Ariana sat quietly, her body wrapped in a blanket. She was still naked underneath, but since the second thread had been tied, she had covered herself.
Adrian took a moment before moving on to the next step.
He glanced at the armament and said, "I've adjusted all the threads to match your mana flow. It might feel freeing—but don't push yourself too much."
"Freeing?" Ariana asked, puzzled.
Adrian paused, then explained, "It'll feel like you had a cramp in your back all this time. And now that it's gone, you'll feel lighter, like you can move better. Just don't overdo it, or you might end up with a new kind of injury."
Ariana gave a small nod, showing she understood.
Adrian pulled up a chair and sat in front of her.
"I'm going to tie the third thread now," he said. "But before that, I need to warn you—I'll be diving into your mind. I'll search through your memories to find the one emotion that truly shapes your mana."
