Re: Training part3

"Magic was not born from man's greed nor from the idle twisting of the natural world. It was a gift… sent by the Gods themselves, when the First People still wandered Terra shivering under an endless winter. The first flame was not lit by spark or steel, but by will. Fire was the first affinity to reveal itself in mortal blood, and without it, the first civilization would have frozen into the snow and been lost to history."

The candlelight flickered against the shelves of ancient tomes surrounding them in the training chamber.

Alvis's eyes softened with reverence, while resting both hands on his staff.

"From fire came warmth and protection… but also destruction. The Gods knew a single gift could not sustain life forever. Thus, Water was born next — to quench fire's rage, to heal the wounded, and to nourish the land. Then came Earth, giving us shelter, stone for our walls, metal for our swords. Wind followed, carrying seeds across the plains, moving ships across seas, and clearing the smoke from our lungs."

His voice lowered slightly, as if speaking of something sacred.

"Light descended to guide us, a force of clarity, truth, and protection. Yet the Gods knew that without balance, even Light could become a tyranny. And so unlike the other affinities, it does not appear randomly in the bloodline — it is passed down, one bearer to the next, from parent to child. Those without Light in their heritage cannot awaken it. Zephyr, for instance, carries her mother's gift, a blessing as rare as it is revered.

Then darkness was born — not as a blessing, but as a shadow born from hatred and jealousy of Light's existence. It hid in the hearts of those who feared being weak, granting them power in concealment, deception, and the quiet patience of the night."

Alvis drew a circle in the air with the tip of his staff.

"These six affinities — Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Dark — make up the very pulse of Numeria."

"Some affinities oppose each other, like Fire and Water, Earth and Wind, Light and Dark. Their natures clash. If affinities are not of the opposing kind, they can amplify one another — Fire feeds on Wind, Earth strengthens Water, Light sharpens Fire, and so on."

"Every soul is born with one affinity, written into their spirit. A rare few, like myself," Alvis said with a small, self-satisfied smirk, "bear two or more, and can weave their strengths together in ways most can only dream of."

"Magic is shaped by will," Alvis continued. "You imagine what you want, and mana flows to make it so. Simple spells require only thought and control — but when your mana is thin, or the spell is grand, you chant. Chants focus the mind, strengthen the weave of mana, and bring forth far greater effect than raw will alone."

He gestured for Kazuki to watch as he conjured a small sphere of earth and let it crumble in his palm.

"Regardless of your affinity, there are forms all magic can take — the shared tongue between the elements."

Weapon Enhancement – Infusing a blade, bow, or spear with elemental force.

Armor Enhancement – Reinforcing armor to withstand blows, heat, or other dangers.

Elemental Projectiles – Fireballs, stone shards, compressed water bullets, razor wind discs, light darts, shadow bolts.

Explosions / Area Blasts – Raw power condensed and detonated on impact.

Barriers – Walls of force made from your element, for protection or containment.

Environmental Manipulation – Altering surroundings with your element: fog, tremors, heat waves, wind bursts, shadow veils.

"But each element also has its own voice — spells that belong to it alone. One of Zephyr's light affinity abilities is a form of telepathy, like when she put you to sleep."

Alvis closed the heavy tome he'd been using as reference and stepped out into the open training yard with Kazuki. The morning air was cool, the stones beneath their feet still damp from the night dew.

"Magic," Alvis began, "is not merely about power. It is about control — of yourself, of the elements, and of the will to shape them into something real."

Kazuki nodded, still processing everything from the lecture. His fingers flexed slightly at his sides, like he could almost feel the mana waiting inside him.

"We'll begin with sensing mana," Alvis said. "Sit."

Kazuki lowered himself onto the stone tiles. Alvis sat opposite him, closing his eyes.

"Magic is as much a part of you as your heartbeat. Close your eyes, Kazuki. Breathe in. Feel the world's breath… and then your own."

At first, Kazuki felt nothing. Then — faintly — there was a warmth. Not in his chest, but everywhere, like the world itself was pressing a gentle hand against him.

"I can sense it."

"Good," Alvis murmured. "That is mana. Your mana. Now… imagine drawing it together. Tighten the rope, so to speak, until it is ready to be released."

Kazuki tried. The warmth drew closer, condensing like mist into a ball of heat inside his core. Sweat formed on his forehead from the effort.

"Enough," Alvis said, opening his eyes. "Now we try shaping it."

He stepped back and motioned for Kazuki to stand.

"We start with the simplest of shared spells — the projectile."

Alvis lifted his hand, muttered a short chant, and a small ball of pure fire formed in his palm before shooting across the yard, bursting harmlessly against the far wall.

"That was with fire affinity. You will do the same, but with your own. You have dark affinity, young Hasunuma. Use it."

Kazuki raised his hand and tried to picture the same thing he'd seen Alvis do. He gathered his mana, imagined it forming into a sphere. There was no chant, no words.

A sphere of pure darkness roared into existence in his palm, crackling with an unnatural pull, the air itself bending faintly around it. Then, with a sharp thrust forward, it launched across the yard at frightening speed, smashing into the far wall with a deep, echoing thud that left the stone blackened.

Silence fell. Even Alvis blinked once, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

"That…" the old mage murmured, "was an advanced-level projectile spell. Without a chant."

Zephyr's lips parted. "How—"

Alvis cut her off with a raised hand, already turning to one of the apprentices at the edge of the yard. "Bring me the mana gauges."

Within minutes, they rolled out a tall crystal column and a set of smaller measuring orbs, each one pulsing faintly with magic.

"Place your hand here," Alvis instructed, motioning to the crystal's surface.

Kazuki obeyed. The moment his palm touched the crystal, threads of black energy spiraled upward inside it, climbing higher… and higher… until the markings etched into the topmost ring of the gauge began to glow.

Gasps rippled through the onlookers. Zephyr's eyes looked from the gauge to Alvis.

"This… how is this possible?"

Alvis exhaled slowly, studying the last glowing mark. "His mana capacity…" He turned his gaze back to Kazuki, a flicker of disbelief in his expression.

"…matches my own. Perhaps even exceeds it."

Alvis stepped back from the mana gauge, his eyes narrowing — not in suspicion, but in calculation.

"This is good," he said at last, his voice firm. "If anything, the best thing that could have happened."

Kazuki blinked at him. "How is that good?"

"Because," Alvis replied, the faintest smile tugging at his beard, "with this much mana at your disposal, we can fast-track your training. I will teach you the chants in time, but for now… we focus on the basics, without them. You will learn to shape your magic through will alone — no words, no delay."

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. "That's a dangerous path to put him on so soon."

"It is the fastest path," Alvis said simply, turning back to Kazuki. "Come. Let's continue your training."

A couple of days passed since Kazuki's magic training had been added to his daily routine.

The rhythm had begun to set in — mornings with Ardent on the training grounds, afternoons with Alvis drilling magic control and discipline, evenings spent with aching muscles and the faint hum of mana still thrumming in his veins.

Sleep came quicker now, exhaustion pulling him into its grip as soon as his head touched the pillow.

But there came a night when rest was not meant to last.

A deep, mournful blast shattered the stillness — the castle's warning horns.

One after another, they rang out across the sleeping stronghold, echoing through the stone halls and into every chamber.

Shouts rose in the corridors. Boots pounded on flagstones. The cold night air carried the scent of oil and steel as the garrison roused to arms.

Kazuki was already on his feet, heart hammering, when Zephyr burst into the room.

"The western watchtowers," she said, voice tight. "They've spotted movement."