Flames, the color of a vibrant jade, painted the night skies in a whirlwind of everlasting light, folding into itself into what seemed like a pillar of hellfire and brimstone, expanding over the slave quarters: Stones began to melt as if touched by magma, grass began to wilt, and trees began to burn, as did those resting beneath the moon, carrying with it the screams of the slaves.
"What's going on?" Altair asked, staring up at the emerald skies. A curious expression was present as he turned to Tenebrae standing beside him on the porch. He noted the hard line of her tender jaw and glanced up at the pillar of flames in a guarded manner.
"Danger," Tenebrae replied after a moment of silence. "Or perhaps opportunity." She turned to him, "Can't sleep?"
Altair chuckled wryly " Well… After Awakening, I was tired but not anymore… the moment the sun fell, I felt awake. I hope I don't have insomnia."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. I like spending my days during the night anyway. It's peaceful beneath the moon." Tenebrae softly explained, rustling his hair.
"I feel weird though…." He replied.
"Wierd, how?"
He shook his head, lifting his gaze to the night. " I… I don't know how to explain it. I think it has something to do with the Heart of Darkness Skill. But it's hard to describe."
"Oh? Isn't it just a defensive— Wait. Heart of Darkness?" Tenebrae said, lifting a brow. She'd never heard of such a skill. At least not by those touched by Darkness like Altair.
"It says N/A," Altair interrupted, gazing at the moon's soft ethereal glow. He closed his eyes, almost as if he could feel the moon's transcendence against his skin.
'So not even the system can describe it?' Tenebrae thought, curious regarding the nature of what her child had been gifted: 'The system must have discovered the name of the skill but couldn't comprehend its nature. Was such a thing possible for a child? No, age isn't a factor. It never is. It's… his blood. It must be a combination of Abyssal and Myriad.'
"Alt, tell me what you know about Mana?" Tenebrae said after a moment of deliberating silence, she got a grip on her turbulent emotions.
"Nothing, really," The Prince said, opening his gaze to the tranquil moon, a sense of peace in his eyes. He turned to his mother. "Magister Illyo speaks of it but… I get he doesn't understand it. Not really, at least. It seems like—"
"His words are empty?" Tenebrae finished. " Well, you aren't wrong. Then let Mother teach you what Mana is. Mana is the knowledge of the Elements, the Knowledge of Concepts, the Knowledge of their existence." She raised a finger, and a node of Mana within the air gathered, intensifying until it wasn't visible within the Astral Plane but the material one. Light glimmered as an orb appeared, nearly similar to water in how it oscillated beneath Tenebrae's control. "From that Knowledge comes the history of the Heavens that is kept within the Mana, hidden in plain sight. But obscured by the limitation of the mind."
'Knowledge,' he thought.
"The Mana stat you hold is the key to unlocking knowledge." Tenebrae continued. " As you may know, the Mana stat represents the destructive Power of your Mana. How heavy it is, in a sense. But the price of improving that stat makes it nearly impossible to gather and refine Mana within your body. That said, the more you improve your Circles, the smaller your Mana pool will be when you increase the Mana stat. That's what we call equivalent and Exchange. A fundamental concept."
"Then.. how does one improve if you both gain and lose process."Altair couldn't help but ask.
"To put it simply, the Mana Stat raises the quality for the price of quantity. The higher the quality, the more Mana is required. Meaning. You might need to put in ten times more effort than the average person. Possibly a hundred. But don't worry. Mama will help her bestest baby out: What I'm about to give you, Altair, is a technique I created called the Infinity Circle." Her fingers swirled in a perfect circle as Mana trailed her finger, "What you see here is a circle created by mana."
Altair nodded, staring punitively at the Magical Circle at the tip of Tene's slender fingers. And slowly, the Infinity Circle began to spin as the Mana around the forest huddled towards the Circle. Like an empty abyss, the Infinity Circle devoured the Mana growing brighter with each passing second.
Sweat trailed Altair's brow as he felt his body grow heavy, nearly sinking as a heavy weight pressed over his shoulders. His chest hammered as he found himself out of breath. The Mana density around him grew so intense that the sounds of his bones began to tremble.
"I'm sure you can't understand it. But this Circle is in a perpetual state. Meaning. It shall spin for all eternity, growing stronger and stronger even if the uses are useless." Tenebrae coldly said. "Each day, the Infinity Circle will require you to feed it Mana Stones or similar resources or devour enough Mana from the atmosphere."
Altair gulped but spoke, unsure why he felt the need to ask, but the words echoed regardless: "And if I don't meet the requirements?"
"It'll eat you up," Tenebrae said coldly. "As I said, it's in a perpetual state of motion. And it only has one function. Devour. Even if that means feasting on itself. You'll not need to worry about feeding within a dungeon since they have a high mana density, but on Earth and withered planets, you'll have to be extra cautious."
"What happens when… When I reach the peak, then?" The prince asked. A question many would scuff had they heard. "How do I control the Infinity Circle?"
Tenebrae's grin turned menacing. "I have the answer… But I'm not going to tell you. You're a man now. An Awakened. You're going to have to make a choice. Will you risk your life, or will you seek fortune elsewhere?" She stared into the boy's eyes, quickly finding something odd. She could see anxiety, doubt, hesitation, but… there was no fear. No inkling of dread.
There was only a devouring light within his obsidian eyes, leaving bearly room for the concept of fear.
"Then… I… "Altair pondered for a bit longer. His face focused on the Circle. "I accept. I want it… Can you teach me!"
"The Infinity Circle can't be taught, only given." She told him, peering deep into her child. Through the outer tissue of flesh, to the flowing of his blood, to the sheets of pristine white bones, to the core of his very being.
And thought: His skin isn't growing red, and his meridians are also empty of Mana despite so much surrounding him, yet it's also being devoured. It would seem giving him this Circle was the right decision. What a strange physique. Where is all that Mana going? But a bigger question is why he can't sense Mana yet. It should have been innate.
Tenebrae narrowed her eyes, suspicion written on her face betrayed with a hint of worry. She dismissed the Infinity Circle, calming the Mana within the air. And smiled.
"Your big sister, Luna, will be visiting either tonight or tomorrow morning. She's a lost soul, so it's hard to tell. But she will take over your training from here on out before we pass you on to your True Master."
"EHHH!! I have a big sister!" The boy shouted, his breathing returning to normal. But the blame in his vibrant obsidian eyes burning with betrayal. ' You never told me that! And what's this about a Master!"
"Well… not by blood. But you've got a lot of brothers and sisters." Tenebrae muttered, scratching her cheek. " I forgot to tell you, oops. My bad." And then she grinned, a mischievous glow in her eyes. " But I'm sure you'll like Luna. She's a very lovely daughter. Play your cards right, and I'll give her to you."
"And when have I ever been your's to offer as if I were some piece of meat? My Dear Mother?"