It was early morning.The sky was still dark, painted in deep shades of blue and black.
The sun hadn't risen yet.
A cold silence filled the air.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling without blinking. My mind wasn't exactly busy… but it wasn't empty either.
It felt like something was waiting.
After a while, I turned my head and checked the time.
There was still plenty of time before class.
"…Guess I shouldn't waste it."
I slowly sat up, ran a hand through my hair, and got off the bed. The floor felt slightly cold under my feet, sending a small chill through my body.
Without thinking much, I changed quickly and headed out for training.
The academy grounds were almost empty.
No noise.
No movement.
Just the faint sound of wind brushing against the trees.
By the time I reached the battlefield, I stopped for a moment.
Ray was already there.
Sitting in the center of the field.
Completely still.
His eyes were closed, his posture straight, and the air around him felt… different.
Heavy.
It wasn't something visible—But I could feel it.
"…He's already started."
I didn't say anything.
Didn't call out to him.
Instead, I quietly walked over and sat beside him.
For a few seconds, I just looked at him.
Then I closed my eyes.
I took a deep breath.
Slowly…In.
And then—
Out.
At first, there was nothing.
Just darkness behind my eyelids.
But then… I tried focusing.
On myself.
On my body.
On something deeper.
I imagined my aura—Flowing through my body like water.
Not rushing.Not exploding.
Just… flowing.
Like a calm stream.
Then slowly—
Like a waterfall.
Endless. Continuous. Powerful.
For a moment… it felt right.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
My eyes shot open as a sharp pain hit the back of my head.
"What was that for?!" I snapped, holding my head.
Ray didn't even look surprised.
"Your aura is out of control," he said calmly."It's leaking everywhere."
I blinked.
"…What?"
"Focus properly," he added. "You're not containing it."
I frowned slightly and closed my eyes again.
This time—
I paid more attention.
And then I felt it.
My aura wasn't flowing calmly.
It was spilling out… wildly.
Unstable.
"…He's right."
I took another deep breath.
In…
Out…
And this time, I forced it to slow down.
To settle.
To obey.
Little by little… it started stabilizing.
After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again.
"Ray…" I said, looking at him."When are you going to teach me how to use elements?"
Ray finally opened his eyes.
And looked straight at me.
"First tell me," he said,"What do you know about elements?"
I leaned back slightly, placing my hands behind my head.
"…Nothing."
A pause.
Then—
Ray covered his face with his hand.
"You're seriously an idiot."
I didn't even argue.
Because… yeah, fair enough.
Ray let out a small sigh and continued,
"Before elements… you need to learn how to control mana."
I straightened up a bit.
Now I was actually paying attention.
"Mana is the foundation," he said."Think of it as fuel."
I stayed silent.
"And elements?" I asked.
"They're just forms of that fuel," Ray replied.
He looked at me seriously.
"If you don't have mana… or can't control it—You won't be able to use any element."
I nodded slowly.
"…Then how do I control it?"
Ray didn't answer immediately.
He looked like he was thinking.
"First," he said after a moment,"You need to feel the mana inside your body."
"Inside…?"
"At your core," he explained."The center of your body."
I frowned.
"And then?"
"You focus on it. Again and again. Over time, it grows stronger."
I stared at him for a second.
"…That sounds slow."
"It is."
I made a face.
"Isn't there an easier way?"
Ray instantly grabbed his forehead.
"You really are hopeless."
"…I'll take that as a yes."
He sighed again.
"There is one method."
Now I was interested.
"What is it?"
Ray looked at me for a moment before answering.
"I can send my mana into your body."
I blinked.
"…You can do that?"
"Yes."
"And then?"
"You'll feel it directly," he said."And once you feel it… you focus on controlling it."
He paused.
"And you gather it at your core."
I didn't hesitate.
"Let's do it."
I adjusted my posture and sat properly.
For some reason…
I felt excited.
Maybe because—
This was the first real step toward power.
Toward elements.
Toward becoming stronger.
Ray stood up and moved behind me.
I felt his presence clearly now.
"Listen carefully," he said.
"When I send my mana—Take a deep breath."
I nodded.
"And relax your body. Don't resist it."
"…Got it."
A second of silence passed.
Then—
"I'm starting."
The moment he said that—
Something changed.
I felt it.
A strange sensation inside my body.
Warm.
Heavy.
Moving.
Like something unfamiliar had entered me.
My breathing instinctively changed.
I took a deep breath—
And slowly exhaled.
My body began to relax.
"I'm increasing the flow a little," Ray's voice came from behind.
"So you have more time to focus."
"…Okay…"
I tightened my focus.
Completely ignoring everything else.
And then—
I felt it clearly.
Mana.
Not imagination.
Not guesswork.
It was real.
Flowing inside me.
"Now… control it," Ray said.
I swallowed slightly.
"…Right."
I tried guiding it.
At first, it didn't move the way I wanted.
It felt wild.
Heavy.
Unfamiliar.
But I didn't stop.
Slowly…
Very slowly—
It started responding.
I began pulling it inward.
Toward one point.
My center.
My core.
Seconds passed.
Or maybe minutes.
I didn't know.
All I knew was—
I was getting closer.
Then suddenly—
The flow stopped.
Ray had removed his hand.
But the mana…
Was still there.
Inside me.
Stable.
"…I did it."
I could feel it.
Clearly.
At the center of my body.
For the first time—
Mana wasn't just a concept.
It was real.
"Good," Ray said.
I opened my eyes slowly.
Then—
I let the mana spread.
Gently.
Through my entire body.
It moved smoother now.
Calmer.
Controlled.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"I can feel it…" I muttered.
Ray nodded.
"The more you focus on it… the stronger it will become."
I immediately looked at him.
"So now… elements?"
Ray stared at me.
"…Seriously?"
I blinked.
"You can't even control your mana properly yet," he said."And you're already asking about elements?"
I scratched my cheek.
"…Fair point."
For a moment, silence returned.
Then—
Warm light touched my face.
I looked up slightly.
The sun had finally begun to rise.
Golden rays spread across the battlefield.
A new day.
A new beginning.
I took a deep breath again…
Closed my eyes…
And sat back down.
If this was the first step—
Then I wasn't stopping here.
Not until I mastered it.