The heavy iron gates of the castle groaned open, revealing the sprawling wilderness beyond. Kaelen stood at the threshold, watching as Azrak disappeared into the horizon atop a skeletal steed imbued with dark mana. The mage had left in his usual manner—detached and abrupt, offering no more than a simple instruction before departing.
"Do not waste time Kaelen, strength is the only source of reliance.
Kaelen nodded to himself, his creator's words echoing in his mind as the gates slammed shut behind him.
For the first time, the castle was truly silent. The void left by Azrak's presence was strange, but Kaelen felt no discomfort. His thoughts were focused instead on the vast expanse that surrounded the castle, a world he had only glimpsed through windows or in Azrak's teachings. Azrak allowing him to explore the surroundings of the castle until he felt a barrier.
The mana-rich air brushed against his skin, invigorating his core. It was different here—wild and untamed, unlike the controlled mana flows within the castle walls. His curiosity, unburdened by fear or hesitation, compelled him forward.
Kaelen ventured into the dense forest that bordered the castle grounds. The air was thick with mana, its presence humming through the trees and soil. He extended his awareness, feeling the gentle pull of the ambient energy as it flowed into his core.
This was instinctive for him, yet fascinating to observe. Azrak had explained that while humans relied on magic circuits to channel mana, beasts and creatures had cores—small, crystalline organs that absorbed and purified mana from the atmosphere. Kaelen, uniquely, possessed both.
He paused by a shimmering stream, crouching to study its surface. Tiny motes of mana drifted above the water, visible only to his trained eyes. He reached out, letting his core absorb the energy, the process as natural as breathing.
"This world thrives on mana," he murmured to himself, more as an observation than a reflection. His tone was devoid of sentiment, but not of wonder.
The sound of labored breathing broke Kaelen's concentration. He turned his head, his sharp eyes narrowing as he scanned the underbrush. There, collapsed against the roots of a massive tree, was a beast—a sleek, feline creature with scales instead of fur and glowing amber eyes that dimmed with pain.
Kaelen approached cautiously, not out of fear but to better assess the situation. The creature growled weakly, baring its fangs, but it made no move to attack. Its mana core flickered visibly through its translucent scales, struggling to maintain the beast's life force.
Kneeling beside it, Kaelen studied the creature's injuries with clinical detachment. A deep gash marred its flank, dark blood staining the ground. The wound pulsed faintly with corrupted mana, likely from an attack by another beast.
"Your core is strong," Kaelen said, his voice calm, almost analytical. "But it cannot sustain you much longer in this state."
The beast growled again, but there was no malice in its gaze—only pain and a faint glimmer of recognition.
Kaelen placed a hand near its core, feeling the resonance between it and his own. The sensation was... peculiar. It was not empathy that drove him, but curiosity. The beast's core felt familiar, almost kindred, as though it acknowledged him as one of its own.
Kaelen extended a tendril of life mana, threading it carefully into the beast's core. He had seen Azrak manipulate mana countless times, and his own abilities had grown under the mage's guidance. The beast flinched at first, but as Kaelen's mana intertwined with its own, it began to calm.
The corrupted energy surrounding the wound was slowly neutralized, the beast's core brightening with renewed strength. Kaelen withdrew his hand, watching as the creature's breathing steadied.
"Efficient," he remarked to himself. " Life Mana is truly the correct path."
The beast struggled to its feet, its amber eyes locking onto Kaelen's. There was no fear or aggression now, only a quiet understanding. It lowered its head slightly, a gesture of submission or gratitude—it was hard to tell.
Kaelen tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "You survived because of a lucky encounter that is all." Azrak made sure to drill into his head that luck mustn't be relied on.
The beast followed Kaelen as he continued his exploration, limping slightly but staying close. Kaelen found the behavior curious but did not shoo it away. Its presence offered an opportunity to study the behavior of mana beasts firsthand.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Kaelen noted how the ambient mana seemed to react to the beast. The trees shimmered faintly as it passed, their own mana signatures resonating with the creature's core.
"The balance of this world is tied to mana," Kaelen mused aloud. "Beasts like you are a part of that balance. "Unlike me" Kaelen said in self observant tone.
The thought was not sentimental—Kaelen's mind did not linger on such concepts. Instead, it was a logical deduction. If his core was like that of the beasts, then his place in the world might be closer to theirs than to humanity's.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kaelen stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the forest. The beast sat beside him, its wounds now barely visible.
Kaelen's gaze was fixed on the distant mountains, his thoughts turning to Azrak's parting words. Strength was his purpose, his reason for existence. In this world, strength was everything—the foundation upon which survival and dominance were built. Yet the day's events had sparked new questions—about the nature of mana, the connection between cores, and his own place in the grand design of the world.
"I am neither human nor beast," he said quietly. "But perhaps I am something... more."
The beast growled softly, a sound that almost resembled agreement. Kaelen glanced at it, his expression unreadable but contemplative.
The forest stretched endlessly before him, filled with mysteries and dangers yet to be uncovered. With the beast at his side and a growing awareness of his unique abilities, Kaelen took his first steps into the unknown, unburdened by fear or doubt.