I found myself panting heavily, the bed beneath me drenched in sweat. My heart was pounding at an alarming rate.

"It's over, it's over," my voice was raspy, barely a whisper.

Those nightmares always shook me no matter how much I tried to keep a brave face. The effects were numbing, the memories too intense to wake up with. My body began to shiver uncontrollably.

My clothes had been torn to shreds during the test. Now, I wore a new set of clothes made of wool, which were also soaked with my sweat. My body had healed in an almost miraculous fashion. Although my right arm was still in bad shape, my left was functional again, and the rest of my body seemed to be mostly healed, even if not wholly.

The test Elnara put me through was intense. It shattered all my mental barriers and exposed the façade I had built for myself. There was no doubt about her power; she was deadly in a way that even the grand mage I had encountered before couldn't match. And yet, here I was, surprised to find myself still. My memory of the ordeal was somewhat blurred, but I remembered my stubborn refusal to kneel under her pressure.

Looking back, it wasn't very reasonable. I had two choices: pledge my loyalty or be cast aside. Though she hadn't explicitly stated the latter, the implication was clear. This was likely the main base for elves on this continent. Given the long-standing tensions between humans and elves, it was only natural that a human like me would have to swear loyalty to remain.

Where else could I go? Hadrian had hinted on more than one occasion that this aura of mine could only be trained here but also made me a target for mages. Even if I didn't want to train, there was no escape from their hunting. I had no place in my old city and never really did. So, where did that leave me? As someone who wasn't accepted before and wouldn't be accepted now. In this era, humans prided themselves on their magical abilities—the more incredible, the better. Even if you were just a typical worker, if you could harness mana, you would be better accepted than a "cursed" individual like me.

Mana was never a part of me from the day I was born. It was as if this source of power recoiled at my touch, rejected me, or even feared what I was. Even when others attempted to use mana-based abilities on me, the energy was repelled—even the healing powers of priests didn't work. What was this aura? Why did aura work where mana didn't? The people around me knew, so why wouldn't they tell me?

As I lifted myself off the bed, my body drenched in sweat, I couldn't help but notice the cooling sensation that accompanied my power rotation. It provided some relief, although the stickiness of work still clung to my skin. Determined to get up, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, realizing that my pants were soaked as well. How much had I been sweating?

Just as I was about to launch myself off the bed, the door in front of me swung open. To my surprise, it wasn't Hadrian or Verdenia who entered but Elnara, accompanied by a different assistant. Her eyes gleamed excitedly as if she had stumbled upon a great opportunity.

"What have we here?" Elnara's voice rang out, its musical cadence filling the room. "A handsome young human, wandering into our midst. I do hope you're not lost, dear. And all covered in sweat, too. Someone must've had quite the busy night."

She cast her eyes up and down my body, appraising me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Although I must say, you do make for a very welcome sight. Perhaps you can help a mature lady like me with your stamina, young man?"

Her flirtatious words and teasing demeanor were too much for me to handle. I could feel a fire ignite within me, fueled by annoyance and a hint of attraction. But I knew better than to let it escalate. This was just her way, her peculiar hobby. So, I changed the conversation.

"Will I be able to stay here?" I asked, trying to maintain my composure. "Can I enter the portal?"

"What, is this lady not enough for you? Maybe you'd need both of us?" Elnara's words carried a hint of playful mischief. Still, I could sense a shift in her demeanor as she quickly regained her composure.

"Lady Elnara, please," the assistant interjected, her voice filled with respect.

With the assistant's reminder and seeing I wasn't taking the bait, Elnara put aside her troublesome hobby. Instead, the regal air of a leader came upon her. The atmosphere became charged with extraordinary power, and even the assistant dared not meet her gaze, keeping her eyes lowered to the floor.

Elnara's following words caught me off guard as she mentioned a name I hadn't heard in a long time. "Falond Conmor. Or should it be Lectus?"

Lectus was a distant memory, my birth name, the one I had left behind when I was disowned. Falond was the name I had taken in exile, as instructed by the letter, that had changed the course of my life.

For a moment, I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Yes, Falond Conmor," I finally replied, my voice tinged with acceptance and shame.

The assistant swiftly placed a file with a wooden cover in front of Elnara. The paper inside had a faint green tint and emitted the fresh scent of pine. Elnara examined the file with practiced ease, flipping through its contents at an impressive speed. She had looked over the file before. Then she looked up at me.

Elnara's emerald eyes flashed with a power that locked my mind in place. Although my body remained conscious, I was rendered incapable of controlling myself. Panic surged within me as I realized the extent of Elnara's ability. Even the grand mage, Velexa, paled in comparison to her.

With an air of seriousness befitting a leader responsible for her people's survival, Elnara approached me, her face inches away from mine. Her captivating and melodic voice resonated with an enchanting quality, captivating me further. She began questioning, knowing I couldn't hide anything from her penetrating gaze.

"Why did you come to this encampment, Falond? Why do you want to be here?" Her voice carried a melodic cadence that held a certain allure, making it difficult for me to resist answering truthfully.

Unable to resist her influence, my mouth opened, and the words spilled forth, revealing my intentions. "I came with Hadrian, the rude old man, as he was escaping from a grand mage. He claimed this encampment was the only place I could learn to be useful. The mages in my previous city would hunt down with aura. With no other options, I willingly followed him here."

Elnara's intense gaze never wavered as she moved on to the next question. "Do you have any ties with humans or others that could hinder your ability to stay loyal to me?"

Once again, my actual thoughts were compelled to escape my lips. "In Ulis, I lived at the bottom of the barrel. I was a slum dweller, struggling to survive by stealing from anyone well-off, and working odd jobs for adventurers or mercenaries in the city center. Until recently, I had never even encountered an elf. My only tie with humanity is to be accepted by my family again. To desire the use of mana so that my father, especially my mother, would be proven wrong. That I was never a failure; I deserved to be with them. They are a family of mages; my father was a tier four magistrate, and my mother was above that, a grand mage. For my sister, I'm unsure of what's happened to her by now."

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As I attempted to speak further, a more profound resistance welled within me, trying to halt the flow of my words. Yet, my mouth continued to move, spurred on by forces beyond my control.

"I was hoping to learn about this aura, to gain enough strength to earn their acceptance once more," I confessed, my voice tinged with desperation and longing. "Even if it wasn't mana, wouldn't power be what mattered? Isn't that what they always cared about? Isn't that why my sister was the family favorite while I was left behind and forgotten?"

The words escaped my lips before I could fully comprehend their impact. The deep-seated pain and wants within me echoed in the air, free for all to hear. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Elnara absorbed the weight of my words.

Finally, breaking the silence, Elnara's melodic voice filled the room again. "What do you know about the current situation in the world, Falond?"

"I am aware that my kingdom of Reverent is clashing with something, Valoria, Ardamire, and Sylen are closely observing the situation." I responded, my voice tinged with a hint of resignation. I don't know much about what happens in the other nations and never overly bothered to find out. Others never thought it was helpful for someone like me to know."

Elnara's penetrating gaze remained fixed, her eyes searching for sincerity and value in my words. "Why should we risk accepting you into the fold?" Her voice fluttered out.

"I've already been put to a contract by one of yours, Verdenia. The aura I gained from The Moth at the pond clearing could be useful to you." My lack of self-esteem had me stop short after that.

"Indeed, I've heard that she had already tried to claim the man my eyes were on; what a cheeky little girl. That tiny bit of power is nothing; your potential is the only valuable thing about you." The melody of her voice fluctuated.

I had no idea how old Verdenia was, but something told me she was old enough to stop being called a girl. There went my confidence, ruthlessly crushed by this woman. Seeing someone like Hadrian being no one exceptional here, my ability wasn't all that important to them yet.

She went right to the throat with the next question.

"Will you be loyal to me first and the alliance second?

"If it will let me learn how to use this aura, gain my place in the world, and be accepted by my family again. Then I will always be in debt to you."

"How do you view the relationship between humans and elves?"

"I've only been told that humans are the true masters of this world, that elves are remnants; while they look beautiful, their souls are corrupted and unable to channel or use mana. Abominations, like me."

A fleeting look of distaste crossed Elnara's face as I uttered the last sentence, the word 'abominations' seemingly leaving a bitter taste. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, her poised demeanor resurfacing.

"You'll learn the truth eventually." Elnara let slip out.

What did she mean by that?

"And how do you feel then? Could you be loyal to us?"

"I'm apprehensive and distrustful by nature; I still don't know what you all want from me and why people won't tell me what's happening here. Part of me wants to escape, mages hunting me being the only reason for me staying."

Elnara's expression tightened upon hearing that, but she didn't let any signs of anger or frustration show. Instead, she seemed to be considering my words, her gaze as sharp as a dagger as it bore into me.

"I see..." she murmured, more to herself than to me. Then, lifting her chin, she asked me the final question. "If given a choice between staying here, learning about your power and fighting with us, or running away and being constantly hunted, which one would you choose, Falond? Don't answer; I'll answer for you."

Instantly, a regal green leaf emblem seared onto my right chest. It was merging with the one she had placed before. More than just a physical mark, it was a physical tether, forcing whatever I learned here to remain within the bounds of her permission. Did this mean they would train me? Despite the trials, a spark of excitement kindled within me at the idea. This brand, however, differed from the previous one, overlaying it with a vibrant, nature-infused pulsation that visibly exhausted Elnara as she applied it.

Immediately after, a transformation swept over her. The stern matriarch, who had had me horrified, vanished as if it had never happened. Her eyes lost their green glimmer, but I was still trapped in my mental corner, with freedom slowly returning.

"Falond, have you ever been smitten by an elf before?"

"I have."

"Truly? And who might that be?"

"Verdenia."

As I uttered her name, a flicker of an indecipherable emotion crossed Elnara's eyes. I found myself in disbelief at my confession. Had it just taken some flirting and healing, and I was smitten? She had even restricted my freedom, for the love of...I must be a masochist.

Sensing my control would be back in moments, she asked a final question. "Do you seek power for its own sake, or do you seek power to change what you see as wrong?"

"I seek power to control my own fate." There wasn't any resistance in my answer.

A sonic crack echoed within my mind.

Just as she seemed to sense the mental snap, she gave me a beautiful and wicked grin. "Looks like we're done for now, Falond. I'll be waiting for you to become a pillar for our camp."

With that, Elnara left in a flash with her assistant. I was right about her speed; a mere blink later, they vanished.

Right after they left, my knees started to shake, and my body crumpled to the floor. My thoughts hadn't shown it, but I'd nearly pissed myself. Elnara was one scary woman, and her teasing only made it worse. It was all just fun for her, but one wrong word could mean the end for me. I'd end up a stain on the floor if I said something that made her mad. That fear hit me hard as I watched her surrounded by that swirling green power.

All I could do momentarily was gasp for air, thanking my lucky stars that I'd gotten out of this situation alive. It felt like walking a tightrope, one wrong step, and I'd vanish without a trace. Just as the stress of the situation started to lessen, the door creaked open again. I tensed up but relaxed when I saw it was Hadrian, accompanied by a middle-aged woman.

"Portal Master Edith, this is the one I found in the Naien."

"Ah, the one you grumbled about nearly getting you killed when running with your tail between your legs from Velexa?"

Portal Master? I wondered what that title meant.

Hadrian just grunted, choosing not to respond to Edith's jab. So, my assumptions were correct. Despite acting unfazed, Hadrian was nearly killed, protecting me from the blast. Even though he kept calling me an idiot, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

Edith then turned her attention towards me. She murmured to herself for a while, and although my hearing had significantly improved, I couldn't catch any of her words. Perhaps there was a way she had to mask sound? A few seconds later, she snorted and asked, "Boy, when do you plan on getting off the floor and greeting us properly? Where are your manners?"

Taken aback by her attitude, I attempted to stand up, but my control over my body was still shaky after my ordeal with Elnara. I continued to wobble until Hadrian stepped forward, grabbed my left arm, and stood me upright before returning to stand next to Edith.

Caught off guard, I could only stand there, silent. At this, Edith raised an eyebrow. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself? There's no respect for their elders in this one. Why on Gansia did you bring him here, Hadrian?"

Hadrian remained silent, and while Edith had a higher status, it didn't appear to be by much.

"I'm Falond." Still struggling to gather my thoughts, I offered nothing more. The mental lock Elnara had used left my mind sluggish.

Again, with her eyebrow arched and an even more annoyed expression, she probed, "Falond, who? Don't tell me you don't have a surname."

"My last name was taken from me when I was exiled. Before that, it was Conmor."

Edith's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Ah, a scion of the Conmor line, fascinating. Who would've thought a lineage of such distinguished mages would one day yield an aura user again? I wonder what expression that dreadful Esmerelda would wear if she knew?"

"Again?" The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

With a sigh, Edith clarified, "They didn't reveal that to you at the dinner, did they? Well, it doesn't matter. In your family's distant past, a transcendent aura user once existed. Over the years, the rest of the world has forgotten, but we aura users remember. How could we not? He was instrumental in establishing the citadel you'll soon be visiting."

Without another word, Edith turned and strode out of the room. As the door was closing, her voice echoed around the room.

"The regal green leaf has been branded onto him, Hadrian. Elnara, that madwoman, has simultaneously accepted him into our branch and her own. Initiate his training so he can withstand the portal's forces. The sooner, the better."

With that, the door shut, leaving me alone with Hadrian; I saw a broad grin on his face.