dad corrected. "High intelligence is a talent too."
Mom smiled softly at me—warm, proud, gentle.
Dad continued:
"If you train properly, you can catch up with Arin in two years at most."
Arin choked. "Two YEARS?! I trained for THREE to get here!"
"You have talent," Dad said simply. "But Liam's learning speed is… exceptional."
I looked at my hands.
Talented? Exceptional? I didn't know what to do with those words.
Dad added:
"IQ and learning speed will take you far. But without effort, talent means nothing. Remember that."
I nodded.
Rin's Future
Dad glanced back at Rin.
"Rin awakened early, has dual affinity, and natural physical instincts. Mischievous, but with a good future."
"I will be stronger than all of you!" Rin declared proudly.
Arin patted his head. "If you don't explode first."
"I won't!"
Mom laughed softly—the sound warm enough to melt stone.
I stared at her.
They said she never fully recovered after my kidnapping… only smiled weakly. Never laughed loudly. Never looked truly happy.
Now she was glowing. Radiant. Overflowing with emotion.
Because I returned.
The realization hit me like a breath I didn't know I was holding.
Dad saw me watching and said quietly,
"Your mother… found her smile again when you came home."
Mom squeezed my hand. "A family is whole when every child is home."
My throat tightened.
I looked out the window. Mana-lights blurred past. The car shook gently on the road.
For the first time in three lives…
I felt like I belonged somewhere.