Chapter Four – The Mana That Shouldn't Exist
Quiet Morning in the Caelthorn Estate
Morning sunlight poured gently through the tall glass windows of the Caelthorn estate. Servants moved efficiently, silver trays glinting as they set the breakfast table.
Aveline sat neatly beside her parents — Duke Reinhardt and Duchess Selina — quietly stirring her tea while her father discussed border security with a knight. Her mother turned to her with a soft smile.
"How was your sleep, dear?"
"Peaceful," Aveline replied, calm and polite as always.
Inside, though, she wasn't truly present. The faint blue outline of her system window hovered in the edge of her vision — unseen by anyone else. Every blink brought a soft pulse of light. A quiet reminder that she didn't belong to this world's logic.
It had been ten days since the ceremony — ten days since she touched the affinity crystal and nothing happened.
No glow. No element. Just silence.
She'd smiled through it all, the same way she used to when doctors pitied her back in her hospital days on Earth. She'd learned long ago how to observe, not react.
When breakfast ended, she excused herself.
"I'll be in the library," she said.
Her parents looked pleased. To them, she was just a disciplined daughter compensating for her lack of magic with hard work.
But the library wasn't for books today.
---
The Caelthorn library was enormous — shelves upon shelves of ancient volumes about magic, politics, and noble bloodlines. Aveline slipped into a quiet corner hidden by tall bookshelves, where the light didn't reach.
Only then did she whisper, "System, open status."
A familiar ding echoed faintly in her head, and a pale blue window appeared before her eyes.
[Name: Luminia / Aveline Caelthorn]
Level: 100 (Locked)
Classes: Summoner / Combat Master (Locked)
Mana: 0
System Energy: 12%
Current Objective: Establish Mana Link
Her gaze lingered on the one line that annoyed her most.
> Mana: 0
That wasn't fair.
She knew mana existed here — she'd seen people use it daily. But this world's mana wasn't tied to her, because she had no elemental core.
Still… that line, "System Energy: 12%," might be the key.
Mana might not be magic here, but maybe her mana came from somewhere else.
She closed her eyes. "System," she murmured, "scan environment."
> [Scanning... Detected: Natural Mana Field]
Her heart skipped. She could feel it faintly — like a hum beneath her skin. A current running through the air.
"Let's try something," she whispered, extending her hand.
> [Attempting Link... Error: No Elemental Core Found.]
[Alternative Route Available: Summoner's Circuit.]
Her breath caught.
Summoner's Circuit? That was from her old game — a hidden mechanic only top players unlocked.
Her palm glowed faintly. Blue lines ran up her wrist like digital veins.
> [Connection Established: Temporary Mana Circuit Active.]
The blue bar under her vision shifted slightly.
> Mana: 1/10
Aveline's lips curved in a grin.
"Got you."
---
She remembered the simplest summoning spell from her gaming days — the "call" command for low-tier creatures.
"Summon: Fairy."
A circle flickered in front of her palm — unstable, shaking — and then vanished with a faint pop.
> [Error: Insufficient Mana.]
Aveline sighed, shaking her hand. "One point's not enough."
Still, the system had responded. That meant it worked.
Just as she prepared to try again, footsteps echoed.
"System, hide interface," she whispered quickly.
The blue screen vanished just as a servant entered with books.
"Ah, Lady Aveline! I didn't know you were here."
"I was just reading," she said smoothly.
The servant smiled and left, and Aveline exhaled.
"Okay… stealth mode works too."
She grinned faintly to herself.
---
Private Training in the Garden
Later that afternoon, Aveline went to the back garden — a vast open space hidden by tall hedges. She often said she liked the quiet air there. What no one knew was that she used it as her secret training ground.
Kneeling near a patch of soil, she pretended to pick flowers while muttering, "System, switch to training mode."
> [Training Mode Activated.]
[Warning: Low Energy. Extended use may cause fatigue.]
Blue light rippled faintly beneath her skin as she practiced channeling the circuit's flow. It wasn't natural mana — it moved mechanically, like a digital heartbeat, responding to focus rather than emotion.
Each attempt made her dizzier. But after several cycles, her vision flashed.
> [Mana Control +1]
[Skill Acquired: Basic Circuit Manipulation]
Aveline gasped softly, her exhaustion replaced by giddy joy.
She smiled. "I can level up again."
For the first time since the ceremony, she felt alive — truly alive — like when she was still Luminia, grinding experience points deep into the night.
---
Scene — The Prince and Rumors
Meanwhile, in the royal castle, whispers spread.
Prince Lucien — her fiancé — sat among his friends and laughed.
"A Caelthorn with no element? It's pathetic. Like a sword with no edge."
One of the noble girls giggled. "Maybe she should learn embroidery instead."
Their words traveled faster than wildfire. Even if her parents tried to hide it, Aveline overheard servants whisper about it later.
She didn't get angry. She just smiled faintly and said under her breath,
"Let them talk."
If anything, it only made her want to grow stronger.
---
Night Scene — The Second Attempt
That night, the estate was quiet. The moon shone through her window, silver and cold.
Aveline sat cross-legged on her bed, staring at the faint shimmer of her system interface.
"System," she whispered, "check summons."
> [Summoner Class: Partial Access Unlocked.]
[Available Summon Slot: 1]
[Choose a Familiar.]
Her breath quickened as she scrolled through the names — her old companions from Eterna Tales Online.
Sylph the Fairy. Ignis the Salamander. Althea the Healing Angel. Even the great dragon Orvantis.
Her eyes softened.
She tapped on the very first name. "Summon: Sylph."
Blue light filled the room — soft, controlled this time. A tiny figure emerged from the glow, wings shimmering like glass.
A delicate fairy hovered in the air, blinking sleepily.
"Master Luminia?"
Aveline's throat tightened. It wasn't just data or memory. It was her Sylph — her very first summon.
"Yeah," she whispered, smiling softly. "It's me."
Sylph looked around curiously. "This world feels strange… thick mana, but it's not pure."
Aveline nodded. "We'll fix that."
> [New Quest Added: Stabilize the Summoner's Circuit (Reward: Class Unlock +5%)]
The fairy landed gently on Aveline's shoulder, wings fluttering.
"Then let's begin again, Master."
Aveline gazed out the window, the moonlight reflected in her eyes and the faint blue panel hovering beside it.
She wasn't just Aveline Caelthorn — the girl without magic.
She was Luminia, the one who once ruled every battlefield.
And this time, she'd do it again — quietly, from the shadows of her new world.