Morning sunlight spilled through the tall crystal windows of the Ardenthal manor. Dust motes floated lazily in the air, glittering like tiny stars — the quiet kind of morning Sho always loved.
Today, however, was different.
Because today… was the day he would finally learn magic.
"Mother!" Sho's voice echoed through the hall as he ran to the garden courtyard, holding a small spellbook that looked far too heavy for his hands. "You promised to teach me today!"
Lirien looked up from her seat under the blooming mana tree, her gentle smile glowing as bright as the flowers around her.
"Of course," she said softly, closing her book of research. "But magic isn't something you just do, Sho. It's something you listen to."
Sho tilted his head. "Listen? But magic doesn't talk."
Lirien chuckled, standing gracefully and brushing off her robes. "Oh, it does. You just haven't learned its language yet."
---
She led him to the open courtyard where a small pool of clear mana water shimmered like liquid glass.
"First," she said, kneeling beside him, "you must understand what magic truly is."
She extended her hand over the water, and soft light gathered around her fingers like drifting petals.
"Magic is not power," she said. "It's the world's breath. The flow of life that exists in everything — even you."
Sho's eyes widened as the water rippled, forming gentle waves that danced in rhythm with his mother's voice.
"Every being," Lirien continued, "has mana — the inner thread that connects their soul to the world's flow. To control magic, you must not force it. You must harmonize with it."
---
She placed a hand on Sho's chest, just over his heart.
"Close your eyes. Breathe in."
He obeyed.
"Now, feel the warmth inside you — the faint hum beneath your heartbeat."
Sho inhaled slowly. At first, all he felt was the air. But then, deep within, a soft thrum pulsed in time with his heart — like a quiet song buried in his chest.
"I… I can feel it," he whispered.
Lirien smiled. "Good. That's your mana core. The center of your magic. Now let it flow, not with strength, but with calm."
---
Sho lifted his hand, trying to copy what he saw her do.
The air shimmered faintly, wisps of silver-blue light curling around his fingers — shaky and unstable, but beautiful.
The moment he got too excited, it flickered and vanished with a soft pop.
"Ah—!" He frowned. "It disappeared!"
Lirien laughed gently. "Magic responds to your heart. If your thoughts scatter, so does your mana. Try again — this time, breathe."
He nodded, this time closing his eyes. His small hands steadied. The mana gathered again, glowing brighter — soft, silvery light forming a small sphere in his palm.
When he opened his eyes, the ball of light hovered above his hand, spinning slowly like a tiny star.
"I did it!"
Lirien clapped softly, her eyes shining with pride. "You did, Sho. That's Pure Mana Manifestation — the most basic, but also the most honest form of magic."
---
But then… something strange happened.
The light in Sho's hand began to hum — higher, sharper — and the mana rippled outward, bending the air around him. The flowers trembled as sparks of silver energy drifted into the breeze, dancing like fireflies.
"Sho!" Lirien quickly placed her hands over his, steadying the flow. The light dimmed back to calm.
Sho blinked, startled. "It… it moved by itself."
Lirien's expression softened, though a trace of awe glimmered in her eyes.
"No," she murmured. "It moved because your mana wanted to. It's pure — unaligned, unbound by element or nature."
She looked down at her son, the gentle smile returning. "It seems your magic listens only to you."
---
By sunset, Sho was fast asleep on her lap, exhausted from his lessons. The fading light painted the garden gold, and Lirien brushed a strand of hair from his face.
"Unaligned mana," she whispered to herself. "A power that belongs to no school of magic… and yet, it flows so freely."
She looked up at the sky — endless and bright.
"Perhaps the world hasn't forgotten you after all," she murmured, though she wasn't sure who she was speaking to.
And somewhere far beyond the clouds, a dragon queen's eyes flickered open — golden light reflecting the same mana that shimmered in a small boy's heart.