Leon sat in the grass, his tiny fingers curling unconsciously as he tried to replicate the ember he had formed before. The warmth of fire mana still lingered around him, but now that he had felt control—however brief—it became painfully clear how unstable his grasp truly was.
His grandfather observed him in silence, his sharp eyes analyzing every twitch of movement, every flicker of mana around Leon's body.
After a few minutes, the old man finally spoke. "Struggling already?"
Leon didn't react, but internally, he was frustrated.
The ember formed when he guided me… but now it's slipping away.
Seraphina stepped forward, a trace of concern in her expression. "Father, he's barely a few months old. He doesn't have the capacity to regulate mana circulation yet."
Her father scoffed. "Nonsense. That 'capacity' is something we build. If he can't control his fire, then the fire will control him."
Leon absorbed those words carefully.
It made sense.
The moment he had released his hold on mana, it had scattered. Fire was wild by nature—his affinity meant nothing if he couldn't assert his will over it.
Command it, his grandfather had said.
Not suppress, not force—command.
Leon closed his eyes.
Instead of forcefully pulling the mana toward him, he willed it to come.
He imagined the warmth flowing through his veins, not as something external, but as an extension of himself.
The air shifted.
A flicker of orange appeared, this time forming faster and stronger than before.
His grandfather's smirk widened. "Better."
Seraphina's eyes gleamed with pride. "He's learning so quickly…"
Leon's tiny ember remained steady for three full seconds before it flickered and vanished. His breathing was shallow, his body exhausted from even that small effort.
His grandfather's smirk faded. "That's enough for today. You're burning through your stamina too fast."
Leon frowned internally. So even my body is a limit…
It made sense. He was still a baby. His physical capacity to handle mana was too weak.
That meant his next goal was clear: strengthen my body while refining my control.
Seraphina knelt beside him, lifting him into her arms. "That was amazing, my little ember," she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.
Leon let himself relax. He had made progress. It was small, but it was a step toward true mastery.
His grandfather watched silently, his mind turning with unreadable thoughts.
Then, he spoke.
"I will remain here for a month."
Seraphina blinked. "You will?"
The old man's gaze remained on Leon. "If his talent is left to develop on its own, it will take years for him to refine his affinity. But if I guide him now, he can learn in months what others take decades to achieve."
Leon's golden eyes gleamed.
An opportunity.
Seraphina hesitated, then sighed. "I suppose it was inevitable."
Her father simply smirked. "Let's see if this boy can withstand what it truly means to wield fire."
Leon's tiny fingers curled into a fist.
Let's see indeed.