I am getting bored… What should I do?
That thought had been circling in my head as I lay on my bed, staring at the plain wooden ceiling of my room. Six years old. That's what I am now. Six years in this new world, six years of growing up, eating, playing, listening to Father's stories, and watching Mother sew or cook. Six years, and yet sometimes it feels like I haven't accomplished anything.
Six years… and I still don't know what I'm supposed to do. I thought reincarnation would make things more exciting. Wasn't I supposed to have some big adventure by now?
I sighed and turned on my side, hugging the pillow. Usually, around this time of year, God would appear in my dreams. He would talk to me, tease me, or just check up on how I was doing. But this year? Nothing. Not a single dream. Not a single white space. Not a single word.
Did something happen? Did He forget about me? Or… maybe He doesn't care anymore?
Before my thoughts could spiral deeper, I heard Father's voice calling from downstairs.
"Rio, look! Father brought you a gift!"
His voice carried an odd, childlike excitement. He sounded less like a grown man and more like a boy showing off a new toy. That tone alone was enough to make me curious. I rolled out of bed and padded toward the stairs.
A gift? What could it be? Toys? Tools? Food?
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Father was standing there, holding a book. Its cover was plain, but the title glimmered faintly in gold letters.
"Some Basic Magic."
I froze for a moment, staring at it. Then I looked at Father's face—bright, proud, as though he had just handed me the key to another world.
I couldn't stop myself. I rushed forward, hugged Father tightly, then turned and hugged Mother as well.
That night, I couldn't resist. As soon as I was in bed, I opened the book and began reading. The words seemed to shine in the faint candlelight. It spoke of magic in the simplest terms: the importance of affinity, the need to recite incantations clearly, the danger of losing focus mid-cast. Fire, water, earth, wind, light, and dark—the six basic elements.
Every page made my heart beat faster.
This is it. This is what I've been waiting for.
I read and read, flipping through pages, ignoring the drowsiness tugging at my eyes. By the time I looked at the small clock beside my bed, the hands pointed past one.
'Shit! If Mother and Father find out I'm still awake, they'll scold me to death! Better sleep now.'
I quickly blew out the candle, shoved the book under my pillow, and closed my eyes.
And then…
When I opened them again, I was no longer in my room.
The white space stretched infinitely in every direction, the same blank, endless world I had seen many times before. A strange mix of calm and nostalgia washed over me.
"Hello, God. Good to see you again," I said, scanning the empty space.
Something touched my shoulder.
"Bhoo!"
"Ack!" I nearly jumped out of my skin, spinning around. He was standing there, grinning like a mischievous child caught in the middle of a prank.
"You're a god, not some kid!" I snapped, clutching my chest.
He laughed so hard he bent over, clutching his stomach.
'Hahaha! My stomach hurts! Worth it, worth it! Hiding my presence just for that reaction—priceless!'
I glared, but his carefree laughter eased the tension in my chest.
"Why did you call me up here this time?" I asked after he finally calmed down.
'Oh, right, I almost forgot. You were learning about magic, weren't you?'
"Yes… but what happened? You didn't show up for a long time."
'Remember when I told you, back when you were reincarnated, that I'd give you a gift?'
"Yes. You said you'd give me one. But wasn't that gift Shiro?" I asked, thinking of the spirit I had met before.
'Nah. Shiro was just a random spirit. The real gift—I still haven't given it to you. Follow me.'
Before I could ask anything more, He began walking. His footsteps echoed in the blank space, and instinctively, I followed.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
'You'll see soon enough.'
After about five minutes, the scenery around us shifted. The infinite white blurred, melted, and transformed into a vast, lush forest.
The air smelled fresh, alive. A tall mountain rose in the center, crowned with a waterfall that spilled into a sparkling pool below. Sunlight poured through the sky, warm on my skin. Animals grazed and drank peacefully, as if this place had never known fear.
I turned in a slow circle, taking it all in.
"Beautiful…" I whispered.
'Now,' God said, his voice carrying a teasing edge, 'before I explain your gift, tell me—what do you see?'
Why is he smiling like that? That mischievous grin always means trouble.
I looked around carefully. "Greenery, a waterfall, some animals enjoying the sunlight."
'Good. And what else?'
I frowned, scanning again. This time, I noticed it: a deer lying under a tree. Its body was still, lifeless. My chest tightened a little at the sight.
"There's also… a dead deer," I said softly.
'Correct. But there's more. Think deeper.'
I tilted my head, uncertain. He gestured around us.
'There are six elements here. Light—the living animals and plants. Fire—the blazing sun. Water—the waterfall. Earth—the mountain and soil. Wind—the breeze brushing your skin. Darkness—the dead deer. And above it all, space—the boundless sky itself. Every corner of this world is saturated with magic.'
I blinked.
"So this… is what you wanted to show me. Magic isn't just in spells or books—it's everywhere, even if we don't notice."
'Exactly. Even in your first world, magic existed. Forgotten, ignored, buried under centuries of disbelief. But it was there. Now, about your gift… I will personally teach you about mana.'
I turned sharply toward him. "Mana? You mean the source of magic?"
He smiled and raised a hand. Suddenly, two chairs and a small wooden table appeared in the clearing. On the table were cups, a jug of milk, sugar, and a bowl of roasted coffee beans.
I sighed.
I should be used to this by now.
"Coffee?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Yes. Sit. Watch closely.'
We sat opposite each other. He took the beans and began grinding them slowly, the crackling sound filling the forest's quiet hum.
'Mana is the foundation of all magic. Without it, you cannot cast even the simplest spell.'
"Yes. The book Father gave me said that too. Without mana, nothing works."
He nodded.
'But understanding mana is not as simple as reading a book. Let me explain using coffee.'
I tilted my head. "How can coffee explain magic?"
'Just watch. First, we grind the beans. Then we add milk, sugar, and coffee powder into a vessel. We warm it gently. This mixture, incomplete and rough, is like unrefined magic. Crude, unstable, unpleasant.'
He stirred the mixture, then set a filter over a cup.
'Now, the filter. This is mana. When the liquid passes through, the unwanted grounds are left behind. The essence drips through—pure, smooth, drinkable.'
The dark liquid fell drop by drop into the cup. The rich aroma spread through the air, blending with the forest's freshness.
I leaned forward, curious despite myself.
"So… incomplete magic is like coffee before filtering. Mana removes the impurities and leaves behind what we can actually use."
He grinned.
'Exactly. In simpler terms: all humans absorb magic from the surroundings. All types. But your mana acts as a filter, keeping only what matches your affinity. The rest is discarded, like the grounds left behind in the filter.'
My eyes widened.
Wait… that means…
"So people aren't limited to absorbing only their element? They absorb everything, but only keep what resonates with them?"
'Correct. This is why some are naturally better at fire, or water, or wind. Their mana filter is tuned differently. It resonates more strongly with certain elements.'
I nodded slowly, my mind spinning.
"So mana is like… a personal filter. It decides what kind of magic you can use easily."
'Yes. And the strength of your filter—the control you have over it—decides how powerful your magic will become. If your will is strong enough, you can expand your filter, refine it, even adapt it. In time, it is possible to use all kinds of magic.'
I swallowed hard, staring at the steaming cup he had poured.
All kinds of magic… if I can master my mana.
"Then… mana is nothing more than the will to shape magic," I whispered.
He smiled, lifting the cup.
'Precisely. Mana is will.'
I looked down at the coffee in my own cup. Its surface rippled faintly, reflecting the sunlight.
If I can understand this… if I can master it… then maybe I can become something more than just another child reading a book.
Before I could ask another question, the edges of the world began to blur. The forest faded. The table, the coffee, even God's amused smile—all dissolved into white.
'Time is up. Go. Master the magic you desire.'
His voice echoed, distant and deep, as the last of the vision vanished.
My eyes snapped open.
I was back in my bed, the book still under my pillow. The faint light of dawn seeped through the window.
I lay there quietly, staring at the ceiling.
Mana is will… A filter that shapes the magic I can use. Coffee and magic… who would've thought?[1]
I smiled faintly.
God, you're really strange sometimes. But I think I finally understand.
[1] Your Author have had thought