The Power Within (Part-1)

Narrator: In a world brimming with magic, where its essence flows through every creature, every land, and every experience, chaos prevails. Kingdoms clash, races wage war, and the land is marred by endless conflict. Amidst this turmoil, Rethrus Milo is born—a child of unfortunate fate, trapped in a turbulent era.

 "Ahhh, is this truly my fate, huhu, why this world, God?" Rethrus Milo laments, his young mind burdened by despair.

 Narrator: Though his body remains that of a mere two-year-old, Rethrus possesses a remarkable awareness of his surroundings. Unable to articulate his thoughts fully, he contemplates deeply, sensing something extraordinary within himself—a glimmer of what is called Mana.

  "Ahh, I might indeed be lucky," he muses, the spark of hope igniting amidst his thoughts.

 Three years pass.

 The orphanage assembles its children for the ceremonial assessment of magical abilities. Out of thirty children, only twelve possess the rare gift of Magic—Rina, Jack, Jestus, Rethrus Milo, Hans, Lumine, Terra, Suryu, Celeste, Elizabeth, Haldrin, and the most blessed among them, Aethra, whose immense Mana astonishes all.

 These twelve children are deemed treasures of the kingdom, destined to aid in the ongoing war. Yet, for now, they are left unburdened by responsibility, allowed to play and embrace their innocence.

 One day, while playing with Elizabeth, a flood of memories overwhelms Rethrus. Sakura blossoms, the serene beach, and Eska—they come rushing back to him. His long-forgotten dream reawakens, and for a moment, amidst the joy of play, he forgets the weight of his second chance.

 "Rethrus, wanna play?" Elizabeth inquired, her voice filled with cheer.

 "Uhm, no, I have something to do," Rethrus replied, slipping away from the group.

 Determined to strengthen his gift, Rethrus sneaks into the library.

  "But how?" he wonders, recalling the awe surrounding Aethra's powerful Mana. Understanding that greater Mana would mean greater freedom, he begins his search for answers. Finally, he discovers a book on Mana and its secrets.

 Rethrus focuses entirely on mastering Mana.

  "Ah, so this is how it works… Wait, how do I meditate… Where's the book about it… Argh, I should've read about it back in my world," he grumbles.

 Rethrus learns the basics of meditation. While the other children play, he remains focused—connecting with nature and visualizing his Mana as a glowing orb, attempting to make it larger. Days pass, yet his progress remains elusive. 

 "Ah, what am I doing wrong?" he mutters, frustration building.

 Seeking peace and clarity, he meditates by the riverside. 

 "Peace and quiet, peace and quiet. Ball of Mana, ball of Mana. Getting bigger, getting bigger… Getting burger, getting burger, Argh!" he exclaims in irritation. 

 "Milo, don't get upset," he consoles himself.

  "Maybe I don't need to be near water. What about… dark places?" he ponders.

 Rethrus ventures into a small, dim cave at the edge of the forest. 

 Fear grips his fragile five-year-old body, but he pushes forward. Closing his eyes, he recalls Eska's smile—a comforting memory—and suddenly, light appears. This time, the Mana doesn't form an orb; instead, it blossoms into a small, luminous flower. 

 "So this is my Mana," he whispers, smiling for the first time.

 "Rethrus! Rethrus!" Sister Mary's voice breaks his trance. "Huh?" He opens his eyes, startled.

 "There you are, Rethrus. What are you doing here?" she asks, worry etched across her face.

 Rethrus simply smiles, unable to contain his excitement. 

 "If that's how it is, I can feel it. Ha, it's so addicting. Yes," he laughs to himself as they walk back to the orphanage.

 Later that night, after dinner and once the other children have fallen asleep, Rethrus sneaks out of bed to rekindle the sensation from the cave. 
 Closing his eyes, he visualizes the green petals of his Mana flower falling one by one. Only one petal remains, signaling the next stage of progress. Suddenly, he's jolted back to reality by the snores of a nearby child.

  "Oh, food. Mommy," the child mumbles in their sleep. Rethrus loses focus and sighs. 

 "I guess I should go back to the cave," he concludes.

  "At least I'm still advancing," he reassures himself before drifting off to sleep.

 The next day, he hides in the cave once again. Hours pass, and the last petal of the flower falls. The Mana transforms into a larger, radiant blue flower. As Rethrus emerges from the cave, he encounters an Emberfox—a cunning and agile creature with fur flickering like flames.

 They lock eyes, the fox's fiery tail flicking back and forth. Rethrus freezes, his mind racing.

  "What should this five-year-old body do? How do I react?" 

 Before he can decide, the Emberfox lights its paws with fire and lunges. Instinct kicks in, but his body lags behind his mind. The fox's claws graze his arm, leaving a painful scratch. 

 "Damn it, it hurts," Rethrus gasps, clutching his arm. 

 "That's right… Mana on my body. Put Mana on my body," he mutters through gritted teeth. Summoning his power, he begins to manifest his defense.

 When the Emberfox attacked once more, a black aura enveloped Rethrus's body. 
 The surge of Mana drained him rapidly, his small frame struggling under the immense strain. 
 Weakened but desperate, he braced himself as the Emberfox lit its tail and lunged toward him. 
 His instincts took over, and he dodged out of sheer desperation, his fear fueling his survival.

 Scrambling in the dirt, he spotted a stick nearby. Crawling toward it with all his remaining strength, his arm burned with pain as the Emberfox clawed his cheek, leaving a fiery wound.

  His voice broke in a mix of agony and panic,
  "Help, think, someone help me, please."

  His hands clawed at the dirt, his will forcing him closer to the stick. 

 "I can't die here. I can't die here." Blood streamed down his young face as his desperation peaked.

 The fox lunged for another attack, but Rethrus's resolve hardened.

  "I'm not going to die here," he screamed in his mind.
  In that moment of pure determination, he poured all his Mana into the stick. The blue petals of his Mana flower fell entirely, their ethereal light fading as they turned into silver. 
 With newfound strength, Rethrus swung the stick, striking the Emberfox's head. The creature froze, its body immobilized despite being very much alive.

 Rethrus slowly approached the Emberfox, its eyes reflecting fear and pleading for mercy. It whimpered softly, its defenses stripped away, its cunning no longer a threat. And he… smiled.

 His small body shook with emotion, and his mind roared with his inner voice. He raised the stick once again. With the strength he had left, he delivered blow after blow, striking the Emberfox down. 

 "I did it," his voice trembled as the words escaped his lips. And then, his body gave out. He collapsed to the ground, exhausted, his energy utterly drained.


 When he woke, the first thing he saw was Elizabeth, her tear-streaked face hovering above him. The other boys stood nearby, awe written across their faces. Sister Mary knelt at his side, her hands glowing as she healed his wounds. Her magic sealed his injuries, but the scar on his cheek remained, a lasting reminder of the battle.

 "Sister, sister, is Rethrus going to be alright?" Elizabeth's voice wavered, her concern evident in every word.

 The scene blurred, Rethrus slipping in and out of consciousness. He could feel the pain still pulsing through his small body, but with it came a strange sense of triumph—proof that, even in this fragile form, he could survive and overcome.

 "Yes, he will," Sister Mary replied. 

 "Father Henry, on the other hand, was amazed at how he killed an Emberfox. How can he kill it, though? Sister Mary, why didn't you report to me that this kid was camping in that cave?"

 "Sorry, father. I thought he just wanted to be alone, and I thought there would be no danger," Sister Mary replied.

 "What is the Emberfox doing here anyway? It's rare for an Emberfox to be here," Father Henry replied.

 As he wakes up, he looked at Elizabeth crying. And then she hugged him. She really was worried.

 After that incident, Rethrus never went outside for a week. 

 "Thinking about what happened. I killed it. I killed a magical beast. How did I do it? Did I just covered my Body with Mana? Wow, my survival instinct really kicks in. It's like riding a bike after all. Anyway, Stop thinking about it and let's go back to my mission. Wait I saw silver petals. What just happened?" 

 He thought. Rethrus took the book under his bed and read it again.

 "Emotions and Mana: Understand the link between emotions and mana. Positive emotions like joy, love, and gratitude can energize your mana, while negative emotions can deplete it. Focus on cultivating positivity to nurture and expand your mana reserves."

 "Ah so that's the reason. That experience is really something." 

 As he holds his face, he can feel the scar.

  "Not hurt anymore but he thought like, damn gonna be ugly again huh. It's fine as if I am planning to marry anyone. I guess The training right now is more harder since I've reach silver petals at early age."

 Narrator: Throughout the whole year, he trains and trains. The other children were just playing. He was stuck at gold petals for 2 years. This time some kids are wondering where he is going. And others don't care.
  He masters putting armor on his body. Which makes him so tired so he trained to put Mana on the designated part of his body.

 "I'm done playing back then. This time I will travel this whole world," he said.