A few months passed in a blur of running around the village, extra chores, and even more extra training.
One morning—before the sun was even fully up—Kael knocked on Ray's door.
"Wake up, Ray. It's time for training."
Ray groaned into his pillow.
Kiba, curled up beside him, lifted his head and barked softly, tail thumping half-heartedly.
Dragging himself out of bed, Ray stumbled outside with hair sticking out in every direction.
Kael stood in the yard with his arms crossed, looking unfairly awake for this hour.
"Isn't it too early for training today, Dad…" Ray mumbled.
Kael ignored the complaint and pointed to a flat rock in the yard.
"Sit."
Ray plopped down cross-legged.
Kiba sat beside him like a tiny supervisor.
Kael stood in front of him, posture sharp and steady.
"Today," he said, "you're learning aura."
Ray blinked, His thought's racingin his mind.
"Aura? I tried learning it on my own for years and always failed. And you're telling me you could've just taught me like this? I thought only elites or higher-ups were allowed to learn it."
His face darkened with realization.
"I wasted three years for nothing…"
Kael frowned.
"I don't know what you're imagining, but listen carefully. I won't repeat myself."
Ray straightened up quickly.
Kael crouched until their eyes were level.
"Aura is the strength inside your body. Life force given shape. Mana and aura are the same thing—just used differently. Mages use it to change the world around them. You will use it to change your body."
He placed a hand over Ray's chest.
"It starts here. You breathe, you focus, and you push. All the training you've done was preparing you for this."
Ray nodded seriously.
"Okay. I can do that."
Kael stepped back.
"Close your eyes."
Ray obeyed.
"Feel your breath. Feel your heartbeat. Don't think about anything else. Not the cold. Not the sounds. Not the puppy."
Ray cracked an eye open.
Kiba was enthusiastically chasing a leaf.
He shut his eye again.
"Now… picture a white orb inside your chest. Small and shining. Draw power from it."
Ray inhaled.
Exhaled.
Slowly, something warm tingled at his fingertips.
Kael's brows lifted slightly—surprised, but only for a moment.
"Good," he said quietly. "You feel it."
Ray kept his eyes closed, brows scrunched.
"It feels like… a warm buzzing."
"That's aura."
Ray grinned.
"So I can punch through walls soon?"
Kael's expression went flat.
"No. And you never will if you don't put in the work. Without intense training, your body wouldn't survive the strain."
"And in the topic of punching walls," Kael added, "you're very far from that."
Ray deflated in one breath.
"That why Mages are better less training more results."
Kael's expression instantly darkened.
"Seven laps around the village."
"Wait—what? Why!?"
"Eight laps."
Ray groaned loudly and started jogging toward the village.
Who in their right mind wants to fight a beast up close when you can blast it from afar?
Mage life sounds way better…
Then he remembered Kael casually levitating a jar.
Maybe I could do something small… not a jar, but like… that pebble.
Ray stopped, placed a pebble on the ground, and pointed dramatically at it.
He gathered every heroic, protagonist instinct he had.
He concentrated.
He felt… nothing.
He focused harder.
MOVE. Move. MOVE.
The pebble didn't even twitch.
Ray's eye twitched instead.
Patience. Patience is key, he told himself.
He inhaled.
Focused.
Pushed.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
Ray poured every ounce of stubbornness he had into that stupid pebble—
—and it rolled.
Barely.
Half an inch.
Ray stared at it like it was a divine miracle.
Even Kiba barked once, as if congratulating him.