It was the first time Zirael interrupted my thoughts like that, snapping me back to reality.
"What's wrong, Kaini? What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Sorry… I was just thinking about that boy," I replied.
"Aziel?"
"Yes."
"Ah… You're right. We haven't seen him in a long time. I wonder where he is now," Zirael said calmly, his interest in Aziel minimal, which was normal given how little time we had spent with him.
That day when he walked out of Rina's house, Aziel vanished like an unseen ghost. The next day, I held onto hope—or perhaps it was just a feeling—that I'd see him again, but it didn't happen.
That same day, Zirael showed us the progress he had promised. Focusing his energy, he cast a spell, and a small sphere of water, smaller than the ones I could summon, floated above his palm.
It wasn't a great feat; claiming he needed more space was an exaggeration. Still, the demonstration of a new spell left me satisfied. Although simple, seeing a different type of magic motivated me to keep training. However, deep down, I kept thinking about Aziel. His words lingered in my mind, refusing to be forgotten.
"Zirael, Kaini, let's go already!" Luna shouted impatiently from a distance.
"Alright. What do you think—should we call it a day?"
"Sure, cousin," I replied, though my body was already on the brink of exhaustion. I could feel the improvements in my endurance. Each session, I could train longer without my body giving up entirely. I no longer felt like I was breathing dirt after every training session.
"Here we go!" Zirael yelled, catching up to Luna, while I followed closely behind.
During those times, many things had changed, both personally and socially. I had overheard Elmer talking with my mother about the terrible problems affecting the community's peace. In one house, the body of an unrecognized man was found, a case that people discussed for days. This clearly deeply worried my father. While such occurrences weren't entirely rare, the lack of knowledge about this man left an unsettling concern.
Lost in these thoughts, I sat in my dimly lit room, illuminated only by a fragile candle.
"Son, how's your progress?" my mother asked as she sat beside me, while I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
"It's been over a year, and though I've made some improvements, I don't see as much progress as I had hoped," I replied, frustrated.
"And why is that?" she asked curiously.
"I can barely perform low-level spells. They lack power and the size they're supposed to have."
My mother let out a soft laugh, though it felt almost incoherent. "Kaini, magic in this world is scarce by nature. I've told you before; some are good at it, while others are not. That's the truth. It's truly extraordinary and rare for two children from a family typically associated with other talents to excel at something so uncommon. From what you've told me, your progress is remarkable, son."
What my mother said made sense. Although everyone had some kind of magical energy, being aware of our abilities was crucial. Without proper education, that energy remained latent and undeveloped. I realized that the book I had been using wasn't basic or insignificant but rather a text designed to guide proper learning in this field.
Everything began to make more sense. Luna and Rina, for instance, often exhausted themselves quickly when trying to perform spells; it was a struggle for them to even produce an aura on their first attempt. If I had advanced further than them, it likely had to do with the foundation I had built—not just my talent but also my interest.
Although I was still far from reaching Zirael's level, it no longer seemed ironic. His rapid development and control over his magic weren't coincidences. There was something about his learning method that made him stand out.
"Alright, son, get some rest," my mother said, gently stroking my forehead.
"Okay, Mom. Goodnight," I replied as she left the room.
That night, my mind couldn't stop turning over the ideas that had been tormenting me. I realized how wrong I had been to believe I could perform a high-level spell without consequences. It was absurd to think I could achieve something like that without risking my life.
My cousin, Zirael, and I were just fortunate youths with the opportunity to train in something that most people wouldn't even begin to explore until adolescence. Although I sometimes felt frustrated about not advancing as quickly as I wanted, I understood that I was already doing more than most could dream of at our age.