'the first step in creating an aether core is to sense the aether around you'. Grim said.
'ok. Uhhhh, how do I do that?' Levi asked.
'aether is the purest form of mana. So first, create a mental image of mana'.
'alright'. Levi said, then closed his eyes to focus.
He remembered the few manga and webnovels he read before his family fell apart. They always described mana as a ball of bright light. He created that sort of image in his head.
'yes. Ambient mana is incorporeal, it doesn't have a set shape, form or colour. All of those things are left to the imaginations of the user'. Grim, who could peer into Levi's mind said.
'so..long story short, I'm on the right track?' Levi sought confirmation.
'yes'. Grim replied.
Levi continued focusing, trying to sense the ball of light in his surroundings. He continued this way, not breaking his focus, for a few thirty minutes, before the first ball of light made it's appearance to him. He got excited at the achievement and cut off his focus.
'i got it!' Levi mind-exclaimed.
Normally, mana sensing is something taught to children after their potential test. It took the slow learners a few months or even a year to get a hold of mana's presence, the good ones can get it right in a month or even weeks and then there were the true prodigies, like Alexander, who had already started using mana before the age of six. His parents never discovered when it was that he actually learnt about mana's existence.
'you fool! Don't break your foc.....aaand you've already done it'. Grim said to Levi.
'huh?' Levi exclaimed before realizing that he couldn't feel the mana anymore.
In truth, being able to sense mana in a matter of minutes was a great feat, one that would easily place a person in the ranks of the highest prodigies. The number of mages that had achieved this feat in all of history could be counted on both hands.
The fact that Levi did it, was testimony to the fact that he was indeed talented. His affinity for aether helped him out though.
'haa.. congratulations on sensing mana, but you need to maintain your focus until you can actually sense it without even thinking'. Grim encouraged.
'ok. I'll try again'. Levi said, then closed his eyes to focus some more. This time, the ball of light appeared in just ten minutes, and with it followed many others. The range at which Levi could sense mana was rapidly increasing, and in just another thirty minutes, he could sense all the mana within a five meter radius.
'that's good. Keep going, until your range reaches at least a thirty meter radius'. Grim said.
Levi continued focusing and in about three hours later, he had achieved the goal. He could now sense the mana in thirty meter radius relatively easily, but he became mentally exhausted.
He fell on his back, breaking his posture, but his eyes were still closed and his body was drenched in sweat.
'are you ready to open your eyes?' Grim asked.
'huh? Why?' Levi asked cluelessly. But Grim just replied with a, 'you'll see'.
Levi slowly opened his eyes, it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the light as his eyes had been closed for a long time and he was facing upwards at the sun. The sight that welcomed his vision was jaw dropping.
In front of him we're several particles of bright light hovering around. They were everywhere. The atmosphere, the trees, the animals, everywhere was lit up with the beautiful light.
It was like star dust had fallen to the earth. He could see the bright particles of light moving, flowing with the rythm of life itself. There was only one word which one could use to describe it, it was.......magical. Truly.
"what's this?" Levi asked, utterly awe inspired.
'its the sight that everyone who learns how to sense mana sees after they learn to master it. The mages call it the 'magic aurora'. It's a beautiful, once in a lifetime phenomenon a person who learns to sense mana for the first time experiences, where they see the true world of mana in all of it's glory and splendour. The sight teaches the individual to really appreciate mana, but most people forget it a few years after they see it, the reason for that is still unknown'. Grim explained.
"...." Levi was speechless, the sight in front of him was so beautiful that it managed to temporarily soothe his troubled heart.
'enjoy it while it lasts but don't get attached. By the time you start learning about aether and it's aspects, you will come to realize just how different it is from mana. The two are so different, that you will be required to give up one of them. Completely.' Grim said in a corner of his mind, away from Leone's reach.
"So....how long am I going to see this?" Levi asked, he had an idea about the answer bit still asked.
'The sight only lasts for about an hour, it will soon disappear'. Grim replied. The revelation saddened Levi a bit, but he braved it.
'i see....can we take a break. Just for an hour?' Levi asked.
'....sure.' Grim replied.
As he gazed at the marvelous sight in front of him, he couldn't help but think.
'so this is magic....'
***
It's been a few minutes since the magical aurora ended and it was time to get back to training.
Levi mentally prepared himself for what was coming before signalling to his partner.
'i'm ready'.
'ok. Let's continue then, sensing aether requires a lot more focus, due to its unnatural rarity. Most people would never be able to sense it no matter how they try, but you have been chosen by it and can achieve it.
It's similar to the last step, try to create a mental image of aether. Although it does have a fixed form, it's important you think of it in your own way.' Grim explained and Levi mind nodded.
'So, the question is.....what do you think, the purest form of mana is?'. Grim asked a rhetorical question.
Levi didn't answer, just imagined.
'wow....that's incredibly...acurate'. Grim commended.
Levi imagined a beautiful dark purple coloured ball of energy which radiated power and regal.
'you nailed it. This is exactly aether's true form, how did you come up with this'. Grim asked, genuinely curious.
'don't know. It just....came to me'. Levi replied.
'the purple colour is the highest form of pure aether. It represents the total deviation from mana and is by far more powerful'. Grim said.
The training continued with Levi trying to sense aether's presence. He focused deeply, but he could only feel bits and pieces of the energy even after two whole hours.
'congratulations! You did it! You sensed aether!' Grim exclaimed, excited at his student's progress. Levi, however, was quite baffled by this.
'what do you mean? I can only sense little bits of it. If this is a prank then stop I need to concentrate'. Levi said with a scoff.
'a prank? What the hell do you take me for, damn it. As I said, aether is extremely sparse. Those little bits you're sensing is all there actually is'. Grim clarified.
Levi immediately understood and didn't waste time to ask for the next step. The sun was already setting after all.
'the next step is to absorb this aether into your body. You don't have the appropriate structure for this yet so I must warn you, it will be painful'. Grim warned.
'i know. Bring it on'. Levi said resolutely. He would later regret this.
'alright. Just as you can sense the aether, the aether can also sense you. Use your will, call out to it. Don't try to command it, or it will ignore you, don't be too submissive or it will think that you are weak. See it as an equal, and it will heed your call'. Grim said.
'ok'. Levi replied before immediately getting to work.
He tried to call out to it, but at first, he had a hard time harnessing it.
'you're still thinking of aether as a power source. A non living thing, well don't! Aether has a lot of sentience, it is very prideful because of it's rarity, that's why it is very picky with people.
Normally, it wouldn't even spare you it's time even if you become able to sense it, but you have already been chosen by it so it will accept you. it welcomes only those who sees it as an equal. Think of it as a living entity. Try again, and add some feeling this time'. Grim said.
Levi called out to it, transmitting his thoughts to it, following all of Grim's orders but it was barely budging. Only some of them moved a few inches closer, but that wasn't going to cut it.
"Argh! Come on, damn it!" Levi shouted out. The sudden shout chased the moving aether particles further away.
'fool! You need to keep your emotions on a leash! Aether will never respond to an impatient person!' Grim rebuked.
'.....I'm sorry'. Levi apologized, realizing the consequences of his actions.
'ah forget it! It's already late. Let's return to the mansion'. Grim said.
Levi looked up at the sky, and saw that the sun had already completely retreated giving way to the darkness of the night. He got up from his position and walked back to the mansion. His parents wouldn't care even if he didn't come back, but he was exhausted now and wanted nothing more than a good dinner and sleep.
He had failed today, but his eyes didn't show the look of a failure. No, his eyes burned with a new passion as his goals were set.
"Tomorrow.....I will get it right!" He said to himself and made his way back to the mansion.
A/N:
Special thanks to the following people for supporting my book.
1) Halis_eren_balaban.
2) ifeoma_nora
Thank you guys so much for voting for my book.
Hey ppl, I added a few things to the chapter goals. check it out in the authors thoughts section