Akira stared at the faint wisp hovering above his palm. It responded to him, gentle, alive — but fragile. Unlike before, he could feel it inside him, a steady warmth pulsing through his chest. He was no longer flailing blindly; the energy was part of him, if only just.
The Archmage observed him, leaning lightly against a crystal pillar. "You feel it," he said, voice calm. "That is good. You are beginning to understand. But feeling is not enough."
Akira frowned. "Not enough? I can feel it now!"
"Yes," the Archmage replied. "And yet, you must maintain it. Do not let it fade when you walk, when you eat, when you sleep. Mana must become as natural as breathing — ever-present, flowing, part of every action."
Akira's jaw tightened. "So… I can't ever stop thinking about it?"
The Archmage shook his head. "No. At first, yes — you must focus. But your goal is to make it instinct. To maintain it without thought. To have your mana alive inside you at all times, quietly, naturally, like the blood in your veins."
Akira closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He felt the warmth, small but steady, radiating through his chest. He tried to stretch it, guide it down his arms, and keep it flowing without strain.
"Good," the Archmage murmured.
Akira opened his eyes, staring at the wisp hovering above his hand. "That… sounds impossible."
"It is not impossible," the Archmage replied. "Over time, your body and mind will learn to move with it."
Akira nodded slowly. "Then I guess… it's time to never stop thinking about this?"
"Not thinking," the Archmage corrected. "Living it. Feeling it. Breathing it. Mana is life, Hero. Make it yours, and it will never fail you."
"Call me Akira, old man!" Akira snapped, waving a hand at him. "Seriously, stop calling me a title every two seconds!"
The Archmage blinked, then tilted his head, a slow smile forming. "Old man? I have a name, you know. Call me Archmage Damian."
Akira groaned. "Damian? Really? You're telling me the mighty Archmage of Valoria goes by Damian?"
Damian crossed his arms, unbothered. "Yes. Damian. Short, memorable, and very good at frustrating impatient heroes."
Akira, clearly ignoring Damian, closed his eyes.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Let it flow… live with it, not wrestle it.
The warmth pulsed steadily through him.
He opened one eye and muttered, "I… I think I can do this."
Damian nodded, a sly grin on his face. "Think? No. You must live it. Mana is the way to progress, Akira. Now, let me show you the benefits of this."
With that, Damian grabbed a small knife. "Now look — this is your body with mana circulating through it."
Before Akira could react, Damian sliced his finger.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Akira screamed, recoil and surprise making him stumble back.
Damian burst into laughter, holding his sides. "Quit being a wuss! Look at your finger — nothing happened!"
"Stupid old man! You should have told me what you were going to do! I hate this!" Akira yelled, glaring at him.
"I could have, but your reaction was priceless. No regrets," Damian said, chuckling.
"Arghh… but how is my finger still fine? Because of the mana?" Akira asked, inspecting it closely.
"Yes," Damian said, his expression shifting to seriousness. "Mana enhances your body. It protects you. That's why I said it's essential if you want power." He brushed imaginary dust from his robes. "Enough for today inside this tower, Akira," he added, though the twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement. "Let's see how you manage it in the bustling streets of the city."
"Wha—" Akira began, but Damian snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the interior of the tower blurred and shifted. The next moment, Akira found himself standing amid the crowded market he had passed earlier on his way to the tower. Merchants called out, carts rattled across cobblestones, and people jostled him on all sides.
Akira immediately felt the flow of mana inside him threatened to fade. He concentrated, pressing the warmth back into a steady rhythm.
Just as he managed to stabilize it, someone bumped into him from the side, nearly knocking him off balance. The wisp wavered again.
"This is going to be way harder than I imagined," Akira muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth as he refocused, forcing the mana to stay present.
Above the city, Damian watched from his tower window, a satisfied smile on his face."Let's see how our young hero handles life when the world won't wait for him to concentrate," he murmured.
Akira weaved through the crowd, dodging carts and sidestepping merchants, maintaining the faint current of energy inside him. Moving towards a quiet alleyway to have some peace.