Having won the coveted title of ‘big bro’, Lucian had to step up his game. In his mind, being a big brother meant always being able to take care of his sister and her problems. Although, Eleanor could jump higher, run faster, lift more and cast magic better than he could.

Eleanor was just better than him in nearly every way sans experience.

Getting to that point was a mentality thing. Eleanor woke up early every morning and militaristically trained herself to the bone. It wasn’t that Lucian was lazy, per se, but easing into that mindset and forming those habits were more challenging than he expected.

In his first couple lives, he never had to get in shape because he was always in shape. Now he had to grind his body in ways it hadn’t been grinded before. Every morning, he joined Eleanor in their training routine, pushing himself to keep up with her. They ran laps around the village, sparred with each other, and practiced magic. Lucian struggled to keep up with her pace, but he refused to give up.

Despite his efforts, Eleanor was like an constantly growing wall in front of him. She surpassed her limits so quickly and easily, which frustrated him. He was proud of her progress, but he never expected to be unable to catch up. In the time it takes him to take one step forward, she had already taken three more.

His lungs were on fire and his legs felt like jelly. Lucian groaned as he collapsed on his back panting. He went to wipe the sweat off his brow, before staring at the amputated end of his right arm - he accidentally used the wrong arm because of muscle memory.

Shaking his head, Lucian used his other hand before sitting up. Right as he got up a flask of water was shoved centimeters away from his face.

“Drink,” Eleanor, his coach slash training buddy, ordered.

“Yes coach,” he breathlessly agreed. He knew that she had been putting in the work for years, but she really was a freak of nature. Fourteen laps around the village and she had only broken a light sweat. After he gave up, which was soon since fourteen laps was around his limit, she would go and practice magic with their mother for another few hours.

If he managed to muster some energy he usually joined them, but fundamentally he was in a difficult position with magic.

In this world, using magic was like a process of inhaling and exhaling. It involved drawing in ambient energy from the air and channeling it through one's body before expelling it in the form of spells or reinforcement. It was a delicate balance of intake and output, requiring precise control and focus to avoid overwhelming one's system.

Magic capacity was just how much you could absorb and then release at a given time.

In the world where he learned magic things were different. Mana was something you were born with a capacity for. There was no dragging it in from outside, but rather having it be formed internally.

Theoretically, it should be easier in this world. It wasn’t however, and Lucian could not figure out why.

He could use the magic inside or him, but whenever he tried to pull it in from the outside he couldn’t. There was no input.

Maybe it was because his soul was so intrinsically aligned with the other world or maybe he just didn’t have the capacity. All he had was theories and not a lot of evidence.

It was beyond frustrating. If he couldn’t figure out how it worked then there was no way he could properly learn the magic of this world.

He was roused out of his thoughts by a hand gently patting the top of his head. He looked up to see Eleanor looking at him curiously.

“I’m alright,” he answered, knowing her question before she even asked. “I think I’ll head home,” he decided, getting onto his feet and turning away, not wanting to show his sister that he was troubled.

She lifted a brow and stared at him for a few moments.

“You’re scared,” she said with a smirk.

Suddenly, all thoughts of magic left his mind. He whipped around to confront her.

“What did you say?” he asked with an edge to his tone.

“You’re scared I’ll leave you in the dust. Run circles around you.”

“Scared? Circle? Are you serious? Tell me you’re not serious,” he let out a sardonic laugh,

“Nobody leaves big bro in the dust. Especially you, El. You can’t even run to the bathroom at night, let alone circles around me.

Her eyebrow twitched and her smirk raised a little more dangerously.

“Do you want to bet on that?”

“Bet on what? Your bed being dry in the morning?”

“Ha ha ha,” she said dryly. “I’m going to lap you Lucian. Three laps before you finish one.”

He walked over to his sister, laughing mockingly the whole time. He placed his lone hand on her shoulder and leaned in.

“I’d like to see you try, sis,” he challenged right before he shoved her down as hard as he possibly could and running away.

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He needed the head start.

----------------------------------------

They lived in a modestly sized country, but it only had one major city. The city was the heart and soul of the country and thus had the same name - Tyre.

Lucian had never been, but he knew it was well known as it was a setting in a lot of the books he read. To say the city was booming would be a major understatement. It was so well protected from the creatures of the night that the city was alive and bustling even when the sun went down.

It was a place where anything and everything could happen.

Lucian wanted to go.

“I don’t want to go,” Eleanor said bluntly. “What’s the point?”

Their parents shared a look, a silent conversation only they could understand. Their father cleared his throat and stated the obvious.

“You haven’t been to the city, Ellie, maybe you would like it?”

“I already know what goes on. I’d rather stay home.”

Opening his mouth and then closing it, John studied his daughter curiously.

“Alright,” he began slowly, “I can get that. However, Rey and I think it would be a good chance to check it out for a lot of reasons. First of all, Conwel said we can potentially find an arm for your brother and-”

“Well then let’s go.” Eleanor interrupted, nodding her head resolutely, glancing at Lucian for a moment before refocusing onto her parents and asking, “How about tomorrow?”

Their mother chuckled.

“My my, the carrot, huh?” she commented.

“What did you say, Mom?” Eleanor questioned back sharply, fidgeting with her shirt.

“What your father was going to say is that we have someone we want you two to meet,” Rey went on, ignoring Eleanor and revealing, “I have a sister in the capital.”

“A sister? We have an aunt?” Lucian exclaimed. He had never heard anything about having relatives.

“Sister in law, it’s a tad complicated.”

“She works at Luminarium, the school, Rey figures she could get you guys in,” his father explained.

“The Luminarium?” Eleanor questioned in disbelief, “She can get us in? How and why? Admissions for our age group were a few months ago.”

“I’m surprised you know about admissions, Ellie,” her mother said. “I rarely talk to Monica, but the last letter she wrote mentioned that they started an initiative to admit more than just nobles. I really think the two of you can make it.”

Lucian glanced at his sister, who had a complicated expression on her face. Of course, to anyone else she’d look completely emotionless, but he could notice the way her eyes drifted around confusedly or that she was quietly tapping her finger on her thigh.

Wait… she wanted to go? He never would have expected that. He understood that there was a limit to how much you can grow only working out at home, but going to school meant leaving home.

The last thing Lucian wanted was to be separated from his family.

“Is Luminarium a good school?” he asked, silently resolving himself to follow his sister.

“The best of the best,” his father answered instantly. “Top three, whole world. Umbra is probably the best, but they don’t really accept humans. Sanibel is quite good, but too far south. Luma is the best school for humans like us. Also it’s just a few hours away from here.”

“Do we get a bonus for being close? I’m not too sure if I’m getting into a prestigious school like that. Eleanor, yeah, but me?” he realistically admitted.

“You’re not weak, Lu. You’re strong enough,” Eleanor quickly defended.

“Yeah, El, yeah… but I don’t think a noble filled school is going to want an armless, magicless guy.”

“It doesn’t matter,” father said, “You’re good at fighting. Besides, we’re working on the arm and they can teach you magic if you get in.”

Eleanor, in the heat of battle against the pair of cougars, never noticed that he used a lightning spell. Nor did she fully remember the night she tried to choke him to death and he used magic.

She knew he could reinforce his body, but nobody really knew what Lucian’s limits were.

Lucian, knowing what he was capable of with his meager reserves, laughed weakly. The whole idea of going to school was a curveball he didn’t expect. The idea of being accepted amongst the most talented nobles in the world just didn’t seem realistic to him. But, when he thought about it, what did he have to lose?

“I guess we can try.”

Eleanor nodded in agreement.

A few days later, they set off on a carriage ride to Tyre, courtesy of a friend of their parents who had let them borrow it.

Lucian and Eleanor sat side by side on the benched seats of the carriage. Eleanor was engrossed in a book while Lucian stared out the window as they rumbled down the dirt roads of Tyre. They passed by fields of crops and small villages, the scenery gradually changing from rural to suburban as they approached the city.

As the carriage drew closer to the city gates, Lucian's gaze was fixed on the towering walls that surrounded Tyre. Despite their height and strength, they didn't feel as imposing as he had expected. Instead, they were adorned with colorful banners and flags that casually fluttered in the wind.

As they passed through the gates, the sights and sounds of the city assaulted their senses. The streets were alive with a variety of noises, from the clanging of blacksmiths' hammers to the barking of merchants trying to sell their wares. The buildings were of all colors, with brightly painted shutters and awnings adding a splash of vibrancy to the otherwise gray stone structures.

The air was thick with the scent of spices, baking bread, and the occasional whiff of horse manure. People of all shapes, sizes, and colors bustled about their daily business, jostling each other as they hurried down the crowded streets. Lucian and Eleanor gazed out the windows in wonder, taking in the vibrant, chaotic energy of the city.

The man who lent them the carriage had a brother who owned an inn in the capital. He knew Lucian’s parents and welcomed the family with open arms and a smile. Having introduced himself and securely putting his stuff away in his room, Lucian tried to make his way outside but was stopped by his mother.

“There are some rules, Lucian,” she told him, putting a dark leather bracelet with a silver charm embedded in it around his wrist. “This is a bracelet that tracks you. It’s easy to get lost, but it will get warmer when you’re approaching people with the same charm,” she explained and lifted her arm, showing an identical bracelet of her own.

He nodded in agreement. Hot and cold was simple, but effective.

“Also,” she began, grabbing Eleanor from behind her and shoving her into him, “she’s staying with you.”

“Mom, I’ll be fine,” he insisted.

She smiled at him then looked at Eleanor, who simply nodded and tugged on his sleeve.

“Let’s go, Lu,” she said indifferently.