The incident with my mana core awakening had some… unforeseen consequences.

Nothing life-threatening or anything, but I was barred out from the reading room for a whole two months just because… I can’t believe I am even saying this. A few good books have accidentally been ruined.

Outrageous, simply not true.

Here I am discovering the secrets and potential of my body, and I am chained down all because of a small slip up.

Sigh… Mother will surely forgive me.

Didn’t help that my fever skyrocketed.

The whole commotion forced my family to scramble and find the doctor nearby Lullen. Mother bolted out the door, frantic with worry.

It sucks to think that if speaking was an option, this whole fiasco would have ended much more peacefully.

What my family hadn’t realized yet, or maybe too worried about my condition, was the fact that my core finally settled.

There was a beautiful sensation that stirred beyond my eyes.

When focusing and I mean really focusing— the faint hues of color moved all around the home. From the small glitter of water mana near the well, to the golden shimmer from the hearth’s flame, and finally, the rustling swirls of wind brushing the trees.

It was faintly subtle— as if a third eye opened and the truth of this world was exposed.

I guess… this is how many have felt when awakening.

It was simply beautiful.

Fifteen long months have passed, and during that time— I have been able to fully release mana at will and even absorb small traces of it.

How many kids could awaken their core at the first stage in under two years? Likely not many if any at all, but still… it gives me some motivation.

Oh…

Did I mention I spoke for the first time a couple weeks back?

Yep, sure did!

Called my mother “mama.”

You should have seen the look on her face, crying and all that.

Father, on the other hand, sulked for what felt like an entire month.

He would go on and mutter things like, “I was the one taking care of him when he was sick,” or “What about all those times I stayed at home and didn’t participate in dungeon runs?”

…Let’s be real, he just had a guilty conscience than anything else.

Mother was enjoying this and didn’t seem too bothered. Almost as if reveling in her delight of being the favorable parent.

She’d often poke fun at him whenever he got so dramatic, saying things like, “Well… maybe he’ll say ‘papa’ if you stop tossing him in the air like a sack of potatoes.”

His expression often soured, recalling the injury from one time.

I grew immensely close with Mother— but I still loved father just the same— albeit his dull moments were an eyesore.

The last several weeks have been spent building up of mana within my core— turning it into a kind of storage.

The book talked about that each user can hold a certain amount of mana, but when awakening their core— it can exponentially increase. It was difficult to gauge just how much mana can be stored. An opportunity would surely come for me to test it further given the chance.

Speaking of mana, I hadn’t actually performed magic yet. Building up mana is good practice in improving efficiency, but casting?

That was another story.

Timing mattered.

Just the other day, my attempt at using the backyard for practice became meaningless, especially with Father always lurking around. Any time there was an opportunity to focus on myself, he’d scoop me up and toss me skyward. Just like how Mother says— ‘a bag of potatoes.’

He… meant well.

I can’t fault him for putting effort into and staying around more for his family. That wasn’t all, however.

“Someone very important is coming by, so please be on your best behavior Ash.” Priscilla said, stroking my brown hair.

Mother seemed stressed by the sudden visit. I did feel a sense of excitement getting to meet someone important. Father on the other hand… didn’t seem to be doing so well. His usual charming bravado melted into a nervous wreck— pacing back and forth.

Perhaps this special someone was cruel and cunning.

Either way, it was the perfect opportunity to slip out to the gardens after introductions were over.

Mother had me get properly dressed in a fine white clean tunic— a pair of tailored navy dress pants, and a sturdy leather girdle. I’m not one for fashion, but I must say I looked rather dashing with mother’s quick thinking.

After all, it would be rude to appear unkempt in front of a distinguished guest.

By the sounds of clatter of horse hooves echoing loud enough to reach us inside— the honored guest arrived. All of us stepped outside just in time to see a horse carriage enter our front home.

It could be mistaken for royalty by appearance alone.

The horses were draped in golden cloth, their black manes sleek and polished, matching the regal flair of the entire setup.

The carriage itself was a sight to behold.

Lavishly gilded, white trim only served to accentuate the gold, making the carriage even more resplendent. Intricate carvings decorated its sides, each one looking hand-crafted and expensive. This was the type of display that screamed wealth.

The driver was unremarkable, nothing about him stood out, at least for now.

Finally— the special guest of honor, who for the better part of the last two minutes had emerged from the carriage to greet us.

She moved with grace; her attire exuded an air of elegance.

She wore an off-white, long-sleeved dress adorned with a delicate toile pattern. Her hair, cascade of soft blonde curls, was styled in a fashionably loose fishtail halo. Wisps framed her face perfectly, and her eyes— deep brown— held quite a similar resemblance to Mother’s.

The similarities became more apparent the closer she approached us.

“Hello sis, it’s been a while,” said Priscilla as she embraced her sister.

“Alicia… you look exactly the same.”

“It’s been way too long Priscilla, my dear!” Alicia said, loosening her grip around her and pulling her focus to my father.

“I was surprised to hear my sister gave birth to a child of your seed… but also, another one is on the way?” Shooting death glares at Andrion.

It didn’t occur to me— or better yet, I pretended to ignore it— but looking at mom more clearly— she gained some unusual weight and fast.

It caught me off guard, it was the revelation that she had a sister. A freaking twin, no less.

As I kept learning how to utilize mana, it wasn’t difficult to get a sense of my family’s strength. But Alicia…

I can’t gauge her at all.

Realizing her attention was now focused on me— she glared down at me seeing the resemblance of my father.

She must feel either disgusted or grotesque by my child appearance, because her expression twisted into something else.

Maybe I looked too much like him…

“Pwease to meet yuu.” I said, immediately regretting every life decision that led me to speak like that.

It was an attempt to speak in a cute manner. Her eyes widened with a sudden gasp.

“Oh my god!” Alicia exclaimed, pulling me up onto her chest. Her soft breast pressed against my face— suffocating me entirely.

No complaints here.

“You’re so cute, little Ash! I bet you’ll grow up to be a kinder, better looking man than your lousy father.”

Her fragrance was a rare scent.

It had the qualities of seduction— and if I didn’t know any better, she was planning all along to gain my favoritism with that and her delicate compliments.

“Sis, please, you’ll hurt my child.” Mother said worriedly, her brows knitting together.

Alicia finally set me down, giving me ample time to recollect my thoughts from all the spinning and squeezing.

“Oh please, he needs to know how adorable his auntie is.” Alicia said with a wide grin, patting my back. “I’ll spoil him rotten from now on.”

“Ash, can you play in the gardens while your mother and I talk to Aunt Alicia please?” Father chimed in.

The conversation seemed rather important, but before going, I gave a small hug to my auntie and my parents, leaving them alone to discuss matters.

Finally! A chance to test my magic.

After arriving in the backyard, I took center stage and began concentrating mana into my palms. It wasn’t quite comparable to the full-body circulation that I practiced before— this time, thew focus was entirely on channeling it into my hands.

The weather was enjoyable today. If I had to guess, it’s around Spring as the trees have begun to blossom.

To start off, I began casting a water ball for starters.

The sensation of blood began gathering in my right hand. My blood feels as if it’s being squeezed out, but even with all the effort to cast magic, nothing happened.

Again.

I repeated this motion several more times— exhausting my body to the fullest— enraged at the complications.

What was I missing?

Again.

The weight of defeat hit suddenly. However long I’d been out here, it was long enough to feel like a complete moron.

I thought I was special…? Hopeless thoughts crept in.

Maybe making early progress in awakening was meaningless after all.

Once more, I told myself.

Mana surged through my veins and condensed into my palm— and finally, a water bullet size of a grown mans fist formed in the air before me. The water bullet shot out of my hand and hit the ground with a loud thud. The exuberance feeling, I had just experienced was nothing to write home about, but man— did it feel good.

Water was my affinity, but I wanted to try casting fire next. Raising my right hand, I recalled the feeling of casting water magic and imagined it in my mind. Mana was not a concern, as there was plenty to spare.

There was a glimmer of heat— faint but there— and I poured everything into making it real. Slowly, the flames began to take shape in my hand. It grew larger and hotter until there was no more room for it to possibly expand.

Holy shit!

A large ball of fire condensed on my right hand, roughly three times the size of the water ball.

I launched it into the air and wiped the sweat from my brows, stunned. This really confirmed that fire was my second affinity— possibly even my greater affinity based on the results.

This meant… I was a dual-elemantalist.

The realization hit me hard.

The textbooks didn’t discuss about having multiple affinities… so maybe…  It was uncommon, impressive, even.

Still, I couldn’t afford to get sidetracked by that alone. Onto the next test, wind magic. I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of the air around me, brushing against my skin.

There was gentleness to it— almost teasing— like the breeze was curious about me. Each breath I took created a perfect rhythm of the world swirling around me.

I called to it, embracing it to move with me. Mana molecules swirled around my hand, heeding my demand. Slowly, they began to swirl and dance, picking up speed.

The wind felt alive. It wrapped around my hand in twisting tendrils, gaining firce momentum until it became a solid coil of force.

I released it.

The tendrils cracked from my hand like a whip, swirling and snapping that echoed through the garden.

…

…

…This was really good!

Blood rushed throughout my body, but it wasn’t over yet. There was still one final element— earth. I think this might end up being the hardest one to approach. Earth magic required harmonious connection with the ground itself.

The mana beneath me felt stable, flowing through the soil. I extended my hand, trying to draw it towards me.

…It… resisted me?

Over and over, I tried. Maybe a dozen—no, several dozen attempts passed. Each time resulting in nothing.

It took me a moment to gather my thoughts, and while the feeling of not being compatible with earth magic was unfortunate,

I accepted my shortcomings.

It’s fine.

Slapping my cheeks gently, it was a perfect time to realize that I’m now a triad-elementalist. Three elements seem like a big deal, but it was hard to tell.

For now.

I was able to sneak out the ‘Magic for Dummies’ book again— despite being reminded that the reading room was off limits for me.

To explain how I came to possess my book… let’s just say the lock wasn’t designed with mana-channeled vibrations in mind.

A little push here.

A little shake there.

A little pulse here.

And you get a perfectly self-opened shelf. A high risk demands a high reward!

Flipping through the pages, there was a part of a section that focuses on the species with more of a base for specific affinities.

Reading down the section tells me that Dwarves have the highest affinity for earth magic. Practically woven into their blood and bones, for better or worse. Beggers can’t be choosers I suppose.

Something else caught my attention.

“As of this publication date, there are fewer than 1% of recorded users that possess the capabilities to qualify as a quad-elementalist. People with this incredible talent are exceedingly rare— records show only a dozen or so appear every generation”

That comment made me stare.

I read it again.

And again.

And once more,

realizing the gravity of the truth— there are many others out there. People with similar talent. Perhaps even far stronger than my current self. Closing the book, my thought went full circle, still over contemplating on that damn page.

It was meaningless to sulk.

There was a lot of work that needed to be done.

Yeah!

I have a lot more work to do, and standing here pondering about my shortcomings won’t solve anything. I got up. Hand tingling with leftover mana.

Just one more cast.

Once more— my right hand was raised— for one final spell. The goal was for a much, much larger fireball.

It formed instantly, intensely, and furiously. It grew far beyond what I expected. This time around, the goal was to finish in a fashionable way, albeit a bit flashy. However, the magic became precarious, losing control of maintaining it.

No. No, no, no, no!

The fireball was nearly threefold the size of my previous attempt. My body became drenched with sweat. My mana was also nearly exhausted. The sudden heaving for breath became intoxicating.

As it continued, my hand with little mana protection started to become scorched from the heat. If this keeps continuing, I am not sure of the outcome.

The whole garden would ignite, maybe even the entire estate. The look of disappointment on their faces.

My parents…

Mother.

I had to fix this, no matter what the cost.

Think!