The sharp cold of the Black Mountain bit at their skin as Shidan, Malvek, and Helios stepped out from the cave, beginning their long descent. The wind cut like knives, the snow stinging Helios's face until it felt numb. He hugged himself, teeth chattering, and then noticed something strange, Shidan and Malvek weren't shivering at all. In fact, Malvek wasn't even wearing a shirt, only loose black pants, while Shidan strolled down in shorts, a T-shirt, and a coat tied casually around his waist. "Hey! How are you two not freezing to death?!" Helios shouted over the howling wind. Malvek glanced back, calm as ever. "We're using mana skin," he said. "It lets us control the temperature around our bodies." Shidan chuckled, smirking at Helios. "You were gonna run off on your own and you didn't even know about mana skin?" he laughed. "You'd have been a popsicle in an hour." With a wave of his hand, Malvek extended his mana to wrap Helios in warmth. "It's fine," he said with a small smile. "You learned something new. That's what matters." Helios muttered his thanks, but his mind was elsewhere, turning over the question of just how powerful these two really were. By the time they reached the base of the mountain, Malvek dropped the mana skin from himself and Helios. The sudden bite of the evening air made Helios shiver again. "So… where to now?" Helios asked. Malvek shrugged. "We only came here to see Thing." Shidan planted his hands on his hips and declared, "Lightning City! That's our next stop." Malvek leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
Shidan's expression shifted. "Alright, fine, we're going to Lightning City because you need patching up, Helios. And… we're broke. So we'll hit a few guild jobs while we're there. Any objections?" Helios and Malvek both nodded. They set off across the rolling grassy plains, the sky painted orange and purple by the setting sun. "Malvek," Shidan said as they walked, "teach Helios how to control his mana. I want him to have the basics before we leave Lightning City." Malvek didn't answer at first; he was already shaping the earth beneath them, raising packed dirt into seats, a windbreak, and a fire pit. "Yeah," he said finally. "I'm better suited for it than you, anyway." Shidan just grunted and wandered off to scavenge for food. "Alright, Helios. Sit," Malvek instructed. Helios took the earthen seat across from him. "First lesson: mana is in all living things, and with enough control, you can infuse it into objects as well. To grow your mana, you need to master two things: increasing your capacity and increasing your output." He raised a hand, and in his palm, water began to swirl into existence. "This is creation. I used my mana to pull hydrogen and oxygen from the air and shape it into water. Once created, you can command it, make it move, change, attack." The small ball of water shot forward, splashing full in Helios's face. He sputtered and wiped at his eyes while Malvek smirked. "But here's the catch," Malvek continued. "Large-scale creations eat through your mana. And if you burn through it too fast, you'll be dead before you know it." Helios thought for a moment. "So… the downside is that it takes too much mana?" Malvek nodded. "Bingo. But here's the good news: you can also use mana to speed up healing and restore stamina. Those techniques cost far less than, say, controlling a massive wave or a giant wall of stone. Still, both require discipline." Helios leaned forward, eyes fixed on Malvek. He'd never even imagined half the things he was hearing. Every word dripped with the weight of experience. "You can do more than just shape things with mana," Malvek continued. "You can reinforce your body, make it harder, stronger. Shidan and I use it all the time. It doesn't drain your mana, but it takes a lot of practice to master." He raised his hand, and his forearm flared with a bluish-purple glow. Without warning, he formed a wall of earth behind Helios and gave it a light tap with the back of his glowing hand. The wall exploded into rubble. Helios twisted around, stunned at the effortless display. "You can also extend your mana onto a weapon," Malvek went on, sitting back down. "You can also infuse it into a blade to make it sturdier and hit a lot harder. But there's something even more important than mana itself. Wanna guess?" Helios furrowed his brow. "Your health?" Malvek chuckled. "Close, but no." Helios tried again, "The strength of your body?" "Wrong again," Malvek said. Helios sighed. "Alright, what is it?" "Stamina," Malvek said simply. "As long as you've got stamina, you can replenish your mana and keep going in a fight. Run out of mana and yeah, you'll feel dead on your feet, but you can adapt to that feeling. As long as your stamina holds, you can recover. That's what separates a survivor from a corpse." Helios nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. Malvek's tone shifted, a hint of excitement creeping in. "And here's something else, you ever heard of Apex Gems?" Helios shook his head. "They're rare as hell, worth a fortune, and they grant the user a unique ability based on the power inside. I carry the Corruption Gem. It lets me spread my mana deep into anything, control it without burning through my reserves. I can also leave corruption marks, and over time, those marks let me bend the object to my will. The only catch? If someone else floods it with their mana, they can wipe my control instantly." Helios looked away, hesitating. "…You know, the more I think about it, the more I believe Thing turned himself into an Apex Gem. He said he'd give me the power to control the sun… and then he started crystallizing. The crystal floated into me, right through my neck." Malvek froze, rubbing his chin, his expression tightening. "I've never heard of anyone becoming an Apex Gem. Not in any story. Not in any history." Helios met his gaze, voice firm. "It's possible. I saw it happen with my own eyes."A dust cloud rolled in from the distance.
Helios's grip on his father's sword tightened, his knuckles white. His heart pounded like the weapon itself could keep him safe. "It's just Shidan," Malvek said casually. Helios lowered his guard. Malvek slid a dagger from his belt just as Shidan emerged from the haze, an elk draped over his broad shoulders. Later, as Malvek cleaned and prepared the elk, Helios sat beside him, peeling potatoes. Shidan tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, kid. Malvek give you the rundown?" "Yeah," Helios said with a small smile. "He explained the basics. We're starting my mana training tomorrow." Shidan grinned. "Looks like you did a good job, Malvek." The night passed in quiet camaraderie. Come morning, they were back on the road, Malvek guiding Helios through exercises, first learning to feel the mana inside himself, then sensing it in others. Every time Helios lost focus and bumped into Shidan, he earned a good-natured whack to the head. Days slipped by, and so did the lessons. Helios began to surprise them both, channeling mana into his body, shaping earth beneath his feet, even pulling water from the air like Malvek had shown him. Then Shidan froze mid-step. "Malvek, get over here." "What is it?" "Time to make yourself useful. You're the pro at this. Kid, listen up. Step exactly where Malvek steps, or you're worm food. Literally." Malvek crouched, placing his palm to the ground. "Multiple tunnels under us. Big ones. And it's awake." Shidan rubbed his face. "Figures. No way out now. Malvek, you know what to do." Mana pulsed into the earth, sinking deep. "Shidan, kill it in one strike. Don't let Helios fall." The ground erupted. A massive worm burst from below, its grotesque body brushing against Helios. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT MONSTROSITY?!" Helios yelled. A pillar of earth slammed upward, launching the beast into the air. Shidan's hand went to his sword, one gripping the sheath, the other the hilt. Then, silence. The world around Helios and Malvek turned gray, like time itself had stopped. "Slay On," Shidan whispered. Everything fell silent. Color drained from the world until only shades of gray remained. Shidan's hand drifted to his blade, schhhk, a fraction unsheathed, then locked back into place. The suspended worm collapsed in on itself, imploding with a deafening pulse. The ground erupted, earth splintering and spiking upward like jagged teeth. In one fluid motion, Shidan seized Helios and leapt clear of the chaos, Malvek close behind. As Helios regained his footing, he caught it a fleeting glimpse of the overwhelming, terrifying force Shidan kept hidden.