The pendant continued to shine brightly as the strange force intensified, causing the room to shake. Albus was pushed back slightly by the powerful force. "Seems like I have no other choice," he muttered, struggling to raise his hand towards her. "By ancient power and mystic light, Mana's essence, I invite. From earth and air, to me now flow, With thy force, my spirit grow!" Albus chanted loudly as his hand glowed, enveloped in light, drawing in a vast amount of mana from Ruby.
Albus struggled to draw the energy from Ruby, beads of sweat forming on his brow as the immense power resisted his efforts. "Damn it, hang in there!" he shouted, grasping his wrist to focus his strength, attempting to intensify the absorption.
Ruby teetered on the edge of consciousness, the overwhelming energy consuming her, making it difficult to hold on. She fought to stay in control, her vision blurring as she pushed back against the force.
"I-I can't hold on much longer... it's too much..." Albus's voice wavered with strain. He finally released his grip, his hand trembling from the raw energy coursing through it. Kneeling down, he gasped for breath, the effort leaving him momentarily weakened.
The room's shaking intensified, the very walls seeming to pulse with the raw energy emanating from Ruby's pendant. Ruby clutched the pendant tightly, her strength waning as her consciousness began to slip away. Suddenly, the pendant flashed a blinding light, illuminating the room for several seconds. As the light dimmed, Ruby stopped levitating and collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. The room fell silent, the pendant's glow fading to a soft shimmer.
"You have to wake up now…" an unfamiliar woman's voice echoed through the empty void. "You need to get there… I'll be waiting…" A blurry vision of a lady in a brown hooded cloak appeared, slowly fading into the darkness.
Ruby leisurely opened her eyes, finding herself covered in a cozy blanket. She groaned and leaned forward. She realized she was in Albus's room. Turning her head to the right, she saw Albus intently focused on her pendant.
"Did you get a good nap?" Albus asked calmly, his eyes still focused on the pendant.
"Yeah... Thanks," Ruby replied, lifting her legs and sitting up on the bed. She glanced at her pendant and noticed it had changed color from blue to red.
"So, how are you? Are you feeling well?" Albus placed the pendant down momentarily and gazed at Ruby.
"I-I'm okay..." she responded, standing up and shaking off her clothes. She quickly fixed the bed and then walked over to Albus's side, curiosity evident in her eyes. "So, what happened earlier?" she asked, peering at the pendant he was examining.
"It seems like your pendant is a mana stone," Albus said, slowly showing her the pendant resting in his palm. "It still radiates some residual energy." He placed the pendant down on a rough piece of paper inscribed with a magic circle. "But the energy is unstable. It needs to be sealed away before I can examine it further."
The magic circle glowed, causing the pendant to float in the air. A small force field formed around it while the magic circle shimmered beneath. Ruby watched in awe as the pendant hovered, its energy contained within the glowing barrier.
Albus stepped back, his face etched with concentration and determination. "This should stabilize it for now," he said, his voice tinged with relief. "But we need to be cautious. Such raw energy can be dangerous if left unchecked."
Ruby focused her eyes on the pendant, her mind swirling with thoughts and questions. Why would her mother possess such an artifact? She didn't practice magic or anything of the sort. "Why would Mom keep something like this?" she murmured, her voice tinged with confusion and curiosity.
Albus rested his hand on his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That's strange... mana pendants don't normally come from here, but from the Beastmen world." He walked over to the bookshelf, pulling down a heavy tome and opening it and lifting glasses up to his eyes. With a flick of his finger, he made the pages flutter until he found the one he was looking for.
"This used to be a mana stabilizer and converter," he explained, his finger gliding over the ancient text. "The mana stone converts the life force of an organism into mana, enabling creatures other than Beastmen to use magic. It was crafted from various minerals and imbued with powerful spells to function properly."
He turned another page, his expression growing more serious. "Some mana stones are even crafted with a mana core, making them more powerful and capable of generating mana on their own. These are typically used by the strongest witches and mages."
Albus closed the book and walked over to his desk, placing it down gently. He turned to Ruby, pulling off his glasses and tucking them inside his suit. "I'm afraid I have to confiscate your pendant," he said, his voice calm yet firm. He sat down in his wooden chair, maintaining eye contact with Ruby.
Ruby's eyes widened, her mouth half-open in shock. "No way! I'm not giving away my pendant!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms defiantly. She leaned forward slightly, her posture tense and defensive.
"Hmp!" Ruby pouted, staring intently at him with half-closed eyes, resembling a childish, spoiled brat trying to get what she wants. Albus merely looked at her nonchalantly. After a moment of silent staring, he sighed. "Sorry, but you can't. It's still too dangerous for you to wield it," he said, turning his head away. He opened his book from earlier and continued to read.
Ruby's pout deepened, and she made a frustrated "grrrr" sound, her eyes welling up as she tried not to cry. Albus glanced at her, leaning back slightly in his seat. "Wait! Are you seriously going to—" He stopped mid-sentence, sighing again before turning back to her. "Fine! I'll give it to you," he said, raising his hand to scratch his chin. A smirk grew on his face as he raised an eyebrow. "Unless, you know about magic."
Ruby's face lit up, and a broad smile spread across her face. "Really!?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement as she stepped forward.
"Let me prepare something first." Albus pulled out some rough paper and began drawing a sigil with graceful, practiced strokes. "Put your hand on this symbol," he instructed, sliding the paper across his desk toward Ruby.
"Umm, okay…" she said, walking over and placing her hand gently on the paper. After a moment, the sigil began to shine brightly. "Ah, I see…" Albus's eyes widened as he observed the result.
"Uhm… what does it do?" Ruby asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"I'm simply testing for a beginner level of magic aptitude," Albus explained with a warm smile. "If the symbol shows signs of activation, then it means you have the talent for magic."
Ruby widened her eyes and broadened her smile, her eyes glittering with happiness. "Really??" Her tone was full of excitement.
Albus nodded. "Are you willing to learn?" he asked her in a serious tone. Ruby hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. Albus smiled at her. "Very well then." He stood up and fixed his suit. "That makes you my apprentice."
He reached for the book on his desk, keeping it by his side. "I'm sorry, but have you stated your name before?" he asked, tilting his head with a hint of embarrassment in his tone.
"Oh, sorry! My name is Ruby. Ruby Sinclair," she replied confidently, giving him a warm smile.
"Ah, Ruby. What a nice name…" he said, raising his hand to offer a handshake. Ruby slowly reached out and shook his hand, sealing their new teacher-apprentice relationship.