"To use mana.." I take a deep breath in and breathe out, I'm sitting on the ground in my room, the cold tiles pressing on my butt.
"One must stir their mana pathway and focus their mind and will to where they want the mana in their cells to go."
I'm recalling the lesson of how to manifest mana that I learned from Klaus, I've stopped going to the training center now, I only learn with Klaus, well, there's nothing more to learn from him because I've learned everything there is to learn, but he guides me. I gotta admit I'll miss that guy, but not his beatings.
All that's left now is to form my first circle. When a Flameworth or any other noble in the training center forms their first circle, they head to the Imperial Academy, which I'm not going to go to cause I'll run away to Ludia.
To officially graduate from the training center as early as I can, Alexander gave me a condition– to defeat the strongest kid in class 10 in a spar, a kid that's double my current age. Those class 10 kids have all formed their first circle, or are on the verge of forming it.
It's easy, I can't imagine myself losing to a kid, even if it's a first-circle kid, my high confidence is especially because I've been receiving beatings from that tanned hulk for two years.
Yes, that's right, I'm seven years old now– physically, but mentally I'm forty-two. My body is like that of a 16-year-old teenager who just hit a growth spurt and suddenly became a gym bro.
Nobody will believe I'm 7 anywhere outside this mansion. It's perfect for me too.
I take deep breaths and I feel the mana in the air enter my lungs, and from my lungs to my mana pathway, and from my mana pathway, it's distributed all over my body cells.
I steeple my fingers and raise them to chest level.
Will it. Command your mana and it shall heed your command, you are its owner and it lives in your body.
Fwoosh
A shapeless flame of fire, crackling and flickering formed in the middle of my steepled fingers, rippling the space around it and radiating intense heat.
I open my eyes and frown at the sight and immediately cancel the fire.
"Tch. Another dud."
For now, I can only 'barely' control the elements of Fire and Air, I haven't learned any spells yet, but I'd do that once I gather enough mana and form my first circle. For the other two elements... I'll learn those later.
I'm working on something, something that Alexander showed me once.
–"Fire is not just a destructive element. It manifests what its user wills it to manifest, and that can be destruction, or– Creation. It can bring intense heat, or..." He wrapped blue flames around my body and I winced, bracing myself for the charring heat, but I felt "Cold."
And from that day on, I've been trying to summon cold fire.
Since logic doesn't work in this place, I'll adapt to their illogic.
Another progress that I've made over the past two years is more knowledge about this world.
I read about this world and its history, and I found out about the existence of a library in the training center, something that I never even thought about.
The planet that has become my reality now is called 'Cryst'.
It's like another version of Earth. It's a planet that's still backward in technology and stuff.
They didn't even know that the planet was round, or that space existed until the first Anomaly– Krian the Great, flew up and beyond the skies and claimed that all he saw was darkness and the world below him was not flat but like a sphere.
Speaking of Anomaly, that's something they call me, they call me the second anomaly after Krian the Great. But honestly, I don't see how I can compare with that guy. He has amazing feats, he was a mage that wasn't born with affinity to any element. He controlled something else– Light. He's the world's first and only light mage.
Rumors say that he eventually transcended the ninth and tenth circle and gained divinity, and is now the god that the diviners in the western continent– Hubolt, and the religious people of the world worship.
It sounds like bullshit, gained divinity? Became a god? How is that even possible? And he's the only god they worship in this world, not like Earth where they have thousands of religions. But the religion of light does not worship Krian the Great, they worship the god of light.
But some part of me believes it's true and it's because of the connection with light, he was the only light mage and now is the only light God.
But it doesn't matter to me though, I don't care about all that, the possibility that one can become a god is not something that I can even begin to comprehend. So I'll remove that from my mind.
Ah, yes, the world. Cryst is divided into four continents, they're the only continents in the world and there's a huge forest that divides the four continents, the Forest is as big as a continent itself. They call the tree 'the great ancient equator.' Elyrus.
The Northern continent is called Nuncapor, it's a continent with many kingdoms, but the two great Empires that are the powerhouses there are; the Kafer Empire, the Empire of Knights and Swords. And Japur Empire, the empire of b**********.
The southern continent houses the Jalozi Empire, where my family resides and the Ananca Empire.
In the Jalozi Empire, there are four Duchies, the Duchy of the North and the Sovereigns of Air, The Aurora family.
The Duchy of the East and the Monarchs of Water, the Hetchtors.
The Duchy of the West and the Rulers of Flames, the Flameworths.
And the mysterious Duchy of the south, no one knows much about them as they're veiled in mystery and secrecy, they are the Kings of Earth, the Grimlocks and they do not serve the Emperor.
Ludia, the city I'm supposed to go to, is close to the Imperial Capital. It's a city that borders a neighboring kingdom. It's the city of beginnings.
And I'm going there soo–
"You're doing it again."
Suddenly, Jennette's voice interrupts my meditation.
She walks inside my room and sits on the floor next to me.
I open only my right eye and glance at her, she's looking up at the ceiling, holding her knees.
"I can't help it, Klaus etched it into my body."
"Yeah, you've told me before."
"Oh... Right."
"..."
It's silent, no words are being said, and I close my eyes again.
Why is she being so awkward?
"Lately, I've been getting a sense of desperation from you. It feels like... Y–you're chasing something, like you want to... leave?"
I flinch slightly, but I'm almost certain she didn't notice it.
"Leave? I don't have such plans."
My eyes are closed but I can still feel her deadly glare on my forehead.
"I'm a second circle air mage, Charles."
I barely hold back the chuckle in my mouth and force myself to speak without laughing.
"I know."
"Yeah, I've been hi– Huh? You do?"
"Yes, I do."
I can see the rings around you.
"I'm not gonna ask how you know that, but I just wanna say that although I've not broken through to the third circle, I've been researching and trying hard to... but. I'm confident enough in my strength."
"So?"
"So, take me with you if you're ever leaving."
My heart sinks. I see her as a sister, a friend and the mother I never had. But the path I must walk is far too great. It will only cause her demise if I bring her along with me, I think? No, I am certainly sure, after all the path to gathering the strength to tear and cross dimensions cannot be easily walked upon.
I nod my head once, I don't want to assure her anything.
I'm sorry, but... It's something I must do to see Marcelle again.
"So... You told Sin about how you feel yet or you want me to tell him for you?"
I quickly lighten up the mood and change topic.
"Aaaah, no don't!" She squeals and nudges me, making me chuckle as I tease her endlessly.
***
It smells like metal...
Finally, it's time to spar with him.
I raise my gaze to lock eyes with him.
Richardson Macilavielli. He has one ring of flames revolving around him.
His blue uniform contrasting to his silver hair and his bright green eyes locks with mine, it carries grace, the type of grace only a person with the utmost confidence can carry.
He narrows his eyes, smirks and enters a combat stance. And I do the same.
We're in the training grounds, the air is hot and filled with tension, a tension that only me and Richardson can feel.
The rest of the crowd gathered are cheering for Richardson and anticipating our Battle.
Even the Patriarch and Matriarch are present, in the highest seat in the audience.
My heart is beating faster and louder with each passing second. The anxiety is like fuel to my beating heart.
How would he attack? Where would he attack first?
Fweeet!
My thoughts are shattered by the sharp, slicing sound of a whistle.
"Begin!"
It's time.