Lorian woke before dawn, his body still aching from the previous night's encounter with Zephyr, but the fire in his mind refused to let him rest any longer. The room was dim, the only light coming from the faint glow of the enchanted lamps outside the window. He sat up slowly, stretching out his sore muscles, and made his way to the center of the room. His mind buzzed with determination.
Aric's advice echoed in his mind, guiding him as he settled into a cross-legged position on the floor. Focus on your center, Lorian. Stillness. Breathe. The memory of Aric’s steady voice calmed his racing thoughts.
He began his meditation, breathing deeply and focusing inward, letting the familiar rhythm of his breath guide him into a calm state. His thoughts, once scattered and chaotic, began to settle. Each breath pulled him deeper into his center, where the flow of mana felt like a gentle river beneath his skin. He visualized it, seeing the flow of power within him, imagining it growing stronger and more controlled.
For several minutes, he meditated, feeling the pulse of energy, focusing on his weaknesses, and working through the frustration that Zephyr had stirred. His goal was clear: to become stronger—no, far stronger—than he was now. If Zephyr could control his aura, I can too, eventually. He wasn’t going to let himself be so easily overpowered again.
The quiet of the early morning wrapped around him, but as the sun began to rise, a sliver of light slipped through the window, signaling the start of the day. Lorian slowly opened his eyes, feeling more grounded. His body still ached, but his mind was sharp.
After washing up, Lorian headed to his usual classes, the academy already buzzing with the energy of students preparing for the Grand Melee. His morning passed in a blur of lectures, practical spellcasting sessions, and scribbled notes. Though the lessons were valuable, Lorian's mind remained focused on his personal mission—to push his abilities further.
By the time his classes were finished, Lorian felt the familiar pull toward his rune practice. Setting up his materials in a quiet corner of the academy, he drew out his etching tools and the enchanted metal sheets, focusing on the intricate symbols that represented elemental and arcane forces. Each rune he etched was deliberate, his hand steady, but his mind occasionally drifted back to the heavy weight of Zephyr’s aura. The memory of it gnawed at him, pushing him to find a way to bridge that gap in power.
It wasn’t long before Lysara appeared, her sleek black fur shimmering as she stretched out lazily on the table in front of him.
“You’re working hard, as usual,” she commented with a slight yawn, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement.
Lorian glanced at her, the idea that had been simmering in his mind since their last conversation finally surfacing. “I want you to teach me aura control.”
Lysara tilted her head, a soft purr escaping her as she studied him. “You? Aura control?” She let out a small laugh. “Lorian, darling, you’re not even at Elite Rank yet. You’d burn yourself out before you even got halfway there.”
“I’m serious,” Lorian insisted, his brow furrowed. “I want to start now. I can’t let Zephyr keep that advantage over me. I need to understand it, at least.”
Lysara sat up, her tail flicking in mild irritation. “And I’m serious too. You can’t control an aura until you reach Elite Rank. Your mana flow isn’t strong enough yet to handle it. It would tear you apart.”
Lorian crossed his arms stubbornly, his gaze unwavering. “I don’t care. Show me anyway. I need to start. If I can feel what it’s like, I can at least prepare myself for when I reach that level.”
Lysara sighed dramatically, her tail swishing as she leaped off the table and padded toward him. “You’re hopeless, you know that?” She circled him, eyeing him like a mother cat watching her reckless kitten. “Fine. I’ll give you a taste, but don’t come crying to me when it backfires.”
Lorian watched her cautiously, feeling both excited and anxious at the prospect of even attempting aura control. Lysara stretched her lithe body, her crimson eyes glowing faintly as the air around her shifted. Her presence, always otherworldly, seemed to intensify, and the familiar weight of magical energy began to thicken in the air.
She hopped up onto the table again, her tail flicking with amusement. “Focus. You’re going to channel more mana than you’re used to. It’s not just about control—it’s about pressure. When you reach Elite, your mana channels will be more refined, but right now, they’re like… pipes barely holding water. You’re going to force it, and it’s going to hurt.”
“I can handle it,” Lorian muttered, steeling himself.
Lysara gave him a pointed look. “We’ll see.”
With that, she began the process of guiding him, instructing him to tap into his mana reserves deeper than he’d ever done before. Lorian concentrated, his breath steady as he summoned the energy within him. At first, it was manageable, the flow of power surging through him like the rivers of mana he’d grown accustomed to in his meditations.
But soon, as Lysara instructed him to push harder, he felt the strain. His channels burned with the effort, his body trembling as the pressure increased. His skin prickled with the intensity, his vision blurring slightly as the weight of the mana forced its way through him.
“There it is,” Lysara’s voice was calm, almost disinterested, despite the immense strain Lorian was under. “That’s the edge. Keep pushing if you want, but I think you’ll find it’s not as easy as you imagined.”
Lorian gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He tried to push further, just as Zephyr had done, but as soon as he crossed that invisible threshold, pain shot through him like lightning. The mana surged out of control, and his vision flashed white for a brief second.
A second later, Lorian was on his knees, gasping for breath, the energy dissipating as quickly as it had built.
Lysara jumped down beside him, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. “Told you.”
He groaned, shaking his head. “That was… awful.”
“Exactly. You’re not ready. But you’re stubborn, so I figured you’d have to feel it yourself to believe me.” She nuzzled against his arm affectionately. “Still, you’ve got guts. That counts for something.”
Lorian slowly got back to his feet, wiping the sweat from his brow. The pain had faded, but the experience left him feeling even more resolute. “I’ll get there. I have to.”
Lysara sighed but gave him a small, approving nod. “Eventually. But for now, stick to meditating, runes, and spellwork. When you reach Elite, you’ll be able to handle aura control. Until then, don’t push your luck.”
Lorian wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath still labored, but the fire in his eyes hadn’t dimmed. He looked down at his hands, the memory of the searing pain still fresh, but with it came fierce determination. He clenched his fists and shook his head.
“No,” Lorian muttered, his voice low but steady. “I can do it.”
Lysara blinked, her crimson eyes narrowing with annoyance. “What did I just say? You’re not ready—”
“I’m not giving up,” Lorian interrupted, his tone hardening. “I want to start now. I can’t let him keep that advantage over me. I need to understand it, at least.”
Lysara’s tail flicked irritably as she sat down, glaring at him. “You stubborn idiot, you’ll burn yourself out and—”
“I don’t care!” Lorian’s voice rose, cutting through her objections. “I’m not waiting until I’m ‘ready.’ I need to do this now. If I don’t push myself, I’ll never get there.”
For a moment, Lysara simply stared at him, her sharp gaze softened by something akin to concern. But she could see it in his eyes—the resolve, the defiance. He wasn’t asking for permission. He was going to try again, regardless of the risks.
“Fine,” she growled, her voice sharp as steel. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lorian dropped back into a meditative stance, his breath still uneven but beginning to calm as he focused inward once again. His mana, though still stirred from his earlier attempt, began to gather slowly, pooling in his core as he drew from it. His body trembled with anticipation, but he forced his mind to stay sharp, focusing solely on the flow of energy within him.
“Remember,” Lysara’s voice was low, “the difference between pushing your limits and destroying yourself is razor-thin. You cross it, you’re on your own.”
Lorian ignored the warning, already feeling the familiar rush of mana as he pushed himself deeper into the flow. He reached the same threshold he had encountered earlier, the one that had sent his body into shock—but this time, he didn’t stop.
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His entire body screamed in protest as he channeled more mana than before, his veins burning as if filled with molten energy. His vision blurred at the edges, and his skin prickled with electricity, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to submit. He had to keep going—he had to break through.
The weight of the aura began to manifest again, thick and oppressive, pressing down on him from all sides. His muscles strained under the pressure, and his heart pounded in his ears as sweat poured down his face. Each breath was a battle, but he forced himself to stay in control. He could feel the aura forming, raw and unstable, but there.
That’s it, Lorian thought, the thrill of progress keeping him going. Just a little more…
But the pain intensified, searing through his body like wildfire. His chest tightened, and his limbs trembled uncontrollably as his mana threatened to spiral out of control once again. The edges of his vision darkened, his mind growing hazy as the energy began to slip from his grasp.
“No,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “Not yet…”
Lysara’s gaze turned from irritated to sharp with alarm. “Lorian, stop! You’re going too far!”
But Lorian didn’t listen. He pushed further, his determination overriding the growing agony. He had to break through the barrier. If he could just—
Suddenly, the mana exploded outward.
A wave of raw energy burst from Lorian’s body, knocking over the nearby rune practice materials and sending Lysara tumbling off the table with a startled yelp. The pressure vanished all at once, leaving Lorian gasping for air as his body crumpled forward, collapsing onto the cold stone floor. His limbs twitched, his head spinning as darkness threatened to pull him under.
Lysara reappeared beside him almost instantly, her form shifting from cat to her humanoid, more ethereal form. Her crimson eyes glared down at him, her voice sharp with frustration but tinged with a hint of worry. “You reckless fool! Do you have a death wish?!”
Lorian lay there, his breathing ragged, the remnants of the burst of power still crackling in the air around him. His entire body felt like it had been torn apart from the inside. Pain radiated from every muscle, but through it all, he smiled weakly.
“I… I almost had it,” he gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Almost had it?” Lysara’s eyes flared with anger. “You almost had nothing! You were about to tear your mana channels apart! I’ve seen people die trying what you just did.”
Lorian coughed, wincing as pain shot through his chest. “But… I didn’t.”
Lysara shook her head, her form flickering with annoyance. “You’re impossible.”
Despite the pain and exhaustion weighing him down, Lorian slowly forced himself into a sitting position, his arms trembling with the effort. His head spun, and his vision blurred momentarily, but he was still conscious. That meant something.
“I’ll… get it next time,” he muttered, wiping the sweat from his face.
Lysara sighed, her voice softening despite her frustration. “You’re too stubborn for your own good, you know that?”
Lorian grinned weakly, still catching his breath. “Maybe. But stubbornness is how I’ve survived so far.”
Lysara shook her head, though a small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "Well, just don’t kill yourself before you even reach Elite Rank. I’d hate to be stuck in this realm without you. It would be terribly boring."
Lorian laughed weakly, though the action made him wince in pain. "I’ll try not to."
As Lysara shifted back into her feline form and hopped onto the table, Lorian’s smile faded. The lingering pain in his chest and limbs weighed heavy on him, a constant reminder of how far he still had to go. He couldn’t deny it—he wasn’t ready to handle aura control, not in his current state. The reckless attempt had nearly torn him apart.
His breath came in shallow, ragged bursts as his muscles screamed in protest. He had pushed too far, too fast. There was no way he could achieve what Zephyr had with aura control if he kept doing it this way. The gap between them was wider than he’d allowed himself to admit.
But as that grim realization settled in, so did something else—a refusal to quit. Giving up wasn’t an option, not after what he’d been through. Not after everything that had happened. He couldn’t afford to wait and train at the academy’s pace. There had to be another way.
His thoughts whirled, grasping for a solution. What if... there was a way to mitigate the damage? Aura control tore at me, burned my channels like fire. But what if I could counteract that?
His mind latched onto the idea of his light magic. Before the seal on his magic had been lifted, he wouldn’t have even considered this, knowing his light magic wasn’t strong enough to keep up with the damage aura control caused. He’d always been limited to basic healing spells—small wounds, minor fatigue recovery—and he could barely even cast those. But now, with his mana channels fully open and his strength no longer bound, there was potential. If he could combine his healing light magic with the mana channeling Aric had taught him, he might be able to sustain both processes at the same time. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was a way forward. If I can channel both my aura and my healing magic, maybe—just maybe—I can endure it long enough to gain control.
Lorian sat up slowly, his body protesting with every movement. Lysara was eyeing him suspiciously from the table, her tail flicking back and forth lazily. She hadn’t noticed the shift in his expression, not yet.
"Lysara," Lorian said, his voice hoarse but determined. "What if I use aura control while channeling my light magic?"
Lysara's ears twitched at his question, her crimson eyes narrowing in confusion. "What?"
"I mean, if I’m taking damage while trying to control my aura, what if I use my light magic to heal myself at the same time? Balance it out. My mana channels won’t break if I’m mending them as fast as they’re straining, right?"
Lysara stared at him for a moment, her gaze sharp and critical. "That’s... insane."
"But possible," Lorian pressed.
She let out a long, frustrated sigh, jumping down from the table to pace in front of him. "In theory, it could work, but do you even realize how much concentration it would take? Controlling your aura and simultaneously healing yourself? You’re talking about juggling two intense magical processes at once—while pushing your limits. You’re already struggling with aura control as it is."
Lorian’s eyes gleamed with renewed determination. "I know. But if I can do it, it’ll let me keep training without destroying myself. I can keep pushing my aura and heal the damage in real-time."
Lysara paused her pacing, eyeing him with a mixture of incredulity and something resembling respect. "You’re seriously considering this?"
Lorian nodded. "If I want to reach Elite Rank faster, I need to try something different. I can't just wait around for my body to naturally adapt. I have to force it—while surviving the strain."
Lysara tilted her head, her tail flicking sharply. "You're playing a dangerous game, Lorian. There’s no guarantee it’ll work. If you mess up, even for a second, the damage could be irreversible. Healing magic isn’t instantaneous; you’re taking a gamble."
"I know," he said quietly, his voice steady. "But this is the only way I see forward."
Lysara studied him for a long moment, her crimson eyes softening slightly. "I’ll give you this—your stubbornness is impressive. But if you mess up, don’t expect me to drag your broken body back to life. You’re on your own."
Lorian nodded, taking her words seriously but not letting them deter him. He knew the risks, and he accepted them. There was no turning back.
Taking a deep breath, Lorian settled back into his meditative stance, his body still aching from the earlier attempt. He closed his eyes, steadying his breath as he focused inward once again. The familiar warmth of his mana began to pool in his core, and slowly, he reached for his light magic, letting it flow gently into his limbs. It was a soothing, healing energy, one he had grown accustomed to using during injuries and recovery.
But this time, he wasn’t using it to heal from damage already done. He was preparing it for what was about to come.
"Here we go," he muttered under his breath.
Lysara sat down, watching him with a wary but intrigued gaze. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Lorian pushed deeper into his mana pool, feeling the strain as he began channeling the aura once again. The pressure returned quickly, that familiar weight pressing down on him from all sides. His muscles tensed, his breath came in shorter bursts as the pain began to creep back in.
But this time, he didn’t stop. He focused on the flow of light magic, pushing it into his mana channels, letting it heal the micro-tears as they formed. His body still screamed in protest, but the healing light soothed the worst of the damage, patching the cracks as they appeared.
Suddenly, the pain surged—worse than before. It was like fire searing through his veins, a raw, burning sensation that tore through his muscles. Lorian gasped, his vision darkening at the edges as the excruciating pain gripped him. His body screamed for him to stop, to give in before it broke.
The scent of charred air filled the room, his muscles convulsing under the strain as his veins felt like they were set ablaze. The iron tang of blood lingered in his mouth, his heartbeat thundering in his ears like a war drum. His skin felt stretched too thin, as if it were about to split apart.
But through the agony, he could feel it—his light magic was working.
The healing energy raced to counter the damage, mending the micro-tears just as they formed. It was slow, agonizing work, and the pain was almost unbearable, but it was keeping him from falling apart. For every burst of damage caused by the aura, his healing light patched it together again.
"Focus," Lorian whispered through clenched teeth, his jaw trembling. "Keep it steady... balance the flow."
The strain was immense, and every second felt like an eternity. His limbs quaked, his muscles spasming under the pressure, but he forced himself to hold on. His light magic pulsed, fighting to keep pace with the destruction caused by the aura, healing him just enough to stay together. The pain was overwhelming, a white-hot fire that refused to let up, but with every pulse of light magic, he knew—he was making progress.
Lysara's voice was a distant echo, but he heard her. "He's really doing it..." she muttered, her tone filled with disbelief.
The pain intensified, wave after wave crashing against him as the aura flared uncontrollably, but Lorian refused to let go. Sweat poured down his face, his entire body shaking from the effort, but he pushed harder, willing his healing magic to keep up.
Finally, after what felt like hours of torment, the aura began to settle. The pressure around him lightened, the wild energy fading as Lorian’s body held together. His light magic still worked feverishly to heal the damage, but the worst had passed. He had done it. He had held on.
With a ragged gasp, Lorian released the aura and let the light magic fade. His entire body felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together, the raw pain still lingering, but he was whole. He collapsed backward onto the cold stone, utterly spent but relieved.
Lysara padded over to him, her expression a mix of disbelief and reluctant admiration. "You actually pulled it off. You’re insane, but you pulled it off."
Lorian chuckled weakly, his eyes half-closed as he lay on the floor, the lingering pain a distant hum compared to what he had just endured. "Told you I could do it."
Lysara rolled her eyes, but there was a small, approving glint in her gaze. "Don’t get cocky. You barely survived that. But... I’ll admit, I’m impressed."
Lorian smiled, closing his eyes as the exhaustion overtook him. "I'll take that as a compliment."
As his breathing slowly steadied, Lorian felt something he hadn’t felt since his encounter with Zephyr—hope. This wasn’t going to be easy, and he still had a long way to go, but now he had a path forward. A way to push himself without falling apart.
As sleep began to claim him once again, he whispered one last promise to himself:
I’m not done yet.