As I settled into the quiet of my room after my long nap, I noticed the absence of Astor beside me. Usually, he would be sprawled out on his side of the bed, but now it was just me and the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun filtering through the curtains. It was evening, and the day had slipped away in a haze of dreams and exhaustion.
I recalled how mother had asked us before if we wanted separate rooms. I had been indifferent, thinking it would be just as fine to share with Astor. To my surprise, he had agreed. It was as if we were two sides of the same coin, comfortable in each other's presence. I often felt mother preferred it that way too; perhaps she saw the bond we shared and didn't want to disrupt it.
With thoughts swirling in my head, I decided it was best to freshen up and then head to the kitchen. My stomach growled, protesting the lack of food since the previous day's ceremony. I could feel my body craving sustenance, and the kitchen was always a lively place, filled with the comforting smells of food.
As I made my way down the corridors, the familiar path led me to the kitchen, and there he was—Astor, the little monkey, sitting at the table with a plate piled high with food. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Of course, you found the snacks," I muttered under my breath.
Astor looked up at me, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, and grinned. "Hey! Grandmother called us!" he announced, barely managing to get the words out through his mouthful.
"I know," I replied, trying to mask my irritation at him getting to eat first. I was starving.
A servant approached, bringing me a plate laden with delicious food. My eyes widened in delight as I dug in, savoring the flavors after what felt like an eternity. Astor chattered away beside me, a stream of thoughts pouring from his mouth as he munched on another cookie. I merely nodded, responding with "Hmm," and "Okay," as I focused on my meal.
After I polished off my food, I felt a little more human again. With our stomachs finally satisfied, Astor and I stood up from the table, and the servant guided us toward grandmother's study. I was curious about this new place I hadn't seen before.
As we walked through the corridors, I couldn't shake the feeling of excitement mixed with a tinge of apprehension. What could grandmother want to discuss with us? Had she sensed our affinity and essence during meditation? My mind raced with possibilities as we approached her study.
Astor, bouncing on his heels, seemed oblivious to my thoughts. He was always so carefree, almost as if he believed every moment was an adventure waiting to unfold. I admired that about him, but right now, I couldn't help but feel a bit more serious.
When we reached the door to her study, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever awaited us inside. I glanced at Astor, who was already grinning, his excitement contagious. With a gentle knock, the servant opened the door, and we stepped inside, ready for whatever lesson grandmother had in store for us.
As we stepped into grandmother's study, I took in the sight. It wasn't a large room, but it was filled with shelves of books and an assortment of plants that gave it a calming atmosphere. The air smelled faintly of lavender, and the quiet hum of nature mixed with the scholarly aura of the space. Grandmother greeted us with a warm smile, gesturing for us to sit with her.
"Look, boys," she began, her voice soft but serious, "the next step for you both is to meditate and gather as much essence as you can into your heart. Afterward, you will condense it into a core. The latter part will be done with the help of this breathing manual, but the former has to be done by you. Do you understand?"
Astor and I nodded, our eyes focused on her as she handed us each a copy of the manual. It was a small, worn-out book, the kind that had seen years of use. I began flipping through it, my mind already working to memorize its contents. I wasn't sure if my memory had always been this sharp or if it was something about this world, but here, it felt like anything I read stayed etched in my mind, crystal clear.
As I finished memorizing the manual, I began to experiment with the breathing technique. Slowly, I started to follow the pattern described in the book, inhaling deeply and exhaling in a controlled rhythm. After some time, I could feel it—a tiny, almost imperceptible amount of essence moving within me. It wasn't much, and I couldn't move it toward my heart, but the fact that I could feel it at all was something.
Seeing my progress, grandmother approached and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "It will take time for you to move enough essence to your heart," she said reassuringly.
"But grandmother," I replied, "I can move a very, very tiny amount."
Her eyes brightened with pride, and she smiled. "Oh, you can, can you? Very well done."
Forty-five minutes passed, and I could see Astor still studying the manual, trying to absorb the breathing technique. Soon enough, he joined me in meditation, his face scrunched in concentration. We continued in silence until grandmother eventually broke our focus, announcing that it was time to eat. Together, we followed her to the dining hall for dinner, marking the end of our first day of training.
This routine carried on for weeks. Every evening, we would meditate in grandmother's study, practicing the technique and slowly gathering more essence. Afterward, we'd join her for dinner, where she would sometimes share stories about her own experiences with magic and essence.
A month passed, and I was finally able to control a significant amount of essence in my body. Today felt different. I was ready to try reaching my heart again. As I guided the essence toward my chest, I felt it—the essence slowly coalescing near my heart, rotating and swirling like a small, rhythmic ball. It kept spinning, faster and faster, and I could feel it absorbing more essence from my body and the air around me.
Suddenly, grandmother's voice broke through my concentration. "Oh, you've reached your heart!" she said with excitement.
I opened my eyes to see her smiling proudly at me. "Well done, Nyx. Now, do it again and again until it feels full," she instructed.
I nodded and returned to my meditation, pushing the essence into my heart over and over until, a week later, I was on the verge of completing the process. I could feel it—just an hour or two more, and I would have filled it. Time passed, and as I sensed the last bit of essence flowing into my heart, it began to spin faster, absorbing everything from within me and the world around me. Then, just when I thought it would stabilize, a sharp pain hit me, radiating through my entire body.
The manual had warned me about this—the expelling of impurities. I gritted my teeth, pushing through the discomfort. It was painful, yes, but not unbearable. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of thick, gooey substance covering my clothes and the floor around me. I glanced at grandmother, who was beaming with pride.
Before she could say a word, her gaze shifted to Astor. His process had begun. It was an entirely different experience to witness, the essence around him thickening like a dense mist. The same gooey substance began to expel from his body, his face contorted in pain. He was gritting his teeth, clearly struggling with the intensity. Was it really that much worse for him? Or did I just have a higher pain tolerance?
Finally, the process stopped. Astor opened his eyes, fatigue evident in his features, but there it was—that signature grin of his. Always smiling, no matter what.
Grandmother clapped her hands together and smiled warmly at both of us. "Congratulations, boys. You've both become Novices."
Hearing those words, I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. We had taken our first real step toward becoming mages. The path ahead was long, but for now, we had succeeded.
Elyndra's POV
Elyndra watched her grandsons with a mix of pride and silent astonishment. They were progressing far faster than she had expected. Usually, it took A-grade mages like herself and Alaric months to gather the necessary essence, painstakingly cultivating it and guiding it toward the heart. But here were Nyx and Astor, barely a month in, and they had already figured out how to direct their essence with impressive precision.
She couldn't help but smile softly to herself, amused at the thought. S-grade affinities truly are something special, she thought. It was one thing to know it in theory, but to witness it firsthand, especially in children so young, was a different matter entirely. The essence around them had thickened rapidly, almost too quickly, as if it were naturally drawn to them. Even at this stage, their bodies seemed to instinctively understand how to absorb and manipulate it.
I can't let them know, though. Not yet. Elyndra kept her calm exterior, deciding to hide her surprise. They didn't need to grow overconfident this early in their training. It was important for them to remain grounded, focused on mastering the basics before diving deeper into their potential.
As she continued to watch them meditate, the essence swirling visibly around them, she reached for her communication device, discreetly alerting Alaric and the rest of the family to witness the event. Even they, seasoned mages, had been taken aback by the sheer density of the essence surrounding the boys.
Elyndra's heart swelled with pride, but she knew that this was just the beginning. There was so much ahead of them—so many trials, so much they had to learn. And despite their rapid advancement, she wouldn't allow them to skip the steps that would instill discipline and understanding.
Alaric had reminded her earlier, "Don't tell them anything special. Let them figure it out with time." And she agreed. They needed to work through it on their own, just like every mage before them. Their S-grade affinity would set them apart, but it was their determination and focus that would truly shape their future.
With a quiet sigh, Elyndra refocused her attention on the boys. Nyx had reached the heart, his core spinning with that same rhythmic rotation that marked the beginning of a novice mage's journey. Astor wasn't far behind, his own breakthrough close at hand.
They will be great, Elyndra thought to herself, her heart swelling with quiet confidence. But for now, they are still my grandchildren. Let them be children a while longer.