The next evening, Ryn returned once more to Aurelia's mansion.
The atmosphere remained as silent as ever, with only the fading light of dusk filtering through the marble windows into the training hall.
"Today, we work with Light magic,"
Aurelia said bluntly, without preamble.
Ryn lifted his head, listening intently.
"Light magic is not difficult—
not if you already understand Wind,"
she continued in her usual calm tone.
"It is very similar. The only difference lies in its origin."
She paused briefly before explaining further.
"Normally, Light magic can only be used by women.
For men, it is even more difficult, because men do not possess Light within themselves."
Ryn frowned slightly, absorbing every word.
"Women are born with Light.
Men, on the other hand, must undergo a ritual to receive its power before they are even allowed to call upon it."
Her words brought back memories from Ryn's time as a soldier—
the pale white arrows of Light used by the female mages,
calm and radiant, yet devastatingly powerful.
Aurelia continued,
"Light magic is considered basic,
yet it is also extremely dangerous.
It can maintain form, reshape itself,
and take on whatever the caster imagines."
Then she looked directly at Ryn.
"I don't think you'll be able to use it."
Her words were neither mocking nor provocative—
simply a statement born of experience.
"But more than anything else…"
she added quietly,
"I hope that you can."
She raised one hand slightly, signaling him to begin.
"Try.
Focus on white light,
and release it."
Ryn took a deep breath, closed his eyes,
and began gathering his focus once more.
Aurelia watched him in silence.
In her heart,
she felt a hope she had no right to feel.
Please, let him succeed…
Because if he failed,
darkness would one day claim him—inevitably.
What the boy carried was not a blessing,
not a divine gift,
but a curse—
a curse with a will of its own.
Above all else,
Aurelia did not want the day to come
when she would be forced
to kill her own nephew.
A flicker of worry crossed her face for only an instant
before she suppressed it
and returned to her usual cold expression.
As for Ryn—
He steadied his mind
and sensed the Light clearly.
It was not something he needed to imagine.
It was already there.
The Light was warm,
calm,
and strangely familiar…
He released it.
A sphere of pure white light formed in his palm, floating steadily in the air.
Its glow was gentle—yet unwavering.
Aurelia watched the scene with quiet relief.
The tension in her chest eased, if only slightly.
At least… he still has Light within him.
Yet her concern did not fade completely.
This was only a "light of hope."
No matter how brightly it shone,
if Ryn were ever to lose to the will of the weapon,
he could still be consumed.
"Well done,"
Aurelia said calmly.
"It means… you still possess Light within yourself."
She paused briefly before continuing,
"That will be enough for today."
The white light slowly faded,
and the training hall returned to silence once more.
"You may leave,"
Aurelia said coldly.
"Return only after you have mastered all the basic elements.
Your next lesson will begin then."
Ryn bowed respectfully
and left the mansion,
returning to his small wooden cabin.
From that day onward,
he devoted himself to mastering the four basic elements—
Fire, Water, Wind, and Light—
repeating the practice endlessly
until casting them became second nature.
Four days passed.
With a single thought,
flames rose in his palm.
A droplet of water formed.
Wind swirled.
Light shone forth—
all without strain or forced concentration.
Confident in his control,
Ryn returned to Aurelia that evening
and demonstrated everything he had learned.
Yet Aurelia merely stood still,
her expression unchanged.
No praise.
No criticism.
(In truth, what Ryn had accomplished would normally take months.
He had done it in only one week.)
"At last,"
Aurelia said,
"your next lesson begins."
"It will be Healing Magic."
Her tone grew serious.
"Remember this well—
magic is not a miracle cure.
It cannot enhance physical strength,
nor can it bring the dead back to life."
"Magic can stop bleeding and close wounds,"
Aurelia said calmly,
"but the one who receives it will still feel pain,
and exhaustion will remain."
"The effectiveness of healing depends on the color of the power you received at the beginning.
Those with Blue affinity heal better than those without it."
"Even severe wounds…
may have a chance of survival."
Ryn nodded, listening carefully.
Aurelia continued,
"Another factor is experience.
The more you use magic,
the stronger both your power and its results will become."
"The body is merely a vessel.
Its size does not matter."
"What matters…
is the control of your mind."
"If you can control it,
the power you release will manifest as the magic you desire."
She paused briefly,
her voice growing firmer.
"But remember this—
using magic means consuming your life force."
"The more you use it,
the more exhausted you will become,
even if you suffer no physical wounds."
"And if your life force runs out…
you will die."
"Magic is divided into two types."
"First—
magic that is consumed upon use,
such as fire."
"When cast,
life force is drawn out,
and the spell disappears."
"Second—
magic that remains active,
such as protective barriers."
"It will persist as long as your life force continues to sustain it,
or until you release it yourself."
Aurelia looked directly at Ryn.
"Do you understand?"
Ryn remained silent for a moment,
then slowly nodded.
He understood now—
both the mechanics of magic,
and the price one must pay to wield it.