Selena's voice echoed softly through the glowing chamber.
"Now focus, Kaito. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Feel the mana in the air… around the room, around your body, flowing through the world itself."
Her tone was calm, patient, yet heavy with authority. "Now, try to guide it toward yourself. Breathe it in through your nose. Absorb it through your skin. Slowly… but surely. That's it. Keep doing it, just like that."
The silver glow of the Lunar Chamber pulsed faintly as Kaito obeyed, his breaths deep and steady.
Selena watched closely, her golden eyes narrowing in focus.
Hmm? He's doing pretty well for his first time. I can clearly sense the mana entering his body. Not a large amount, but for a seven-year-old… it's impressive. He's undoubtedly a genius—just like Aria.
Meanwhile, Kaito's world had gone silent.
The warmth… it's spreading inside me.
He could feel it—soft, flowing energy sliding under his skin, sinking into his veins, pulsing through his chest.
More… I can take more. Inhale it with air, absorb it with my body. Become the magnet that draws mana.
Then—
[ WORLD FORCE CALLED MANA HAS ENTERED YOUR BODY ]
[ GUIDING MANA TOWARD THE HEART ]
[ MANA ABSORPTION METHOD LEARNED ]
[ WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COLLECT THE SURROUNDING MANA? ]
Kaito thought in confusion. ??? Y-Yes, I suppose?
[ ATTRACTING MANA TOWARD THE BODY ]
[ INHALATION AND ABSORPTION METHODS IN USE ]
"Huh…? W-wait, it's t-too much…" Kaito's thoughts cracked. His body trembled as a fiery heat surged through him. "My body—it's burning from inside—V-Veyra… sto—"
The silver light in the chamber flared violently.
Selena's eyes widened. She could feel it now, the mana density in the room had tripled in an instant.
What's happening? He's absorbing far too much mana. His body isn't ready for this. It could tear him apart!
She stepped forward, her calm composure shattering.
"Kaito! Kaito—slow down! Stop it, now!" she shouted, her voice echoing in panic. "Kaitoooo!"
The mana storm raged around him, light and air twisting in chaos.
Selena clenched her fists.
Ahhhh… it's come to this.
Selena's voice cut through the roaring mana storm like a blade.
"Mind Sever!"
The chamber trembled, air cracking with invisible pressure.
[ WARNING… LETHAL MENTAL SPELL DETECTED… ]
[ S…S…SYSTEM UNSTABLE… ]
Kaito's thoughts blurred as the world around him dimmed. His body jerked once and then went still.
Those were the last words I heard before everything started to fade.
Veyra's voice reached me, distant and broken, but I couldn't make out the words. My vision blurred into white. But if it was Mother who did it… then it must be to protect me.
Silence swallowed the Lunar Chamber.
The glowing streams of mana began to settle, collapsing back into calm. Selena stood in the center, her silver hair drifting in the faint light, breathing heavily.
Mind Sever… A forbidden technique. A single command that halts every nerve and muscle at once. A spell meant to shut the mind itself. If not controlled properly, it can leads to coma or even death.
Only a high-ranking conduit could perform it, and even they required a long chant and preparation.
But for Selena Bloodcrest… one word was enough. Her control was absolute.
Kaito's small body lay still in the center of the runic circle, faint trails of steam rising from his skin. Selena knelt beside him, her trembling fingers brushing his hair away from his face.
"…You reckless brat," she whispered, voice cracking between relief and fear. "You almost killed yourself."
An hour later
I opened my eyes to a ceiling I knew too well. Silver drapes, the faint scent of moonflowers, the soft hum of mana in the air. It was Mother's room.
My head throbbed as memories returned in fragments. "I was… training. Used Veyra's help and", I winced, gripping my temples. "Right. I nearly died."
The last thing I remembered was Mother's voice. It was sharp, desperate and then darkness.
"Hey, Veyra." My voice came out rough. "What happened after I passed out? And why the hell were you pulling in that much mana? You almost burned me inside out."
[ YOUR BODY WAS FAR TOO WEAK TO ABSORB MANA DIRECTLY FROM THE SURROUNDINGS. ]
[ RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE MANUAL ABSORPTION UNTIL CORE MANIFESTATION IS COMPLETE. ]
[ SELENA BLOODCREST ACTIVATED SPELL: MIND SEVER TO IMMEDIATELY HALT YOUR BODY'S FUNCTIONS, PREVENTING FATAL DAMAGE. ]
[ RESULT: INTERNAL ORGANS AND BLOOD VESSELS SAVED FROM MANA OVERLOAD. ]
[ YOU WERE THEN TRANSFERRED TO HER ROOM BY MAIDS UNDER HER DIRECT ORDER. ]
[ EMOTIONAL ASSESSMENT: SHOCKED, RELIEVED, AND PANICKED. ]
I let out a slow breath. "So… Mother saved me, while you almost turned me into ash."
[ … ]
[ I APOLOGIZE, MASTER. I ONLY FOLLOWED YOUR COMMAND. YOU SAID: "YES, I SUPPOSE." THAT WAS A CONFIRMATION TO COLLECT SURROUNDING MANA. ]
Hah… so one careless word almost killed me.
[ CORRECTION: IT WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU IF SELENA BLOODCREST HAD NOT INTERVENED. ]
Yeah, thanks for reminding me, Veyra. Really comforting.
I exhaled, my body still sore. Every breath made my chest sting, like molten air scraping my lungs. Mother's scent lingered faintly in the room, moonflower and mana. I looked around; soft sheets, silver drapes, everything screamed her presence.
I guess I really scared her this time.
"Veyra," I muttered, "don't ever collect mana automatically again. Not unless I give direct permission. Understand and don't act when I'm not sure, Ok?"
[ ORDER REGISTERED. ]
[ NOTE: YOUR MANA CAPACITY HAS SLIGHTLY INCREASED DUE TO OVERABSORPTION. BODY IS RECOVERING FASTER THAN EXPECTED. ]
I exhaled, half laughing. "So even nearly dying gave me a buff, huh?"
[ IN OTHER WORDS: YOUR RISK PRODUCED RESULTS. HOWEVER, SURVIVAL RATE NEXT TIME WOULD BE 2.4%. ]
"Yeah, yeah… I'll try not to test those odds."
[ ESTIMATE: YOU CAN RESUME TRAINING IN APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS. ]
"Heh. You're crazy."
[ CORRECTION: YOU ARE CRAZY. ]
I blinked, then chuckled weakly. "Tch. You're learning sarcasm now?"
[ I LEARN FROM YOU, MASTER. ]
I sighed, staring at the faint glow of moonlight painting the ceiling.
"Then I guess I should be careful what I teach you…"
I turned my head.
There she was, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes soft with worry she'd never admit.
For a moment, I didn't say anything. I just looked at her, the woman who stopped my mind to keep me alive.