Morning light bathed the herb garden as Leon practiced Tai Chi. He'd done it every morning for years, a quiet tribute to his past life. No "inner energy" or martial arts power had ever come of it—until now.
Since condensing mana, he'd felt a faint stir in his magic whenever he moved. At first, he'd thought it was a trick of his imagination, but it grew stronger each day. His enhanced mental strength let him sense even tiny changes.
He'd read enough novels to hope—maybe his past-life skill held hidden power. Not the world-shaking kind, but something. Today, he pushed harder, determined to see what would happen.
He repeated the forms faster, his movements growing sloppy, his breath ragged. Suddenly, his mana erupted like a storm in his mental sea. A sharp pain exploded in his head, and he stumbled, crashing to the ground. Blood trickled from his nose—he looked like a character in a tragic drama.
He lay there, weak and dizzy, unable to stand.
"Leon! Leon!" Flower's voice cut through his fog. He'd come looking for breakfast—Leon usually cooked while the others slept. "What's wrong? Why are you bleeding?"
Flower lifted Leon in a princess carry, and Leon burned with embarrassment. He couldn't fight back, so he closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious.
"Master! Leon's hurt!" Flower shouted as he ran toward the house.
Im stepped outside, his eyes narrowing. "Bring him inside."
Dahlia rushed over, gasping. "Did you beat him? I know he forgot breakfast, but this is too much! Who'll cook now?"
Leon's eyes twitched. Only Dahlia would worry about cooking at a time like this.
Im knelt beside the bed, casting a calming spell. "Mana backlash. Your mana roiled in your mental sea. Rest for a few days—no meditation." He frowned. "How did this happen? Your mental strength is strong—you shouldn't have backlash with such weak mana."
Leon hesitated, but Im guessed. "You meditated too long in the garden, didn't you? I told you to stop when tired. You're catching up, but greed leads to mistakes. Next time, it could damage your mental sea permanently."
Im sighed. "Do you know why I'm here, teaching you?"
He didn't wait for an answer. "I was a top student at Bernaron Root Mage Academy. I was on track to become a White Robe Mage before graduation—almost unheard of. But I was vain. I used a rune circle to force a breakthrough."
He paused, his voice thick. "I failed. Horribly. My mental sea shattered, my mana plummeted from Advanced Gray Robe to Junior Gray Robe. I'll never grow stronger. I came here after meeting your brother, Rowan. He asked me to be his advisor, and I agreed to teach you."
He looked at the three students. "Remember this. Magic is dangerous. Compare yourself to you, not others. Think about the cost of failure. Mine was bad—but it could have been worse."
Dahlia asked, "Why didn't you go home?"
"Shame," Im said. "I couldn't face my family. So I ran."
Leon lay on the bed, humbled. He'd been stupid, rushing to catch up. Im's story scared him straight. He'd be careful from now on. And he'd never admit Tai Chi was the cause—Im would ban it.