It was working.

Finally.. it worked.

Emma could hardly believe it, the warmth spreading through her body was proof. Though this was just the beginning, just the first step, it was a start. A start toward something greater, something new.

Her breath hitched slightly as the warmth intensified, the heat growing stronger, wrapping around her like a stifling cloak. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was enough to make her shift uncomfortably, sweat beading at the nape of her neck.

"Luna, it's getting… really hot," she murmured, her voice edged with unease.

Luna, sitting calmly, offered a reassuring nod, her glowing white eyes steady as ever.

"Try to imagine that heat," Luna said, her voice smooth, unhurried. "Re-channel it to your Ki Core.. let it settle there. Then, redistribute and recirculate it through your body again."

She spoke so easily, so effortlessly, as if the process were as simple as breathing.

Emma let out a soft, breathy laugh at that, shaking her head slightly even with her eyes still closed.

"You make it sound so easy," she muttered.

Luna’s lips curled into the faintest of smiles, but she said nothing, waiting.

Emma inhaled deeply, pushing aside the discomfort, the lingering heat pressing against her skin. She focused.

The warmth was everywhere, clinging to her like a second layer of flesh. But she did as Luna instructed. She imagined it moving, shifting... not dissipating, but flowing. Like a river being guided toward a single point.

Her Ki Core.

She concentrated, feeling the warmth pulling inward, gathering at her midsection, sinking deep into her center. A tingling sensation prickled through her core, almost electric, almost alive.

She didn’t stop there.

Slowly, steadily, she willed it to move again. Not outward in chaotic bursts, but controlled, flowing through her body like an intricate system of unseen pathways. A cycle. A rhythm.

Heat. Circulation. Refinement.

As she worked, a thought surfaced in her mind, unbidden yet persistent.

"Luna," Emma spoke, her voice steady despite her closed eyes. "I want to ask something."

Luna’s response was immediate.

"Go on."

Emma hesitated for a fraction of a second, then asked, "Why am I doing all of this? Is it part of the manifestation process?"

A brief pause.

Luna did not answer right away. Instead, she let the question settle, the silence stretching just enough for Emma to feel its weight.

Then, finally..

"Partly, yes. And partly, no."

Emma’s brows furrowed slightly at the strange answer, but Luna continued before she could question further.

"The heat you felt earlier... that was the flame magic already manifested. That alone is a good thing," Luna explained, her tone patient. "But the re-channeling, the redistribution? That’s different. That is for your Ki Core... to strengthen it, to prepare it, so that you can use the flame magic more effectively."

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Emma processed this, lips pressing together in thought.

"So… does that mean I’ll have to do this every time I manifest magic?" she asked.

Luna shook her head, the faintest glimmer of amusement flickering in her gaze.

"Not necessarily," she said. "To avoid repeating this every time, you should do it beforehand... regularly. Strengthening your Ki Core before manifesting any magic will make the process easier, more natural."

Emma absorbed the information, nodding slowly.

Then, without another word, she shut her eyes tighter, centering herself once more.

She could feel the warmth, the rhythm she had started. And now.. she continued.

Redistributing. Recirculating. Refining.

The cycle continued as the warmth inside her had stilled slowly, fading calmly...

Emma noticed it immediately... the heat, which had once pulsed and flowed through her like a living current, had settled, no longer circulating through her limbs. It wasn’t uncomfortable anymore, not burning or overwhelming. Just… calm. Balanced.

Her brows furrowed slightly. She had expected it to keep going, at least until Luna told her otherwise.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim glow of the cave. The air around her felt different now, charged with something unseen, as if the world itself recognized the shift within her.

"Luna…" she murmured, tilting her head slightly. "It seems the heat stopped. Does that mean the recirculation is finished?"

Luna met her gaze, a small, satisfied smile forming on her lips.

"Perfect."

The single word carried weight.. approval, affirmation.

"Yes," Luna continued, stepping closer, her long, pure white gown barely making a sound as they brushed against the stone floor. "The redistribution and recirculation process is done. Now, all that’s left… is for you to use your flame magic."

Emma blinked. So soon?

She had thought there would be more to it, that she would need to repeat the process a few more times before reaching this stage. And yet, here she was, standing on the precipice of something new, something powerful.

A quiet excitement stirred in her chest, spreading through her like the remnants of the heat she had just contained.

She exhaled softly.

Lifting her right hand, she held it out slightly in front of her, fingers slightly curled, palm open.

The air seemed to shift in response.

A quiet stillness took over, stretching time into something slow and expectant, as if the very world was holding its breath.

Then...

A flicker.

A spark, faint at first, like the first embers of a dying fire.

And then..

Whoosh!

Flames erupted from her palm, curling upward in twisting tendrils of orange and gold. They danced along her skin, but they didn’t burn. They weren’t foreign to her.. they were hers.

Both she and Luna stared at the sight before them, a shared moment of awe passing between them.

Then, almost simultaneously.. they laughed..

A soft, breathless chuckle from Emma, mirrored by Luna’s amused hum.

The disbelief, the amazement.. it was too much to contain.

Emma, still smiling, lifted her other hand and slowly brought it closer.

The moment her fingers extended outward.. Another burst of flames.

This time, engulfing her left hand.

Both hands, wreathed in fire.

"I did it…" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Then, louder, with a quiet kind of wonder, "I finally did it."

The warmth that spread through her now wasn’t just from the fire... it was something deeper, something more profound. A happiness that coursed through her, swelling like a tide.

"Congratulations," Luna said softly.

Emma turned to her, eyes gleaming in the flickering light.

"Thank you."

Luna shook her head lightly, her expression warm.

"No need to thank me. It’s my honor," she said. "I’ve always wanted to see someone with this kind of ability. I thought it was impossible, something that would remain only a theory. But today…" A gentle laugh escaped her lips. "Today, I finally saw it with my own eyes."

Emma let out a small breath, her flames flickering as she lowered her hands slightly.

"Well, that makes two of us," she admitted. Then, after a pause, she added, "The reason I came here in the first place was to find someone who could teach me a magic that could heal what healing magic couldn’t."

She flexed her fingers, watching as the flames wavered before vanishing into thin air, leaving only the warmth lingering on her skin.

"But with this…" she continued, lifting her gaze back to Luna. "I know this is just the beginning. A starting point to my goal."

Luna parted her lips slightly, as if to say something, but then... she hesitated.

Her expression shifted, her sharp, inquisitively calm gaze locking onto Emma..

"Emma," she said slowly, carefully. "Did you just say you want to learn magic that can heal what healing magic can’t?"

Emma nodded without hesitation.

"Yeah. That’s what I said."

For a moment, Luna was silent.

Then, a knowing smile curved her lips.

"In that case," she said, voice thoughtful, "you might be referring to transmutation magic."

Emma blinked, the unfamiliar term rolling through her mind.

"Transmutation magic?" she repeated, the words foreign yet intriguing.

She tilted her head slightly, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

What is that?, She couldn't help but think inwardly....