The light of sunset was slowly fading as the camp settled into a momentary calm. After the arduous training of the day, Kaeleen didn't head straight to his room like the others. The words of Princess Selene echoed in his mind: "Meet me after training. There's something we need to discuss."
His body still ached from the violent flow of mana he had experienced as he walked slowly toward the princess's office. His heart pounded, not only from the pain he had suffered but also from the weight of the conversation he knew was about to take place.
When he arrived, the door to Selene's office was slightly ajar. Kaeleen paused for a moment before gently knocking and pushing it open.
The inside of Selene's office was warm and inviting, lit by the soft glow of lamps hanging on the stone walls. The princess stood by a table, reading a few scrolls. Upon seeing him enter, she looked up and offered a calm smile.
"Thank you for coming, Kaeleen," the princess said in her serene tone. She approached him with an expression that conveyed both concern and understanding. "I know today has not been an easy day for you."
Kaeleen nodded, not quite sure what to say. The pain he'd felt during training was still fresh in his mind. It hadn't just been physical—it was as if the mana had been trying to tear him apart from the inside.
Selene noticed his unease and motioned for him to sit in one of the nearby chairs. She took a seat across from him and looked directly into his eyes.
"What happened to you today, Kaeleen, is not a sign of failure," she began, her voice gentle yet firm. "Your affinity with mana is incredibly high, which has both positive and negative consequences. Dark mana is a powerful energy, but it can also be dangerous if not properly controlled. The pain you experienced today was due to the force with which the mana attempted to form your circuits."
Kaeleen lowered his gaze, his hands trembling slightly at the memory of the intense pain he had felt. "Does that mean I won't be able to control it? If it hurts this much every time I try…"
Selene smiled gently, raising a hand to calm his doubts. "You will be able to control it. But you'll need time and, above all, patience. Those with a high affinity for dark mana tend to be more sensitive to the spirits and thoughts associated with this type of energy. And those thoughts are not always benign. Dark mana, by nature, is volatile. If you don't master it, it can consume you."
Kaeleen looked at her, now more frightened than before. The thought that something inside him could destroy him was terrifying. "How can I control it?"
Selene sighed softly, watching the fire in the fireplace before looking back at him. "You will learn to feel it, to listen to the whispers of the mana, and to ignore those that try to lead you astray. It will be a long process, but you won't be alone. I will be here to guide you, and whenever you need help, you'll have it."
The princess's words gave Kaeleen a small glimmer of hope. He hadn't expected so much support from her, but knowing she was willing to help eased his worries.
"Thank you," Kaeleen finally murmured, though he still wasn't sure he could truly succeed. However, the fact that someone like the princess trusted him was enough to keep him going for now.
Selene smiled softly and stood up from her seat. "It's late. You should rest. Tomorrow will be another day of training, and you'll need all your strength."
Kaeleen nodded and rose as well, feeling somewhat lighter than before. When he left the office, a cool breeze greeted him. Despite the calm he felt after his conversation with the princess, he couldn't completely shake the feeling that something heavier loomed ahead.
Upon arriving at the hostel where he and the others were staying, he noticed that all the room lights were off. He walked toward the room assigned to him, hoping to find his bed ready for rest. However, when he opened the door, the first thing he saw were the mocking faces of Ithan and Erik, who were already comfortably settled in their beds.
"Well, look who's here," Ithan said, making no effort to hide his contemptuous tone. "The group's little weirdo."
Kaeleen frowned but said nothing. He looked around the room, searching for an empty bed, but they all appeared occupied.
"Sorry, Kaeleen," Erik added with a malicious grin. "Looks like there's no room for you here. Maybe you should find another place to sleep. Perhaps… the hallway."
Kaeleen felt the pressure in his chest intensify, but he didn't respond. He knew that arguing with them wouldn't get him anywhere. With one last look at the room, he decided to leave in silence. Ithan and Erik's murmurs and laughter followed him until he closed the door behind him.
He walked down the dark hallway, looking for somewhere he could spend the night. He had no choice but to sleep outside. As he continued, solitude and exhaustion completely overtook him. When he reached the outer courtyard, he sat under one of the trees, using his cloak as an improvised blanket. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, but at least he would be at peace, away from the mockery.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard soft footsteps approaching. A small figure appeared in the darkness, and at first, Kaeleen thought it was one of the camp guards. But on closer inspection, he recognized the petite silhouette of Elise, the young woman who had placed fourth in the magic trials.
"What are you doing out here?" Elise asked, her voice low but filled with curiosity.
Kaeleen shifted slightly, surprised that someone was speaking to him at this hour. "I… they left me without a place in the room," he murmured. "I guess they didn't want to share with me."
Elise frowned, clearly disgusted by what she had heard. "Those idiots. You shouldn't be sleeping outside. Come with me, there's space in my room."
Before Kaeleen could refuse or protest, Elise had already begun walking back to the hostel. Kaeleen stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do, but in the end, he decided to follow her.
"Are you sure I'm not causing you trouble?" he asked as he followed her into the building.
Elise glanced at him and gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. My group is different. We're not like the jerks who did this to you."
When they reached the room, Kaeleen noticed that the atmosphere there was much more relaxed than in his own. Elise pointed to an empty bed beside hers.
"You can stay there," she said without much fuss, but with a comforting smile.
Kaeleen nodded, surprised by Elise's kindness. He lay down on the bed she'd indicated and let out a sigh of relief. The day's fatigue was finally catching up to him, but something felt different this time. He had found someone who seemed to understand him, someone who, at least for tonight, didn't see him as an outcast.
"Thank you, Elise," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the darkness of the room.
"You're welcome," she replied softly. "Rest; tomorrow will be a better day."
Kaeleen closed his eyes, feeling for the first time in a long while a small ray of hope. The night passed peacefully, and although he knew the next day would bring more challenges, at least now he had a friend by his side.Here is the translation of your text into English:
The light of sunset was slowly fading as the camp settled into a momentary calm. After the arduous training of the day, Kaeleen didn't head straight to his room like the others. The words of Princess Selene echoed in his mind: "Meet me after training. There's something we need to discuss."
His body still ached from the violent flow of mana he had experienced as he walked slowly toward the princess's office. His heart pounded, not only from the pain he had suffered but also from the weight of the conversation he knew was about to take place.
When he arrived, the door to Selene's office was slightly ajar. Kaeleen paused for a moment before gently knocking and pushing it open.
The inside of Selene's office was warm and inviting, lit by the soft glow of lamps hanging on the stone walls. The princess stood by a table, reading a few scrolls. Upon seeing him enter, she looked up and offered a calm smile.
"Thank you for coming, Kaeleen," the princess said in her serene tone. She approached him with an expression that conveyed both concern and understanding. "I know today has not been an easy day for you."
Kaeleen nodded, not quite sure what to say. The pain he'd felt during training was still fresh in his mind. It hadn't just been physical—it was as if the mana had been trying to tear him apart from the inside.
Selene noticed his unease and motioned for him to sit in one of the nearby chairs. She took a seat across from him and looked directly into his eyes.
"What happened to you today, Kaeleen, is not a sign of failure," she began, her voice gentle yet firm. "Your affinity with mana is incredibly high, which has both positive and negative consequences. Dark mana is a powerful energy, but it can also be dangerous if not properly controlled. The pain you experienced today was due to the force with which the mana attempted to form your circuits."
Kaeleen lowered his gaze, his hands trembling slightly at the memory of the intense pain he had felt. "Does that mean I won't be able to control it? If it hurts this much every time I try…"
Selene smiled gently, raising a hand to calm his doubts. "You will be able to control it. But you'll need time and, above all, patience. Those with a high affinity for dark mana tend to be more sensitive to the spirits and thoughts associated with this type of energy. And those thoughts are not always benign. Dark mana, by nature, is volatile. If you don't master it, it can consume you."
Kaeleen looked at her, now more frightened than before. The thought that something inside him could destroy him was terrifying. "How can I control it?"
Selene sighed softly, watching the fire in the fireplace before looking back at him. "You will learn to feel it, to listen to the whispers of the mana, and to ignore those that try to lead you astray. It will be a long process, but you won't be alone. I will be here to guide you, and whenever you need help, you'll have it."
The princess's words gave Kaeleen a small glimmer of hope. He hadn't expected so much support from her, but knowing she was willing to help eased his worries.
"Thank you," Kaeleen finally murmured, though he still wasn't sure he could truly succeed. However, the fact that someone like the princess trusted him was enough to keep him going for now.
Selene smiled softly and stood up from her seat. "It's late. You should rest. Tomorrow will be another day of training, and you'll need all your strength."
Kaeleen nodded and rose as well, feeling somewhat lighter than before. When he left the office, a cool breeze greeted him. Despite the calm he felt after his conversation with the princess, he couldn't completely shake the feeling that something heavier loomed ahead.
Upon arriving at the hostel where he and the others were staying, he noticed that all the room lights were off. He walked toward the room assigned to him, hoping to find his bed ready for rest. However, when he opened the door, the first thing he saw were the mocking faces of Ithan and Erik, who were already comfortably settled in their beds.
"Well, look who's here," Ithan said, making no effort to hide his contemptuous tone. "The group's little weirdo."
Kaeleen frowned but said nothing. He looked around the room, searching for an empty bed, but they all appeared occupied.
"Sorry, Kaeleen," Erik added with a malicious grin. "Looks like there's no room for you here. Maybe you should find another place to sleep. Perhaps… the hallway."
Kaeleen felt the pressure in his chest intensify, but he didn't respond. He knew that arguing with them wouldn't get him anywhere. With one last look at the room, he decided to leave in silence. Ithan and Erik's murmurs and laughter followed him until he closed the door behind him.
He walked down the dark hallway, looking for somewhere he could spend the night. He had no choice but to sleep outside. As he continued, solitude and exhaustion completely overtook him. When he reached the outer courtyard, he sat under one of the trees, using his cloak as an improvised blanket. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, but at least he would be at peace, away from the mockery.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard soft footsteps approaching. A small figure appeared in the darkness, and at first, Kaeleen thought it was one of the camp guards. But on closer inspection, he recognized the petite silhouette of Elise, the young woman who had placed fourth in the magic trials.
"What are you doing out here?" Elise asked, her voice low but filled with curiosity.
Kaeleen shifted slightly, surprised that someone was speaking to him at this hour. "I… they left me without a place in the room," he murmured. "I guess they didn't want to share with me."
Elise frowned, clearly disgusted by what she had heard. "Those idiots. You shouldn't be sleeping outside. Come with me, there's space in my room."
Before Kaeleen could refuse or protest, Elise had already begun walking back to the hostel. Kaeleen stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do, but in the end, he decided to follow her.
"Are you sure I'm not causing you trouble?" he asked as he followed her into the building.
Elise glanced at him and gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. My group is different. We're not like the jerks who did this to you."
When they reached the room, Kaeleen noticed that the atmosphere there was much more relaxed than in his own. Elise pointed to an empty bed beside hers.
"You can stay there," she said without much fuss, but with a comforting smile.
Kaeleen nodded, surprised by Elise's kindness. He lay down on the bed she'd indicated and let out a sigh of relief. The day's fatigue was finally catching up to him, but something felt different this time. He had found someone who seemed to understand him, someone who, at least for tonight, didn't see him as an outcast.
"Thank you, Elise," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the darkness of the room.
"You're welcome," she replied softly. "Rest; tomorrow will be a better day."
Kaeleen closed his eyes, feeling for the first time in a long while a small ray of hope. The night passed peacefully, and although he knew the next day would bring more challenges, at least now he had a friend by his side.