Once the day ended, with his body heavy and sweat clinging to his skin, Luther collapsed onto a nearby bench. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, a sharp contrast to the exhaustion weighing him down. His muscles protested from the day's exertion, but his mind kept replaying Princess Selene's words: "Come see me tomorrow night."
Remembering the meeting, Luther exhaled heavily and headed to the showers. The cold water cascading over his body was a welcomed relief, washing away the grime and clearing his thoughts. As he dried off, he found himself mulling over why the princess wanted to speak with him. "Why does she want to talk to me? Is it about the dark mana? Or… could it be something else?" The questions swirled in his mind, unanswered and persistent.
Dressed in clean clothes with damp hair, Luther walked through the castle's hallways, guided by the faint glow of the torchlights. He arrived at the princess's study, where the door was slightly ajar, spilling soft light into the corridor. Taking a deep breath, he knocked gently on the wooden surface before cautiously pushing it open.
On the other side, Princess Selene waited, seated behind a large desk adorned with ancient books and scrolls. Her golden hair shimmered under the warm light of the lamps, and her expression was serene but focused.
"Thank you for coming, Luther," she said softly, her voice carrying a weight that hinted at the importance of their conversation.
"Please, take a seat," Selene added, gesturing to a chair across from her desk. Luther sat down, still feeling tense as her steady gaze seemed to assess him carefully before she spoke.
"What happened to you today, Luther, is not a sign of failure," she began, her tone a blend of compassion and resolve. "Your affinity with mana is extraordinarily high, and that brings both blessings and burdens. Dark mana is a powerful energy, but it is also dangerous if not controlled properly. The pain you felt today was the result of the mana's intensity as it attempted to form your circuits."
Luther lowered his gaze, his hands trembling slightly as he recalled the searing pain. "Does that mean I'll never be able to control it? If it hurts this much every time…"
Selene offered him a gentle smile, raising a hand in a calming gesture. "You will be able to control it. But it will take time and, above all, patience. Those with a strong affinity for dark mana are often more sensitive to the spirits and thoughts carried by this energy. And those thoughts… are not always kind. Dark mana is inherently volatile. If you fail to master it, it could consume you."
The princess's words left Luther more unsettled than before. The thought of something within him that could destroy him was terrifying. "How… how do I control it?"
Selene sighed softly, her eyes drifting to the fire crackling in the room's hearth before returning to him. "You will learn to feel it, to listen to the whispers of mana and ignore those that seek to mislead you. It will be a long journey, but you won't have to face it alone. I'll be here to guide you, and whenever you need help, you will have it."
Her words gave Luther a glimmer of hope. He hadn't expected this level of support from the princess, but her mention of the "whispers of mana" brought back memories of Twilight.
"Thank you," Luther murmured, though he still didn't fully grasp the gravity of his situation. For now, knowing that someone as important as Selene believed in him was enough to steady him.
Selene smiled again as she stood. "It's late. You should rest. Tomorrow will be another day of training, and you'll need all your strength."
After their intense conversation, Luther prepared to leave the study. As he rose from his chair, still digesting all the information she had shared, Selene's voice stopped him.
"Wait, Luther," she said, her tone soft but serious.
He turned back to her, noticing that her gaze had dropped slightly as though she was carefully choosing her words.
"I want to apologize for my reaction during your trial," she began, her voice laced with genuine regret. "I know it might have made you uncomfortable, but the purity of your mana… it's something I've never seen in a human before."
Luther blinked, startled. "P-purity?" he stammered, the word catching in his throat.
Selene nodded. "Yes. Typically, the mana of a summoned human is unstable and takes time to adapt to this world. But yours is different. It's as pure as someone who has lived their entire life next to a powerful source of mana. It's… almost impossible for someone who just arrived in Aether."
A chill ran down Luther's spine. Her description only deepened his own doubts. "Is… is that bad?" he asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.
The princess shook her head, though her expression remained serious. "It's not bad, but it's strange. Very strange. That's why I was so startled during your trial. Your connection to dark and arcane mana could make you extraordinary… or it could doom you if you fail to control it."
Luther nodded slowly, feeling the weight of her words settle heavily on his shoulders. His thoughts immediately turned to Twilight. "Could this be because of him? Is this somehow connected to this world?"
Selene took a step closer to him, lightly placing a hand on his arm. "Don't let this consume you, Luther. What matters now is that you focus on learning and mastering your abilities. Whatever brought you here, I believe it has a purpose for you."
With a kind smile, she withdrew her hand and returned to her place by the desk. "Go rest. Tomorrow is another day, and you'll need all your strength for what lies ahead."
Still reeling from the conversation, Luther nodded slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Princess," he murmured before turning and leaving the study.
Closing the door softly behind him, Luther's mind was awash with questions and tangled thoughts. As he walked down the hallway toward his quarters, Selene's words echoed in his head.
"It's as if you've been raised next to a great source of mana your entire life."
The comment left him frozen inside. He didn't fully understand what it meant, but he knew something was off. Twilight, the voice that had guided him for years, might be the key to unraveling this mystery. Yet, since his arrival in this world, Twilight had been eerily silent.
"Could Twilight be connected to this world? Or… is he behind all of this?"
The hallway was dimly lit by torches, their flickering flames casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. The sound of his footsteps echoed louder in the quiet of the night, each step a reminder of how alone he felt in that moment. The sense that something far larger was at play gnawed at him, unsettling him more than he wanted to admit.