Chapter 29 – Aric
Morning came slow. Pale sunlight filtered through the branches overhead, glinting against the morning dew. Aric woke to the faint sound of birdsong and the steady rhythm of his father sharpening a blade nearby.
The night's conversation still weighed heavily on him. Levels, ceilings, the system's leash. It wasn't just about growing stronger anymore—it was about survival. If he was marked, then he needed to get ahead of whatever was coming.
He pulled himself up and stepped into the clearing, his breath misting faintly in the crisp air. Mana pulsed within him, uneven and restless, as though it remembered the drain and still resisted his control.
"You're awake," Daren said without looking up. "Good. Today you practice."
Aric nodded, determination hardening his face.
He extended his hand and called upon the most basic element he had practiced before: fire. Mana trickled out, shaky, sparking weak flames in his palm. The fire wavered, unstable, before snuffing itself out with a hiss.
Aric clenched his teeth.
"Too much force," Daren observed calmly. "You're trying to command it like a hammer. Fire isn't a hammer. It's a whisper. Invite it, don't strangle it."
Aric tried again, forcing himself to exhale slowly, guiding his mana with a gentler touch. A faint ember bloomed in his palm, flickering like a candle. Small, but steady.
"Better," Daren said. "Now, expand it. But don't lose focus."
The ember swelled, then burst into a brief flare before guttering out again. Aric cursed under his breath.
"Frustration won't help you," Daren reminded him. "Every element has its nature. Fire burns, yes, but it also nurtures. It warms, it illuminates. If you think only of destruction, you'll lose control."
Aric breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He pictured warmth. The hearth at home, his mother's gentle touch, the steady glow of firelight in the safehouse. The ember returned, brighter this time, its flame steady in his palm.
He opened his eyes and allowed himself a small smile.
"Good," Daren said at last, though his voice remained steady, offering no indulgence. "Now try another."
Aric turned his focus to water. Mana flowed outward, cooler, heavier. He pictured the stream they'd camped near, the sound of rushing currents. A thin trickle of liquid formed, dripping from his palm before dissolving into mist.
Better than before, but still clumsy.
Daren walked over and crouched down, his gaze sharp. "You can shape one element, maybe two. But if you want to surpass the system, you'll need to do what others cannot. Combine them. That is where true power begins."
Aric's pulse quickened. He had read about elemental combinations in his father's notes—most mortals could never achieve it. The system interfered, severing the flow before mana streams could intertwine.
But if he could break the rules…
Aric extended his hand again, summoning flame with one palm and a trickle of water in the other. The two resisted, flickering violently, fighting against his will. The flame hissed as droplets sizzled against it, nearly extinguishing both.
Sweat formed on his brow as he forced his mana to weave tighter, trying to bridge the gap. Sparks shot from his hand, a clash of heat and cold that stung his skin.
"Focus," Daren urged, his tone sharper now. "Not as two forces, but one. Opposites don't cancel—they transform."
Aric grit his teeth, pouring his will into the mana. Slowly, painfully, the flame and water twisted into a swirling cloud of hot steam, rising between his palms. It wavered, unstable, but it was there—something new, something not dictated by the system's rigid paths.
Aric gasped, releasing it before it could explode in his face. The steam dissipated into the cool morning air, leaving him trembling but exhilarated.
He looked at his father, chest heaving. "I… I did it."
Daren's eyes softened slightly, though his face remained composed. "Yes. For a moment. That moment matters. The system will not like it, but it means you can already step where others cannot."
Aric clenched his fists, still shaking from the effort. He had felt it—the defiance, the creation of something new. A step beyond what mortals were meant to reach.
And he knew one thing for certain: if the system was watching, it would never forgive him for it.