Chapter 35: Preparing To Advance.
Aiden slowly sat up, his body drenched in sweat. His breathing was uneven as he looked down at himself, and he checked his body, but there was nothing wrong with it.
He was completely fine. His body was completely fine. Only the sticky wetness of sweat clung to him, soaking through his nightshirt. His mind, however, was far from calm.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he thought, "What is that strange voice in my dream? Why does it know my name? Why does it call me again and again? I should tell Mom and Dad about it… they should be able to do something about this."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. His steps were slow but steady as he walked toward the bathroom.
He turned on the water, splashing his face again and again until the last traces of sleep vanished. The coolness of the water soothed him slightly, but the unease in his heart remained.
After washing up, he put on new clothes — simple black trousers and a light gray shirt. He took a deep breath before heading out of his room, walking down the hall toward the kitchen.
As soon as he entered, the familiar aroma of breakfast greeted him. The scents of freshly cooked bread and warm spices filled the air.
His parents were already seated — Jonathan with his usual calm posture, reading something on a small crystal tablet, and Sara, setting a plate on the table with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Dad," Aiden greeted softly, his voice slightly tired but polite as always.
Jonathan and Sara both smiled as they said together, "Good morning." Their voices were calm and loving.
Aiden sat down quietly, picking up his fork as he began to eat. But even as he took each bite, his mind wasn't in the kitchen. He was thinking about that strange dream.
His eyes unfocused, his thoughts turning again and again toward that voice that had whispered, screamed, and echoed his name in the darkness.
Jonathan noticed the odd look on Aiden's face. His sharp eyes, trained from years of experience, picked up the subtle shift in his son's expression — the distant look, the absent-mindedness.
He set down his tablet and said gently, "Is something bothering you, Aiden?"
Aiden looked up, blinking as he came back to the present. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed as he said. "Dad… I heard that strange voice again in my dream."
Jonathan's face grew serious instantly. Aiden continued, his tone steady but low,
"But this time it was even louder and clearer than before. And it… It knew my name. It kept calling me toward itself. No matter how much I looked around, I couldn't find where it was coming from. I could only hear those words — 'Aiden, come here.'"
He paused, the memory sending a chill down his spine as he continued. "After that, the voice started to get angry… it sounded furious. It kept repeating the same thing again and again, like it had gone mad. And even if I wanted to, I couldn't wake up from the dream. It was like I was trapped inside it."
Jonathan listened silently, his expression unreadable. When Aiden finished, he folded his hands and spoke in a calm but serious tone, "It didn't say anything else this time as well?"
Aiden shook his head. "No. Just those words."
Jonathan fell silent for a few seconds, his gaze thoughtful. Then he said,
"Don't worry too much about it. I have a friend who's an expert in this field — someone who understands these kinds of dreams and connections. I already told him about your situation. He said he'll send me a solution in a few days. So, until then, don't think too much about it, and try to ignore that voice as much as possible if it comes again."
Aiden nodded slowly. "Okay, Dad."
Jonathan gave a faint smile, then his expression turned serious again as he said. "Aiden, you've mastered all ten elements now. That's a huge achievement for someone your age."
Then he stopped for a second, then continued, "You have only three months left before you turn twelve, and I want you to advance to a Stage Two Mana Cultivator before then. Once you do, I'll be able to enlist you in the Magic Academy of Eldoria."
Aiden's eyes widened slightly. He had heard of the academy before — the most prestigious institution in the entire kingdom, where only the most talented and powerful young cultivators were admitted.
Jonathan continued, "Now listen carefully. I'll tell you how to advance and what changes will occur inside your body once you become Stage Two. First, you need to absorb enough mana until your Mana Heart, which right now is light green, turns into a light blue color.
Then he took a deep breath as he said, "Once that happens, all your spells will be enhanced severalfold. Your control over mana will also become faster and more precise. But remember, this stage doesn't bring a true qualitative change. It's a stage that strengthens your foundation — a support stage that prepares your body and mana heart for future breakthroughs."
He stopped speaking for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, simple-looking silver ring. He placed it gently on the table in front of Aiden.
Jonathan said, "This is a Storage Ring. It can store items inside it using mana. Inside this one, I've placed ten Stage Two Mana Hearts — one for each element you've mastered. You will absorb mana from these hearts until your Mana Heart reaches the light blue color."
Aiden looked at the ring, surprise flickering in his eyes. But soon that surprise turned into discomfort. His hands tightened slightly on the table.
The thought of using someone else's mana heart to advance left him uneasy. The idea felt heavy — as if he was taking something that didn't belong to him.
Before he could voice his concern, Jonathan spoke again, his tone firm yet gentle.
"Don't feel guilty. These are not the hearts of innocent people. They belonged to criminals — murderers, traitors, people who took lives for their own greed. Their hearts were sealed and stored for cultivation purposes long ago. You don't need to burden yourself with guilt. Just focus on getting stronger."
Aiden blinked, then slowly nodded. The heaviness in his chest eased. He felt reassured, and the faint guilt that had formed moments ago began to fade.
"Yes, Dad," he said softly.
"Good," Jonathan replied, smiling faintly.
After that, the three of them continued breakfast in peace. The light chatter returned, and the tension faded from the air. For a moment, everything felt normal again.
The day went by as usual — quiet training, a few household chores, and then rest. The sun sank, the night arrived, and Aiden soon found himself alone in his room once more.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes fixed on the silver ring around his right hand's middle finger. He raised it closer to his face, studying it quietly. Then, remembering what his father had taught him earlier, he began to pour mana into it.
The ring pulsed faintly, glowing with a dim blue light. Then, with a soft shimmer, it released a small brown bag onto the bed.
Aiden stopped channeling mana and picked up the bag. He untied the string carefully and looked inside — his breath catching for a moment.
There were ten Mana Hearts inside. Each one shone with a light green hue, yet each emitted a distinct aura. One burned faintly like fire, another shimmered softly like water. The aura of each element could be felt clearly.
These were the hearts that would help him advance.
He took a deep breath and set them carefully in a circle around him. Then he sat cross-legged in the center, closed his eyes, and began to absorb the mana.
Instantly, the ten hearts started to release their mana — thin streams of colored light flowing into his body. Red, blue, green, brown, gold, silver, white, black, violet, and gray — the colors of all ten elements danced around him before merging into his body like flowing rivers of power.
He felt the surge of energy spread through his veins, filling every corner of his being. His breathing deepened as his mana heart pulsed faster, absorbing the flow.
An hour passed. When he finally opened his eyes, sweat clung to his forehead, but his body was filled with strength. He stopped absorbing the mana, then he carefully gathered the ten hearts and placed them back into the storage ring.
Then, exhausted, he lay back on his bed. The fatigue of the day and the strain of absorbing mana dragged him into sleep almost immediately.
And once again — the dream came.
The same darkness. The same void. The same voice.
"Aiden… come here."
But this time, Aiden didn't respond. He ignored it completely, remembering his father's words. The voice grew louder, angrier, but he remained still, silent, detached.
And so, the night went on — with the whisper echoing endlessly in the depths of his dreams, unanswered.
Author's Note:Silence can be a shield, but sometimes, it becomes an invitation for the darkness to speak louder. Aiden turned away from the call tonight — but some voices don't fade when ignored; they wait.
Written by The Hymn of Evil.