The next morning, Adam awoke before the sun had risen. Sitting up, he glanced out his window, noting the darkness still lingering outside.
After a moment, he got up and quietly slipped out of his room, heading to the small garden behind the house.
The garden was simple but well-kept, with an assortment of plants and an open area perfect for some morning exercise.
Still in his Eli disguise, Adam started his workout routine, focused and steady.
A few minutes later, he noticed Lily stepping into the garden as well. She held a book close to her chest, seemingly surprised to see him, but after a moment, she looked away and found a spot to practice by herself.
With a deep breath, Lily extended her hand, whispering, "Fire Magic." A faint flicker of flame appeared just beyond her fingertips, only to disappear almost instantly.
Frustrated, she tried again. This time, a small fire began swirling just beyond her palm, growing slightly before flickering out.
Lily frowned. "What is happening... why am I not able to do it?"
Adam watched from the side, intrigued by her determination.
It's impressive,'he thought. 'She's learning magic despite her background. Should I help her?'
As Lily extended her hand once more, preparing to try again, Adam decided to step forward. But before he could say anything, Lily turned to him, annoyed.
Lily: "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy? Don't disturb me."
Ignoring her protest, Adam stepped closer, held out his own hand, and simply said, "Fire Magic."
A brilliant flame sprang forth, swirling in a fierce golden blaze that towered nearly as high as Lily herself. The heat radiated off it, causing her to shield her face instinctively.
Staring in shock, Lily stammered, "You… you know how to do magic?"
Adam met her gaze, closing his fist to extinguish the fire. "It's simple casting," he replied, with a casual shrug. "I can do much more than that."
Turning away, he resumed his exercises, as though nothing unusual had happened.
Lily hesitated, then spoke up, her voice softer. "Eli… can I ask you something?"
Adam looked over, and Lily approached him, her cheeks tinged pink.
"Do you… do you know about magic?"
Noticing the book she clutched, Adam nodded. "Yes, I know a bit."
Lily's expression brightened, her earlier frustration forgotten. "Can you… teach me?"
Adam hesitated, then replied honestly, "I haven't taught anyone before."
Lily clasped her hands together, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. "I'll pay close attention. I promise."
Adam thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll teach you. But you'll need to focus on every word I say."
Her face lit up with a smile. "Really? You mean it?"
"To start, do you know what powers fire magic?" he asked.
"Yes!" she answered eagerly. "My father told me—it's mana."
"Exactly. Mana is the fundamental force behind all magic," he explained, going on to describe the basics in more detail, guiding her through every concept step by step.
After a while, he said, "Now sit in the lotus position."
Lily tilted her head, confused. "Why?"
"Just do as I say. I'm the teacher here," Adam replied with a small smirk.
Lily chuckled, her previous seriousness momentarily replaced by amusement. "Alright, teacher. You know, you're only a couple of years older than me, yet you talk like you're thirty."
Adam brushed off her comment and gently adjusted her posture, placing his hand lightly on her back. "Sit up straight, and close your eyes. I'm going to send a small amount of mana into your body. Don't resist it; let it flow. This will help open your mana channels."
Lily closed her eyes as instructed, feeling a tingling sensation as a subtle pulse of energy moved through her body.
"Why do I feel goosebumps?" she whispered.
"Your body is experiencing external mana for the first time. It'll feel strange, maybe even ticklish. You have to keep it under control, or you'll struggle with magic forever."
Hearing his serious tone, Lily became more focused, pushing herself to tolerate the energy flowing into her.
"Good," Adam encouraged her. "Now, I'm going to increase the mana a bit. The more you can handle, the better control you'll develop."
Lily's face tensed as she felt a surge of heat and pressure building inside her. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and her hands trembled as she fought to keep her focus.
Watching her carefully, Adam finally said, "That's enough for now."
"No, wait," Lily protested, still straining. "I can take more. Just a little more."
But Adam gently pulled his hand away from her back.
As soon as he did, Lily slumped forward, her breaths coming in quick gasps. Lying down on the cool ground, she shot him a challenging look. "I told you I could handle more. Why did you stop?"
Adam gave her a calm, reassuring look. "Your condition says otherwise."
He paused, a faint smile on his lips. "But for what it's worth, you did really well. You have the potential to become a top-tier magician."
Lily's exhaustion melted into a smile. "Really? You mean that?"
Adam: "As far as I know, you are the best Mana user among them"
Lily: "Tell me more about magic, I want to know more"
Before Adam can say anything, Robert calls Lily from inside the house,And Lily says from outside "I am here"
Robert asks from inside "Did you see Eli?"
Lily: "Yes, she is with me outside, we both are doing some very important work right now, don't bother us"
Hearing this, Anastasia and Robert come out very quickly and see that Lily is happily talking to Adam (Eli).
Anastasia: "So you two have become friends, right?"
Lily hears Anastasia and says "No, I am not her friend"
After hearing this, the smile that was on Anastasia's face disappeared completely.
Lily: "She is my teacher, you know mom Eli knows magic and that too very well and now Eli has told me about a lot of magic"
Hearing this both Anastasia and Robert are surprised.