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Leywin Family's POV
A sudden explosion shook the house where Lucian was.
"What happened?!" Alaric shouted, eyes wide in shock.
"Lucian… Lucian is still inside!" Lyanna cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Without hesitation, Althea dashed toward the ruins, screaming,
"LUCIAAAANNNN!!!"
When she finally saw him, her steps froze. Her face turned pale, her voice trembling.
"Am I… dreaming?"
Alaric and Lyanna caught up, only to collapse to their knees in disbelief.
"He's only three years old… this can't be real…" Alaric muttered.
But it was real. Standing before them was little Lucian, already radiating the glow of dark red mana.
"How…? Humans can only start sensing mana at eight years old! And we never even taught him!" Lyanna gasped.
Alaric's shock quickly twisted into pride.
"Haha! Does this mean we've birthed two geniuses? Althea at six… and now Lucian at three!"
Lucian's POV
"So this is what mana feels like…" I whispered, stretching my tiny hand, breathing in the fresh air.
But wait. Weren't I just training inside the house? How was I suddenly outside, surrounded by trees and sky?
When I turned, I saw my family staring at me—fear, disbelief, and awe painted on their faces.
"Did someone attack us?" I thought, confused.
They rushed over. Mother hugged me tightly, checking if I was hurt. Father, on the other hand, put on that smug face of his.
"Lucian! How could you sense mana at three? Hahaha, you must've inherited the talent and willpower of your amazing father!"
I stared at him blankly. Wasn't he the one who awakened at nine? And he dares call himself amazing?
Before I could retort, Althea pulled me into a tearful hug.
"I was so scared… I don't want to lose my only little brother."
Guilt struck me. I hadn't meant to make them worry.
Two Years Later
At five years old, my birthday gift was a wooden sword. It was meant to prepare me before I entered the Magic Academy at twelve.
From then on, Father began training me.
"Come on, try to defeat your great father, Lucian!" he grinned arrogantly.
I swung my wooden sword with all my might, but my small body couldn't keep up. If I had my old body, one strike would've been enough to floor him. But now? I was helpless.
Result? 29 consecutive losses.
"That's enough for today, weakling!" Father sneered.
I glared at him. "Just wait until I turn sixteen. I'll beat you with a single strike."
He burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You'll never surpass your amazing father!"
Lucian's Parents' POV
"Don't you think we've birthed two geniuses?" Lyanna said proudly.
"Of course! After all, their father is amazing!" Alaric puffed out his chest.
Lyanna rolled her eyes. "Amazing? Please. You awakened at nine."
"T-that's because I wasn't training seriously…" he stammered, sweat dripping.
But then, his face turned serious. "Still… when sparring with Lucian, I felt nervous. It was like facing an S-rank monster again."
"So you're saying our son is a monster?!" Lyanna snapped, punching him square in the face.
Lucian's POV
The next morning, I sparred with Althea. And… she was ridiculously strong.
At just eight years old, her mana had already reached bright red, and her swordsmanship was terrifyingly sharp. I lost to her 41 times—even worse than yesterday against Father.
If this were a game, I'd call her a cheater.
Althea's POV
"Father… don't you think Lucian will become a monster in the future?" I asked, exhausted from sparring.
Father frowned. "What nonsense is that? You're the genius here. Two elements, incredible sword skills, bright red mana at eight. If anyone's destined to surpass the rest, it's you."
But I shook my head, glancing at Lucian's retreating figure. "I barely beat him… and look at his mana. It's already neutral red at five."
"What?!" Both Father and Mother immediately focused their mana into their eyes to see—and froze.
"H-he's only five years old…" Lyanna whispered, cold sweat dripping down her face.
Lucian's POV
I froze too.
Because right then, I felt it—
Countless eyes staring at me.
Cold. Pressuring. Overwhelming.
For the first time… I truly felt fear.