Upon returning home from the city, I sat in my room by the window. I took out the feather and started examining it. It looked like an ordinary feather.
"Damn old man, what did he want?" I said, exhaling.
"What is this feather anyway?" I said irritably.
I thought about throwing it away because it seemed useless, but something told me this feather was unusual. He wouldn't have given it to me for no reason. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that a five-year-old boy managed to awaken magic. But who was he anyway?
"Arrgh, it's frustrating," I muttered, staring at the feather.
My magic training was supposed to start tomorrow. I wondered what Ellyn would teach me.
…
…
…
The next day.
—"Today we begin our magic lessons,"—my mom announced proudly.
—"To start, how far have you progressed?" —she asked with a hint of mockery. —"I think you've probably only developed a green core."
I thought she knew I had a full blue mana core. She seemed to believe that firmly.
—"Didn't you check it when you examined my mana?"
—"What? Of course not. The method of checking mana involves introducing a small amount of mana and mixing it with another person's mana. This way, you can only check the state of your mana since everyone's mana is identical. This method cannot check the development of the mana core," Ellyn explained.
—"Hm, I see. I have a full blue mana core,"—I said.
—"Yeah, a blue mana core… wait, what? A BLUE CORE?!"—she screamed after a second.
Her voice echoed throughout the area. I stood there, not understanding what I did wrong. Was it too bad or too fast to develop? Although, how could it be bad to have a blue core at five years old? Maybe I should have lied since I was advancing my abilities so quickly.
—"Yes, I have a blue core,"—I replied, exhaling.
—"Oh my god, you already have a blue core,"—she muttered to herself.—"A blue core… he already has a blue core,"—she continued.
—"Mom, are you okay?"—I asked as she mumbled incoherently.
—"Oh yes… one second… you're amazing!"—Her eyes filled with tears as she ran to mе.
—"You're a genius! A real genius!" she kept praising me.
—"Mom, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"—I asked in confusion.
—"Everything is fine, I'm just happy,"—she continued, wiping her wet eyes.—"I'm so happy for you.
—"You surprised me. Mastering two mana control techniques and already progressing to the full blue stage.
—"Mana control techniques?"—I asked,—"What are they?"
—"What?"—she shifted from joy to surprise, not understanding the question.
—"What are the mana control techniques?"—I asked again.
—"You don't know what mana control techniques are?"—she asked.—"They are special practices and methods used by mages to improve their interaction with magical energy, mana. These techniques are aimed at developing, strengthening, and expanding the mana core, as well as improving mages' abilities to control magical flows for more effective and safe use of magic,"—she explained.—"If you didn't know them, how did you develop your mana core?"—she asked thoughtfully.
—"Umm, well, I came up with my own way,"—I said, improvising.
—"You are truly a genius,"—her eyes filled with admiration again.
Perhaps if I learn them, I can progress to the next stage faster.
—"Mom, teach me these techniques,"—I asked with slightly pleading eyes. She'll definitely fall for this.
—"Oh, my dear son, mommy will teach you everything,"—she said, hugging and pressing me to herself.
Victory!
…
—"First, we need to sit down,"—said mom,—"we need to take a comfortable position,"—she continued explaining,—"the first technique is called the Mana Core Harmony Technique.
Mana Core Harmony Technique
At this stage, the mage is just beginning to become aware of their mana, and their task is to establish an initial connection with it. This technique is aimed at achieving harmony between the core and the mana, allowing the mage to sense and stabilize its flow.
— "Tell me, have you noticed that your mana has different structures?" — she asked.
— "Yes, I know it's different," — I replied.
— "Good, but do you know which structure you need?" — she continued.
— "Hmm, no?" — I answered, confused.
— "I don't know what method you used, but it seems you've been absorbing all particles indiscriminately," — she explained. — "This is incorrect and can lead to a situation where mana can no longer enter your core because it will be filled with unnecessary particles."
— "Try mastering it for now. First, sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and begin to focus on your heart, where the mana core is located. This core initially has no definite shape, but a mage can feel it as a faint energy or 'flow' circulating inside."
— "You must relax your mind, almost like entering a state of meditation. Let your consciousness focus on the internal energy, feel it as a gentle warmth or tingling emanating from your core."
— "This is the influence of your particles that should be there. But you should also feel something else, an unpleasant energy, something like an excess. Try to cleanse it. Try to remove it from your mana heart."
Yes, I feel it, as if it's unnecessary. If I try to expel it... There are too many such particles. Let's try slowly, bit by bit, to remove them. I feel these particles and try to push them out, remove them from the mana core. I won't get much out at once, so I'll take a few. I start slowly extracting them from the core. It becomes increasingly unpleasant, so I speed up a bit. I've almost removed a few from my core. I feel somewhat empty. Having pulled them out of my mana heart, I feel weak, and my body breaks into a sweat. I'm very tired from doing this; it's very difficult. It will take time to complete this, but if I combine this method with aura concentration, what will happen? I'll need to experiment once I fully purify my core. When those few particles were extracted from my mana core, they started floating around me. An unusual sight.
— "I see you managed it," — my mom said, slightly out of breath.
— "Yes, phew.. I did it, phew…"— I said, panting.
My mom caught those particles floating around me, took them in her hand, and directed them upwards. After reciting a spell, they rose. A beautiful firework lit up the evening at the estate, filling the sky with beautiful lights. It was simply a breathtaking effect. I watched the entire scene and the captivating spectacle my mom created.
— "Wow, this is simply amazing," — I said in awe.
— "Yes, magic is truly fascinating," — she said, exhaling.
I looked at her at that moment, and all I could see was sadness and sorrow. What happened to you that made you dislike magic so much?
...
...
...
15 years ago. The County of Danevir.
Elina stood by the window, her gaze obscured by the heavy gloom that fell upon the castle of Danevir. The wind swept through the halls, carrying the remnants of the magic that once permeated every corner of this home. She could feel it—the fragments of magic that had not yet faded, magic that once was their protection, now a weak shadow of what it once was.
She was a mage, and her mother, Lady Mirael, was a magister. They had many powerful wizards in the estate—all of them served the House of Danevir, their spells protecting the manor's walls, shielding them from attacks. But none of that could stop Morveil's forces.
At the moment when they stormed the castle, Elina felt her magic slipping away, losing its strength. For several days, she had felt a strange tension in her energy, as if the magic itself could no longer protect her, as if nature itself was rejecting her wishes to preserve this home.
"Run, Elina!"—her mother shouted when the soldiers burst into the hall.
Mirael was surrounded by her students. She uttered a few ancient words, but the magic, like their strength, was already compromised. The fire that always burned in her hands went out, and she fell to her knees. "Do not lose hope, my daughter..."
Elina grabbed her by the shoulders, but her mother vanished in an instant, as if dissolving into the air, and Elina, blinded by pain and fear, realized she had lost her forever. This was not just a murder—it was a violation of the very order of the world.
She ran, screaming into the void. She felt the magic still coursing through her veins, but it was not enough to protect her. With each step, her energy waned like a candle consumed by darkness. Leaving her loved ones behind, she did not know who had survived and who had been killed in this horror.
"Galen..."—her brother's name echoed in her soul, but there was no response. She searched for him, hoping for a miracle, but no one could tell her if he had escaped or if his body lay among the dead. Separated in that moment, their paths never crossed again. Whether it was fate or cruel chance—she did not know. All that remained was a feeling of emptiness and pain, burning her from within.
She ran through the ruins, not looking back, though the sound of battle still rang in her ears. The street where she and her brother once played was now soaked in blood. Elina could barely hear her own steps as she was led to a new place.
She had been traveling for several days. The pursuit continued. She had not left the forest or eaten since fleeing her home. She did not know what to do, but the only thing she was certain of was that she could not go back. Not now. She needed to find a place to rest and eat. With these thoughts, Elina kept running in an unknown direction.
When she emerged from the forest, she saw a small dirt road. In the distance, there was a town. In the fields, a harvest of wheat was being gathered. Many locals were working there.
She was scared, knowing it would be easy to catch her here. With this thought, she was about to turn back and hide in the forest. But her strength left her. She collapsed to the ground, but she was still conscious. She did not give up and, exhausted and scared, tried to continue.
A man noticed and approached her. She couldn't see him, only a shadow getting closer. In fear, she curled up, covering her head with her hands.
— "Stay away,"—she said in a frightened and trembling voice.
— "Don't touch me,"—she continued to repeat.
In her fear, she didn't hear what was happening around her. Several people were already standing around, but she wouldn't calm down.
— "Excuse me? Are you okay?" These words made Elina look around. Several locals who were working in the field stood around her. She didn't know if she could trust them.
— "Who... are you?"—she asked, examining them.
— "We..."—one of them began but was interrupted.
— "Someone is here,"—shouted a knight emerging from the forest. Everyone turned to look. The only young man, after seeing the knights, looked back at the girl. The pieces fell into place. He took off his straw hat and put it on the girl.
— "Who are you?"—asked the knight, approaching the small crowd on the edge of the road.
— "Hello,"—stepped forward the young man who had given the girl the hat.
—"Is there a problem?"
— "No. We're just looking for a girl. Have you seen a girl with silver hair, around 15 years old?"
— "We..."—someone from the crowd began.
— "No, we haven't seen anyone like that,"—interrupted the young man.
— "Hmm?"—the knight looked at the girl sitting on the ground.
—"And who is this?"
— "That's my sister. She suffered a sunstroke, and we brought her here to rest."
…
— "Alright,"—the knight turned and said to several other knights behind him.
—"Let's resume the search."
Lark met her on the outskirts of the barony. He was a kind man, whom Elina did not know, but his calmness and determination gave her at least a glimmer of hope.
Silently, he extended his hand to her. She could no longer hold back the tears that had been welling up for so long, and all she could do was grasp his hand, feeling her world completely falling apart. This gesture was the only thing connecting her to reality.
With each step she took in this new place, she felt her magic weakening, her strength fading. She was on the verge of collapse, but something inside her remained.
Determination, an unwillingness to give up. She knew her life would now be different. She could not return home, could not bring back her family. But she vowed that she would not stop, would not give up, and that if she ever met those responsible for the fall of her house, she would find a way to settle the score.
The world, like her magic, had changed forever. But Elina did not allow herself to surrender.
… End of Chapter 7...