"What do you mean, 'why are my eyes blue'?" Lucas responded.

"I mean it literally," his mom answered back. "Your eyes are bright blue. It's extremely noticeable." She walked closer and pulled out a small mirror from some hidden pocket in her dress, then handed it over. Lucas took a look at what she was talking about.

Sure enough, right there in the middle of his face, two near-luminous blue orbs stared back at him through the reflective glass. His eyes were not usually blue. It seemed his recent actions were going to be a bit harder to keep a secret than he first thought. Impossible, even, and he needed to either come up with a reasonable excuse within the next few seconds, or else come clean and face the repercussions.

"Did someone make you drink a potion?" Mary asked, her concern evident.

The sincerity in her voice just made it worse. Lucas didn't like lying at any time, but it was so much harder to do so when the person he was lying to clearly knew something was up. No, with everything his mother did for him, day in and day out, she deserved the truth. Lucas summoned up his resolve, and spoke.

"No one fed me a potion, and I'm ok," he started. "I think I know why my eyes have changed like this, and it's entirely a result of my own actions."

Now, those words did nothing to alleviate her concern. Just the opposite. However, instead of losing to a panic and demanding a faster explanation out of him, his mother chose to move the conversation over to the room's chairs and wait. He was thankful for her restraint, but he didn't fail to notice her all but blocking his means of escape. Lucas wasn't going to run off without relieving her worries, but now it wasn't even an option.

Lucas continued. "I had an idea to try and boost what General Skills I am offered when my System unlocks," he watched the look of concern on her face slowly turn into confusion. "I've never told anyone this because I had no way to prove it, and I was worried no one would believe me, but I can see mana."

"I'm not just talking about the plainly visible effects of some Skills, but mana in what I think is its natural form, everywhere," he quickly got out. Lucas gave his mother the full details of his strange perception. He talked about the way mana just flowed through the air and all things, constantly, and that he knew no one else saw this because no one ever got distracted by it the way he did. He talked about his observations of that very same mana within the visual effects of the Skills everyone else could see, and the patterns it formed. He talked about his discovery of the mana inside him and how it led to him learning how to manipulate it.

His words were really flowing out now, faster and faster.

"When I learned about how the System counted achievements toward Classes and gave Skills according to them, I got the idea to try and manifest magic before the unlock," Lucas said. "The only problem was I can't see the Skills of other people that manifest internally, only the external ones, and the only mana I can control is that which is inside of me. I wasn't about to ignite my insides with a [fireball], so I had to figure out how to manipulate my own mana outside my body."

"Hold on--just wait a moment," Mary finally cut in. She did not speak immediately after Lucas stopped for her, clearly needing a moment to process the absurdity of his words. But she didn't look as if she disbelieved him. "So, without System-assistance, you can do all these things with mana...and you've kept it a secret all your life?"

Lucas nodded, ashamed of his lies. She must feel hurt that he never told her. It had seemed like the right thing to do, but this moment made him realize his mistake. He should have been honest.

Mary lunged forward, and he braced himself. Whatever he was expecting, it was not for her to wrap her arms around him and pull him close. His mother held him tightly and did not speak till he returned her embrace.

"I'm sorry you felt you couldn't tell me about so a huge part of your life," she spoke over his shoulder. "I'm not mad--and I think I understand why you made that choice. But this ability is something that should be celebrated! It's unheard of, especially without System-aid, and will give you a great advantage later in your life."

His mother's understanding nearly had him tearing up. Curse these adolescent hormones, Lucas thought as he fought to keep ahold of himself. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he said, knowing he hadn't told her of the memories of the void either.

I still don't understand enough about that time, I'm not ready to share it. But one day, I will.

They separated after a moment longer, and Lucas couldn't help but smile.

"So," his mom started, "if you have had this ability that long, what caused the change in your eyes? Was it that plan you spoke of?"

Lucas stiffened. He'd nearly forgotten what had started this conversation through all the emotional charge. "Sorta," he scratched the back of his head and thought quickly, "I didn't manage to manifest magic outside my body, so the plan had to change. Instead, I used what I knew of your healing magic and tried to make an augmentation Skill."

In this case, what she doesn't know wouldn't hurt her. He'd received the System's warning and would follow it wholeheartedly, especially after the events of this day.

"That's why I was so late getting back home--it took longer than I thought it would."

"Are you saying, my son--before his System even unlocked--has gotten a Skill?" Mary could barely contain her excitement behind those words.

"Well, no." Lucas corrected. "It's not part of the System, and I don't think it is the same as what a full Skill would be--but yeah. I changed the way my mana naturally flows. And apparently it changed the color of my eyes, too, which is weird." He broke into a grin.

"Whoooooo!" She grabbed Lucas's hands and jumped up and down in celebration, and they both gave themselves over to the moment. It felt great, really. He'd done it.

When he woke up after the fact, Lucas hadn't had time to appreciate what he accomplished. It was close, and extremely risky, but he had a feeling it would be worth it.

"Cake," Mary suddenly said as they stopped bouncing. "This calls for a cake. Only a small one though, because your unlock is tomorrow. Just give me a few minutes to make sure dinner doesn't burn the house down, and we can make a quick run to Belinda's to see if she has anything left."

True to her word, they left mere minutes later. Lucas reflected on the conversation as they navigated the village's myriad paths. He'd been expecting at least a punishment of some sort after the truth came out, but here they were, making a trip for cake. Granted, he definitely did not properly communicate how much danger his actions put him through. Lucas reckoned that knowing the full truth would see his mother confining him to the house for the rest of time.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It was starting to get fairly late, and they had to make use of the lamp they'd brought along so Lucas wouldn't suddenly trip. Eugene's sister, Belinda, lived in the same house as the rest of her family, but she also had a small shop near the center of the village that was little more than a kitchen, a counter, and an area in which people could rest as they waited on their orders. It was a nice place, all things considered, and made the woman one of the most well-known and appreciated individuals in the village with how many people enjoyed her services.

With a bit of haste, the mother and son pair made it to their destination in a short amount of time. The lights within the small building were still on, and smoke still rose from its chimneys, which meant they were not too late. Their dinner was already waiting at home, so they had to hurry, but Lucas anticipated them staying to converse with Belinda for a little bit.

The smell of many different dishes, from the savory one with lots of meat and spices, to sweet pastries and frying dough greeted them as they made entry into the waiting area. Their were a number of people scattered amongst the room's many chairs, waiting on the last dishes of the day--a few of which Lucas recognized and gave polite nods, before quickly turning away as they stared at him in confusion. The eyes may actually be a problem, he thought. I may have come clean to mom, but that's no reason to give away my secrets to every single random person in the village.

Instead of taking a seat with everyone else, his mother lead them around to a door that gave access to the kitchen. In there, a lone woman of slight build and average height practically flew between a collection of stovetops. Belinda operated her tools of trade with such focus and speed that she did not notice the new arrivals till his mom was upon her.

"Guess who?" She placed her hands around the [Cook]'s eyes and asked.

"Mary!" Belinda exclaimed and spun around.

"Hey there, Linda!"

The two women greeted each other as old friends. Lucas's mom was a few years the other's senior, but that didn't impact their friendship in the slightest. Once introduced to each other by Eugene when Lucas was still an infant, they quickly formed a rapport that only grew over the years. Now, they were like sisters--nearly as close with one another as Mary was with Eugene.

"What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting a visit till tomorrow..." she trailed off as her attention shifted to him, her string of thought stumbling. "Lucas, wonderful to see you! Why are your eyes blue? Did someone give you a potion?"

"No, no one gave me a potion," Lucas told her, somewhat exasperated. Both of them apparently thought he was naive enough to take potions from strangers.

"That would be a long story, and the reason why we're here," his mom told her. "We need a cake--just a small one, if you have it--to celebrate Lucas increasing his affinity for my type of lightning magic."

"That sounds like a story. I didn't think you had any elixirs lying around, Mary." The [Cook] moved back to her duties--flickering from station to station while she spoke. The level of Skill displayed showed reinforced in Lucas's mind why she was the most popular and called-upon food-Classer in the village. "Well, you're in luck! I may not have a cake ready for you, but there are exactly two pastries that are as-of-yet unclaimed. They're yours!"

"Thank you, you're the best, as always." His mother happily received the pre-packaged desserts. Lucas had a feeling their visit wasn't so fortuitously convenient, and some customer in the other room would be waiting a while longer on their order. "And I don't," his mom continued. "Have an elixir, that is. Those are so rare and valuable, I would have either bartered it off or used it to increase his affinity a long time ago."

"How exactly did it happen, then?" Belinda asked between stations. "You weren't struck by natural lightning," she addressed Lucas, "were you?"

"That would be more likely to kill me than increase my affinity," Lucas pointed out.

"Could happen." The woman responded with a shrug as she removed a roasted fowl from an oven.

"I'll have to tell you next time I see you," Mary said. "Dinner is simmering at home now, and we have to get back. Thank you, again, for the pastries. I'll repay the favor."

"Hey--thank you for stopping by. It's been a long day, and it was nice to see a couple of friendly faces," she paused her duties to give them both a hug, only made slightly awkward by the packaged food she held in both hands.

"It's good to see you too. We'll have plenty of time to talk when I come by tomorrow," Mary let her know.

Just like that, as quickly as they'd come, the pair departed. Lucas caught a dirty look thrown their way from a corner as they exited with desserts in hand, but the aggrieved customer did not accost them.

"Linda's as much a whirlwind as ever," Lucas spoke out into the chilling air.

"She really needs to train a couple people to help her," his mom agreed. "Before she works herself to death."

"Weren't Mr. Harlowe's kids helping her for a time?" Lucas questioned. The 'kids' in question were actually fully unlocked and Classed young adults, nearly twice his age. Last he'd heard, they were training with Belinda to eventually take over some of her workload.

"Mmm," his mom affirmed as they walked. "She said their hearts weren't going into the work, advised they take another Class, and promptly booted them from the kitchen."

"Wow."

That woman could be harsh at times, to so casually advise someone to reset their chosen Class after they'd already put years of work into it. Unless those kids were the type to make impulsive decisions and just stick with them, they really wanted to work with food. At the same time, they had their Classes for years, and still needed her training. That was a typical sign of someone that had chosen the wrong Class for themselves, and happened from time to time.

Back at home, they split up to prepare for dinner. Lucas still had dirt from the tree hollow dusting his body, so he took the time to wash himself and change clothes. Once he was all fresh and ready, he was called to the table.

"Is Eugene not eating with us tonight?"

"He does have his own family to spend time with," she answered with some amusement while bringing over the dishes.

"His loss," Lucas stated as his eyes beheld the veritable feast of the night. He didn't know why, but he was absolutely famished. Despite the intensity of the day, he hadn't really done a lot of physically demanding activities, so his voracious appetite surprised him. He supposed it did make a lot of sense for a close brush with death to take a lot out of him.

They ate in silence for the most part, only periodically disrupted by a request for the other to pass the salt, or a refill from the water barrel. Absorbed in the meal, Lucas was able to let go of a lot of the tension he'd picked up over the day. When the meal was just reaching its final phase, his mother spoke up.

"You know we are going to have to find out what other changes your plan may have made, right?" She asked while looking at him.

"I know."

His mother set her utensils down after swallowing her last bit. She wiped her mouth, and said, "I don't want to be upset. Just know that I'm aware of how dangerous things must have been, and I don't want you doing anything like that again without my supervision, at the very least. Regardless of its success, what you did caused unforeseen changes, and we will make sure to find every last one."

Lucas nodded quietly. He had nothing to say, no excuse. He just knew he wouldn't give cause for his mother to feel this concern again.

"Come on," she smiled, reached over and ruffled his hair. "I hope you left room for dessert. Belinda was nice enough to extend her time at the kitchen so we could have this, we can't let them go to waste."

Lucas dutifully followed her to retrieve their respective pastries. Indeed, to let them go to waste would be unthinkable. He would follow his orders and scarf down this delicious concoction of bread, butter, fruit and sugar. Someone had to do it, so it might as well be him.

True bliss is in the work of a baker, he prosed as he took bite after bite, restraining himself just enough to savor the treat. Belinda's bread was the undisputed best in the village, but her desserts were works of art. She spoiled him every time.

"Mmmmm," Lucas groaned sometime after finishing the pastry. "I couldn't move a muscle, even if a cursed ghoul were chasing me down."

"Ugghhh, I agree," his mother sounded from her position lounging back in the chair opposite him. "But we need to clean up and go to bed. It will be a long day tomorrow."

"Ugghhh, you're right." Neither of them moved from their position, choosing to bask in the food-addled stupor some more.

When Lucas finally did make it back to his room, it was already quite late in the night. Without really anyone to confirm it, he may have fallen into a nap once or twice before making it out of his chair. That might give him a knot in his neck later, as a consequence, but it was unavoidable. That meal had been nice--not just because of the dessert or even the rest of the food. It took a near-physical weight off his shoulders that he'd been unaware of to be honest. Now, he even had someone with which could discuss his studies of mana, someone that could join in on what amounted to his greatest hobby.

With one final thought before drifting off to sleep, Lucas checked how long was left on the timer.

[Full System unlock in: 00:23:43:02]