Two years have passed since my rebirth in the world of Esone. I have been living a life of a two-year-old child, but my mind and soul are much older- like a 102 years old than my physical form. I have been observing and learning everything around me, patiently waiting for the day when I could awaken my mana and regain my past life's power.
Magic is an essential part of this world, it exists in the atmosphere and is divided into particles of each element. And it is awakened in individuals at a young age around seven to fourteen. Of course, that kind of age limit isn't for someone like me.
The process of awakening magic is different for everyone, but it involves the manipulation of mana, the magical energy that flows within every living being. Once awakened, a person's mana pool is created, a space within their core where they can store and cultivate mana.
Mana pool is classified into four ranks. Rank 0, Rank 1, Rank 2, Rank3.
At Rank 0, one's mana color is initially black because the mana particles that make up a mana pool are mingled with the body's blood and other impurities. And as the user develops, the mana's color gets purer, lighter, and free of any impurities. In general, the lighter the mana pool rank, the purer one's mana is. Therefore there was more power one could have access to.
As for me, I have been waiting for my mana to awaken, and finally, it happened. It was a moment of revelation, a feeling of immense power and control over the energy flowing within me. I awakened my mana directly at Rank 1 because of my increased physic to contain pure mana, within the privacy of my room, where no one could see me. But something unexpected happened.
Instead of a clear mana attribute, I felt an unclear presence of mana within me. It was as if there were different elements mixing within me, making it hard for me to control my mana. I panicked, fearing that my family would find out that my attribute was unclear, which would be seen as a weakness.
I was proud to say that I would be the first one to awaken mana early at the age of two, and yet I was worried about the awakening. Thing is, I awakened mana with several kinds of elemental attributes running down the channels so there wasn't a clear attribute or attributes I can conjure.
'knock knock'
"Come in!" I better hide everything.
"Young Master, its time for dinner!" my personal maid Lucia said as she gently opened the door.
"Yup! coming!" I smiled gently and headed out to the dining room. I should somehow break the news to my family now.
...
We, Durahans sat down and had our dinner, and at the end I opened up to them about my awakening.
I decided to hide my unclear mana attribute and to manipulate wind, a neutral element that I could control without revealing my true attribute.
As I sat down for breakfast with my family, I was eager to tell them about my recent awakening as a wind mage. However, as soon as I opened my mouth, my father cut me off.
"Levin, I know you're a clever boy, but don't make up stories to impress us," he said with a chuckle.
I frowned, feeling a bit hurt. "It's not a story, Father. I really did awaken my mana as a wind mage."
My mother gave me a sympathetic look. "Levin, we love you, but you're still just a cute liltle baby. It's impossible for someone so young to awaken their mana."
'huh?' seriously? baby?
My brother Alvin, who was sitting across from me, simply rolled his eyes. "Come on, Levin. You can't fool us with that kind of trick."
'Sigh" I tried to keep my cool, but their skepticism was starting to frustrate me. "Fine, if you don't believe me, I'll show you!" I declared, slamming my tiny fists on the table.
Immediately, a strong gust of wind blew through the room, knocking over plates, glasses, and cutlery. My family members jumped up in surprise, and I could see the shock and disbelief on their faces.
"Levin, how did you do that?" my father asked in amazement.
I put on my most innocent face, pretending to be surprised at what had just happened. "I don't know, Father. I think I lost control of my magic."
My mother rushed over to me, picking me up in her arms. "Oh, you poor thing! Don't worry, we'll get you some help."
I smiled to myself, knowing that my little show had worked perfectly. It wasn't that I wanted to deceive my family, but I needed to keep my true abilities a secret for now. It was challenging, but I persevered, knowing that this was the only way I could protect myself and my family.
The twist was unexpected, but I adapted to it. I could control the wind at an intermediate level with the knowledge of my past life, which was impressive for my age for the others.
But I knew that I had to keep my true attribute hidden, as it could be dangerous if someone found out. I continued practicing, pushing myself to master mana manipulation further. I tired different kinds of things like combining mana. Well, I don't know if its fate but it seems like I will become someone far greater than my past life as the hero, Ardon Shayde.
As time passed, I became more comfortable with my new life. I had grown close to my family, especially my elder brother, Alvin Durahan. He was the heir of the family, but he treated me kindly and with respect. He was always willing to play with me and teach me new things. He sure was superior to me in every way. I would expect nothing less from him, and I never thought the once unkind kid who doesn't understand power has become someone I respect more.
I had learned about the new developments in the continent, from the benign aspects of politics to the day-to-day life of the inhabitants more and more as a aristocratic young master. It was fascinating to see how different races interacted with each other, sometimes peacefully and sometimes with conflict. Make me feel proud of myself seeing this happenings which me and my friends from my past envisioned of.
But for now, I knew that I had to focus on my own training, pushing myself to the limits, trying to awaken more of my mana's unknown potential. It was exhausting, but I knew that it was necessary.