"Why ?!" I demanded for answers

Mother stayed silent for a bit and the responded.

"The best way to teach someone not to make a mistake is to.... let them make that mistake while it is still harmless and does not cost anything"

"what?" I exclaimed with surprise.

"Through this mistake, you learned that you must visualize the magic itself, not just the raw element. You learned how mana circulates during a premature ignition. You learned the limit of your own control—"

"Stop!" I interrupted her "I am not asking all that. I am asking, Why ?"

She stayed silent.

" Harmless?" I continued, my fists clenching. "Something like this can easily leave a psychological scar. Do you still call it harmless ?"

"I know the risks," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "But I also knew. I knew that you wouldn't suffer from a scar like that. I am sorry, Tyler."

"You knew? Why? Why would you assume that?"

"Because I know you. I know and believe in your capabilities, in your spirit... and, truthfully, this is ...the only teaching method I know of."

"Believe?" I spat the word out like it was bitter. "Are you seriously telling me to just accept that? Because you had expectations?"

"I know it wasn't the correct choice of action and I am sor--"

She was about to apologise again but now, I was upset about something else.

I interrupted her "Expectations. Don't you know Expectations can be... Burdening ?"

Nick hated expectations. On Earth, expectations were just debt you hadn't signed up for yet. They were a burden that either led to either crushing disappointment or hollow success.

She stayed silent in realization for a bit as if she realized something and said.

"I told you this simply to let you know that I have expectation from you, Not to crush yo with Burden, son"

She pulled me into a hug "Having people Expect things from you can be burdening, I know but..."

"having no one to expect anything from you at all ....can be equally devastating, if not more. Still ...I am Sorry" She said

She hugged me tighter and "I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry...." she continued apologising in an almost crying voice.

I could feel her hands trembling. She was equally frightened and nervous as me. I hugged her back and patted here back.

'The only teaching method you know ? What kind of past did you have mother ?'

But that question can wait. The only thing that matters now is consoling her.

'I feel like a father, consoling his daughter who crying because she made some mistake'

A few minutes of mother-son Sweet moment, We got up.

"Do you still want to continue ?" she asked

"Yes!!" I replied excitedly.

"Alright, Take your stance. I will help" she said

"okay, But no more Traps this time ?"

"No" she laughed, a genuine, light sound. "No more traps"

"Alright. Then, This prince shall allow you to Assist this Noble One" I said in an exaggerated voice.

She laughed and Said "Then This Humble Maiden thanks Your highness for his grace in giving me this Opportunity ?"

After our little joking conversation we got to work. I took my stance pointing my right palm at the target.

Mother stood behind me, holding my left shoulder and right hand wrist.

"Now, calm down. Imagine a Fire ball at your palm instead of just fire."

I did what she said and...

Suddenly, sparks of orange light began to dance around my palm. They grew in intensity, swirling into a miniature cyclone of heat. I did not flinch. Then they condensed into a fire fall at my palm.

"Good, Now focus on your target and use mana to give some kinetic energy and push"

Whoosh

I did so and shot the ball. It hit the target almost at the center. the wooden target fell and kept burning and before it could affect the grass, mother shot a mana ball and somehow extinguished the fire.

"It was good, Ty! you are a genius" she said while patting my head.

'Of course, I am the [Genius Of Magic]'

"Really ?" I asked in an innocent voice.

"yes. Don't take the previous mistake to heart. Normally it takes more than five hours to even manifest an element, yet you did it in first try, Good Job"

I felt proud. Any man would die of happiness if he makes his mother proud. I am no exception to that.

Alas, Nick never got the chance. Maybe I was given this second chance so that, I could make up for all of his-No Our Regrets

Although that would just bring satisfaction my part, not my former mom.

Sign... No use having these useless thoughts "Let's try next element"

"Are you sure you are ready ?" Mother asked.

"yes, The next element is Water"

I followed the same process for basic water magic, Water Ball. This time, I hit the target at the middle.

"now next is Wind"

This time the spell was wind cut. I imagined a sword slash of sword coupled up with some more anime knowledge and It worked.

It even left a scar on a big tree.

"This scar will be a memory of our little Ty using magic for the first time" Mother said

"In the future, we will look back at this time through this scar. Oh, I know, maybe i will even tell my grandchildren About how much of a genius their father was"

Please don't

I moved to the final pillar of the basics: Earth. I targeted a patch of dry soil near the gazebo and visualized a sudden displacement of tectonic energy.

Earth Shatter.

I didn't have the mana for a quake, but the ground groaned, and a spiderweb of cracks snaked through the dirt.

"Incredible," Mother whispered, her eyes wide. "It seems you have an affinity for all the Basic elements. Do you still have enough strength to test the Advanced tier?".

"Yes"

For lightning, the basic spell was Lightning Touch. It was a low-voltage spell, essentially the magical equivalent of a static shock.

Its like giving someone shock by touching him. But there was no one on whom i could try it and i did not want to shock my mother.

So, I just tasted if i could at least manifest lightning in my hand.

And it worked.

For Nature, The basic spell was, Grow. A spell to make trees grow.

I used it on a small plant and it grew a few inches. Even fresh new leaves and branches were created.

For Light element, Basic spell was Torch. Just creating a ball of light.

I visualized a point of pure luminosity, a miniature sun without the heat. A ball of brilliant white light manifested above my palm. It worked.

"Amazing, you have all the advanced elements"

"of course and now nex--" I was about move on to the next element when i suddenly got dizzy and was about to fall.

But, my mother caught me at the right time.