I woke up early the next morning, eager to continue training alongside Arden and Blake. Quickly slipping out of bed, and grabbing a small piece of bread for breakfast, I made my way toward the training grounds. Upon arriving, I saw that Arden was already there, practicing the sword forms taught to him by Blake, catering to his specific style of swordplay.

"Good morning, Kai," Arden greeted me with a nod as he noticed my approach.

"Good morning," I replied. "I didn’t expect to see you here so early."

"I couldn’t sleep," Arden admitted. "I was too excited, thinking about what Blake might have planned for today."

I nodded in agreement, eager to find out the same thing. "Me too. I’m confident that we’re ready to take training to the next level."

Arden gestured to a nearby cluster of rocks and I followed him over. We sat down, facing the early morning scenery. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over the rolling hills and the vibrant greenery. The soft chirping of the birds filled the air, and the sound of a nearby stream could be heard in the distance. It was peaceful and serene, a stark contrast to the rest of the ever-busy city of Luminia.

Arden's expression turned serious as his gaze shifted to me. "Kai, may I ask you something?"

"Of course," I replied, intrigued by what he had to say.

Arden hesitated for a moment before finally mustering up the courage to ask. "Why do you train so hard?"

I was taken aback by his question, I gave it some thought. 

After a brief pause, I replied. “Honestly, I’m not so sure myself, it just… feels right. I feel happy when I’m training, maybe it’s because all other thoughts leave my mind while I train, or maybe it’s because I feel like I’m living up to my family’s expectations.” I paused before continuing “Despite all the adults trying to hide it, we can all sense the military tension in Arboreus, I’ve heard the rumors of skirmishes with the other continents. I’ve heard my father talking about supplying more soldiers to the Sylvan Guard. Something is happening, and soon, I want to be prepared.”

Arden nodded understandingly. 

"And what about you? Why do you train so hard?" I asked.

"I share similar motivations as you. My sister is my top priority and as a member of the royal family, I feel a strong obligation to protect the citizens of the Sylvanmore Domain. Although it may be difficult, training brings a sense of fulfillment in fulfilling my duty, both towards my family and the continent." He responded.

Arden and I sat in silence as we both pondered our reasons for choosing the arduous path we now shared. 

Finally, Arden spoke up, "Kai, do you have any aspirations beyond just protecting your family and being prepared?"

"Well," I started, "I have always wanted to join the Guardians. Their strength, skill, and wisdom are truly unmatched. It would be the ultimate way to live up to the Vale name and follow in the footsteps of my father. I would also like to find out what is happening with the other continents, and the Guardians could help me do that."

Arden nodded in agreement, "That's exactly how I feel too. The Guardians are the ultimate symbol of strength and protection, and I want to be a part of that. To be able to protect my sister, my family, and the whole Sylvanmore Domain, that's my ultimate goal."

We both nodded, acknowledging our mutual ambition. "I think we're on the same page, Arden," I said. 

"Agreed," Arden replied with a smile.

With that, we got up and headed back to the main part of the training grounds, the open field, to spar while we waited for Instructor Blake to arrive.

Just as we were about to start meditation after sparring, Blake arrived with his confident, casual demeanor back in place. He looked pleased to see us both there, ready to start.

"Good morning, you two. I see you're ready to get to work," Blake said, a smile back on his face, creasing the fresh scar on his cheek.

I was curious about both the scar and length of Blake’s deployment but withheld from asking, I knew that Blake would tell us what happened on that 6-month long mission once he deemed it necessary.

“After yesterday’s sparring match, it is clear that you both need to learn how to distribute your mana intentionally, to specific areas of your body. You’ll find it to be much more effective in combat and your daily lives, it will also build a solid foundation for when we move on to elemental magic.”

I listened intently, eager to learn more. I have always been fascinated by the way mana works, and how it can be manipulated and used in so many different ways. This was just another step in the journey towards becoming a Guardian worthy of House Vale and discovering the secrets of the other continents.

"Let's get started then," Arden said, his excitement clear in his tone.

We moved to the pristine white rocks surrounding the shining water of the koi pond where we first learned to draw in mana.

Blake began by having us sit down and leading us through a series of deep breaths, 

encouraging us to clear our minds and focus on the present moment. 

Once we were relaxed, Blake spoke, his voice low and calming. "Now, I want you both to imagine mana as a stream, flowing in through your channels and then flowing down to your right hand. You will need to take a break to replenish your internal mana supply using atmospheric mana now and then. Keep in mind that this time, our primary focus is on directing internal mana flow rather than external."

Arden and I both nodded, trying to visualize the flow of mana as Blake described.

"Focus your mind on that stream of mana," Blake continued, "and imagine it becoming stronger, more concentrated until it fills your right fist with power."

I could feel my mana responding to my visualization, flowing towards my right hand. It was a strange and exhilarating sensation.  But, I could also feel more mana slipping out of my grasp than the amount I could control. It felt as if I was trying to guide a pool with just a sieve.

"You’re doing well," Blake praised, "Now I want you both to try and hold that concentration, that flow of mana to your right fist, for as long as you can. Don’t worry about the mana that you don’t get to your fist just yet."

Arden and I both strained, focusing on maintaining the flow of mana to our right fists. It was a challenging task.

Blake offered words of encouragement and tips, reminding us to breathe and stay relaxed, but also to maintain focus and control over our mana. The more we practiced, the better we became at directing our mana. I no longer felt like I was using a sieve, it now felt like I could push the mana in a certain direction, like a paddle. I was confident that I was controlling about 70% more mana than I could at the beginning. At least now, the lost mana still went in the correct general area, it just didn’t coalesce in my palm with the rest of my mana.

As the days passed, we honed our abilities and felt our mana grow stronger and more controlled. And though it was a challenging exercise, it brought us both closer to our ultimate goals.

It required intense concentration and focus to maintain constant flow and control. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead as I strained to keep the flow of my mana focused on my right fist. But with each passing moment, I began to feel a sense of mastery, my control was improving greatly.

Arden, too, was struggling with the task. I could see the intense concentration on his face as he focused all of his energy on directing his mana to his right fist. It was a difficult task, but we were both determined to succeed.

Blake continued to guide us, offering tips and encouragement as we struggled to maintain the flow of our mana to our right fists. 

After what felt like an eternity, Blake spoke up “Good work today, you each held a good portion of your mana in your right fist for 3 hours. Kai, you need to work on directing mana within your body, you held it in your fist very well, but you should have been able to gather more mana there in the first place. Arden, the opposite for you, you managed to direct much more of your mana to your first than Kai, but I could feel it leaking out as time passed. Nonetheless, it is very good progress for the early stages of mana manipulation, I will see you back here first thing tomorrow.”

As the training session came to an end, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that I had taken a big step towards becoming a Guardian. And I was eager to continue on this path, eager to see what other techniques I could learn.

The night was still and quiet as I walked through the streets of Luminia, heading back to the Vale Mansion with Blake’s words and critiques echoing in my mind. The city was lit up by various street lamps, casting an orange hue over the buildings and streets. The white marble walls of the city gleamed in the moonlight. The walls were still being fortified even further, with workmen adding more blocks of marble to the already towering structure even at this hour. I couldn’t help but wonder why such fortifications were necessary and why it was so rushed. Even though I had made this walk hundreds of times before in the years I’ve been in Luminia, I still felt awe at the beauty of the city at night.

As I settled into my bed for the night, I couldn't help but think about the future. What other techniques would I learn? What kind of missions would I be sent on as a Guardian? What was happening on the other continents? What were they like? The possibilities seemed endless, and I was eager to explore them all.

The next day, I arrived at the training grounds early, eager to start the day's lessons. Arden was already there, a look of determination on his face. No matter how early I arrived, Arden seemed to be there first. I was beginning to wonder if the prince lived in this field.

We exchanged a quick greeting before settling into our usual routine of deep breathing and meditation.

Blake arrived soon after, leading us through a series of exercises and stretches to warm up, each one more challenging than the last. 

"Alright then," Blake began, "you both have learned how to draw in mana and enhance your limbs. But, your control still leaves room for improvement. That's where I come in." Blake paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in.

Arden and I exchanged glances, both of us aware that Blake's critique was accurate. We trusted that he had a plan to help us improve our control.

"Starting today," Blake continued, his sudden and loud tone making the koi in the nearby pond swim away in alarm, "we'll be moving on to a new routine. Once I feel you have reached an acceptable level, we'll move on to the next stage of your training."

"What's the routine?" Arden asked, eager to know more.

"It's a structured approach to what we've been doing so far," Blake explained, "We'll start with a half-hour warm-up, then an hour of meditation where you'll draw in mana. This will be followed by another hour of meditation where you'll focus on moving the mana around your body to train your channels. After that, you'll have a couple of hours of sparring with each other, and we'll end with a sparring session against me. Sound good?"

"Yes, sir!" Arden and I answered in unison, ready for the new routine and eager to improve our skills.