At Sunrise
Sirus leaned against the cave wall, lifting a weary wave.
Without a word, Selvynee rushed and pulled Ashfang into a tight embrace. Burying her face into his chest.
"Y-you okay?" He asked, startled, he brushed her head gently with one hand.
"Let's go back, brother," she murmured, her voice trembling—exhausted from the long fight.
Ashfang gave a small nod, and together they began the slow walk back to Kurts.
Later That Early Morning.
The door clicked softly shut behind them. Sirus turned and gave Selvynee a quiet gesture.
"Get some rest," he said. "I'll be back soon with food."
As he stepped into the quiet streets, he paused mid-step, muttering under his breath, "Might as well check if there's a book on mana…"
He turned toward the bookshop.
The door gave a soft click behind him as he entered. Bleary-eyed, he scanned the shop and spotted a tower of books stacked in a narrow aisle.
Approaching the bookworm too engrossed in her reading to notice him, he cleared his throat with a sharp cough.
Startled, she looked up and shut her book, offering a small, nervous bow. "Hi... What can I do for you?"
"I need a book on mana control," he replied flatly, raising a brow at the bow.
She hurried to another aisle and returned with a bundle of books clutched to her chest.
"How much?"
She blinked down at the stack. "Thirty silvers," she muttered.
"I'm not going to steal them," he said, faintly amused. "Here's fifty."
Without waiting for a reply, he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.
'I'll need to study hard if I want to master my powers.' he thought, heading toward a small café.
"It's you again…" the shopkeep murmured from behind the counter.
Saying nothing, Sirus picked up his usual and left.
"What a weirdo," Sirus murmured.
Back at the Room
"I'm back." The door clicked shut behind him.
Selvynee's ears poked out from beneath the covers.
They stared at each other—him, blankly amused; her, sleepily confused.
"You went under the covers like that?" he asked.
"More books?" she muttered.
They spoke at the same time, then fell silent.
Sirus dropped the bundle of books onto the table with a sigh and handed over her portion of the food.
"You need a bath," he muttered at last. "Couldn't you change before crawling under the covers? You're covered in sweat and dried blood…"
She ate in silence.
"Whatever," he murmured, eyes drifting to the books.
'Time to study.'
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he sorted through the titles.
"Beginner's Guide to Mana," he read aloud, picking it up. "I should start with this one."
As he read, Selvynee silently watched from beneath her blanket.
'He likes books, huh,' she thought, rolling onto her side. A few minutes later, she drifted off to sleep.
Hours passed in quiet, the only sound the occasional turning of pages.
With a snap, he shut the book and inhaled deeply, then settled into a lotus position.
'First step: feel the flow. Breathe with it. Let the mana guide itself through the body as written…'
Time passed.
Opening his eyes, he flexed his fingers and examined his arms.
"My body feels… less stressed. If I let it spread through every strand of my being, it enhances me."
A shiver of excitement ran down his spine.
"And this is just the basics."
He lifted a hand thoughtfully.
"Next step… focus on it. If I concentrate mana in my legs, I should get faster. Stronger. If I release it during a punch—just as I hit…"
A faint grin curled his lips.
"…It'll be devastating."
He paused.
"I still need to learn how to use the fire properly," he muttered, eyeing the stack of books. With a sigh, he shook his head. "Master mana first… then fire."
A few more hours passed in near silence, save for the quiet rustle of pages and the occasional scratch of thought. Sirus immersed himself fully.
Eventually, he muttered, "I need a bath."
Standing up, he nudged Selvynee gently.
"Selvynee. Get up. Take a bath first and change into clean clothes."
She groaned beneath the covers, ears twitching, and murmured, half-asleep, "Where are we supposed to clean ourselves…?"
"I'll check with reception. There should be a bath somewhere."
Gathering a fresh change of clothes for each of them, he slung them over his shoulder and headed downstairs.
At the front desk, he found a new young man behind the counter. The moment their eyes met, the receptionist froze.
"You got a washroom?" Sirus asked, voice flat and unwavering.
The young man swallowed hard, nodding quickly as he fumbled for a key.
"H-head... To-toward the back…" he stammered.
Sirus left a silver coin on the counter before turning to head back upstairs.
Back in their room, he nudged Selvynee again.
"Let's go. They've got a washroom downstairs."
He handed her the fresh clothes and slung the rest over his shoulder. Together, they made their way down the corridor.
With a twist and a click, the door creaked open.
The washroom was small, holding only a single stool, a barrel of cold water, and a tiny shelf.
Selvynee blinked at the spartan room. "H-here?"
He dropped her clothes into her arms and stepped back.
"You go first," he said, shutting the door behind her.
Leaning against the wall, he folded his arms and exhaled.
"Wait…" he muttered to himself. "Where are we supposed to wash our clothes? And the bed sheets… she tracked blood into them."
With a slow shake of his head, he whispered,
"I'll check for room service later…"