Chapter: 4
The month that followed Abeni and I mastering our elemental control was both the most exciting and stressful time I'd had since being reincarnated in this world. With each passing night, our control over water and wind improved, but learning elemental magic without a teacher or a guide was far harder than I anticipated. Our training hours were limited to the dead of night, making progress slow and hard-earned.
Despite the challenges, we could now regulate how much of our elements we wanted to use. We had even managed to create basic constructs—spears, arrows, and swords formed from water and wind. Nothing too complicated yet, but enough to confirm we were making steady progress.
However, elemental control wasn't the only thing we trained in. Abeni came up with the idea of refining our hand-to-hand combat skills. Her reasoning was simple—what if we ran out of Mana in a fight? Or worse, what if the enemy was too close for us to use our spells effectively? It was a valid point. Magic alone wouldn't save us if we couldn't defend ourselves physically.
At first, our sparring was laughable. I had the upper hand from the start, not only because of my height but because, in my past life, I was a black belt in both karate and taekwondo. Abeni, on the other hand, had no formal fighting experience. She was scrappy and tough, but it was clear I had an advantage from the start. Still, she didn't back down, and her determination impressed me.
Now, we sat side by side under our training tree, taking a break from the intense session. Abeni, as always, couldn't sit still for long.
"Hey, Kael?" she asked, her voice thoughtful.
"Hmm?" I replied, half-listening as I stared up at the moon.
"Why don't we just teach everyone else magic? Wouldn't that help us break free?"
I turned my head to look at her. She was staring straight at me, her dark brown eyes filled with genuine curiosity. I sighed, knowing this question would come sooner or later. I sat up straighter, turning to face her fully.
"Alright, Abeni. Let's say we do teach everyone magic, and somehow we manage to overthrow the slave owners and free ourselves. What then?"
Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
I leaned forward. "Did you really think this plantation is the only one? That we're the only slaves here?"
She paused, clearly thinking it over, before shaking her head. "No... but what does that have to do with anything?"
"If we free ourselves, what happens next? Do we free every other plantation on the island too?"
"Yeah!" she replied confidently. "We free them all, teach them magic, and take down all the slave owners!"
I sighed, shaking my head. "See, that's where the problem starts. Even if we somehow manage to get rid of all the slave owners and free everyone, there's still a much bigger issue."
Abeni tilted her head, confused. "What are you talking about? If the slave owners are gone, wouldn't we be free?"
I met her eyes seriously. "Abeni, there are entire countries out there—much larger than this island. Countries with millions of people, many of whom can use magic. Stronger magic than we've ever seen. And when they find out what happened here, what do you think they'll do?"
Her face fell as the realization hit her. "They'd come back and make us slaves again?"
"If we're lucky, that's all they'll do. But more likely, they'd destroy everything and start over."
Abeni shivered, visibly shaken by the thought. "So… is there really nothing we can do?"
I chuckled softly. "I didn't say that. There is something we can do—but not now. If we tried to act now, we'd fail."
Her head snapped back up to me. "Wait, what? Then when?"
"When we're strong enough," I said firmly. "When we're so powerful that no one can stop us."
"But wouldn't that take forever?" she whined, frustration bubbling in her voice.
"And this is why I call you impatient," I teased, leaning back against the tree.
"What was that?!" she snapped, her temper flaring.
I grinned. "Did I stutter?"
Her glare was intense, but after a moment, we both cracked up, laughter bubbling up and pushing aside the heavy conversation. For a few precious moments, we were just two kids enjoying the night, free from worry.
But our laughter was cut short as we both sensed something—a faint but unmistakable surge of Mana approaching us. It wasn't strong, certainly weaker than ours, but it was close and fluctuating wildly, like someone struggling to control it.
Abeni and I shot to our feet, our Mana flaring instinctively. In a flash, I summoned a water sword, while Abeni conjured a spear made of wind. We stood ready for a fight, our eyes scanning the tree line.
Then, from the shadows, a small figure emerged—someone we recognized. It was a kid, no older than Abeni, with deep brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He was holding two large books tightly to his chest, his small form shaking slightly in the moonlight.
"Wait!" he called out, his voice trembling.
I blinked in recognition. Alex, the youngest son of Edward, the plantation master. We had only seen him once before, but there was no mistaking him now.
Abeni lowered her spear slightly, her eyes narrowing. "What's he doing here?"
I hesitated, then cautiously lowered my water sword. "I don't know. But we're about to find out."
Alex stepped closer, his Mana still fluctuating erratically. "I—I need your help," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Abeni and I exchanged a look, both of us tense but curious. "Help? With what?" I asked carefully speaking in perfect English.
He flinched in surprise at the fact I knew English he shook his head then held up the books in his arms. "With this… I've been trying to control my Mana. But I can't do it… and I know you can."
Abeni and I glanced back at one another then back at Alex then back to each other. Then I sighed why can't life be easy.
Chapter 4: End