Ranav woke before dawn the next morning. After a simple breakfast, he went to his familiar spot on the hilltop. The early light broke over the horizon, and the quiet allowed him a rare moment of reflection. He looked around at the serene greenery surrounding him and steadied his mind for what lay ahead.
"Nanima says I'm too attached to myself," he murmured, his thoughts drifting to the life he'd left behind. "If only she knew!" A dull ache stirred within him, a fear he allowed himself to feel alone. "What if I forget Sarah, Earth, my family? How can I let go of them?"
He clenched his fists. "I need to grow here, but I'm afraid that in doing so, I'll lose Richard Smith," he thought, struggling with the reality that his memories of his past life were already fading. "My father, my mother, my sister… they're gone, replaced by a new family."
"Wait… a sister," he thought, recalling that he once had a sister, Susan. Her young face, now distant in his memory, stirred a bittersweet pang. "I remember her illness… I was so devastated I barely ate for days. Now I have another sister, Vivita."
He looked out over the valley, the chill in the air reinforcing his sense of vulnerability. "Anything could happen here. The Mayura Kingdom is far more ruthless than the United Kingdom. Even with strict laws, I couldn't save Sarah."
"We're just peasants here. If some random noble's spoiled child tries to harm Vivita, what can we do?" A chill ran through him as he imagined the dangers his sister might face here.
"I need to be strong… for her, for my family." An idea formed, a way to hold on to his memories without fear of losing them. "I'll write it all down, everything about Earth. I'm the only one who knows English here. English will be my secret code. That way, I can retain my memories."
He felt a spark of resolve. "This way, I won't lose them." With a small smile, he thought of his newfound family. "I'm lucky to have a second chance. But we need more than this peasant life offers. I need to rise above it, and fast."
The image of the Morris family's smiling faces in the courtroom surfaced in his mind, reminding him that only money and power could safeguard his loved ones. "I won't hold back from now," he promised himself. "Nanima seems wise and kind; if my growth becomes monstrous, she will guide me." He hoped, at least, that his trust wasn't misplaced. In this world, a Master was sworn to protect their Apprentice.
"Thirty years of experience", he reminded himself. "I have a lifetime's worth of knowledge to shape this life here". Sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, breathing deeply as he tapped into the mana circulating through his body.
He adjusted his focus to the space between his eyebrows, like all those books stated, where he could sense something more profound: his spiritual sense. He descended into stillness, his vision slipping into darkness. Gradually, a dim glow began to appear until an entire galaxy stretched before him, a vast constellation of dull gray stars, with only two glowing clusters: one purple, one soft soothing white.
Instinctively, he knew the white cluster held his light element. "Nanima said I've awakened the light element. I should have seven stars in my cluster." He glanced over at the purple cluster, puzzled. "What are these purple stars?" Curiosity got the better of him, and he reached for one, but it darted away as if he had some contagious infection! After several failed attempts, he shifted his focus to the white stars, which felt gentler and more willing to cooperate.
He managed to grab one and move it at will. "Yes! Success!" he thought, a burst of satisfaction coursing through him as he continued practicing.
His throat eventually grew dry, and as he blinked his eyes open, he was surprised to see the sun setting. "An entire day… just for this? I'm moving far too slowly," he muttered, rising to his feet and hurrying back home.
Once there, he found himself looking at his family with newfound clarity. For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt a deep warmth, a sense of genuine love from them. Naveena scolded him for skipping lunch, worrying aloud that he was getting too skinny. "Mothers are the same everywhere", he thought, hiding a smile.
Later, he noticed Vivita working on her homework, frowning as she struggled with a math problem. He joined her, glancing at her notebook. "Sis, need help?"
Vivita handed over her book, and he read the problem aloud. "'Thirty-five squared minus twenty-five squared,'" he murmured. "Okay, here's a simpler way." He explained the pattern he'd recognized from his old life, showing her how the problem could be solved quickly.
Vivita watched in awe. "You're a genius!" she exclaimed, giving him a tight hug. He struggled to break free, laughing. "I've read all your books, so you can ask me anytime. Just… let go. I can't breathe!"
At that moment, their parents appeared at the door, smiling as they observed their bond. Ranav caught their expressions and felt a quiet joy settle over him. "This family is my second chance."
The next morning, Ranav rose early, heading to his usual spot beneath an Ashoka tree. His first task was to expand his Mana Sense. "According to Nanima, I need to expand the area and also be quiet. If I practice diligently, the area can be expanded, but how do I make it silent…? I should try Kotodama silently. But that's the opposite of its essence…. Who cares? This is the magic world! Aikido or Kotodama shouldn't respond in a magical way in the first place."
After a few attempts, he could sense only the mana within his body, no more. "Alright, no sense wasting time on this. I'll also resume my Mana Body Training once Nanima gives me the manual from Empire," he decided. For now, he would focus on his spiritual sense and stars.
Until afternoon, Ranav practiced. His control over the white stars improved, and by the end of the session, he could handle two. He knew it was respectable progress, but a sense of impatience still lingered. "I need to grow stronger… and faster," he thought, a fierce resolve hardening within him as he stood to leave.