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Chapter 10 - Chapter Ten: The Power Within

Zeph marveled at the discovery, sitting quietly as he explored the sensations inside his body.

The mana core, which he had formed through deliberate effort, constantly absorbed mana particles from the air, swirling them inside his body like a controlled storm. It was alive with energy, a tangible force he could feel and—if he focused—manipulate.

But the soul core was different. It didn't pull anything in. It didn't pulse with energy beyond its own existence. It was simply there, resting deep within his soul, its faint, cold light glowing quietly.

"This is... unexpected," Zeph thought, more to himself than to Lucian, who shared his consciousness in Elysium's Whisper.

Lucian, equally intrigued, was conducting his own tests in the Elysium's Whisper. Ever since the meditative practice had culminated in the formation of the cores, both Zeph and Lucian had been closely monitoring the results.

Lucian had realized something shocking—he, too, had formed a soul core. This revelation had taken him by surprise, and now both of them were exploring the new phenomenon together.

"How is this even possible?" Lucian's voice, usually calm and scientific, held an edge of excitement as he examined his own soul core. He shared the results of his observations with ROSE.

"It doesn't fit into any of our known theories," Lucian continued, musing over the readings he was taking. "Mana wasn't supposed to affect the soul, or so we thought. All the old documents, even the most speculative ones, never suggested such an interaction."

"It seems we've tapped into something beyond traditional magic," Zeph chimed in, his voice carrying a sense of wonder. 

Lucian paused for a moment, considering Zeph's words. He replayed their experiments, the meditative process that had sparked the formation of these cores.

It had been a mixture of guesswork, drawing from fictional sources and old manuscripts, but none of them had predicted this outcome.

"You're right," Lucian replied, his tone more focused now. "This is uncharted territory. We need to investigate further, especially to understand whether these soul cores serve any real function—or if they're just passive byproducts of the process we went through."

ROSE, always pragmatic, interjected. "Analyzing the soul cores without clear data could take time. We may need to refine our approach. The fact that they exist independently of mana absorption suggests they might operate on a different principle altogether."

Zeph leaned back in his cradle, closing his eyes as he focused inward. His mana core was easy to sense now. With practice, he had become adept at manipulating the mana it gathered, directing it where he wanted, controlling the flow with relative ease.

But the soul core... it felt like something entirely different, beyond control or understanding. He reached out mentally, trying to touch the core with his mind, but every time he did, the core remained unmoved, as though it was beyond his influence.

Lucian, following a similar line of thought, decided to conduct experiments of his own. In Elysium's Whisper, he attempted to manipulate the soul core, much like directing mana, but the core was unresponsive. It did not yield to his commands, nor did it react to any external stimulus.

"This is strange," Lucian remarked, his tone growing more perplexed. "It's as if the soul core exists outside the normal laws of energy manipulation. We've tried every method we know—sensing it, manipulating it, even testing for energy absorption—but it remains passive."

Zeph shared in the frustration. He had been hoping that the soul core would unlock new abilities, new powers that could aid him in his journey to understand and master magic. But so far, it was little more than an enigma, a strange presence that existed within him without any clear purpose.

"Perhaps," ROSE suggested after a long silence, "the soul core serves a different function. It may not be meant for direct manipulation like mana. What if it's more like an anchor or a conduit?"

"An anchor?" Lucian echoed, intrigued by the idea.

"Yes," ROSE continued. "Think about it. The soul core didn't form in response to mana alone. It came about during the resonance between your souls and the mana. It could be acting as a stabilizer, something that grounds the soul in its connection to the physical body or the surrounding energies."

"That... makes sense," Zeph said thoughtfully. "The core feels like it's tied to something deeper, something fundamental. It's not something we can just command like mana, but it's part of us, part of our souls."

Lucian nodded. "In that case, the soul core might not be something we use directly. It could be supporting our ability to channel mana more efficiently, or perhaps it's involved in the connection between our minds and bodies."

"But what about its lack of interaction with mana?" Zeph asked, still puzzled. "If it's part of the process, shouldn't it be absorbing something, or channeling energy in some way?"

ROSE answered, "Not necessarily. Its role might be more abstract—like a key to unlocking other abilities down the line. Or it could serve as a protective mechanism. Without more data, all we can do is theorize."

Zeph and Lucian fell silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. The soul core was a mystery, yes, but it was also an opportunity.

They had stumbled upon something that no one else seemed to know about, something that could potentially reshape their understanding of magic and the soul.

"We need to continue testing," Lucian finally said.

"There's still so much we don't know. The next step is to see if the soul core reacts under different conditions—when our bodies are under stress, or when we're using large amounts of mana. If ROSE is right, we may find that the soul core is more involved in our abilities than we realize."

Zeph nodded in agreement. "I'm ready. Whatever this is, it's going to help us grow stronger. We'll keep pushing forward."

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