"Finally, I can get some shuteye." Leo heaved a sigh of relief. Barely containing his excitement, a massive midnight-blue panther leapt through the golden portal, tumbling for a few seconds as the sweet scent of pristine grass filled its nostrils.
After the strange meeting with Queen Flowyria, an elven mage had been summoned to send him back. The day was already far spent, so Leo didn't give it a second thought.
Now, he lay sprawled on the Night Castle meadows, an azure eye gazing up into the starry sky.
"I feel like I'm forgetting something," he muttered, trying to recall an appointment he might have missed.
A strange glow coming from the forest caught his attention.
Crouching low, he crept toward the ethereal light that seemed oddly out of place in the dark forest. Peeking from behind a tree, he focused the azure eye to get a better look.
"Alicia?" Leo frowned, recognizing the mana signature swirling around the pale blue silhouette. Slowly, Supreme Alicia materialized out of thin air, arms folded, expression unimpressed.
"To think I actually considered you smart," she said in a whisper, loud and clear to Leo's ears.
His frown melted into a sheepish smile as he finally remembered. "Forgive me, Supreme Alicia. I totally forgot."
"Apology accepted." She walked forward until she stood in front of the tall assassin.
Whoosh!
"Please give a warning next time!" Leo wheezed, still crouched and trying to catch his breath. Once again the two were in the Sacred Grove.
"I thought you'd be used to this by now." Alicia shook her head and sat gracefully on a familiar rock.
"I'm an assassin, not a mage," Leo said, stretching as he got to his feet.
"But you are a Huntran," Alicia pointed out. "A race whose innate mana makes that of elves look like a drop in the ocean."
"Forgive me," Leo said, hesitant but curious. "How do you know so much about Huntrans, if you don't mind me asking?"
Alicia froze, her mouth slightly open.
"How old do you think I am?" she asked suddenly.
Leo hesitated. "A hundred?"
"Of course not." A soft chuckle escaped her lips. "I was born during the years leading up to the Great Cleansing."
Leo raised a brow, prompting her to elaborate.
"It was one of the largest genocides in Forever Realm history," she said with a sigh. "A heinous crime, quietly swept under the rug. People forget, or pretend to forget. That's easier than remembering the truth."
She waved a hand. "Enough of that. I brought you here for training, not a history lesson."
"What kind of training?" Leo asked, unsure what a mage like Alicia could possibly teach him beyond spells.
"Combat, of course," she replied with a sly smile.
"Combat?" Leo muttered. "What kind?"
"Have you ever used mana to fight?"
The question came out of nowhere. Leo thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"That's what I'm going to teach you," Alicia said. "But first, I assume you'd like to see what I mean."
She rose from the rock and stepped away, creating some distance between them. "Watch closely." She pointed to her right eye.
Leo nodded and activated the azure eye.
His suspicion was confirmed. The swirling mana around Alicia blazed with terrifying intensity, growing more and more potent with every passing second. Eventually, even her silhouette vanished—consumed by a fierce blue flame.
"This is almost on Wulfe's level… if not higher." Leo stared, awestruck. "Makes you wonder why she holds back…"
"If we ever fought, I wouldn't even stand a chance."
Then it happened.
The brilliant blue flame suddenly condensed, pulling itself into a single point.
BOOM!
"Damn!" Leo staggered backward, shielding his face as a roaring gust of wind shook the entire forest.
When the dust settled, the azure eye dimmed, revealing a vast clearing where once stood a dense patch of trees—all reduced to ash, then slowly regenerating.
"It's been a while since I last did that," Alicia said, frowning. "I think I'm getting rusty."
Leo's jaw dropped. "Rusty?"
"With power like that, even Draghyr would think twice."
Alicia shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Draghyr is… something beyond mortal comprehension."
She paused, her expression darkening. "There's only one person in the Forever Realm who might stand a chance against that dragon."
"Who?" Leo asked.
"That shouldn't concern you," Alicia replied coldly. "Because if that person finds out what you are, she will kill you—and erase every trace of your existence."
The weight in her words was heavy, and Leo knew she meant every syllable.
Still, a thousand questions churned in his head. About the Cleansing. About his own people. About that mysterious being. But he swallowed them down.
"Now it's your turn." Alicia gestured toward another boulder.
Leo looked at the shattered trees and nodded. "I see why you picked this place."
"Visualize it," Alicia said, her voice taking on a softer, instructive tone. "Your azure eye sees mana traces in living beings and the world around you. Every creature has a unique signature—represented by color or form."
Leo nodded again.
"In that case," she continued, "have you ever tried seeing your own mana signature?"
"My own?" Leo blinked.
"Yes. Think back to when you first unlocked the eye," she said with a faint smile.
Leo's thoughts drifted back to the Grid—the first time his azure eye activated, the flood of light and motion, the chaos and clarity blended into one. But even then… he hadn't looked inward.
Alicia watched him carefully. "True mastery starts with self-awareness."
"I'll leave you to it then." A golden circle of light swirled open before her, forming a portal.
"By our next session," Alicia said as she stepped through, "you should know your own mana signature."
With a brilliant flash, the portal vanished—leaving Leo alone in the quiet forest.
He stood there for a while, silent, listening to the gentle hum of regenerating trees, the echo of magic in the air. Then, slowly, he sat cross-legged on the grass, closed his eyes, and began to search.
Not around him.
But within.
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Word Count: ~1,070 words