Years passed quietly at the Glacius estate.
The cold and disciplined atmosphere remained unbroken, even as summer's warmth touched the surrounding territories. The estate, nestled in the northern mountains, was perpetually chilled by icy winds that never truly faded, no matter the season.
At the age of six, the children of the Glacius family began their basic training—not combat, but control and foundational mastery of their ice magic.
On the expansive training grounds, several young children stood in a line, small hands raised with focused determination. Their eyes darted between their instructor, Damien Glacius, and their own trembling palms.
Damien was a three-circle ice mage—a proud member of the Glacius bloodline. Tall, in his thirties, with the signature white hair and sharp features of his family, he exuded calm authority.
"Feel the cold," Damien said softly, voice composed. "Do not force it. Let it gather naturally."
He gestured to the children. "Each of us has a magic core—an internal space where mana gathers. The more you train, the more mana your core can hold."
"Everyone! Focus on your core. Gather mana and cast a spell," Damien commanded.
Faint frost traces began to form in their palms—some weak, others unstable. Damien nodded approvingly.
"Good. Again!"
At the edge of the training ground, Kai stood alone, watching silently. He wasn't part of the other's exercises. His gaze was distant, almost detached.
"…why is he even here?" muttered one of the boys, whispering.
Another chuckled softly. "Curious, I guess… he can't use ice anyway. What's the point?"
Kai heard them, but he ignored their words. His mind drifted, lost in thoughts.
"…damn this cursed body," he thought bitterly. "Even in this life, I get this damn shitty body… fate's really cruel."
He recalled his previous life—lying bedridden for two years with a hopeless and incurable illness. He could barely move, his world shrinking into a prison of pain and helplessness. He could barely move even around his own house. Then he finally passed at twenty.
He was still young, and only regained his consciousness and memory in this new life when he turned three years of age, at that moment he realized that he had been reincarnated.
When he awoke in this new life, everything changed. He was determined to survive, to understand this world that had given him a second chance, even if his body was a constant reminder of his past suffering.
He was excited at first but reality hits soon, as he learned the situation he was in.
Kai was a smart and intellectual child, his love for learning had carried over. Even as a child, he loved reading books—fantasy tales of magic and power, which fueled his curiosity. He had a loving family, good friends and kind neighbors and he was kind. He was someone who would always try to help others whenever he could.
He had been born into a modest middle-class family in his previous life. His parents worked tirelessly, and his younger brother—six years old when Kai was diagnosed—was like a shadow of innocence in a world marred by tragedy.
After Kai's death, his family mourned deeply. His brother, now eight, understood the severity of it all, tears streaming down his face as he bid farewell to his older brother.
Back at the Glacius estate—
Damien demonstrated a spell, forming a perfect, stable shard of ice at his fingertip, effortlessly controlled.
Kai watched intently, eyes narrowing. He had read about this in one of the family library that he got accesed to—and knew the theory. But seeing it in practice was different.
In his previous life, when he was bedridden he often read about magic to pass the time, dreaming of wielding such power one day, so he has some sort of idea how the system worked.
A young boy stepped forward, trying to replicate Damien's technique.
Frost materialized hesitantly in his palm—shaky, unstable, but forming nonetheless. Damien nodded approvingly.
"Control first," Damien repeated. "Power comes later."
Time passed, and training ended. The children dispersed into small groups, some proud, some disappointed, some simply exhausted. It was just the beginning.
Kai remained behind, standing alone in the empty training ground. The wind whispered softly, swirling around him.
"…control first," he repeated quietly, recalling Damien's words. "That's what I need to focus on."
He hesitated briefly, then raised his hand.
Nothing happened at first. He concentrated, summoning a faint chill. Frost gathered slowly in his palm, delicate and weak.
And then—pain surged through immediately.
A sharp, burning sensation erupted in his hand, the frost turning red as if scorched by flames. His skin blistered and irritated instantly.
"Fuck this cursed body," Kai muttered through clenched teeth, withdrawing his hand quickly.
He clenched his fists, trying to remain calm despite the pain.
"I won't give up," he vowed silently.
He adjusted his focus and reached out again, attempting to control the frost. For a brief moment, the ice stabilized, shimmering faintly. But then it shattered, and pain surged anew.
His palm flared red and irritated once more.
He smiled bitterly, voice quiet. "At least… it worked a little."
"Not bad, I guess," he whispered, turning away and limping back to his room to tend to his hand.
Behind him, a faint trace of frost lingered on the ground before slowly vanishing.
The cold, relentless world outside the estate continued on, unaware of the quiet struggles within. But inside, Kai's resolve burned brighter with each painful attempt—for him, this was only the beginning of a long, uncertain journey.