Lucan stepped into the lively streets of Mount Way.
Lucan adjusted his cloak and headed toward the restaurant.
He spotted Arthur before he reached it.
Arthur was standing outside, leaning against a wooden railing like he had all the time in the world. In front of him stood a young boy, no older than ten, arms stretched out nervously.
Between the boy's palms hovered a small, dull glow of yellow light.
It flickered like a dying candle.
"Alright," Arthur said casually, "you're shaking again."
"I'm not!" the kid snapped.
The glow immediately sputtered and dimmed.
Arthur tilted his head. "You sure?"
The boy glanced at his hands. They were trembling.
"…Oh."
Lucan slowed down, watching from a short distance.
"Relax," Arthur continued. "You're acting like it's about to explode. It's not."
"I'm scared I'll lose it," the kid said.
Arthur shrugged. "Then you probably will."
The boy stiffened. The glow flickered harder.
Arthur raised a hand. "Hey, hey. Not an insult. Just how it works."
He pointed at the boy's chest. "You tense up, it tenses up. You panic, it panics. Essences don't listen to orders; they copy you."
The boy swallowed. "So… what do I do?"
Arthur yawned. "Breathe."
"…That's it?"
"Yep."
The boy hesitated, then slowly took a breath. His shoulders loosened.
The glow steadied.
It didn't grow stronger. It didn't shine brighter.
It just stayed.
The boy's eyes widened. "It's not flickering."
"Congrats," Arthur said. "You stopped fighting yourself."
The glow faded a moment later, harmless and quiet.
The boy laughed, relief flooding his face. "I did it!"
Arthur nodded. "You did. Now go show your parents before you pass out from excitement."
The kid ran off, grinning.
Lucan finally stepped closer.
Arthur glanced over. "Morning. You look less like a corpse now. Congrats."
Lucan exhaled. "I saw what you did."
"Yeah," Arthur said. "Teaching."
"That Essence… it was weak."
Arthur nodded easily. "Glow usually is."
Lucan frowned. "Then why bother?"
Arthur looked at him. "Because weak Essences teach faster."
Lucan didn't understand. Arthur noticed.
"Look," Arthur said, pushing off the railing. "Strong Essences let people mess up for a long time before it matters. Weak ones punish you instantly. You lose focus, they fall apart."
He tapped his temple. "That makes people learn real quick."
Lucan glanced down at his own hands.
Breeze.
Weak. Mocked. Useless.
"So mastery doesn't make them stronger?" Lucan asked.
Arthur shrugged. "Sometimes. Sometimes not."
He smirked. "Some things stay weak no matter how good you get. But control still matters. Especially when you're holding something that isn't weak."
Lucan's breath caught.
Arthur kept his tone light, like he hadn't just said something dangerous. "People who don't learn control early? They get swallowed by their own power later."
Lucan said nothing.
Arthur clapped his hands together. "Anyway. Food. You coming, or are you gonna stare at the ground all day?"
Lucan followed him toward the restaurant.
Breeze was weak. He knew that.
But for the first time, he realized something else.
Weak things didn't forgive mistakes.
And somewhere deep inside his chest, something cold and patient seemed to agree.