The hidden chamber's air was alive with the hum of dormant magic. Cooler, heavier with secrets, it embraced me as I sat cross-legged at its center. Surrounding me was a carefully arranged circle of focus crystals I'd gathered over the past month, each faintly pulsing with residual energy.
This exercise was not to measure mastery, but to crawl toward adequacy in a body that was still laughably frail compared to what it once was.
"Focus," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the chamber's stillness. I closed my eyes and reached inward, coaxing the sluggish mana within this twelve-year-old body to respond. It was like trying to draw water from a well that barely existed.The energy stuttered and resisted my will. Seven years of relentless preparation had strengthened my channels, but this? This was less than a fragment of the power I once commanded.
The first crystal flickered to life under my control, casting an ethereal blue light on the chamber's stone walls. The second and third followed in sequence, demanding a precise, painstaking touch. My muscles tensed with the effort, and sweat began to bead on my forehead.This... didn't even amount to 0.2% of my former strength. A humiliating number. A child's grasp at something he couldn't yet fathom.I gritted my teeth. The goal wasn't this pathetic flicker. The goal was 30%, a number that would make most men, even the strongest in this nation, kneel before me. The gap between 0.2% and 30% was an ocean, and I had two years to swim it.One misstep in this journey, and I might not just fail. I might die.The crystals flared brightly for a fleeting moment, a phantom echo of my past self, before the mana recoiled violently.The feedback struck me like a whip, leaving me gasping on the cold stone floor.
"Not yet," I muttered, wiping sweat from my brow. "But soon."I extinguished the crystals and rose, the ache in my limbs a familiar companion. The progress was microscopic, but progress nonetheless.Two years to become something more than human, to stand on the edge of death itself and come out unbroken. That was the promise I had made to myself
As I passed the library, faint voices reached my ears through the partially open door."—third seal remains intact," came Master Reid's voice, sharper than usual. "But the others...""We cannot risk exposure," Alden interrupted. "The knowledge must remain protected."My heart quickened. Seals? Protected knowledge? I pressed myself against the cold wall, straining to hear more. House Varyon was renowned for its justice, but this sounded like something more... ancient. More dangerous.The sound of approaching footsteps jolted me from my thoughts. I slipped into the shadows and waited until the corridor fell silent before retreating to my quarters.Morning greeted me with the clamor of the training yard. Master Kaine loomed over me, his piercing gaze a constant reminder of his high expectations."Again," he barked, tossing me a practice sword.I gritted my teeth and launched into the familiar forms. Each strike, parry, and pivot was more fluid than the last, but my limbs still protested against the grueling pace. Kaine was merciless, pushing me to the brink."Better," he said grudgingly as I completed a particularly demanding sequence. "Still too slow on the recovery. That hesitation will get you killed."I was about to retort when a figure in the gallery caught my eye, a boy, about my age, dressed in House Varyon's colors. His crest, however, was unfamiliar. He met my gaze with unnerving intensity before disappearing into the shadows.Kaine's practice sword narrowly missed my shoulder. "Focus!" he snapped. "You won't always have the luxury of second chances."I nodded, but my thoughts were elsewhere. The boy's presence was unusual. House Varyon rarely accepted outsiders, yet here he was. Another piece to the puzzle.The afternoon brought my lessons with Master Reid, but I couldn't shake the morning's events. As Reid droned on about the founding of the Houses, I noticed subtle shifts in his behavior, the way he hesitated before certain passages, the deliberate avoidance of particular texts."Master Reid," I ventured during a pause, "the records mention five Houses, but why only five? Surely there were others before the unification."Reid stiffened, his quill hovering mid-air. "Some knowledge serves no purpose but to create doubt," he said, his tone clipped."Doubt can lead to understanding," I countered, feigning innocent curiosity.His lips thinned. "Understanding, or folly. Focus on what is relevant, Elias."His reaction told me more than his words. Whatever he was hiding, it was significant.Later, in the gardens, I found the boy from the training yard practicing alone. His movements were precise, almost militaristic, a stark contrast to House Varyon's fluid style.He noticed me before I spoke, lowering his practice sword with measured ease.
"You're from the northern provinces," I said, stepping into the open.He smirked faintly. "And you're the ward everyone whispers about." His accent confirmed my suspicion. "I'm Marcus.""Elias." I studied his stance, noting the defensive undertone. "Strange time to practice alone.""Strange place to find another outsider," he replied, his smirk deepening. "Perhaps we're both looking for something."Before I could press further, the bell rang, time for evening meditation. Marcus nodded once and walked away, his expression unreadable. But something about him told me this wasn't our last encounter.Dinner was subdued but tense. Word had arrived from House Draziel, raiders were attacking the borders with unnerving precision."Trade routes," Alden muttered, scanning a map. "They're systematically targeting trade routes."His observation struck a chord. Organized raiders weren't unheard of, but this level of coordination suggested external influence. Foreign involvement, perhaps. But why disrupt trade specifically? What was the endgame?As I lay in bed that night, the pieces began to fall into place. House Varyon's secrets, Marcus's sudden appearance, the raiders' calculated strikes, they were all threads in a larger tapestry. I needed more information, more strength, and allies I could trust.Pulling out a focus crystal, I began my nightly ritual. Each pulse of mana brought me closer to reclaiming my former self. It wasn't enough, not yet. But for now, it would have to suffice.The game was changing, and I intended to stay ahead.