Mav pushed open the door to Emily’s room, his heart racing with both hope and dread. The dim light of the lanterns cast long shadows on the walls, making the room feel suffocating and heavy with the weight of impending doom. Inside, the village chief and Nacht were huddled over Emily’s pitiful form.

Nacht’s eyes widened in shock as she noticed Mav’s disheveled appearance. Without hesitation, he rushed over to him. “Mav! Where have you been? You've been gone for hours!”

Mav looked down at his dirt-streaked clothes, feeling the weight of his exhaustion and anxiety. He stammered, “I—I fell asleep in the forest. I’m sorry.”

Before Nacht could respond, Mav quickly changed the subject, his voice trembling. “How is she? How’s Mom?”

The village chief and Nacht exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions somber and grave. Mav’s heart sank at the sight, and a cold knot tightened in his stomach. He braced himself for the worst.

Nacht finally spoke, his voice heavy with concern. “Her condition has worsened significantly. The chief believes she might only have a few hours left.”

Mav’s heart skipped a beat. Relief and anger surged within him. The chief’s words, though grim, were not as dire as he had feared. “Why didn’t you say that first?” His voice edged with frustration, but he quickly tried to push it aside. “I need to focus. Chief, please, give us a moment alone.”

The chief nodded, understanding Mav’s need for privacy, and exited the room with a final, worried glance. Mav, Nacht, and the unresponsive Emily were left alone.

Mav approached Emily’s bedside, his heart pounding in his chest. Her face was pale and drawn, and the weak rise and fall of her chest served as a stark reminder of the urgency of the situation. The room seemed to close in on him as he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he prepared to use the skills he had just acquired.

With a determined gaze, Mav extended his hand over Emily, focusing all his energy on the spell he was about to cast. "Dark Blue Miracle," he whispered, his voice trembling slightly with the weight of his expectation.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming mix of panic, excitement, worry, and extreme stress, but Mav had overlooked one crucial detail.

The spell’s mana cost was far beyond what he had available.

Instead of the healing warmth he anticipated, nothing happened. His expectations were shattered. A box popped up in front of him, the words inside hitting him like a truck:

"Insufficient Mana Points."

Mav froze, his mind struggling to process the revelation. "W-what?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. In a panic, he opened his status box and quickly scrolled down to check the skill’s mana cost.

Mana Cost: 120

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His eyes then flicked to his current mana: 2/120.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He had used Red Fireball earlier, and then Blue Heal a bit later. The remaining mana he had now was just 2 measly points, regenerated since he'd cast Red Fireball—barely enough to do anything.

Panic welled up inside him, his thoughts spiraling out of control. "What do I do? What do I do?" His mind felt like it was shutting down. He looked around the room, his eyes darting frantically as if searching for an answer in the shadows. Then it hit him—a desperate, irrational thought.

"Mana potion," he muttered to himself. "I just need a mana potion."

He sprinted out of the room, desperation driving his every step. "Does anybody have a mana potion?" he shouted to the villagers outside. Silence met his plea, followed by confused murmurs. Of course, no one would have a mana potion here—such things were luxuries, mostly used by flame users on long trips and battles. The grim reality dawned on him, and he felt a cold chill of hopelessness wash over him.

He re-entered the room, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, his mind racing. Nacht watched him with growing concern. "What’s wrong, Mav?" Nacht asked, his voice tinged with deep worry.

Mav shook his head, trying to calm himself. "Nothing," he replied, but the frantic edge in his voice betrayed him. Then, an idea struck him like a flash of lightning.

"Mana," he muttered to himself. "I just have to regenerate my mana. But how? That would take too long... she might not make it in 24 hours."

His thoughts raced back to the forest, remembering how his mana had fully regenerated after he fell asleep. His mana had been halved after his first desperate use of Blue Heal, but sleep had restored it fully. If only he could sleep now...

"But how can I sleep?" he wondered aloud, his voice tinged with desperation. "I’m too awake... too wired. Even if I lay down and closed my eyes, I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep."

Nacht’s voice broke through Mav’s frantic thoughts. "Are you sure you’re okay, Mav?" Nacht asked, his concern deepening.

At the sound of his father’s voice, something snapped in Mav’s mind. "Sleep... being unconscious counts as sleep, right?" The thought was wild, bordering on madness, but it made sense to his desperate mind.

Mav’s thoughts flashed back to the Bestowal Ceremony, where Organos had lectured about mana regeneration. It was a memory he had wanted to forget, a reminder of the overwhelming expectations placed on him, but now it seemed vital. He racked his brain, trying to remember every detail.

“When awake, mana regenerates at a rate of 5 MP per hour. But during sleep, the process accelerates significantly—up to 40 MP per hour. This is why the ability to rest and sleep anywhere, anytime, is one of the most valuable skills for a flame user.”

He hadn't fully grasped the importance of those words back then, but now, with his mother’s life on the line, they echoed in his mind, offering a glimmer of hope.

"When a person is awake, their mana regenerates slowly," Mav reasoned, his voice shaky but determined. "It would take 24 hours to fully recover if it’s completely drained. But when asleep, the process speeds up—significantly. What normally takes a day can be condensed into mere hours."

He focused, glancing at his current mana—2/120. Panic gripped him again, but he forced himself to think. "It would take almost 24 hours for my mana to regenerate fully, but if I sleep…" His mind raced, calculating. "It could cut it down to just 3 hours." He looked at Emily, a flicker of hope surfacing amid the despair. There’s still a chance she might make it.

The realization hit him fully, bringing both a sense of urgency and a fragile hope. He knew what he had to do.

Mav turned to Nacht, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and determination. "Dad... I need you to knock me out.”