The next day, it was the weekend, I was woken up by my mother who had already prepared breakfast. She had a worried look on her face, and I could tell she was still anxious about what happened yesterday.
"Are you alright?" She asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I nodded, trying to hide the expression on my face as best as I could. I appreciated the amount and concern they were giving me, but something as small as a quarrel between children didn't deserve their attention.
"Your dad's already gone off to talk to their parents this morning, so they should stop bothering you."
"I'm alright mom, I have to get to Lady Emily's clinic now." I said, exiting through the front door.
***
The clinic's door creaked open as I stepped inside, the familiar scent of herbs and potions drifted through the air.
Lady Emily greeted me with a yawn, she looked different today. She was dressed in her pyjamas, her hair was slightly dishevelled as if she had just woken up. She had to wipe her eyes and blink twice before she realised she had actually greeted.
"Darian? Huh? Am I still…What brings you here today?" Lady Emily asked, her voice was hoarse from having just woken up.
"I…Came for today's lesson?" I replied, my confusion evident.
Her expression shifted to one of realisation. "Oh right! Sorry, I forgot to tell you but I have to go to the academy today, so I won't be able to teach you personally, but you're welcome to take the book on tier 2 magic theory."
"Oh…that's unfortunate." I said, accepting the tier 2 book. "Thank you and I hope you have a safe trip."
She nodded, her expression soft. "I'm really happy you're so dedicated. Do your best to understand, and please don't lose it. I trust you. And most of all show me your progress on Monday, I don't expect you to fully understand it yet but I know you'll do your best as you always have."
With those words, Lady Emily dismissed me, telling me to head home. I left the clinic a little disappointed since I had so much free time to do whatever I wanted.
***
Once I arrived home, I settled into a quiet corner of our backyard, away from any prying eyes. My mother and father were busy with work despite it being the weekend, so I had the place all to myself.
I sat cross-legged on the ground, resting the tier 2 book on my lap. As I read through the tier 2 book on magic theory, I noticed that its instructions on how to effectively use mana were different.
According to this book, I needed to feel the presence of mana in the air and visualise it entering through the crown of my head and flowing down into my core. This was similar to my technique but it felt so limited. Did this mean that my own understanding of mana absorption was higher? Did this mean that the higher you went in tiers, the greater the absorption technique?
The book then went into detail into the different stages of the mana core.
It stated that the more one trained and continuously honed their magic, their mana core would change in colour and be able to store more mana, hence making it more dense. I already knew this through my own self-teaching.
The core colours went from: Blue → Purple → Red → Orange → Yellow → Green → White
As far as I was aware from my training in magic, I was at the light purple stage. A stage just before my core turns dark red.
With my reading session coming to an end, I stood up and brushed off the grass from my clothes, however I felt a peculiar sensation lingering within me, something I hadn't felt before. It was as if an undercurrent of unease coursed through my veins, tingling at the back of my mind.
I couldn't quite explain it.
It was different, unlike anything I had experienced before. I felt my heart beat.
Badum.~
Then I felt it beat again.
Badum.~
Something was happening and it was different and unlike anything I had experienced before.
As I tried to shake off the strange sensation, I couldn't ignore the fact it was growing stronger and stronger. It was like a buzzing energy pulsating beneath my skin. I felt restless, as if something was stirring deep within me, yearning for release. It was painful, so painful.
"What's happening?" I asked myself out loud before finding myself surrounded in an endless darkness.
Everything was black.
***
I found myself in a dreamscape, surrounded by an endless darkness that never seemed to go away no matter where I looked. Flashes of shadow figures darted in and out of my peripheral vision. I felt uneasy.
I couldn't make out their features or understand their purpose but their presence felt palpable. They moved with an otherworldly grace, their movements were fluid as they whispered in hushed voices I couldn't understand.
As I reached out to them, they slipped through my grasp like an elusive mist. The dream felt both mesmerising and unsettling. What were they? How were they connected to the pain I felt earlier? I had more questions than I ever did before…
***
All of a sudden, my eyes snapped open, and I found myself back in my parents' backyard, lying on the grassy ground.
Shaking off the remnants of the dream, I got to my feet and brushed off the dirt from my clothes once more. As I made my way inside of the house, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disconnection from my surroundings.
It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a different world I had never truly seen or felt before. The colours seemed somewhat more vibrant, the sounds more pronounced. I could even hear the rustling of leaves outside of my house.
Did something happen to my mana core? Checking it by closing my eyes and focusing on it confirmed that nothing had changed. Everything remained the same, except I felt different.
"I'm home!" My mother's voice echoed as she entered the house.
It was only then that I noticed how disgusting my clothes were, and the putrid odour that clung to me.
"Ew…" I muttered.
The situation reminded me of the same thing that happened a long time ago, but it was different this time.
"Darian?" My mother called out to me.
I quickly turned towards her, pushing my earlier thoughts to the side.
"Welcome home, Mom." I greeted her with a smile.
She paused, taking in my dishevelled appearance. Disgust was written all over her face the moment the unpleasant smell reached her nose. "Ugh, honey, what did you do? Go take a bath right this instant," she reprimanded me.
And so I did.
***
In the depths where shadows creep,
A dance of darkness, secrets keep.
Eyes ablaze with crimson fire,
Within the night, their desires aspire.
Cloaked in veils, unseen and wild,
Power resides where shadows smiled.
Embrace the darkness, secrets untold.
— The Unknown
***