After I finished eating breakfast.
Crystal was waiting near the door watching me.
"Good, you finished eating. It's time to train."
Crystal walked out of the kitchen.
Suddenly I hear a man yelling.
"WHAT…THE… Hey…let me go…stop pulling me."
Crystal came back to the kitchen dragging Eren with her.
"Oh quit whining."
I shot up from my seat.
"What are you doing to Eren?"
Crystal let go of Eren.
Eren got up from the ground.
"So… you're going to tell me what that was about?"
Crystal gave a confused look.
Eren with an annoyed tone.
"Don't give me that look. Answer my question."
Crystal chuckled.
"Oh, yeah, I need you to take me and Maikeru to a place where I can train him."
Eren looks like he doesn't want to do anything and started groaning.
He raised his hand, aiming at nothing like last time.
As Eren started prepping the portal.
Crystal looked at me with an excited grin.
"Okay, Mako. Are you ready?"
I sigh in disbelief.
"It's Maikeru, and yes, I'm ready."
Eren completed the portal.
"Crystal, Maikeru… it's ready."
As I wonder what type of place we're going to.
Crystal grabbed my wrist.
Pulling me through the portal.
Through the portal.
We were at the mountain with dark grey clouds filled with thunder.
I was astonished by the view.
When my eyes landed on Crystal.
She was giggling.
Then a lightning spark started to shoot out of her.
I reached my hand toward Crystal.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Crystal turned around to look at me.
"Okay? I'm better than okay! This training is going to be good!"
As the spark became stronger.
As the sparks became stronger, lightning crawled across Crystal's arms like living snakes.
The air cracked.
BOOM.
Thunder roared above us.
I instinctively stepped back.
"W-wait… are you sure this is safe?" I asked.
Crystal tilted her head, smiling wide.
"Nope!"
Before I could react—
ZZZTTT!!
A bolt of lightning slammed into the ground beside me.
I jumped.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
Crystal laughed.
"To wake you up. Mana control training starts now."
Eren, already walking toward a rock, waved lazily.
"I'll just watch. Try not to die, kid."
I stared at him.
"…That doesn't help."
From the kitchen till now I keep wondering how this man became my helper.
Like, isn't this too extreme?
I'm only 14 years old.
As I got up from the ground.
I looked at Crystal.
Crystal crossed her arms.
"Lele taught you how to feel mana, right?"
I nodded.
"Good. Now I'm teaching you how to move it."
She pointed at my chest.
"Right now your mana is like a broken dam. When it comes out, it explodes."
She snapped her fingers.
A tiny spark appeared above her palm.
Calm.
Stable.
Perfect.
"This," she said proudly, "is control."
The spark floated gently without shaking.
"No wasted mana. No emotional overflow. Just intention."
She dismissed it instantly.
"Your job is to copy that."
I blinked.
"…That's it?"
Crystal grinned.
"Oh no. You're doing it while dodging."
"Wait," did she say while dodging?
Dodging…
Why do I have a feeling that I'm going to get hurt by this?
As I was deep in thought.
Lightning struck again.
CRASH!!
I barely rolled out of the way.
My eyes widened with surprise.
She really aimed at me.
Me.
I stared at Crystal, still in shock.
"HEY!"
Crystal pointed at me.
"Don't run blindly! Feel the mana before it attacks!"
Another bolt formed above me.
I closed my eyes instinctively.
Focus…
Feel…
There.
A pressure in the air.
Like something pulling downward.
I moved sideways just before—
BOOM!!
The ground exploded where I stood.
Crystal clapped excitedly.
"Yes! That's it!"
I panted heavily.
Feeling like I almost died
"So I have to sense attacks using mana?"
"Exactly," she said. "Your eyes are slow. Mana is faster."
Easier said than done.
I have to feel the mana to dodge faster than lightning.
Crystal started to charge up multiple attacks.
I quickly looked at Eren.
Eren noticed my glare.
Then Eren gave a thumbs up.
My blood boils from being nervous.
I looked back at Crystal.
Crystal spoke—
"Here it comes."
As I trembled, I sharpened my focus.
Preparing for her attacks.
After dozens of near hits, my breathing became uneven.
My chest burned.
Crystal suddenly stopped attacking.
"Okay. Now release mana."
I feel exhausted.
I raised my hand.
Nothing happened.
I tried harder.
Still nothing.
Crystal sighed.
"You're forcing it again."
She walked closer and tapped my forehead.
"Stop thinking about power."
She tapped my chest.
"Think about movement."
I swallowed.
Movement…
Not strength.
I focused on the warmth inside me.
The same warmth from the forest.
Slowly—
Dark mist leaked from my hand.
Thin.
Unstable.
But real.
My eyes widened.
"I did it…"
The mist flickered violently.
Then exploded outward.
BA-THOOM!
Dust scattered everywhere.
I fell backward coughing.
Crystal stared silently.
Then smiled.
"Progress."
I gave an excited smile.
I was jumping up and down, pumping my arm.
I was able to use magic.
So this is what progress toward your goal feels like.
Crystal's expression became serious for the first time.
"Listen carefully, Maikeru."
Lightning faded around her.
"Mana listens to emotion before command."
She pointed toward the storm clouds.
"When I get excited—lightning grows stronger."
She clenched her fist.
"When I calm down, it obeys."
The storm above slightly weakened.
"You," she continued, "have dangerous emotions tied to your mana."
My chest tightened.
Images flashed again—
The church.
The guards.
My mother is turning away.
Dark energy leaked unconsciously from my body.
The air grew cold.
Crystal immediately stepped forward.
"Hey. Stay here."
Her voice softened.
"Don't fight the feeling."
I looked at my shaking hands.
"…I'm angry."
"Good," she said.
"Now don't let anger control the shape."
I breathed slowly.
In.
Out.
The darkness stopped raging.
Instead—
It flowed.
Like smoke moving with the wind.
Crystal's eyes widened slightly.
"…Whoa."
I was able to have every part of my body still.
She stepped back quickly.
"Okay! Try forming it around your arm."
I concentrated.
The dark aura wrapped around my forearm unevenly.
It trembled.
Almost collapsing.
"HOLD IT!" Crystal shouted.
My muscles strained.
Sweat ran down my face.
The aura stabilized for one second.
Two seconds.
Three—
It shattered.
I dropped to one knee, exhausted.
I was confused about what happened.
I felt even more tired than usual.
Like my energy drains quickly.
Crystal rushed over.
But instead of worry—
She looked impressed.
"You skipped three training stages…"
I looked up, confused.
"Huh?"
She grinned.
"You just performed partial manifestation."
Eren's voice came from behind us.
"…On day one."
He sounded unusually serious.
As what Eren said, I came into realization.
Crystal placed her hands on her hips.
"Alright! Training complete for today."
I nearly collapsed.
"That was ONE day?!"
She laughed.
"Control training is harder than fighting."
She pointed at me confidently.
"But now your mana won't explode every time you breathe."
I lay on the ground staring at the stormy sky.
My body hurt everywhere.
But inside—
The darkness felt quieter.
Stable.
Listening.
As we prepared to leave, Crystal looked back at me.
"Tomorrow we start real combat control."
Lightning flashed behind her silhouette.
And for the first time—
I felt excited instead of afraid.
This is what I need.
Forget me being 14 years old.
This is perfect for me.
As the portal opened, a faint whisper echoed inside my mind.
Zedros.
"Heh… you finally stopped flailing."
I smirked slightly.
"…Shut up."
But deep down—
I knew something had changed.
Not stronger.
Not yet.
But for the first time…
My power moved with me instead of against me.
Those entities, Yin and Yang, whatever they are.
They will cooperate with me and acknowledge me as their user.
As I pass through the portal.
I fainted from exhaustion.
Morning came faster than expected.
My body still ached from yesterday.
Every muscle protested as I stood, but the strange part wasn't the pain.
It was the silence.
The darkness inside me wasn't raging anymore.
It was… waiting.
Outside, thunder echoed.
Of course she was already awake.
I head to the kitchen.
In the kitchen.
All I saw was a portal already active.
Thunder echoed through the portal.
They were waiting for me.
Through the portal all I saw was a field with broken trees and rocks.
Crystal stood in the clearing, spinning a bolt of lightning around her finger like a toy.
The sky above was already covered in storm clouds.
"You're late," she said without turning.
"I woke up five minutes ago."
"Exactly."
I sighed.
Eren leaned against a tree nearby, arms crossed.
"You survived day one," he said. "Congratulations."
I relied with a concerned tone.
"…That sounds threatening."
Eren nods his head.
"It is."
Crystal clapped loudly.
"Alright! Day Two!"
Lightning struck behind her dramatically.
"Yesterday was control. Today is holding control while fighting."
My stomach dropped.
"…I knew you were going to say that."
But there is no time to play around.
The better I become at dealing with this.
The easier it will be when future situations come through.
Crystal raised one finger.
"New rule: your mana must stay active the entire time."
She pointed at my arm.
"Keep the dark aura formed."
I hesitated but focused.
Slow breath.
The familiar heaviness gathered.
Dark mist wrapped around my forearm again.
Unstable at first—
Then steady.
Crystal nodded approvingly.
"Good. Now don't lose it."
She snapped her fingers.
Three lightning constructs formed beside her.
Humanoid shapes made of electricity.
They moved immediately.
Fast.
Too fast.
The first construct lunged.
I blocked instinctively.
The dark aura flickered violently.
CRACK.
It almost vanished.
"Don't tense up!" Crystal shouted. "You're strangling your mana!"
I dodged another strike.
My breathing became uneven.
The aura weakened again.
The moment panic rose—
The darkness reacted.
It began expanding wildly.
The air turned cold.
Eren's voice cut through sharply.
"Control it."
Not loud.
Not angry.
Just absolute.
I forced myself to breathe slower.
In.
Out.
The aura shrank back into shape.
The construct attacked again—
This time I moved with the flow instead of resisting.
My arm redirected the strike naturally.
The aura held.
Crystal grinned.
"There it is!"
This feeling.
It feels amazing.
Like I can do anything.
She raised her hand.
All three constructs attacked together.
"HEY—WAIT!"
Too late.
Lightning flashed from every direction.
I dodged one.
Blocked another.
The third clipped my shoulder and sent me rolling.
Pain shot through my body.
The aura shattered.
Silence followed.
Crystal immediately stopped the constructs.
She walked over, crouching beside me.
"What happened?"
"…I lost focus."
She shook her head.
"No. You tried to win."
I blinked.
"Huh?"
"You're not strong enough to overpower anything yet," she said plainly.
"Your goal is survival and stability."
She stood and stepped back.
"Again."
I felt puzzled.
My brain thinks I should try to win.
But my gut tells me to survive.
And I sided with my brain.
Causing my demise.
I need to keep my focus on survival.
Once I get the hang of it.
I hope it gets easier.
As Crystal charges her attack.
This time, I didn't rush.
I reformed the dark aura slowly.
Instead of forcing shape—
I let it settle naturally.
The constructs attacked again.
I moved differently now.
Less reaction.
More anticipation.
The aura shifted on its own, adjusting with each movement.
A strike slid off my arm instead of colliding.
Another passed inches from my face.
I wasn't faster.
The mana was guiding my timing.
Crystal's smile faded into surprise.
"…He's syncing already."
Eren watched silently, eyes narrowed.
Suddenly—
A whisper echoed inside my mind.
"Why hold back?"
The aura darkened instantly.
Power surged.
The constructs slowed in my vision.
My heartbeat pounded.
For a moment—
I wanted to destroy them.
Lightning distorted around me.
Crystal's expression changed.
"Maikeru."
Her voice grounded me.
"Stay here."
I clenched my teeth.
"No… not again."
I exhaled slowly.
The surge faded.
The aura returned to its calm, smoke-like state.
The whisper disappeared.
Eren pushed himself off the tree.
"…Interesting."
Crystal dismissed the constructs.
Storm clouds began clearing slightly.
She walked toward me, hands behind her head.
"Okay, yeah. That was insane progress."
I collapsed onto the grass.
"I feel like I got hit by a mountain."
"That means it worked!"
She pointed confidently.
"Day One—you created mana."
"Day Two—you moved with mana."
She grinned wider.
"Tomorrow we make Mana fight for you."
I groaned.
"That sounds worse."
Eren turned away, already leaving.
"Rest while you can," he said.
"…Training changes tomorrow."
Something in his tone felt heavier.
As I lay there staring at the sky, the darkness inside me stirred again.
Not violently.
Curiously.
Like it had learned something too.
A quiet thought echoed faintly:
"…You're adapting."
I didn't know if the voice was mine.
And that scared me more than yesterday ever did.
The next day.
I woke up.
I checked outside, noticing it early this time.
Gurrr…
My stomach started growling letting me know it was breakfast.
I headed to the kitchen.
At the kitchen
I saw Eren sitting on the wall drinking coffee.
"Why are you always sitting so abnormally?"
Eren looked in my direction.
Noticing that I'm here.
"Oh Maikeru, you're here and don't mind what I'm doing. I just do this when I'm bored."
He must be bored a lot.
As I was about to say something to Eren.
I suddenly sense something coming at me.
I step away.
ZAAP…
A spark of lightning hit the wall.
From the spark of lighting I instantly knew it was Crystal.
Crystal walked in.
"Hahaha… very good, very good."
I just woke up a few minutes ago, and she was already pulling this stunt.
"What was that for? It was way too early in the morning."
Crystal, with her energetic smile, chuckled.
"Well, today is your last day of training, and I want to make sure your sense is still well maintained."
Last day huh…
I was surprised by what Crystal just announced.
"Wow… I thought it would be longer, to be honest."
Crystal walked up to me and smacked me on the back.
"Let's hurry up and eat some breakfast, then head out."
After eating breakfast.
Eren opened the portal, and we headed out.
We were at the mountain.
The same one we first arrived at.
The mountain was quiet that morning.
No thunder.
No lightning.
No storm.
That alone made me uneasy.
Crystal stood at the edge of the cliff, staring at the horizon.
No sparks.
No excitement.
Just silence.
I walked up beside her.
"…Why isn't it storming?"
She didn't look at me.
"Because today isn't about power."
That was new.
Crystal turned toward me, arms crossed.
"Today is your final lesson before your exam."
I froze.
"Exam?"
Eren's voice came from behind us.
"Yeah. You didn't think we were just playing around, right?"
Lele stood nearby as well, observing.
Erma leaned against a boulder, arms folded.
This wasn't casual training anymore.
This was an evaluation.
Also, when did Lele and Erma get here?
Crystal noticed I was unfocused.
"Maikeru, pay attention."
Oh god, she even got my name correct.
Crystal walked toward the center of the clearing.
"No lightning strikes today. No pressure attacks."
She pointed at my chest.
"Today you learn one thing."
She stepped closer.
"When not to use your power."
I blinked.
"…What?"
She continued calmly.
"Most users fail not because they're weak."
She tapped my arm.
"They fail because they react."
She created a tiny spark in her palm.
It flickered.
Then she extinguished it herself.
"Power is easy."
She looked directly into my eyes.
"Restraint is mastery."
Crystal gave the command:
"Release your mana."
I did.
The dark aura wrapped around my arm smoothly now.
Steady.
Responsive.
Crystal nodded.
"Good. Now suppress it."
I tried forcing it down.
It resisted.
The aura trembled but didn't disappear.
Crystal shook her head.
"You're fighting it again."
Lele spoke from behind.
"Don't suppress with force. Diminish it with intent."
Intent…
I closed my eyes.
Instead of pushing the darkness away—
I acknowledged it.
It wasn't my enemy.
It wasn't something to bury.
It was part of me.
Slowly…
The aura thinned.
The heaviness faded.
Until only a faint trace remained.
Crystal's eyes widened slightly.
"Again."
I released it.
Then dismissed it.
Release.
Dismiss.
Release.
Dismiss.
Each time smoother.
Each time quicker.
Until—
Nothing leaked unintentionally.
The air stayed normal.
The ground didn't frost.
The temperature didn't drop.
For the first time since awakening—
I felt normal.
Crystal walked in front of me.
"Maikeru."
Her tone was different now.
Seriously.
"You have dangerous power."
She didn't sugarcoat it.
"When people see you fight, they'll already be afraid."
My chest tightened slightly.
"But fear isn't strength," she continued.
"If you lose control even once, it confirms everything they believe."
Silence settled over the mountain.
She pointed toward the horizon.
"Your exam isn't about defeating something."
"It's about showing you won't lose yourself."
Crystal stepped back.
"I'm going to provoke you."
Before I could respond—
She spoke sharply:
"They called you a monster."
My breath paused.
"You were abandoned."
My jaw tightened.
"You were judged without trial."
The darkness inside me stirred faintly.
Crystal's eyes stayed locked on mine.
"Now suppress it."
My heart pounded.
Emotions rose.
Anger flickered.
But instead of letting it spread—
I breathed.
Slow.
Heavy.
Intentional.
The darkness calmed.
Silence returned.
Crystal nodded once.
"That's it."
Lele stepped forward.
"Mana obeys emotion. Today you proved emotion obeys you."
Erma smirked.
"Guess you're not just a walking disaster anymore."
Eren approached last.
He looked at me longer than usual.
"…Your mana signature stabilized."
He sounded thoughtful.
Not joking.
"Good."
He turned away slightly.
"Because tomorrow isn't controlled."
That sentence hung heavier than anything Crystal said.
Crystal walked toward the cliff again.
"Training phase complete."
I stood there quietly.
No dramatic aura.
No storm.
No explosion.
Just breathe.
For the first time…
My power didn't feel like a threat.
It felt like a tool.
And that difference—
Was everything.
As we prepared to leave, Crystal stopped me.
"Get good rest tonight."
She looked unusually serious.
"Your exam begins at sunrise."
I nodded.
But something in the air felt different.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
Just tense.
Back at the hideout that night, I sat alone in my room.
I extended my hand.
Released the darkness.
Then dismissed it.
Perfectly.
From deep within my mind—
A faint voice echoed.
Not mocking.
Not cruel.
Just observing.
"…You're learning."
I opened my eyes slowly.
"Yes."
And tomorrow—
I would prove it.