Chapter 19: Duel.
Fourteen months had passed since Aiden began learning Healing and Puppeteer Mana spells.
Day after day, he had trained under his mother's watchful eyes — every mistake corrected, every hesitation sharpened into instinct. The passing seasons had witnessed his growth: winter's chill, spring's bloom, and summer's heat — all mirrored the phases of his progress.
And now, under the golden morning sun, he stood in the center of the garden once again.
The grass beneath his feet swayed gently in the soft breeze, and the faint scent of dew hung in the air. Opposite him stood his mother, Sara, her calm expression betraying nothing of what she planned. She wore a light battle dress that glimmered faintly with mana threads woven into the fabric — the mark of a skilled cultivator ready for combat.
Aiden's gaze was steady, his breathing calm. This was his final test — a real duel against his mother to determine if he had truly mastered both Healing and Puppeteer Mana.
Sara's eyes met his, and a small, confident smile played on her lips. Her voice carried through the still air, soft yet commanding.
"We'll both have a few seconds before the duel starts," she said. "So begin your preparations — and try to take advantage of your surroundings as much as you can. Okay, now you have twenty seconds. Get started."
Aiden's expression grew serious as he replied firmly, "Okay."
The moment he said that, he closed his eyes for half a second — focusing his mind, feeling the mana circulating within his veins. Then, with smooth precision, he began spreading his mana strings across the entire garden.
This time, however, the strings were invisible.
Aiden had learned this from his mother herself — how to conceal the threads of his control from the enemy's eyes. The invisible strings moved silently through the air, wrapping around stones, twigs, and scattered dolls lying near the corners of the field.
Jonathan, who was standing at the far end of the garden with his arms folded, observed quietly. His eyes reflected both pride and anticipation. He knew this was not just a spar — it was a rite of passage for his son.
As the last second of preparation ticked away, Jonathan's calm yet powerful voice cut through the silence.
"Begin!"
The instant the word was spoken, Aiden moved.
He dashed forward, his movements sharp and fluid, closing the distance between himself and his mother in seconds. The wind brushed past his face, carrying the scent of grass and dust as he advanced.
As soon as he reached attacking range, he conjured a Fire Blade in his right hand and a Water Whip in his left — both appearing almost simultaneously. The fiery light from the blade flickered against the water's reflective sheen, creating a strange, balanced glow between destruction and calm.
He slashed the Fire Blade toward Sara with precision while swinging the Water Whip from the opposite direction, creating a deadly cross-attack.
Sara didn't move — not even a step.
Her calmness in that instant was unnerving.
And then, just as Aiden's dual attack was about to land, a wooden doll suddenly intercepted — moving faster than he expected. The doll took the full force of the strike. The Fire Blade tore through its torso, and the Water Whip split its arm apart — the puppet shattered into fragments, scattering wood and ash across the field.
But it had completely stopped Aiden's attack.
Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly. Without hesitation, he dispelled both weapons, exhaled once, and immediately conjured a Fireball in one hand and a Water Stream in the other. He launched them at Sara with practiced precision — the fire roaring forth and the water twisting violently in its wake.
However, once again, his attacks never touched her.
Sara's stone and wooden puppets intercepted everything. The Fireball exploded against a stone puppet's shield, the Water Stream splashing harmlessly as two wooden dolls took the impact.
None of his strikes reached his mother.
But Aiden had already expected this.
He exhaled calmly, his eyes flickering with intelligence. Then, with a subtle wave of his hand, he merged a Water Wall and Fire Wall together, using the elemental fusion to create a dense steam screen that covered Sara's entire field of vision.
The garden was instantly filled with swirling white mist. The temperature shifted — humid, hot, and obscuring.
Using the cover, Aiden moved swiftly, his invisible mana strings snapping to life. He conjured a Fire Prison around Sara, sealing her inside a blazing cage. The flames rose high, swirling around her in a perfect circle.
Then, with sharp concentration, he controlled the dolls, stones, and even broken fragments from earlier, making them move like puppets. Each of them charged toward the fiery prison, attacking from different angles.
The air was filled with sharp cracks, bangs, and the sizzling roar of flames.
Inside the fiery circle, Sara stood completely still. She neither flinched nor dodged.
The next second, her own puppets appeared beside her, intercepting every attack. Every stone, every wooden doll Aiden sent was neutralized. Her movements were minimal — calculated, precise.
She didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat.
One by one, Aiden's puppets shattered, their bodies burned and crushed until nothing remained but dust.
Then, for the first time in the duel, Sara moved.
Her body emitted a faint golden glow as Healing Mana surrounded her. The soft, warm light rippled across her skin — she had just activated Self Heal, a Stage 1 spell, enhancing both her vitality and recovery.
She walked calmly toward the wall of fire.
Each step she took was steady, composed. And as she reached the flames — she simply walked through them.
The fire parted around her, like it refused to touch her, and she emerged unscathed. Not a single scratch, not even a burn.
Aiden's eyes widened slightly at the sight.
Sara raised her hand, and her own puppets surged forward like a coordinated army. They surrounded her, moving with deadly grace, as she used them to attack without even moving herself.
Aiden's focus sharpened instantly. His mana flared as he activated Flight, pushing his body upward. The wind rushed against his face as he ascended, swiftly closing the gap between him and his mother.
He could feel the surge of excitement, of battle instinct rising within him.
When he got close enough, he controlled a nearby rock, turning it into a temporary puppet. With precision, he sent it hurtling toward Sara's legs, aiming to break her stance.
But Sara, ever vigilant, instantly used a wooden doll to intercept the strike. The rock collided with the puppet, shattering both.
At that same moment, Aiden was already within striking distance.
He raised his hands, ready to conjure another Fire Blade or Water Whip, but before he could, Sara suddenly moved — faster than his eyes could follow.
With a swift motion, she caught his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back in one fluid motion. The next instant, he was pinned to the ground.
Her grip was firm but careful — she didn't want to hurt him.
Sara smiled softly, the warmth of a proud teacher and loving mother in her voice. "I win ag—"
But before she could finish, she noticed something moving from the corner of her eye.
A wooden doll was approaching her rapidly from the side — its arms raised, ready to strike.
For a moment, she was genuinely surprised.
Aiden had used himself as bait — letting her believe she had won so that his puppet could land a hit.
Sara's eyes gleamed with admiration even as she reacted. She swiftly rotated her body, still holding Aiden's arm, and the puppet's strike missed her by inches. The next moment, a rock puppet collided with the doll, smashing it into pieces.
The dust settled.
Sara let out a small laugh and looked down at her son, who was still pinned under her. "I win again, dear," she said with a playful smile.
Aiden grinned faintly despite his defeat. "Yes, Mom. But if I was a second faster, I would have landed a hit."
Sara chuckled softly. "Yes, you're right. If you were just a second faster, the attack would have landed. That was a brilliant strategy — using yourself as bait, doing the opposite of what every puppeteer would do. It was truly clever, because you knew that I would never hurt you."
Aiden smirked, his voice filled with childish confidence. "Yes, I know that you'll never hurt me."
Sara smiled warmly at his words.
The duel had ended, but in her heart, she was proud — not just of his strength, but of his intelligence, creativity, and will.
After a brief pause, Sara straightened up and said, "Congratulations on mastering Healing and Puppeteer Mana. For the next few days, you'll train only these four elements until your father finds a suitable teacher for you — and an artifact that can make you look older, so that you won't be discovered."
Her tone softened at the end, but her eyes still carried a trace of worry.
Aiden nodded obediently. "Okay."
As the morning sun reached its peak, casting a golden glow over the garden, the family's training for the day came to an end.
Aiden walked back toward the house, his steps slightly slow but filled with quiet satisfaction. When he entered his room, the familiar comfort welcomed him. He lay down on his bed, feeling the exhaustion of the duel fade into peaceful drowsiness.
Within minutes, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep — his breathing calm and steady.
Outside, the faint sound of wind brushed past the trees, and for the first time in weeks, the house was filled with a serene silence.
Author's Note:Every chapter of this story is crafted to build upon the journey of Aiden — his growth, trials, and the secrets of mana that shape his destiny. All events, characters, and world concepts are purely fictional and created for storytelling purposes.