Ray :
"Most importantly… now, we will discover the type of magic you can use."
Arin swallowed hard.
Arin:
"H-How… how do we find that out?"
Ray replied with the calm coldness of a seasoned expert.
Ray:
"Just as every person is born with a heart that beats in its own way…
they are also born with a magical energy—one with a unique imprint that distinguishes them from others.
All we do… is release that imprint."
She lightly raised her hand, a small magic crystal resting in her palm.
Ray:
"Close your eyes."
He obeyed.
She stepped closer—so close that he could feel her faint breath near his ear.
She placed her palm against his chest, directly over his heart.
It felt… strange.
As if something other than her touch was moving inside him.
Ray (in a low voice):
"Focus… don't think of anything.
Let the mana move on its own."
The moment she began channeling her energy into his body—
She froze.
Inside Arin… something stirred.
Something dense.
Primitive.
Unfamiliar.
Ray's eyes snapped open—but she didn't pull her hand away.
Ray (inner monologue, frozen in shock):
What is this…?
It's… massive. Far larger than what a human should possess.
This isn't just a large mana pool… it's more like a sealed inheritance.
She tried to deepen her connection to his mana,
but something surrounded it…
A shell?
A barrier?
A lock?
Why does his mana feel like it doesn't fully belong to him?
As if someone… or something… claimed it before I did?
Then—
A tremendous warmth erupted from within him.
Heat.
Flames—
but not burning flames.
Flames that breathe.
Ray yanked her hand back as if she had touched molten metal.
Ray:
"This…!"
She stepped back.
Her eyes widened for a split second—before she forced herself to hide it.
Arin:
"What?!
Is something wrong?!"
She didn't answer immediately.
Her thoughts were burning hotter than the fire she had just discovered.
Impossible…
Humans rarely possess fire magic.
And even rarer… to possess something else alongside it.
She remembered what she felt before the fire.
That black-and-white current.
That unfamiliar vibration.
That terrifying aura—
a power like a stab to the soul, unlike any earthly element.
How… can an ordinary human carry this?
This amount of mana?
Is he… really human?
His voice pulled her back.
Arin:
"Ray…
What is it?
What did you find?"
She took a deep breath, then lowered her head slightly, regaining her composure.
Ray (concealing the shock):
"Arin…
You possess fire magic."
He lifted his head, a hint of childlike astonishment in his eyes.
Arin:
"Fire?
I… I have fire magic?"
She nodded, but her gaze remained sharp and unsettled—searching him for something she refused to acknowledge.
Ray:
"Yes.
And this… is no simple matter.
Fire magic is rare, violent, and demands a strong personality… or a will that burns from within."
She didn't tell him the truth.
She didn't tell him this was only a fraction of what she had seen.
She didn't tell him there was a second power—far stronger—sealed behind an unknown force.
She didn't tell him his mana was absurdly, inhumanly vast.
She didn't tell him that something…
something dangerous
lived deep within him—perhaps even watching.
She merely turned her back and said:
Ray:
"We'll begin with the basics of fire control.
As for the rest inside you…"
She paused.
"Not now."
Yet inside her mind, a single question echoed endlessly:
Who… are you really, Arin?
Why do you carry magic that almost resembles their power?
And why do I feel that what lies within you… is not merely magic?
A faint fear passed through her eyes—
one Arin failed to notice.
Ray stood a short distance away, sunlight filtering through the trees and reflecting off her tense expression.
She still held the small magic crystal used to test Arin's mana.
Something about the result… was profoundly unnatural.
Ray (inner monologue):
"This… this can't be right. Fire element? Of all elements?
Humans are rarely born with a fire affinity—extremely rare.
Most cling to earth or water, and even then… their power is pitiful. Barely enough to spark a flame or stir a puddle."
Her fingers tightened around the crystal. Her heartbeat quickened—faster than it had in years.
"But this boy… this human… his mana isn't human at all.
Dense… raw… overflowing as if it has never been refined—
yet powerful. So powerful it unsettles even those who have trained their entire lives."
She raised her gaze toward the forest, where Arin waited, unaware of everything.
"And the worst part… it's not just the fire."
She recalled that strange flicker—that dark layer of power she sensed for only an instant before it vanished.
"Another force… something sealed… locked tight.
It's not just mana… but a fusion of intertwined powers.
Is this…? No. That's impossible. Humans cannot—cannot carry such power."
A chill ran down her spine.
"That aura… it resembles theirs.
But Arin? A human? How…?
Is he even aware of it? No… he looks frightened, lost… like a child dropped into a world he doesn't understand."
A small smile tugged at her lips—one mixed with confusion, curiosity… and restrained excitement.
"But maybe… maybe this is my chance.
At last… someone who can cross the boundaries I never could.
Someone whose power could change something… or destroy it."
She slowly put the crystal away.
"I must train him.
I must make him my disciple—not only for his strength… but to uncover his secrets.
His mana. That other power. His true identity… and why a human like him exists this way."
She inhaled deeply, remembering Arin's expression when she told him he only possessed fire magic.
She chose to hide everything else—
Because even she didn't know what she was facing.
"But… despite all this…"
The corner of her lips lifted into a calm smile.
"I can't deny it… I feel something close to joy.
At last… someone who can become strong. Truly strong.
Perhaps… even stronger than me."
She raised her eyes to the sky as the wind brushed through her red hair.
"Very well, Arin…"
"I will train you…
and I will also unravel you."
She turned back toward the training ground, her gaze filled with awe… hope… and danger.