The gentle chirping of birds filtered through the window, accompanied by shafts of morning sunlight that sliced through the dimness of the room. It was morning. Rian opened his eyes and stretched, a rare sense of comfort enveloping him, a reluctance to leave the warmth of his bed. The feeling was achingly familiar, a ghost of his previous life on Earth. But there was a stark difference. Back then, he would wake with a groan, complaining about the monotonous, repetitive day ahead.
This time was different. He didn't think about the day being the same. Instead, a jolt of anticipation shot through him. "What will I face today?" he wondered. The days he lived now were never the same. He truly could not imagine what would happen next, and for the first time in a long time, that thought filled him not with dread, but with a quiet excitement.
He sat up in bed just as a soft knock came from the door. It was Catty, calling him for breakfast. She and RQ had prepared a meal in the dining room, and they were all waiting to start the day's activities together.
The four of them—Rian, Catty, and RQ's parents—sat around the table. As they ate, a comfortable silence settled, but Rian could feel the Chieftain's thoughtful gaze on him.
"Young man," the chief began, his voice soft but direct. "Is it true? Can you really use all the basic magic elements? I was watching the two of you training in the yard last night, and I saw you demonstrate each element."
Rian paused, his food halfway to his mouth. "Yes, I can," he confirmed, then added cautiously, "Will you hate me for it, sir? My gramps told me that if other people knew I could use various kinds of magic, I would be ostracized, maybe even exiled from a kingdom, for being strange or unnatural." He remembered Bebegig's grim warnings, meant to scare him into being careful.
"It's not that you would be seen as strange," the chief corrected, his tone serious. "More likely, you would be killed or seen as a threat. My advice to you, son, is to never show that ability to others. For your own good. In this world, it is common for a human to use only one element. Being able to use two is a sign of a chosen few. Three elements… perhaps only one in ten thousand in this world possesses such a gift."
"Oh, I see," Rian said, nodding slowly, the true weight of his abilities finally sinking in. "Thank you, I understand."
"Stick to your primary magic, young man. That will allow you to adventure freely," the chief advised.
"I will," Rian replied with a grateful smile.
The chief's warning solidified Rian's plan for the day. He would train Livi, but he would not demonstrate every element. He would simply guide Livi through the incantations to discover his own affinity.
Later that morning, Rian and Catty approached Livi's house. They found him in the yard, already training, swinging a wooden sword with fierce determination. His body was drenched in sweat; he had clearly been at it for a while.
"Yo, Livi! How are you today? You seem to be full of spirit," Rian called out.
Livi stopped, a wide, eager grin spreading across his face. "My condition is extraordinary! I knew you would come to train me today, sir, so I started warming up first, hehe."
Rian stood before Catty and Livi. "We already know Catty's affinities are Wind and Darkness. Today, I want to find out what your elemental affinity is."
"I have an affinity for the wind element, sir," Livi explained. "And only that. I've never been able to use any other element. My parents said I simply had no aptitude for them."
Rian felt a small sense of relief. This made his job much easier and safer. "Good. Then we'll start with the most important basic in all of magic: breath control."
He instructed Livi and Catty to hold their breath for as long as they could. This simple test would give him a rough measure of the size of their mana storage. They both took a deep breath and began.
"Remember," Rian said, watching them closely. "I'm not punishing you. You could lie to me and pretend you can hold your breath longer than anyone. But your abilities won't lie to me about the amount of mana you truly possess."
Livi's face quickly began to turn red. Catty, on the other hand, still looked calm. The seconds ticked by. A burning sensation began to build in their lungs, and their heads started to feel dizzy. Finally, Livi gave in, gasping for air. Not long after, Catty also surrendered, unable to hold on any longer.
"Sir, what is the function of that mana storage? And why does the rule start with holding one's breath? Does that affect the amount of mana?" Livi asked, still panting.
Rian smiled. "Alright, let me give you a simple example." He walked over and picked up an old bucket by the wall of the house.
"Imagine this bucket is your mana storage vessel." Rian then used his dagger to punch a small hole, the size of his pinky finger, in the bottom. "Now, this hole is your standard mana expenditure path." He then filled the bucket to the brim with water.
Water began to drip out slowly. Livi and Catty watched intently.
"The water in the bucket is your mana," Rian continued. "The length of time it takes for the bucket to go from full to empty… that's how long you can hold your breath."
"Oh!" Livi's eyes lit up with understanding. "So the longer I can hold my breath, the longer the bucket can channel its water?"
"Exactly," Rian nodded. He then held up his index finger, and a calm, blue flame, the size of a candle's wick, appeared at its tip. "This flame only drains mana at the rate of that small hole. Because I can hold my breath for a full day, this flame can also burn for a full day."
Livi swallowed hard. "In that case… what if the bucket's leak is bigger?"
Rian smiled faintly. "Then the water runs out faster. It's the same for a wasteful mage; their mana will be depleted in an instant."
"For example." Rian intensified the flame on his fingertip until it became a brilliant blue laser that shot into the sky. The beam was so intense that when a single falling leaf crossed its path, it was instantly sliced in two and incinerated.
"To maintain a flame like this, I have to expend ten times more mana than the small flame," he said, lowering the power back to a gentle, calm wick.
Livi and Catty nodded, signaling they understood the concept. Then, Catty raised her hand.
"Why is mana duration tied to breath control? Does training our breathing increase our mana capacity?" she asked.
Rian explained slowly, recalling the notes he had read in the cave. "According to the book I read, breath and mana are intertwined because they flow along the same pathways in the body. Like blood carries life, mana carries magic. Without breath, blood stops flowing… and without mana, magic cannot be called forth. That's why holding one's breath is the simplest way to measure how strong a person's connection to their mana is. The longer you can hold your breath, the longer you can sustain the flow of mana in your body."
Livi and Catty could only nod, the detailed explanation making perfect sense to them. Rian then began to guide them through the same breathing exercises he had practiced in the cave.
The next day, and the day after, Livi and Catty remained focused on their breath training. On the seventh day, Rian felt it was enough for a start and began to introduce exercises for breath stability to control their mana flow and regeneration. As he watched them, he thought about Bebegig's harsh methods and resolved to find a different, kinder way to teach.