As the night drew to a close, everyone began to say their goodbyes. My parents hugged me tightly, their love a warm comfort. They wished me a happy birthday once more and told me of their immense pride in my accomplishments. My training had been going exceptionally well, and I felt a newfound confidence that made the expectations of being a Vale seem lighter. But perhaps the pressures were just a figment of my imagination, a self-imposed weight.

As Blake was about to leave, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box. "Here, Kai," he said, holding the box out to me. "This is your 11th birthday present."

I took the box from him, opening it to reveal a beautiful golden ring. The ring was encrusted with glittering diamonds, and it was emitting a soft, warm light.

"This ring has the ability to project a shield, and it can be recharged using mana," Blake explained. "It's a useful tool to have in battle, and I hope it will help keep you safe."

I was astounded by the generous gift, beyond anything I could have dreamed of. "Thank you so much, Blake," I said, sliding the ring onto the middle finger of my left hand. With my left hand protected, I could now keep my right hand free to wield Mistral.

Eager to test the ring's capabilities, I stepped out onto the training grounds with Blake and Arden in tow. They were eager to witness the strength of this powerful artifact.

"Let's see what it can do," I declared, channeling my mana into the ring. In an instant, a dazzling golden shield shimmered into existence before me, effortlessly blocking a stray arrow shot by Arden.

"Incredible," I breathed, feeling the ring's strength pulsing through me. "It's like having an extra layer of armor!"

Blake smiled, a look of pride on his face. "I knew you would appreciate it," he said. "Just make sure to recharge it after each use and it will serve you well."

The shield ring was a valuable tool, and I was grateful to have it as a part of my arsenal.

As Arden prepared to leave, he reached into a bag he had left by the front door and withdrew a cloak.

"Here, Kai," Arden said, offering the cloak to me. "I wanted to give you something useful for your future travels."

I took the cloak from him, admiring its unique design. It had smooth, jet-black fabric adorned with gleaming silver trim, creating a subtle yet striking appearance.

"And there's more to it than meets the eye," Arden added, gesturing to the pocket. "This pocket on the inside of the cloak is much larger than it appears, I think it will be the perfect place to store all your essentials, ready for action."

I tentatively reached my hand into the cloak and dipped it into the pocket. I was pleasantly shocked by its spacious interior. "Arden, this is incredible," I said, beaming. "I can't thank you enough."

After everyone had said their goodbyes and my mother had hugged me one last time, she left the Vale mansion in Luminia, heading back towards the Vale Estate.

I went up to my room and climbed into my soft bed, feeling exhausted but happy. I was grateful for the wonderful birthday surrounded by the people I loved. I closed my eyes, letting the sound of the wind outside lull me to sleep.

Tomorrow, we would start training again, but for now, I was content to let the memories of my birthday linger in my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up early the next morning, eager to train with Arden and Blake. 

I made my way through the city of Luminia as the sun rose. The gleaming white marble walls surrounding the city glimmered in the early morning light and the streets were starting to come to life. The smell of fresh pastries wafted through the air, coming from the wide selection of markets already set up in the central square with many adventurers purchasing supplies from them. 

Once I arrived at the training grounds, I found Arden already waiting. We greeted each other and took our places, ready to begin.

Blake soon arrived and approached us with a serious expression. 

"Good morning boys," he said. "Today, you’re going to learn how to control both external and internal mana at the same time. With this, you will be able to strengthen your body and perform spells, all while drawing in more mana from the atmosphere around you."

“So the goal is to control mana that we have already absorbed while drawing in more atmospheric mana?” I checked, slightly confused.

"Exactly. And this is what I mean by manipulating both internal and external mana flow," Blake said, 

Meditation sharpened our senses, and Arden and I could easily detect the atmospheric mana flow. We watched as Blake drew it into his left hand, manipulating it with effortless control. He then channeled his internal mana, gathering it in his right hand. His mastery over the mana was remarkable, every drop obediently flowing according to his will, with not a drop wasted. Blake seamlessly directed the external mana into his right hand while directing his internal flow to his left hand, a testament to his incredible control and mastery.

"Now, I want you both to try," Blake said, as he opened his eyes. "I want you to try to strengthen your right fist while simultaneously drawing in atmospheric mana through your left hand. Remember, visualization is key here. The mana must be carefully directed, not just absorbed haphazardly. Learn this, and we will move on to elemental magic."

Arden and I nodded, ready to try and especially motivated by the thought of elemental magic. Both Arden and I had been incredibly eager to learn elemental magic since we watched the tournament in the Marble Coliseum, all the way back when I first arrived in Luminia. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on my internal mana flow. I felt it swirl within me, ready to be directed and used. Opening my left hand, I invited the atmospheric mana to flow into it. I envisioned it pouring in, imbuing my hand with strength and power.

Simultaneously, I clenched my right fist, picturing the stream of mana flowing from the atmosphere, into my left hand, up my left arm, across my chest, down my right arm, and converging in my right fist. Balancing the internal and external mana flows took some focus, but soon I felt the two energies begin to harmonize.

As I continued to focus, the feeling of power grew within me. My right fist was glowing with energy, and I could feel the mana swirling around my left hand. I opened my eyes to see that Arden was also doing well.

Blake smiled as he watched us. "Excellent work, both of you," he said. "This is a difficult task, but with enough practice, it will become second nature to you. Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it in no time."

Over the next few months, Arden and I continued to practice and hone our skills while Blake spent most of his time performing his Guardian duties. We trained in both internal and external manipulation, focusing on control and precision. We trained for hours every day, honing our skills and learning to control mana, both within and around us.

I was amazed at how much I had grown. At first, I struggled to balance the internal and external mana flows, but now I was able to do it with ease. My control over magic had become stronger and more precise, and I felt ready for the next level of training.

The next day, Arden and I both arrived at our training grounds before the sun rose. 

"Kai, I have to say, I'm impressed," Arden said, as we took a seat on a nearby pearlescent rock. "You've come a long way since the start of our training."

"Thanks, Arden," I replied, smiling. "I have to say, I feel the same about you. We're both getting the hang of this technique."

Arden nodded. "Blake’s coming in today right?” 

“Yes, I believe he has a day off from the Guardians,” I replied.

“I think we should tell Blake that we feel comfortable with controlling external and internal mana flow simultaneously.” Arden declared, the confidence oozing out of his voice.

"Agreed," I said, smirking, "Let's show him once he arrives."

A few minutes later, Blake arrived. 

"Good morning, Arden, Kai," Blake greeted us. "How has your mediation been going? Can you control external and internal flow at the same time a bit better now?"

"Actually, we did want to talk to you about our progress with that," I said. "We both feel confident that we have mastered it, and we wanted to show you."

Blake raised an eyebrow in surprise, a small smile on his face. “Really? That's impressive. Let's see what you've learned then. Draw in mana through your left hand, and move it to your right hand while continuing to draw in external mana through your left, and hold for 30 seconds."

Arden and I looked at each other, nodded, and then sat down and closed our eyes.

I felt for the flow of the mana in the atmosphere, it was second nature to me now. I connected with the ambient mana, sensing its movement in the air around us. I could feel the small openings in my mana channels, eager to absorb the ambient mana. I pulled mana through the openings in my left hand.

As the mana flowed into my left hand, I envisioned it as a stream of light, just as Blake had instructed us when we first began internal manipulation. I held onto my control over the flow of atmospheric mana, imagining the stream flowing from the air around me and into my left palm, moving throughout my body to and converging in the center of my right hand.

I held this flow for 30 seconds, then opened my eyes. Arden opened his eyes a few seconds later, having completed the task.

Blake had been watching with interest as we demonstrated our progress. "Well done, both of you," he praised, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "You've both made a great deal of progress in a short amount of time. You're ready to move on to the next stage of your training."

Arden and I grinned at each other, feeling proud of our achievements. "What's next, Blake?" I asked, keen to continue training.

Blake let a smirk creep onto his face before answering. "Elemental magic."