The meditative practice Zeph undertook was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Under the meticulous guidance of Lucian and ROSE, he immersed himself in the process, directing his focus toward the invisible flow of mana coursing through his body.
This was not just about concentration; it was about becoming acutely aware of the natural, unseen forces that surrounded him. The goal was simple, but the execution was painstakingly slow and delicate—to gently guide the mana towards his soul.
For Zeph, the experience was both frustrating and intriguing. His body was tiny and fragile, but the sheer potential of what he was doing kept him motivated. Lucian's knowledge of science merged with ROSE's capacity for analysis, but neither of them truly understood magic.
At first, Zeph felt nothing. It was just him, sitting in a peaceful state, trying to grasp at something intangible.
But over time, he began to feel the faintest of sensations—a tingling at the edge of his consciousness. It wasn't like a muscle he could flex or a breath he could control. It was something deeper, a force that moved on its own, like the air between breaths. The mana wasn't simply energy; it was alive in a way, and it resisted direct manipulation.
Zeph took deep, slow breaths, staying patient even as frustration crept in at times.
"Just focus," Lucian's voice echoed in his mind.
ROSE added, "The process requires time. Don't rush."
For several days, Zeph continued this meditative practice, dedicating hours to it in the quiet of his room. Each session was a learning experience. At times, the mana would slip away from him, dispersing into nothingness.
But there were moments where he felt something—a brief flicker of connection.
Then, one evening, as the sun began its descent and the sky was bathed in the warm glow of twilight, something shifted within Zeph. He had been meditating for nearly an hour, but this time, the flow of mana felt different.
It wasn't as elusive as before. Instead of slipping through his mental grasp, the energy responded to him with a faint hum, vibrating gently in tune with his heartbeat.
Zeph's body tingled, his awareness of the mana heightened like never before. Slowly, almost instinctively, he guided the mana towards his soul. The sensation grew stronger, as if his soul was waking up, responding to the energy coursing toward it.
And then, without warning, the mana began to resonate with his soul. It was subtle at first, like a soft ripple in a calm pond, but quickly, it became something more—a powerful current surging through him.
There was a pull, sudden and intense, as if a gravitational force deep within him had activated. Zeph gasped, his small body trembling as the mana was drawn toward a single point inside him.
The sensation was overwhelming, almost suffocating. It felt as though a wormhole had opened in the very core of his being, sucking in all the mana around it. For a moment, fear gripped him. Was this right? Was he losing control?
"Stay calm," Lucian's voice broke through the haze of panic. "This is what we've been working toward."
ROSE added in her analytical tone, "The process is nearly complete. You're on the verge of a breakthrough."
Zeph gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. The pull inside him intensified, and for a moment, he felt as though his very soul was being torn apart. The pressure was unbearable, but he didn't stop.
Then, with a sudden flash of brilliant bluish-white light, the tension snapped. Zeph's entire body was flooded with energy, far beyond anything he had anticipated.
The warmth and power of it coursed through him, making his skin glow faintly under the fading sunlight.
His eyes flew open, his breath coming in short, rapid bursts as the realization dawned on him.
A mana core had formed within his body, pulsing gently with the rhythm of his heartbeat. But that wasn't all. As he adjusted to the new sensations, he became aware of something else—something deeper.
A second presence stirred within him, not like the mana, but something tied directly to his soul. It was a core, but not of mana. It felt colder, more distant, yet intimately connected to him. This wasn't part of the plan. Zeph's mind raced as he reached out to Lucian.
"Something's different," Zeph thought, sending the message to Lucian through their mental link.
Lucian's thought came through, tinged with curiosity and concern. "I feel it too. It's... a soul core."
Zeph was awestruck. "A soul core? I didn't think that was possible."
"We've never seen anything like this, so we don't know what we are dealing with" Lucian responded.
Zeph closed his eyes, feeling both the mana core and the soul core within him. The mana core was alive, pulling energy from the air around him, constantly feeding him power. But the soul core was still, like a silent guardian, resting deep within his soul, radiating a cold, steady light.
ROSE's voice cut in. "We must proceed cautiously. The resonance between the soul and the mana could lead to unpredictable consequences."
Zeph nodded silently, agreeing with both of them. For now, all they could do was observe, learn, and adapt.
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