Raiden's eyes fluttered open. He found himself lying on the cold stone floor of a secret chamber. A dull ache lingered in his limbs, a reminder of the effort he had put into forming his Mana Heart. Still, he had no idea how long he had been asleep.
As his vision cleared, two translucent panels shimmered into view before him, each bearing a congratulatory message.
[Skill Draw System Notification: Thank you! At three years old, you created a Mana Heart—an impossibility!]
[Reward: Two E-Rank Skills.]
The screen displayed the two newly acquired skills:
[Silence pulse]
[Description: Ideal for activating mechanisms from a distance or distracting enemies. Allows the user to unleash silent bursts of energy.]
[Mana Surge]
[Description: Controlled mana release momentarily enhances magical and physical capacities.]
Raiden smiled, pleased with the rewards. He then turned his attention to the following panel, this one from the Fusion System:
[Fusion Systems Notification: Achievements Noted! Mana Heart creation(started three years ago)]
[Rewards: 10 Skill Points, two times Free Fusion Points].
Laughter bubbled within him. The excitement of success was intoxicating. Between the two systems, he had just gained a lot of new resources. His eyes drifted to the Skill Shop, his head whirling with opportunities. Still, he knew what he needed the most right now: an ability that would let him disappear.
"Let's see… Mana concealment," he muttered, scanning the Skill Shop until he found it: a C-Rank ability called [Mana Cloak].
[Mana Cloak: C-Rank Ability. Hides all traces of mana within and around the user, rendering them invisible to mana sense.]
Raiden's grin widened. The skill seemed quite expensive at thirty-five skill points, but it was worth every point. Without hesitation, he confirmed the purchase, unfazed even as the points continued to decrease before his very eyes.
The ability would allow him to keep his newly evolved Mana Heart a secret even among the most skilled mana users.
Raiden activated the [Mana Cloak] without thinking and instantly felt a strange sensation, as if his Mana completely disappeared. Taking a deep breath, he straightened himself, brushed the dust off his clothes and stepped out of the chamber with a satisfied grin.
As he crossed the ruin's mana barrier, he returned to the evening light.
He had only passed three buildings when he heard the thunder of hooves. A large group of horses rounded a corner and charged directly toward him, the faces of their riders set in grim determination.
Raiden stopped as they drew in around him. He knew every one of them. At the front was his father, Lord Cedric, sitting tall on his horse, his face a mix of relief and fury. Beside him rode his mother, Lady Elise, her face pale and tight with concern.
Then there was his older brother, Kent, perched atop a dark horse, whose eyes narrowed as he glanced at Raiden. Kent mouthed, "Dad's going to kill you this time," then shook his head slightly with exasperation.
Raiden answered with a little, timid wave.
Riding with them were the Chief Guard with three others, each scanning the ground as though in search of any invisible threats. Then, atop a graceful white mare, was his sister Laura, who had recently returned to the estate. Her gaze softened with love as she looked down at him with an amused smile.
Raiden chose to address her first. Grinning mischievously, he yelled out, "Welcome back, dear big sister! I expect you brought me an apology gift for missing my third birthday!"
Lord Cedric's frown deepened, but it was Lady Elise who spoke first, her voice sharp with frustration. "Raiden Goldheart, third child and second son of the Goldheart Family—where in the world have you been over the past two days?"
Raiden blinked, startled. 'Two Days? I have been unconscious for two whole days?'
He looked around to scan their anxious faces and quickly considered his options.
"Uhm… I passed out?" he responded with the most innocent voice he could manage.
His family groaned in unison, everyone shaking their heads in a mixture of shock and relief.
Laura dismounted her horse gracefully and walked over, lifting Raiden into her arms. She looked at him slowly and deliberately, but her smile remained friendly.
Then, she quietly said, "Come on, troublemaker," brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "Let's go back to the main house. We'll have to make sure you're alright after your little trip."
She then mounted behind him, settling Raiden gently in front of her on the horse. He leaned back against his sister as they began the ride back to the main building.
A faint smile tugged at Raiden's lips as they rode, a mix of relief and pride. 'They didn't sense it,' he thought satisfactorily.
Safely hidden within him was his Mana Heart, the result of two days of relentless effort. Not even his father or the Chief Guard had sensed it.
Laura, catching his grin, raised an eyebrow. "Something funny, little brother?" she asked, peering down at him.
Raiden struggled to keep his face innocent and gazed up at her. "Not really. Just glad to be back," he said with a small shrug.
Riding alongside them, Lady Elise turned her horse and met her younger son's eyes. Her expression softened. "You terrified us all, you know. Nearly half to death. The next time you wish to disappear somewhere, could you at least warn us first?"
Raiden felt somewhat guilty and smiled regretfully, even if he was glad with his gains. Trying his best to sound sincere, he said, "Sorry, Mother."
Pulling his horse alongside, Kent grinned and turned to Raiden. "I always knew you were trouble, but vanishing for two whole days at the age of three? That's a new record—even for you."
Raiden nodded back at him. "You haven't seen anything yet," he replied, his voice light but with an edge of promise.
Clearing his throat, Lord Cedric's deep voice sliced through the warm air like a blade. With his gaze stern but not unkind, he ordered. "We'll talk about your little adventure later, Raiden. But first, let's get you checked out and make sure you're quite alright for now."
As the procession made its way back to the main house, the tension seemed to ease from the family, obviously relaxed now that he was back under their care. Raiden leaned his back against Laura, letting the feelings of success and relief wash over him.
He had done it. He had returned without drawing suspicion about his new ability and had also been able to keep his Mana Heart a secret from his family.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips as a small, satisfied smile curled on the corner of his lips as they neared the estate's grand entrance. It wasn't a smug smile resulting from deceiving his family; it was the thrill of knowing he was moving toward his actual potential.