When I arrived back home, my mother was absent, likely running an errand for the elder. Her job was to essentially act as an intermediary for any administrative business in the village.

However, it was no cause for concern; my mind was fixated on only one thing.

As I practically ran upstairs and into my room I closed the door behind me and reached under my bed, dragging out the book I had gotten for my birthday.

'Elementary Principles of Mana and its Manipulation.'

I hadn't opened it yet. Between yesterday's events and this morning, it was the first chance I'd gotten. Initially, my curiosity was manageable, but now it practically consumed me. It was a peculiar feeling, and I could no longer ignore it.

Carefully, I flipped open the cover.

The first page was too weathered to discern. I began flipping through a few more pages until eventually the text became readable..

'Mana, a vital force found within all living things, considered to be one of the core components of life itself.

The amount of natural mana produced varies not only by race but also among individuals within each race. For various reasons, some individuals can manipulate and expel mana from their bodies in order to create a predetermined outcome. This phenomenon is known as magic.

Magic encompasses various types, forms, and methods to achieve these outcomes. The power and complexity varies greatly, ranging from simple manipulations to highly intricate spells that profoundly impact the world around them.

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The act of mana overuse or improper manipulation can have detrimental, often fatal consequences, including physical and mental strain, corruption, and the creation of magical anomalies or abominations.

All the aforementioned applies to beasts as much as it does to mortal races.'

I was frozen, staring at the words. There was too much to unpack. Magic, mortal races—did this mean there were more than just elves in this world?

I shook my head. No, that was a question for another time. For now, the only thing I cared about was the next page.

'One of the simplest forms of magic is natural expression using one of the four base elements.

By gathering and expelling mana without any prior manipulation, the raw energy will typically assume the form of wind, fire, air, or water. However, these defined examples are not absolute. Race, lineage, and other genetic factors can result in varied outcomes.

The practice of natural expression is considered generally safe as mana without any manipulation can rarely be expelled in large quantities. Additionally, this practice can be aided by a magically conductive object.

To achieve natural expression, all that is needed is a simple action-command cast.

For as long as has been recorded, many mages utilize the word "Effulgence".'

My mind and heart raced as I looked down at my palm.

"Gather and expel mana," I muttered to myself. How does one do that? How would I even know if I'm someone who's capable?

After a moment, my mind steadied, and I stood up. I opened the window before returning to the book, holding out my hand. Glancing at the page one more time, I took a deep breath.

I stared past my hand and out the window.

"Effulgence!"

Nothing happened. After a few seconds, I tried again.

"EFFULGENCE!"

For at least the next half-hour, I repeated the word in every variation I could think of. Softer, louder, different pronunciations, different spacing—nothing worked.

Eventually, it became clear that it was no use. Lowering my arm in defeat, I turned to close the book and call it a day until something caught my eye, halting me in my tracks. On the shelf sat a beautifully crafted piece of quartz, expertly shaped into a spherical showpiece.

Lirael's words about its magical properties started to echo in my mind.

My eyes bounced from the stone, to the book, and back again.

"This practice can be aided by a magically conductive object." I muttered to myself

Slowly, I walked over and picked it up, holding it gently in my hand. As before, the inside gleamed with the colors of a captured rainbow.

With defeat still fresh in my mind, I hesitated. But then again, what did I have to lose at this point?

Moving past my self pity I held out the orb in front of me. Clearing my now worn voice I began to speak

"...Effulgence."

As the last letter left the tip of my tongue, it felt like the energy was being sucked right out of me through my palm. Before I could react, the sphere began to radiate a white light that would soon become blinding.

A brief ringing filled my ears as the scene of white that filled my vision morphed into darkness, and after a moment, I lost consciousness completely.