The first thing that came was yet another sword to my throat. I was getting tired of that; can’t a man and his neck have some peace around here?

The second issue was that it was now more than Verdenia and me in the dome. Elnara was present alongside Hadrian and even Edith, the portal master I had met before. There were also several unfamiliar faces: a regal male elf and a pair of humans, one young man and one young woman, and others. The woman wore a robe with the symbol of a firebird, while the man’s robe was marked with the image of a white tiger.

They were positioned strategically, forming a barrier that encased us. What had I gotten myself into now? As I was about to speak, an unnoticed elder began to speak. Had he been standing behind me all along?

"The lad has prevailed. How many years has it been since we've witnessed a mana demon with the potential of a Transcendent? In the first trial, no less," The elder remarked, the rustle of his hand through his beard was almost audible.

"Since the time of the first Moth, so we're looking at centuries," Edith contributed, her voice lacing the heavy silence. The younger members here in the dome remained hushed. An intuitive understanding suggested that this conversation was exclusive to Edith and the higher-ups surrounding me.

“The idiot still lives; what an aggravating apprentice I've taken under my wing.” I didn’t even have to say who that was; this bastard sure was some teacher. What had he really taught me anyway? Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be alive without him, so I’ll let it all slide. For now.

"Success, however, doesn't negate that the mana demon is exceedingly evolved. For the sake of the encampment's safety, exile seems our only option. Give him the bare training needed to control Aura and leave it at that," commented the regal male elf, his voice firm. He exuded an air of authority, suggesting a high-ranking position within the encampment, possibly second-in-command.

The word exile brought up unpleasant memories. I still remember the day my mother sent a servant to me with a letter, not even bothering to speak to me herself. The letter informed me that I was exiled to Ulis to live there for the rest of my life.

Before the implications of his statement had the chance to sink in truly, Verdenia erupted.

"No! He is my Solaen; you won't wrench him from me. Whether he has sin tier mana demon or not!" Her outburst was rather odd, given that she was the one holding the sword to my neck.

"Compose yourself, Verdenia," Elnara responded calmly, "This one isn't departing from our encampment any time soon as long as I preside over it. Isn't that right, Relan?" She cast a pointed look at the regal elf as she said this.

"Hmph, as you say, Lady Elnara," he replied somewhat begrudgingly.

"It's settled then," Elnara declared, cementing the decision.

"We should-"

"Hold on a minute," I cut in, no longer caring who was in the middle of speaking. Being discussed as if I wasn’t in the room had tested my patience. "Could someone explain what's going on?"

I felt a fiery gaze from my side. I glanced over to see the young woman glaring daggers at me, her male companion barely holding back a chuckle. That’s who I interrupted then. Well, she could step into my shoes and see how much she liked being treated as an afterthought.

Elnara, ever the jester, didn't miss a beat. "What's happening, my handsome Falond, is quite out of the ordinary," she quipped as if we were at a dinner party rather than stuck in this situation. She was unchangeable, wasn't she? I might as well get used to her relentless, playful habit.

"And what exactly is considered 'ordinary'?" I asked.

"Well," she started, her playful demeanor turning severe. "For one, it typically requires dozens, if not hundreds, of meditation sessions, before a mana demon reveals itself. Secondly, your demon is astonishingly powerful. I'm still unsure how you managed to suppress it so effortlessly. Let's be clear: it's still lurking in the depths of your consciousness. Lastly, most individuals who experience the mindscape don't even have a mana demon at all."

How had they known the power of my mana demon? I wondered. It’s not like they were there inside my mind. Was the method I used not typical? Although suppressing the mana demon hadn't been a piece of cake, it didn't seem exceedingly challenging either. My life was at stake, but the situation never became hopeless. What makes a particular mana demon stronger than others, anyway?

Disrupting me, the arrogant elf, Relan, voiced his scorn. "Isn't it obvious? Look at the massive amount of mana this boy tried to assimilate. He's likely been practicing sub-par mana collection for years, perhaps his entire life. If his body didn't naturally reject it, leaving only residue and those unsightly veins, he'd have been dead by now."

“But my idiot apprentice is alive, Relan. Hadrian rebuffed, standing up for me while insulting me casually. I’ll be taking responsibility for him. Once he’s on the other side of the portal, he will be under my supervision and that of the others there."

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The elf seemed to bristle slightly at that. What was his problem? This was over now, wasn’t it? As if cutting the conversation short on purpose, Elnara started to talk to me more impatiently.

"You must be wondering why we seem more knowledgeable about your mana demon than you, Falond," Elnara began, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Would you care to know? If you promise to be a good boy, I, this pitiful lady, will tell you everything..." I nodded oddly as she winked at me, and a slight shiver came over me just afterward.

Her smile broadened as she continued, but not before I saw Verdenia shooting daggers at me with her eyes. What had I done now?

“It’s simple really. Those symbols record your mental state and experiences you would be facing.” Elnara clarified. The one symbol on the floor changes color from blue to pitch black depending on the strength and severity of the mana demon or other entities during the mind trial. When our sweet Verdenia noticed it had turned as black as midnight in an instant, she alerted us, gathering us here.”

They were all here in case I failed then. Part of me didn’t want to ask, but my curiosity got the better of me.

“And what if I lost to the mana demon?” I questioned hesitantly.

This time, the elderly man who had first spoken took the reins of the conversation.

“If your contractor, Saintess Verdenia, were unable to take your head, I, as the head of the auramancers, would do so for her,” he confessed in a grave tone. "If the mana demon had indeed been as powerful as the symbol indicated, the wrath of us all would come down on you, even if that means burying this whole chamber.”

This floored me; if I had listened to that mana demon’s words, not only would I have been gone in mind but in body soon after, too.

No need to dwell on it excessively," the elderly man advised, a note of consolation in his voice. "For now, you've successfully subdued the demon. This ordeal will only add to your strength. In a sense, a formidable mana demon is as much a blessing as a curse. Enough of the dialogue, everyone, let’s go. Only Saintess Verdenia should continue his portal transfer training. As agreed for violating the ritual.”

In response to his words, nods of agreement went around the room. Everyone but Elnara and Hadrian left. Elnara approached me, her gaze piercing as she peered into my eyes to find a hidden truth. Then, wordlessly, she left.

Hadrian stepped forward. “I remember finding you in Ulis. I had been observing you for days before you ventured into the forest. Even before the Moth selected you, you were already blessed by this world, perfectly suited to the path of an auramancer. I have no regrets about choosing to be your sourcer and, now, your mentor. Grow strong, my idiot apprentice.” He parted after those words.

Finally, the wooden sword came away from my neck. The air I had kept in started to flow out with that. The tension dissipated from my body, and I collapsed onto the floor. I lay there for a while; that trial was beyond deadly, having not one but two traps. The sheer power radiating from each of the individuals present was overpowering. Even if grand mage Velexa had found herself here, she wouldn’t have survived. Even though there wasn’t any real danger, the pressure they all subconsciously emitted was overwhelming.

“It must have been hard on you.” Verdenia’s voice cracked with emotion. I couldn’t get a full read on my contractor; she seemed to care, but also not simultaneously. She showed hints that our relationship had another layer but wouldn’t explain what. I decided not to focus on it. She had been instructing me diligently. As much as I grumbled, her teachings were giving me another chance in life.

I almost gave in, you know," I admitted. "The demon was strong and tempting. He knew the weakest points in my mind, tempting me with my deepest desires. He nearly convinced me. Can you imagine being given a solution to what had haunted your whole life? Even knowing that I’d no longer be the one in control, it was still fatally tempting. That was for the best, calling them all here. Had circumstances been slightly different, they would’ve been needed.”

Verdenia seemed distressed, but she told me to get some rest. The battle again, mana demon, took all my energy. Even trying to rotate aura was complex now. All I wanted to do was rest. There was no way I would fully sleep, not after all that, but relaxing was better than anything else.

After guiding me back to my cell, which I was still forced into, Verdenia left me plenty of food and water before bidding me farewell. The gate shut, and I was left alone with my thoughts. My internal clock told me it was late in the day, though the mental battle had seemed to last mere minutes. Time must flow differently in that space.

So, what now? What had I gained? A greater sense of self? A triumph over my inner demon? In truth, I felt like I had pushed it back, buying myself some time. At the very least, my mana demon was no longer unknown; we were aware of each other now. And what about The Moth? Even helping me at critical moments. Why did The Moth choose me? My real gains were a few key insights.

First and foremost, I had a mana demon. Their strength varied, and mine had manifested with vast potential. I had only been able to win by exploiting a trick in the mindscape. Something deep inside told me it would be back, and I’d not be able to use that trick again. It would come prepared.

My practice of forcefully shoving mana into myself without proper technique since leaving my family was usually fatal. When I considered it, it made sense. Given that I lacked normal mana veins or a mana body, where was all that energy stored? Improperly forced around the body, that typically corrupts you, then kills you shortly after. Only this "blessing of the world," as they termed it, had saved me. Of course, that blessing caused the problem in the first place.

Another piece of information was that the mana demon knows me just as well as I know myself. Not only will the next time we face off be a battle of willpower, but also one of emotional manipulation. The front I kept was mainly for myself. That eternal smile seen again at the end of our battle told me the mana demon wasn’t fooled. Its words had almost succeeded.

The mana demon was able to know what I honestly thought of things. Then again, was there a need to be surprised by that? The thing was made from an amalgamation of my negative thoughts and excess mana that I had forced into me. Of course, it would know my mind as well as I do.

“They sure were ready to kill me. People with powerful mana demons must be dangerous.” I voiced my thoughts out loud, despite knowing no one was around to hear me.

After a couple of hours, it became apparent that I was mentally running in circles. There was no further progress to be made on my own. Let’s move on then; it's time to learn from others to train further. They'd dropped hints, but crossing into a portal was dangerous for most. That didn’t seem to be the case for mages, but what did I know? The longer I was out here, the more it dawned on me that what they told the public was mixed with plenty of false information. Meaning at this point, trusting my previous knowledge was dangerous. I needed to learn how to cross a portal safely, and that’s all that matters now.

Everyone seemed to be in a rush lately. What was that about? Why was it acceptable for someone like Hadrian to roam freely while they were intent on hurrying me through the portal? During the training, hints of frustration would be on Verdenia’s face. During our training sessions, Verdenia would occasionally show signs of frustration. My progress wasn't remarkably rapid, not even average.

No sleep came this time or at least nothing like full sleep. Instead, I was stuck in a half-awake state where time seemed to drift by differently. That was the rest of the day for me until it was time to rise again and rise I did.