It began with a sketch. Then another. Then came failed prototypes, explosions in the courtyard, and one very apologetic elemental fire sprite.
After nine nights of tireless iteration, Sharath stood before a sleek, midnight-black machine gleaming under torchlight. It hummed — not with electricity, but with intent.
"Aetherion Rider," he murmured. "Mana meets motion."
Its design was sublime:
Pedal gears inscribed with siphoning runes drew ambient mana from the rider's body.
A tiny enchanted water orb rotated within a crystal casing at the core, acting as a hydro generator.
The energy fed into a crystalline capacitor that could trigger bursts of speed — perfect for treacherous terrains or combat evasion.
At sunrise, Sharath rolled the machine into the royal courtyard.
Without fanfare, he mounted and rode silently past a gathering of nobles, who had come expecting another speech. Instead, they watched in stunned silence as the wheels spun, the mana-glow pulsed, and a fine mist trailed behind him like myth.
The Royal Mechanist fell to her knees, whispering, "He has tamed mana and motion."
And word of the Magic Cycle spread like wildfire.