Mana is your life force. It's you. Mom once told Rena someone touching your mana is like them reading and gazing into your soul.

And here I was, ready to walk into Acreon and ask a total stranger to help me unlock mine. Reckless.But still. “Can we do it today?” I asked, excitement spilling out in my voice.

He looked over his mug, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smile. “Let me finish my paperwork,” he said, standing up and placing a gentle kiss on top of my head. “I’ll be ready by lunch.” He heads back to his office. 

“Could someone show me back to my room?” I voiced happily kicking my feet while sipping my chocolate. 

I get to learn magic. Use mana. Like in movies. Something similar to Alchemy. 

“Yes Miss right away.” A small voice spoke.

It’s really happening . The Awakening. I get to unlock my mana. I wonder if I’m a water mage? Rena did spend a lot of time in the stream? Or an earth mage, we do have that nature spirit image.

I stood in front of the tall bookshelf located in my bedroom and scanned the titles. There were dozens of grimoires, historical texts, spell theory guides—all lined up in immaculate rows. And there, nestled among them, were her books. My mother’s. The covers were worn, but the spines had been carefully restored. He had them fixed. I traced my finger across one, the familiar texture making something in my chest ache. One in particular stood out—her favorite. She used to read it to me like a fairytale. Back then, I didn’t understand it was actually a low-level mana theory book. I pulled it off the shelf and sat on the balcony. A note resting on top: HAPPY BIRTHDAY. A DAY THAT I UNFORTUNATELY MISSED. A DAY THAT WILL FOREVER BE CELEBRATED. flipping through the pages a smile tugs at me, trying to settle my nerves; Why can’t I just enjoy this precious gift? Doubt continues to enter my mind.

What if mother was wrong?  What if I don’t have mana at all?  She never had me tested. I don’t think I showed signs. We didn’t know anyone to check to see if I did.

 The fear crawled in, slow and steady. I took a deep breath and tried to shake it off. This wasn’t the time for doubt. She believed in me—they both believed in me now. I believe in me—us. Eventually, a knock on the door startled me from the page. My father had entered. 

Breathe in. Deep intake slow outtake. Don't let uncertain emotions rattle my thoughts.

“Let’s go,” he said simply.

We walked in silence down an unfamiliar hallway. The deeper we went, the more the air changed—thicker, humming with power. Strange glyphs glowed faintly on the walls, their meaning lost to time but still alive with purpose. He stopped in front of a door marked with layered runes. With one firm push, it opened—and what lay inside stole my breath. The room was round, ancient, and sacred. In each corner stood carefully stacked stones in patterned formations, their shapes precise and full of meaning. The centerpiece of it all was a massive white crystal, glowing with a rainbow shimmer—like it held every color of magic in one pulse.

In front of the crystal was a raised platform, paved with gemstones: ruby, emerald, tanzanite, black opal, alexandrite… all arranged in concentric rings, humming with energy.

“Scared?” my father asked, smirking as he hung his jacket neatly by the door. 

Maybe. ….Will this hurt? 

I didn’t answer. I was too busy staring. This room felt like something out of a wizard’s temple. Powerful. Beautiful. Terrifying. 

I begin to take slow Deep Breaths through my mouth to calm these now creeping nerves and anxiousness.  He walked over and placed a kiss on top of my head, sensing my nerves. “I almost died when I awakened,” he muttered, like a confession meant to distract me.

“What?! How? Why?!” I fired the questions off so fast, I nearly tripped over them.

Mana awakening is risky but to almost die. Like face death in the face… life hanging on by a string. Should I back out now? I am not pumped to be killed another time. Plus two days here and I already got us both killed.

I take a few more deep breaths, careful not to alert him of my nerves.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “My father was gone most of the time. And my mother… Well, she didn’t have access to family funds without permission.  me and her weren’t on good terms…Some families will show their true dark color when a prize they want is given away.” His face was expressionless, but his eyes had drifted somewhere else. Far away.

“I jumped off a cliff to awaken my mana, it was a desperate time.” he said after a pause thinking back about that dangerous moment.

I blinked. “You—what?!”

“Some commoners will experience a near death or;force the body into a life-or-death situation to trigger a response. Your last chance to live. It’s… suicidal, really when you say it out loud. But that was my only option. You have better odds with mages for safety reasons, but I didn't have one yet.”

He hesitated again. “I didn’t want to risk that for you. I don’t want that for you. I know this speech is a little late, but… I hope it helps.”

What pushed him far enough to risk his life? And I hope those family members that tried to hurt him don't come around any more.

He chuckled awkwardly at himself, and I couldn't help but laugh too. It worked. My fear loosened, just a little. Then he straightened his posture and walked toward the platform.

“Sit,” he said, voice more serious now.

I stepped onto the gemstone platform and sat cross-legged. He knelt across from me and gently took my hands into his.

“I’m just going to give you a little shock,” he said. “It’s enough to wake up the mana that’s been sleeping in you. Your mana is going to then take over. Nothing  threatening to your mana system so this should be simple.

This is truly happening! Rena do you see this? Can you feel this moment? My nerves?

At first, it was warm. Like liquid sunlight moving from his fingertips into mine, slowly spreading up my arms. But then… it burned.

He said it was a little shock. Not a wave of painful heat. 

The heat grew fast—too fast. My chest seized. My body locked up. My skin felt like it was boiling, my heartbeat crashed like drums, and a high-pitched ring screamed in my ears. I couldn’t breathe.