Darkness surrounded me. Am I dying? Or... am I already dead?
A faint sound echoed in the silence, Thump. Thump. No, I hear something. What is it?
Suddenly, I was pulled from the void, dragged into blinding light. My eyes struggled to adjust, but when they did, two unfamiliar faces stared down at me.
"Honey, he's a boy. A beautiful boy," said a man, his voice filled with pride.
Reincarnation? This can't be real.
Memories of my past life came flooding back. My name, my struggles, my death—I remembered it all. The man above me spoke again. "Nox. That's his name."
"Perfect," said a woman beside him, her voice warm and gentle. "I just hope he can grow strong. His siblings already have an edge over him. After all, he is the youngest."
"Well, he's an Ashford. Strength is in his blood," the man replied confidently.
Strength. Great. That's all they cared about. Do they expect me to prove myself again? To be the best? Not this time. Not after everything I endured in my past life.
I resolved to live differently. To hide my talents and stay in the shadows. This time, I would control my destiny.
Two Years Later
This world, Isoria, was nothing like Earth. Here, magic wasn't just real—it was the cornerstone of life. Over the past two years, I had come to understand that mana wasn't something people were born with. It was all around us, saturating the air, the ground, and even the people. Children didn't typically start absorbing mana until they were eight, but nobles, with their superior bloodlines, could start as early as six. I wasn't willing to wait that long.
Through sheer willpower and a bit of ingenuity, I figured out how to absorb mana from the air around me. At first, it was just a flicker of energy, a faint sensation that came with deep breathing and concentration. I realized that if I visualized the mana flowing into my body while synchronizing it with my breath, I could guide it toward the center of my being.
But there was a problem. My mana core was still undeveloped. It couldn't hold the mana I was drawing in, and any progress I made would dissipate quickly. That's when I had an idea: compression.
I discovered that by condensing the mana before it entered my core, I could force my body to solidify it into a stable form. The process was agonizing—like trying to fit a raging river into a teacup—but it worked. Over weeks and months, I slowly built up my core, layer by layer.
Compression wasn't without its dangers. The denser the mana, the greater the strain on my body. There were days when the pressure left me bedridden, my limbs aching as though they'd been crushed under a mountain. But with every step forward, I felt my core growing stronger, more stable, and capable of holding greater amounts of mana.
After two years of grueling practice, my mana core was finally complete.
The day my mana core solidified was unforgettable. As I pushed the last bit of mana into it, a sharp pain shot through my body, and I nearly cried out. It felt as though my core was shattering and reforming all at once.
Then, it happened. From my core, three rings emerged, each glowing with a unique brilliance:
Void: The deepest black, darker than any shadow, surrounded by a faint purple aura. Gravity: A dark blue ring, rippling with the distortion of space. Lightning: A vibrant yellow and white, crackling with electric energy.
Three elements. Awakening even two elements was considered rare, but three? That was practically unheard of. For a moment, I allowed myself a flicker of pride. But I quickly buried it. If anyone found out about this, my talents would be discovered—and that was the last thing I wanted.
Testing My Powers
With my mana core complete, I began experimenting with my abilities in secret.
Lightning: By channeling lightning through my body, I could enhance my speed and reflexes. The first time I tried, I tripped and fell, realizing that a toddler's body wasn't built for such power. Sparks danced at my fingertips, but I kept my tests small to avoid drawing attention.
Gravity: My gravity magic allowed me to manipulate weight, increasing or decreasing it by up to 10%. It was a subtle power, but I could already see its potential. With more practice, I would be able to crush objects—or even enemies—with sheer force.
Void: Void magic was the most mysterious of my abilities. It could absorb and nullify other elemental attacks, swallowing them into nothingness. Curious, I tested it by directing lightning into a small void cloud. The sparks vanished instantly, consumed by the darkness.
Looking Ahead
At three years old, I was far ahead of my peers, but I kept my progress hidden. My family believed I was a normal child, It was better that way.
In this life, I would walk a different path. Not as the strongest, not as the most gifted, but as someone in control of his own fate.