The strange feeling from that night did not disappear completely.
Even after the festival ended and everyone returned to the mansion, something continued to bother my mind. It wasn't fear. It wasn't exactly concern either.
It felt more like a warning.
Something distant.
Something that had not yet arrived, but was slowly approaching.
The next morning, I woke up early again.
The sky was still dark when I quietly left the room. The girls were still sleeping peacefully while the cold dawn wind drifted through the mansion's corridors.
I walked outside the estate and headed toward a more secluded area of the hill.
The fields were silent.
The morning mist covered part of the plantations while tiny particles of mana glowed faintly in the air. The magical environment of that region was still different from any other kingdom I had visited.
I took a deep breath.
Then I closed my eyes.
Over the past few days, my control over the Dragon's Breath had improved considerably. The fire no longer erupted completely out of control as it had before. I could maintain small stable flames and even surround parts of my body with blazing mana.
But it still wasn't enough.
The Dragon King's power was far greater than that.
Much greater.
I slowly opened my right hand and began gathering mana.
The heat appeared almost immediately.
Small red sparks formed around my fingers before transforming into fire.
At first, the flame was unstable.
It grew and shrank rapidly.
I took another deep breath.
Control.
That was what I needed to focus on.
Not power.
Not destruction.
Control.
The flame gradually began to stabilize.
I watched the fire dancing above my hand while trying to maintain a constant magical flow.
That was exactly the problem with that power.
The Dragon's Breath consumed mana extremely aggressively. If I increased the intensity too much, I quickly lost control. If I reduced it too much, the fire vanished.
It was like trying to control a living creature.
I continued concentrating mana slowly.
Then I tried something different.
Instead of simply creating fire, I began spreading the heat throughout my entire arm.
The sensation came immediately.
The heat flowed through my skin as small flames began appearing around my forearm.
For a few seconds, it worked.
But then the mana exploded irregularly.
The flames scattered violently.
"Again..."
I looked at my arm releasing a faint trail of smoke as I took a deep breath.
"You're trying too hard."
I looked behind me and saw Lyannis slowly walking up the hill carrying a book.
"You woke up early."
"So did you."
She stopped beside me and observed the traces of fire scattered across the grass.
"The problem isn't your amount of mana."
"Then what is it?"
Lyannis slowly closed her book.
"You still think like a swordsman."
I frowned slightly.
"And what does that mean?"
Lyannis carefully shut the book.
"You're trying to dominate the fire through force."
She slowly raised her hand.
"But draconic magic doesn't work that way."
Small particles of mana appeared around her.
"Draconic magic is based on flow. Continuous control. Not explosion."
I watched carefully.
"So I need to reduce the intensity?"
"No. You need to stop fighting the fire."
It sounded simple when she said it.
In practice, it was another matter entirely.
I began gathering mana again, slowly, while trying to follow her explanation.
This time, I didn't force it.
I simply let the mana flow.
The fire appeared once more.
Slower.
More stable.
The flames surrounded my hand without immediately exploding.
Lyannis watched silently for a few seconds.
"Better."
I continued maintaining the flow.
Then I began spreading the fire through my arm again.
This time, the flames didn't explode.
They simply grew slowly.
The heat around my body increased while small waves of energy spread through the grass.
I managed to maintain it for several seconds.
But then I heard heavy footsteps approaching.
"So you started without me."
Rai'kanna appeared walking up the hill with her arms crossed.
She observed my arm wrapped in fire and smiled slightly.
"You've improved a lot."
"It's still not enough."
"It never will be if you keep thinking like that."
She slowly approached.
"Unlike humans, dragons don't control fire through technique alone."
"Then how?"
"Instinct."
That was exactly the kind of answer that wasn't very helpful.
Rai'kanna noticed my expression and let out a small laugh.
"You think too much."
"Great advice."
"I'm serious."
She pointed at my arm.
"You're analyzing every detail of the fire while using mana."
"And that's bad?"
"For ordinary magic, no."
She raised her hand.
Then red flames instantly covered her entire arm.
Without effort.
Without instability.
It was natural.
"Draconic fire responds to the user's emotions and instincts."
I watched carefully.
"So I need to act without thinking?"
"Not completely."
The flames slowly disappeared.
"You need to trust your own body."
I remained silent for a few seconds.
Maybe they were right.
Ever since I started using that power, I had tried to control it the same way I controlled a sword and ordinary mana.
But draconic magic truly seemed different.
Very different.
I took a deep breath again.
Then I closed my eyes.
Instead of analyzing the magical flow, I simply felt the mana circulating through my body.
The heat began to emerge naturally.
Slow.
Steady.
The flames appeared once again.
But now they didn't feel violent.
They felt gentle.
I slowly opened my eyes.
My entire arm was covered in red fire.
Stable.
Without explosions.
Without losing control.
Lyannis looked at me in surprise.
Rai'kanna smiled.
"Finally."
I silently observed the flames covering my arm.
The heat was intense.
But at the same time, comforting.
As if the fire was finally beginning to accept my mana.
Then I decided to try one more thing.
I slowly concentrated mana in the palm of my hand.
The flames began to compress.
The heat rose rapidly.
The surrounding air grew heavy.
I continued controlling the flow while feeling the magical pressure increase.
Then I extended my hand forward.
A blast of fire shot across the fields.
The attack traveled several meters, destroying part of the empty ground before slowly disappearing into the horizon.
The impact sent a gust of wind across the entire hill.
For a few seconds, everything was silent.
I watched the smoke slowly rising from the impacted area.
My heart raced slightly.
That was far stronger than I had expected.
"Much better," Rai'kanna said.
Lyannis slowly closed her book.
"Now you've finally started using the power correctly."
I continued staring at my own hand in silence.
The flames still remained there.
Small.
Stable.
But dangerous.
Very dangerous.
At that moment, I finally understood something.
The power I received from the Dragon King was not just a powerful ability.
It was something capable of completely changing the way I fought.
And I was still only at the beginning.
The rest of the morning passed more peacefully.
Scarlet showed up some time later, demanding to participate in the training.
Liriel brought coffee while complaining that I was overdoing the training so early in the morning.
Elara analyzed part of the area destroyed by my attack and commented that I would probably have to pay for the damages if I hit an important plantation.
Vespera simply watched everything silently while sitting on the mansion roof.
That routine was already beginning to feel normal.
And perhaps that was exactly what made everything so strange.
Because deep down...
Even with all that tranquility...
I still felt that something was coming.
That night, after dinner, I went out alone again.
I climbed to a higher part of the hill while the wind slowly swept across the village's dark fields.
The sky was filled with stars.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds while feeling the mana slowly circulating through my body.
Then I heard that voice again.
The voice of the sword spirit.
"Your control has improved."
"You appeared late."
"You no longer need my guidance as much as before."
I crossed my arms.
"Then why did you appear?"
The silence lasted for several seconds.
"Because your power is awakening faster than I expected."
I looked toward the dark horizon.
"And is that bad?"
"It depends."
The spirit's presence grew stronger around me.
"The Dragon's Breath is not a simple power."
The flames slowly began appearing in my hand once again.
"Draconic fire responds to the user's will."
I watched the small flames dancing slowly.
"So if my control fails..."
"The power will consume you."
The wind grew stronger over the hill.
I continued watching the fire in silence.
Curiously...
I felt no fear.
Only determination.
"Then I'll master it completely."
The spirit remained silent for several seconds.
Then it spoke again.
"You are truly beginning to awaken, Hero."
The flames slowly intensified around my hand.
For the first time since receiving that power...
They finally seemed to obey my will completely.