As Atticus walked back to his room, lost in thought, he noticed a man approaching.
He was huge. Atticus sized the man up from the mop of white hair on his head, down to his toe. He was neatly dressed. He blocked Atticus's path, eyeing him with a piercing look. His face was plain and emotionless.
"You must be Atticus. You look weak," the man stated bluntly, without a change of facial expression.
Atticus felt a twinge of intimidation looking at the man's sturdy build. He quite obviously wouldn't stand a chance if this man decided to challenge him. A challenge would be absurd even.
"What do you expect? I'm only 5" Atticus shot back, adding under his breath, "Does he think I'm some kind of super kid?"
"I'm going to start training soon" Atticus continued, trying to sound confident.
He secretly hoped this might be the mentor he had been hoping for. He had originally wanted Avalon to train him, especially since Anastasia had agreed he could start when he turned six. But with everything that had happened after Ariel's death, that plan fell through.
The man's plain expression finally broke as his mouth twitched into a slight smile. "Interesting. And who will be training you?"
"I'm planning on joining the regular morning sessions with the guards," Atticus lied, hoping to convince.
The man's eyes sparkled with amusement. "That won't do. How about becoming my student instead?"
Atticus felt a rush of excitement. 'Jackpot!' he thought, but kept his expression neutral.
"I don't even know you" he said cautiously.
The man chuckled, "Fair enough. Let me introduce myself. I am Sirius Ravenstein, head of the Raven Vanguard."
Atticus had heard that name in his lessons. He paused, thinking it over, then nodded.
"Okay." he said with a straight face.
Sirius laughed loudly. "I expected you to be more excited about this."
"Well, you look strong, so I figured you were someone important," Atticus replied straightforwardly.
"Smart lad. But even if I asked you to be my student, you'll still have to prove you have what it takes," Sirius challenged him.
Without missing a beat, Atticus focused, channeling his mana into his arm. He swung and punched the wall next to him, sending pieces of stone flying. A grin spread across his face.
"Is that enough for you?" he asked playfully.
Experimenting with his mana, Atticus had discovered he could enhance his strength by directing mana into different parts of his body. It took some practice, but he was getting the hang of it.
A brief silence followed Atticus's display of strength before Sirius burst out laughing, clearly delighted. He couldn't help but think, 'Of course his son is a monster too.'
Growing up together in the Ravenstein estate, Avalon, Sirius, Lyanna and Nathan formed a close-knit quartet and they were known as the 'Four Stars of Ravenstein'
Sirius had always recognized Avalon's monstrous talent. Even as youngsters, Avalon's innate strength set him apart from others.
However, he never expected his son to be even more of a prodigy than he was. He's awakened at the age of 5!
'And he can already augment his body with mana, a feat that people twice his age struggle to achieve. He's an extraordinary talent!'
Regaining his composure, Sirius nodded at Atticus with respect. "Okay, you've made your point, Atticus."
"So, when do we start?" Atticus asked, eager but cautious.
He was careful about what he revealed about himself, knowing too well that Anastasia kept a close watch on his mana core for any unusual changes. His ability to 'conceal' his skills was a secret safeguard.
Recognizing Sirius's position as head of the Raven Vanguard—and bound by a strict mana contract that linked directly to one's life—Atticus felt safer revealing his awakened state.
"Now," Sirius said suddenly. His face became emotionless once again. He moved quickly to land a heavy punch in Atticus's stomach. The blow sent him skidding back into the wall, gasping for air.
"First rule kid" Sirius said plainly "Never let your guard down."
Arya stepped out from where she had been watching, her expression cold and threatening. "What are you doing?"
"Training my new student," Sirius replied nonchalantly.
Arya's gaze could have frozen fire.
"If you harm him—"
"It's okay, Arya" Atticus interrupted, managing to stand with her help. "I agreed to this."
Arya's eyes softened as she helped Atticus stand, concern etched across her features. "Young master..."
Sirius walked away, his voice trailing behind him. "Come to the training grounds by 6 tomorrow."
Atticus limped back toward his room. He was in pain. Arya helped him along the way. When they finally reached his room, Arya turned to him and couldn't help but ask,
"Young master, why are you going to such lengths to gain strength? I've noticed you absorbing mana every day. You should be glad I didn't inform Lady Anastasia. If she hears about this, she will make sure you never leave her side again."
Initially, Arya believed that Atticus might have been subconsciously absorbing mana, but as he grew older and the intensity of his actions increased—such as sitting down cross-legged during his training—it became clear to her that her young master was quite unusual.
She had put in considerable effort to ascertain how he possessed this knowledge, yet eventually, she abandoned the pursuit, since it wasn't detrimental.
"Are you stalking me now?" Atticus chuckled, teasing her. Initially, he wasn't aware that Arya was always watching him. He found that out later.
Of course, he panicked when he realized, but he quickly calmed down when he noticed that Arya didn't do anything or report him to Anastasia. Since he couldn't do anything about the situation, he decided to continue training as if nothing had happened.
Arya blushed furiously. "I was just protecting you!"
Atticus laughed heartily. "Thank you, Arya. For watching over me and for not telling Mum."
Arya's heart warmed at his gratitude. "Of course, young master."
As Atticus settled onto his bed, he looked up at Arya. "I need strength because it's the only way I can survive."
Arya's eyes gleamed with determination. "But I'll always protect you."
Atticus met her gaze, his voice firm. "Wasn't someone protecting Ariel too? Yet he still died. In this world, only your own strength matters, Arya."
Arya's expression softened, a mixture of determination and understanding in her eyes. She nodded slowly. "Alright, young master. Then I'll be by your side as you search for that strength."