I popped out of the shard only to find it was night. I must have spent more time inside than I realized. Doing anything with mana always seemed to take longer than I thought. I was still out in the field and decided to plant the apple tree I had.

I held the apple seeds I had carefully saved from the apples I grew inside the shard. The seeds were infused with a touch of magic from their growth in the shard, they shimmered faintly in the soft moonlight. The shimmering promised the potential for something extraordinary.

I knelt down, the soft earth yielding under my knees and began the process of planting. With a gentle touch, I made small indentations in the soil with my fingers, each hole spaced evenly in a circle. I had this feeling I should plant the trees all close together so they would grow together into one tree.

Into each hole, I placed a single apple seed, covering them lightly with brown fertile earth. I ensured they were nestled securely in the ground.

As I worked, I felt a profound connection to the land and the life I was about to cultivate. It was a moment of creation, of starting a new cycle of growth and abundance. With all the seeds planted, I took a step back and surveyed the plot with a sense of anticipation for what would sprout.

But I knew that simply planting the seeds in the earth wasn’t enough. To ensure their growth and to imbue them with the strength and vitality of magic, I needed to use my mana. Closing my eyes, I focused on the natural energies within me, the wellspring of mana that flowed through my being. I reached out with my senses, connecting to the life force of the earth and the dormant potential with the seeds.

With a deep breath, I extended my hands over the planted seeds, palms facing down, and began to channel my mana into the soil. A soft, verdant glow emanated from my hands, weaving through the earth to envelope each seed in a cocoon of nurturing energy. The mana infusion was a delicate process, requiring precision and control to ensure the seeds were empowered but not overwhelmed.

I suddenly felt a pull of mana from the seeds. They needed more energy. I realized my mistake immediately. I had started the process during the night. I should have been using sunlight. The mana writhed and twisted under my control as it searched for energy. I desperately cast about with my senses to find any source of mana the apple seeds would accept.

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I felt a gossamer strand touch upon my senses. The full moon stared down from above as if reminding me of its presence. I delicately reached up and borrowed the power of the moon and began to channel and weave the new energy into the apple sproutlings.

A soft, white light began to twine through the green light from the earlier portion of my spell. The white light of the moon, cool and serene, blended seamlessly with the verdant energy emanating from my hands. The combination of lunar and natural magics created a unique spectrum of light that danced over the soil, imbuing each seed with a dual essence of growth and resilience. The once subtle glow intensified, casting a tranquil illumination over the plot of land.

As I melded the moon’s energy with my own, I felt a resonance between the two forces. It was as if the moon’s gentle influence was meant to complement the earth’s vibrant life force, a balance between the celestial and the terrestrial, increasing the magical infusion the seeds received.

The mingling energies acted as a catalyst, accelerating the germination process. Beneath the soil, the seeds responded with eagerness, their innate potential awakening fully. I sensed the first tender roots reaching out, drawing nourishment from the enriched earth, and the first fragile shoots pushing upward, yearning for the moon’s silvery light.

Encouraged by this progress, I deepened my focus, allowing the flow of mana to become a conduit for conversation between the moonlight and the seeds. This wasn’t just a process of growth; it was an initiation, a welcoming of the young saplings into a world where magic and nature were intertwined.

As the spell continued, the energy consumption grew, but so did my determination. The pull of mana became a steady stream. I realized than this moment was a turning point. Either I succeeded or failed. And I had the feeling failure would be very bad for me.

Eventually, the flow of mana began to wane, a sign that the seeds had absorbed all they needed for now. Gently, I withdrew my hands, severing the channel of magical energy. The glow around the plot dimmed, leaving behind a sense of tranquility and a tangible promise of growth. The night was still once more, but the land hummed with a new vibrance, a secret vitality waiting to burst forth.

I stood there for a moment, marveling at the transformation that had taken place, not just in the soil but within myself. A wave of exhaustion swept over me and the ground rushed up to meet my face.