The forest was quiet after the fight.
Burned grass and broken trees surrounded us. The smell of smoke and something sharp—like rain before a storm—still lingered in the air. The mutated bear's body had already dissolved into dust, leaving only deep claw marks on the ground.
The blue core in my hand pulsed softly. Thin lines of light moved inside it like trapped lightning.
Dravic stepped closer, brushing dirt off his sleeve. His eyes weren't on the ground. They were on me.
"Why don't you try it on your sword, Renji?" he said calmly. "Any magic is compatible with the sword we created."
I blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah," he replied. "That blade was forged with spirit iron and bound to your mana. It reacts to you. If you can control the lightning, the sword will accept it."
I looked down at the glowing core again. It felt different from other cores. This one wasn't calm. It felt alive. Fast. Restless.
"You make it sound easy," I said quietly.
Dravic gave a faint smile. "It's not easy. But you can do it."
I took a slow breath.
"First," he said, his voice becoming more serious, almost like a mentor guiding his student, "don't rush. Lightning is fast, but learning it isn't. Sit down."
I sat on a flat rock nearby. The wind moved gently through the trees.
"Hold the core with both hands," he continued. "Close your eyes. Feel your mana flow. Where does it gather?"
I did as he said. I held the blue core close to my chest and closed my eyes.
At first, there was only darkness.
Then I felt it.
My mana.
It moved slowly inside me like warm water. From my chest to my shoulders. Down my arms. To my fingertips.
"Good," Dravic said softly. "Now, don't absorb it completely. Not yet. Let a small amount of the lightning flow into you."
I focused carefully.
The core reacted.
A thin thread of blue light slipped from the surface and entered my palm.
"—Ah!"
My body jerked.
It felt like being stabbed by tiny needles. Not enough to seriously hurt me, but sharp. Wild.
"Don't pull back," Dravic said firmly. "Guide it. Imagine your mana wrapping around it."
I gritted my teeth.
My mana moved instinctively, surrounding the lightning inside me. The wild energy tried to jump around, but slowly it followed the path my mana created.
It felt strange.
Hot. Cold. Sharp. Fast.
"It's moving," I said through clenched teeth.
"I know," he replied. "Now lead it to your sword. Don't let it scatter."
I slowly opened my eyes and grabbed my sword with my other hand.
The blade reflected the blue glow from the core.
"Send a small amount first," Dravic instructed.
I pushed the lightning through my arm toward the sword.
The moment it reached the hilt—
CRACK.
A spark exploded.
"Ah—!"
The sword flew out of my hand and stabbed into the ground a few feet away.
Smoke rose from my palm.
Dravic sighed but didn't laugh. "You forced it."
"It hurt," I complained.
"Of course it did. You tried to command it. I told you—guide it."
I picked up the sword again, my hand slightly shaking.
"Again," he said.
I nodded.
Second try.
This time, I absorbed even less lightning. Just a thread. I controlled my breathing and imagined my mana as a calm river.
The lightning entered.
It was still sharp, but not as violent.
"Good," Dravic murmured.
I slowly guided it toward the blade again.
When it touched the sword—
Bzzzt—
Small sparks danced across the surface.
The blade glowed faintly blue for a second.
Then the light disappeared.
I blinked. "It vanished."
"It dispersed," he corrected. "You lost focus at the last moment."
I clenched my jaw. "Again."
Dravic crossed his arms, watching carefully. His expression was serious, but there was something else in his eyes.
Third try.
Fourth.
Each time I got a little further.
Sometimes the lightning shocked my arm.
Sometimes the sword vibrated violently and nearly slipped from my grip.
Sweat rolled down my neck. My breathing grew heavier.
"You're rushing," Dravic warned.
"I'm not," I muttered.
"You are. Lightning responds to emotion. If you're impatient, it becomes unstable."
I paused.
Took a deep breath.
Closed my eyes again.
This time, I didn't think about winning.
I didn't think about proving anything.
I just focused on the flow.
The blue core pulsed in my hand.
A thin stream of lightning entered my body again.
Sharp.
Fast.
Alive.
Instead of trying to contain it tightly, I let my mana move with it. Like two currents flowing together.
My arm tingled.
The sword felt warm in my grip.
"Now," Dravic said quietly.
I guided the energy down slowly.
When the lightning reached the blade—
It didn't explode.
It didn't scatter.
It spread.
Blue electricity crawled along the edge of the sword like living veins. Sparks jumped from the tip and struck the air with soft crackling sounds.
Bzzzz—
The blade hummed.
My eyes widened.
"T-this is amazing," I said, staring at the glowing sword in my hand.
The electricity didn't hurt me.
It felt natural.
Dravic stepped closer, examining it carefully. The blue light reflected in his eyes.
I swung the sword lightly.
The air split with a sharp crack as a small arc of lightning shot forward and struck a nearby tree.
BOOM.
A chunk of bark exploded off.
I froze.
Dravic raised an eyebrow. "Control your excitement."
I laughed nervously. "Sorry."
But I couldn't hide my smile.
The blade crackled softly, blue light dancing across it.
"You're learning faster than I expected," Dravic said.
I looked at him. "Thank you."
He blinked.
For a moment, he looked slightly surprised. Like he hadn't expected me to say that so directly.
Then he smiled.
It wasn't his usual teasing smile.
It was softer.
"Well," he said quietly, looking at me in a way that made my chest feel strangely warm, "if it's for you, of course I'll do anything."
My heartbeat skipped.
The forest wind moved gently between us, carrying the faint scent of ozone and leaves.
The sword in my hand continued to glow.