The wind howled across the plains beyond Ardenvale.
Kale stood in silence, his hand raised toward the horizon where morning was breaking through the storm. The world smelled of ash and rain — a strange calm after chaos.
Lyra's voice came softly behind him. "You've been standing there since dawn."
Kale lowered his arm, his gaze distant. "I can feel it… the mana inside me. It's not obeying — it's listening."
Lyra stepped closer, her cloak brushing against his. "That's what Aurelion meant. He didn't want to control mana. He wanted to understand it."
He nodded slowly. "Then I'll finish what he started — my way."
Training Scene
They had found a small clearing by a frozen stream, far from any settlement.
Kale stood at the center, his sword planted in the ground, eyes closed.
Varyn sat cross-legged on a rock nearby, watching with his arms crossed. "If you blow yourself up, I'm not cleaning the mess."
Kale ignored him. He focused on his heartbeat, the rhythm of the mana pulsing beneath his skin. Every time he'd drawn power before, it had felt violent — a force that wanted to consume him.
Now, he tried to listen.
A soft hum filled the air. Blue light flickered around his body, faint at first, then brighter.
Lyra raised her staff, channeling a thread of her own mana to guide him. "Don't force it. Let it see you."
Kale exhaled. The air shimmered.
The stream nearby rippled — then froze completely. Tiny motes of light floated up from the surface, drawn to him like stars circling a sun.
Elric blinked. "That's… new."
Ryn tilted his head. "It's responding to him. Not resisting."
Kale opened his eyes — and for the first time, the blue in them glowed softly instead of violently.
He whispered, "It's… calm."
Lyra smiled faintly. "You're finally speaking its language."
That night, they camped beneath an old willow tree. The fire crackled quietly. Lyra leaned against Kale's shoulder, her voice low.
"Do you ever think mana has emotions? Like fear or anger?"
Kale thought for a long time before answering. "Maybe. Maybe that's why it destroys people who try to use it without understanding it."
Lyra's gaze softened. "Then you might be the first one it ever trusted."
He said nothing, but his hand brushed hers gently — a silent thank you.
Seren's POV
The Coven Citadel stood at the edge of the world, carved from black stone and suspended over a sea of mist.
Seren knelt in the Chamber of Chains — a circular hall filled with glowing runes that pulsed with control sigils.
Before her stood High Witch Lumeria, robed in silver, her gaze sharp as glass.
"Report," the witch commanded.
Seren bowed her head. "The cursed subject lives. His power is unstable… but evolving."
Lumeria's lips curved slightly. "Good. Let the experiment grow stronger. The higher he climbs, the deeper his fall will be."
Seren's fingers twitched against the floor. "He's… not what we expected."
Lumeria tilted her head. "You sound uncertain."
Seren met her gaze. "He's not like Aurelion. He hesitated to kill me."
"That's his weakness."
Seren's chest tightened. "Or his strength."
A cold silence followed.
Lumeria extended her staff — the control sigil on Seren's neck flared, forcing her to bow. "Do not confuse emotion with humanity, Subject 01. You are a weapon. Nothing more."
Seren clenched her fists, her voice barely audible. "Yes… Mother."
That night, alone in her chamber, Seren touched the mark on her neck. The skin beneath it pulsed faintly — not from the Coven's magic, but from something else.
She closed her eyes, and for a fleeting moment, she saw him again — Kale, standing in a field of light, smiling faintly through exhaustion.
The memory wasn't hers. But it felt like it.
She whispered to the darkness, "Why do I remember you… if I was made to destroy you?"
The mark on her neck flickered once — and then dimmed.