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Chapter Ten: Training the Elements
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Scene One: Outside the Cave
Kiora and Rinyon stepped out of the cave while the morning mist floated over the ground like a transparent curtain.
The forest around them was bathed in the first rays of sunlight, slipping between the long branches, making the air sparkle with a golden shine.
Birdsong blended with the gentle rustling of the leaves, and the scent of dew filled their breaths.
Rinyon raised her hand in front of her, took a deep breath, and suddenly her palm ignited with a small, soft flame dancing on her skin.
Rinyon with a simple smile:
"Look… it's very easy."
Kiora with furrowed brows:
"I still don't get it."
She lowered her hand with a sigh.
Rinyon:
"If you can control your mana, you can create anything… and do anything with it… like this."
She focused a little, sweat dripping down her forehead… then the fire took the shape of a small butterfly fluttering for a few seconds before flying upward and disappearing.
Rinyon grew tired and placed her hand on her knee.
Rinyon: "See…?"
Kiora: "What is mana?"
Rinyon blinked several times.
Rinyon: "You don't know what mana is?"
Kiora: "No."
She placed her hand on her head as if she had taken a shock.
Rinyon:
"Mana is the body's energy… or in other words, the energy of the soul.
Someone who has enough mana can easily generate elements.
But someone who doesn't have enough mana… can't produce any element and needs an external source to control or manipulate it."
She looked at Kiora… and found smoke coming out of his head, his eyes spinning strangely.
Kiora slowly:
"Your explanation… is too much… and… confusing…"
Rinyon angrily:
"What exactly is confusing?!"
Kiora:
"If I explain it my way… mana is like a bottle of water… when you can open it, the water comes out, and if you can't, you need someone stronger to open it."
Rinyon in shock:
"What kind of comparison is that!?"
Kiora:
"Alright… time to train. By the way… how do I make fire?"
Rinyon:
"Gather all the energy in your body into your palm… and try to produce a fireball."
Kiora:
"Easy."
He tried… failed.
Tried again… failed.
Dozens of attempts… all failed.
Rinyon was lying on the ground staring at the sky as if she had lost all hope.
Kiora, annoyed:
"Give me something useful!"
Rinyon in a dull voice:
"Umm… focus…"
Kiora shouting:
"That doesn't help at all! Damn it!"
And suddenly… a very tiny spark flew out of his hand like a matchstick.
Rinyon jumped up in shock.
Kiora happily:
"Look! I made a fireball!"
Rinyon placed her hand on her forehead.
Rinyon sarcastically:
"A ball? What ball? You mean that matchstick? Yes… I saw it."
Kiora:
"Fun destroyer."
Rinyon:
"Imagine a fireball."
Kiora:
"Why didn't you say that earlier!?"
Rinyon waved her hand dismissively:
"All right all right… start training."
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Inside Kiora's Mind
He closed his eyes…
Suddenly a strange man appeared and said:
"Mshar w sharmeet!"
Then another person appeared yelling:
"Welcoooome to—"
Then the same man appeared sitting on a chair scratching his chin like a detective.
Kiora internally:
"Is my brain really this empty?"
Moments later a distant flame appeared.
He tried to run toward it… but didn't move.
Kiora:
"Right… I'm standing in the void… I'll imagine a street."
Immediately, a street appeared…
But it was full of crocodiles running toward him.
Kiora:
"Wait!! I didn't mean this!!"
The street disappeared… along with the crocodiles.
He smacked his head:
"Imagine… just imagine!"
Then he imagined himself in the middle of a fishless ocean… swimming toward the flame.
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Outside His Mind
Kiora was on the ground… actually swimming in the dirt.
Kiora:
"Yes… I almost reached it…"
Rinyon looked at him and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
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Inside His Mind
He finally grabbed the flame—
At that moment he opened his eyes.
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Back to Reality
Kiora stood up quickly and brushed off the dust, seeing Rinyon still laughing as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Kiora:
"What happened?"
He looked at his hand… there was a small flame, but a real one.
Kiora smiling:
"I did it… this time!"
Rinyon laughed lightly.
Rinyon:
"Hehe… well done."
Kiora:
"How do I turn it off?"
Rinyon with a mischievous smile:
"I don't know. Figure it out."
Kiora:
"You demon!"
He threw the flame at her.
She dodged gracefully… and the flame hit a tree, leaving a small hole.
Rinyon turned slowly… her face shifting into terrifying anger.
Rinyon:
"You call me a demon… and you throw a ball that would've killed me if it hit?!"
Kiora stepped back a little.
Kiora:
"Believe me… I'm sorry! It was just rage!!"
Rinyon ignited both hands with fire.
Kiora:
"I am… in huge trouble."
She ran toward him firing flames, while he ran between the trees.
Rinyon yelling:
"Stop right there you—!"
Kiora:
"Heeelp meee!"
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Scene Cut
Then it returns…
Both of them were lying down in front of the cave, breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling in exhaustion.
The camera zoomed out…
The forest around them was burned, smoke rising, the ground blackened.
Rinyon weakly:
"I'll… punish you… one day…"
Kiora whispering:
"Sorry…"
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Scene Two: Near the River
They stood up.
Rinyon:
"Is there a river nearby?"
Kiora:
"Yes."
Rinyon:
"Let's go."
Kiora walked first without knowing why, and Rinyon followed him until they reached the river.
Rinyon drank first, then Kiora.
She extended her hand toward the river… and the water slowly rose toward her palm, swirling around it and forming a small water sphere.
Rinyon:
"Focus your mana on the water… you'll be like a magnet pulling it.
This exercise will help you control your mana."
Kiora tried… failed.
Again… failed.
Dozens of attempts… all with no result.
The scene sped up, showing all his attempts.
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Scene Three: At Sunset
The sun was about to set.
Rinyon:
"Let's go back. We'll continue tomorrow."
But Kiora's eyes were burning with determination.
Kiora:
"Never… I'll succeed!"
He suddenly shouted—
And the entire river stopped flowing as if a barrier had been placed before it.
The water began gathering…
And gathering more…
Turning into a giant water sphere rising above the river's surface.
The camera rose higher…
Showing the whole forest, and the burnt patches left from their morning training.
Rinyon fearfully:
"Stop this!"
Kiora:
"I can't!"
Rinyon:
"Just focus!"
Kiora shouting:
"Stop… please stop!"
But the water kept gathering without stopping…
Half the river was already floating upward.
Kiora:
"What do I do?!"
Rinyon placed her hands on his back… but suddenly felt extreme fatigue.
Rinyon fearfully:
"What's happening…?"
She looked with her spiritual sense…
And saw her energy being pulled into Kiora's body like it was being absorbed.
She quickly stepped back.
Rinyon:
"Please… try! We'll die if this continues!!"
Kiora screamed:
"Stoooooppp—!!"
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The Scene Goes Completely Dark
A total silence…
No water sound… no forest…
Suddenly…
In the middle of the darkness…
Two deep red eyes appeared…
Cold… unmoving…
Staring straight forward.
To be continued…
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