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## **Chapter 5 – Sparks of Hidden Potential**
The next morning, Harsh awoke before the sun had fully risen. The faint glow of mana around his bed called to him like a whisper. He stretched and focused, letting energy flow through him, compressing and expanding it silently. Even at seven, he was already capable of controlling his mana with precision uncommon for his age.
Rias arrived first, her crimson hair catching the early light. Sona followed calmly, her usual composed expression intact.
*"Morning, Harsh!"* Rias said cheerfully. *"Ready for training?"*
Harsh smirked, keeping his secret thoughts hidden. *Always.* Outwardly, he simply nodded.
The courtyard became their playground. Harsh practiced minor elemental manipulation, quietly testing fire sparks within his energy sphere. The flames danced harmlessly, but to any observer, it looked like an innocent experiment with energy.
Rias' eyes widened. *"You're improving fast… even your control is better than yesterday!"*
*"Yeah,"* he replied casually, suppressing the thrill of his hidden calculations. *"Just practicing."*
Sona, ever observant, noted his progress. *"Your technique is precise. You must focus on maintaining it consistently."*
The sparring session began. Harsh dodged Rias' playful attacks with fluid motion, predicting arcs and adjusting his speed instinctively. He countered lightly, careful not to harm her. To Rias and Sona, it seemed like exceptional natural talent, but Harsh was secretly analyzing every movement, storing patterns in his mind for future reference.
*Predictive combat… not full foresight yet, but enough to make training efficient,* he noted silently.
By late afternoon, Harsh practiced meditation and observation exercises, scanning the courtyard and nearby garden for subtle fluctuations in ambient mana. Every leaf, every shifting shadow became data points, feeding his silent growth.
Rias brought over tea. *"Don't overwork yourself, okay?"*
*"I'm fine,"* Harsh said with a small smile, hiding the truth: he was never just fine—he was calculating, growing, preparing.
As night fell, Harsh sat by the window, gazing at the stars. *The coming-of-age ceremony… I'll be ready. No one knows my full potential yet… not even Rias or Sona. They'll see it when I choose.*
A faint spark of energy flickered across his palms. It was small, insignificant to anyone else, but to Harsh, it was proof: he was already beginning to surpass his peers, silently, perfectly hidden.