"This is my second time using it," Dareth uttered.
The old man fell to the ground, gasping for air, as Dareth pulled the sword from his chest.
Then he killed the old man instantly by driving the sword into his head without hesitation.
Dareth turned away and he fell to the ground.
1 DAY LATER
Dareth was still unconscious, having been so since the mission. There was no hope for him to wake up soon, as his Nyxian form was new to him—it was only his second time using it and the last time he had used it long ago. So, he had to deal with the side effects of it.
Arvian and Jaxyn stood in the base's large chamber, and Declan in front of them.
"We'll start by meditating and focusing on mana," said Declan.
"At Azmaris Academy, the first thing you need is enough mana to cast basic elements like wood, fire, water, and air. So first let us focus on mana."
Both Arvian and Jaxyn meditated.
Arvian focused on clearing his mind, pushing away all distractions.
After a while, he started to feel a warmth spreading through his body—his mind, hands, feet, arms, chest—almost every part of him. It felt as though he had awakened the mana within him, and a small flow of it started moving through his body. The warmth gradually increased, but it wasn't sudden. He could feel the mana slowly building up.
Jaxyn, on the other hand, was much more connected to his mana, having already experienced this process. He could already use basic elements to cast spells and was far beyond the basics.
After the meditation, Declan spoke up.
"Alright, good. Now, for the second step. We're going to create basic balls of each element. After that, we'll learn how to cast each element and control it properly."
"Focus all your mana into your hand at one point, try to create heat there, and think in your mind that your hand will produce heat and form a small orb," Declan continued.
Arvian felt a bunch of excitement in his chest. He opened his hand and tried to focus the mana there, but nothing happened. He made multiple attempts, but nothing changed.
Jaxyn, in the meantime, had already formed a ball of fire in his hand and looked at Arvian.
"Haha, you can't even focus your mana?" Jaxyn laughed, pointing at Arvian's hand.
"That's the point. Well, Arvian, first, you need to learn how to control your mana. For today, your only task is to focus on that," Jaxyn said firmly, but his usual playful tone slipped in toward the end.
Arvian nodded in agreement. It was true—without control over his mana, he couldn't make progress.
He spent the entire day meditating and concentrating on his mana flow, trying to sense and manipulate it. Slowly but steadily, he began to feel the energy within him and started gaining control over it.
All day long, Jaxyn could not help but tease, joke, and occasionally divert Arvian's attention. Despite their short time together, Jaxyn already felt a close bond with Arvian and treated him like a best friend, constantly trying to lighten the mood.
Arvian had improved somewhat by evening, but his mastery of his mana remained shaky and far from flawless.
"Oi, Arvian! Let's play a game," Jaxyn suddenly blurted out, his mischievous grin widening. "Whoever loses has to wear a girl's dress, dance, and act like a girl! Haha!"
Arvian looked at him, confused for a moment, before letting out a small chuckle. "What kind of ridiculous game is this?" he asked, shaking his head.
"It's called fun, my friend!" Jaxyn declared, crossing his arms proudly.
"C'mon, don't tell me you're scared to lose!"
"Okay, let's play..." Arvian agreed reluctantly, raising an eyebrow at Jaxyn's over-the-top excitement.
Jaxyn's grin grew wider. "Alright, the rules are simple. The game is: you have to make me laugh, and if you succeed, you win. But if I make you laugh, I win. Easy!"
Arvian blinked, clearly puzzled. 'What... This is such a weird game. It's like something from Earth, but here it just feels... strange,' he thought, sighing internally.
"What if both of us win? Or both of us lose?" Arvian asked, tilting his head slightly.
Jaxyn smirked mischievously. "Simple—both of us will have to act like girls! Hehe!"
"Cut it out... You're going to lose, Arvian," Declan chimed in lazily from the corner, napping on the swing bed. He didn't even bother to sit up, waving a hand dismissively as he teased Arvian.
Watching Jaxyn with a mixture of incredulity and curiosity, Arvian braced himself.
"First, I will make you laugh; you stand right there," Jaxyn announced dramatically, his face suddenly turning serious as if preparing for a grand performance.
Expecting something strange, Arvian crossed his arms, and he was not let down.
Jaxyn began with some weird, exaggerated mumbling under his breath. He spun around in circles, talking to himself as if arguing with an invisible person. "No, no! I told you, don't touch the lamp! What did I say about the lamp?! Why would you—?" Jaxyn paused, shaking his head with fake frustration. "Ugh, you never listen to me!"
He suddenly dropped to the floor, rolling around dramatically, as if the invisible person was pulling him down. "You've ruined everything! My plans! My beautiful plans!!" He moaned loudly, his eyes dramatically stretching his arms toward the top wall. "It's... all... over!"
Arvian couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Jaxyn's over-the-top acting. It was impossible not to laugh at how absurd it was, but Jaxyn wasn't done yet.
Unexpectedly, Jaxyn got to his feet, made a ridiculous face, and began to act as if his hands were a comb, and he was using them to comb his hair. "See, this is how you really do it! Perfect! All done! No, wait—wait—uh!" He paused, turning to Arvian with a completely serious expression. "Now, this is the real art of hairstyle."
Arvian was losing it. He cocked his head to the side, unable to conceal the grin that was beginning to form on his face. Because of Jaxyn's absurd behaviour, Arvian could not help but laugh aloud.
Jaxyn did a little dance, spinning around, his arms flailing like an over-excited windmill. "And that, my friend, is how you truly make a statement!" he finished with a flourish, striking a ridiculous pose.
Arvian was laughing harder now. "Okay, okay, I get it, you win!" he said between fits of laughter. "I definitely didn't expect that!"
Jaxyn bowed dramatically while beaming broadly. "Of course, I'm the master of making people laugh!"
Declan, still lying on the swing bed, opened one eye. "Yeah, yeah. You two are hopeless. But looks like you're still going to have to act like girls anyway, huh?" He closed his eyes again and yawned.