I woke with a sharp intake of breath, the sensation of drowning in a whirlpool of memories, half-real and half-dream. My body ached as though I'd been stretched and pulled through a gauntlet. A dull throb pulsed in my skull, but there was something more—a peculiar hum beneath my skin. It wasn't pain, but a strange awareness, a second heartbeat that thrummed faintly in my veins.

I lay there, staring up at the ornate ceiling of my room, attempting to piece together the chaos of the last few days. The fight with the cultists had blurred into a haze of steel, blood, and a rush of raw, untamed energy. I remembered the moment when instinct had taken over, and something within me had roared to life. The sensation was vivid, like touching a live wire—a surge of power, wild and potent, rushing through every fiber of my being.

It was something I had read about in the Oswin family's ancient tomes, buried within the cryptic verses and guarded secrets. The veil between this world and something far older had momentarily thinned, and I had felt its breath. The arcane pulse of what could only be mana—energy pulled from a place known only in whispers as the Veil.

Even now, the lingering echo of that power coursed beneath my skin. I could feel it—not just within me, but around me, in the very air I breathed. I hadn't just unlocked something; I'd opened a door, and whatever lay on the other side had noticed.

"There's too much happening," I muttered, my voice a rasp against the stillness. "Too many pieces that don't fit."

The confrontation replayed in my mind, every second dissected and scrutinized. The cultists were no ordinary foes. Their attack on the Oswin Estate, one of the most fortified strongholds in Centrallis, bordered on insanity. Yet they had come, with a boldness that hinted at careful planning—or inside knowledge.

My father, along with the estate's main force, had been away that day—attending some secretive meeting at the Unity Hall with the Council of Unity. Too convenient. Too perfect.

"Tch, there's a traitor," I whispered to myself, feeling the weight of the revelation settle over me like a shroud. "Someone knew our defenses would be weak."

My thoughts drifted to the cultist who had spoken of the "forgotten gods." The name alone chilled my bones, stirring an instinctual dread that I couldn't shake. Who were they really? What did they want?

A sudden creak interrupted my thoughts. The door swung open, revealing a maid whose expression shifted from routine composure to surprise.

"Oh! Young Master, you're awake."

I blinked, momentarily disoriented. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Five days, Young Master Aric. You've been unconscious for five days."

Five days. Lost to darkness, while the world moved on without me. What had I missed? What had changed? I sat up slowly, pushing through the soreness in my limbs. "Leave the food here and carry on with your duties," I instructed, my voice steadier than I felt.

"Yes, of course." She set down a tray and left the room quietly.

I stared at the untouched meal, my mind too restless to care for food. I needed answers. I needed to understand this new force thrumming within me—the mana, and the Veil.

Mana was a word thrown around in Aeloria, but understanding it was another matter. Most scholars and mages only grasped the surface of what it truly meant. From what I gathered, it was not merely energy, but something deeper—a force that bled through the Veil, a boundary that separated our reality from… other realms. It wasn't something that could be commanded; it had a will of its own.

And yet, during the attack, I had managed to breach it, if only for a moment.

*Knock, knock.*

A knock at the door. I set aside my thoughts, glancing up. "Young Master, you have a guest," the maid announced.

"Send them in."

The door opened again, and a man entered. He was clad in worn but well-maintained armor, lacking the formal regalia of the Oswin knights. He carried himself with a mix of ease and readiness, his stance relaxed yet purposeful.

"Aric Oswin?" His voice was low and measured.

I narrowed my eyes. "Who wants to know?"

The light from the window caught the silver streaks in his dark hair as he stepped further inside. "Sir Kael. Your father has assigned me to oversee your training, particularly in matters that lie beyond mere swordplay."

I studied him closely. There was a seasoned sharpness to him, a weathered edge that marked him as more than a common soldier. "Training beyond swordplay?" I repeated.

"Yes. Your father believes it's time you understood what you've stumbled upon. The recent attack proved you're not prepared for what lies beyond." He folded his arms, his gaze never wavering. "You've tapped into something dangerous, Aric. Something that most never touch."

A flicker of irritation mixed with curiosity stirred within me. "And you're the one to teach me about it?"

He nodded. "I am. Mana is unpredictable—like a storm at sea. It can drown you or carry you to unknown shores. If you wish to survive, you must learn how to navigate it."

His words struck a chord. The brief surge of power during the attack, the sensation of being on the cusp of something profound yet perilous—it all made sense. "When do we start?"

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"Now," he replied, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips.

...

Sir Kael led me through the winding corridors of the estate, deeper and deeper, until the familiar stone walls gave way to an older part of the grounds. A secluded training area, ringed by ancient stones etched with runes that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. The air was different here, almost heavy, as if charged with an unseen force.

"This is where we begin," Sir Kael said, his voice breaking the tense silence. "The first step in understanding mana is to feel the Veil. It is not a tool; it is an entity. Approach it with the respect it demands."

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling the ground beneath my feet, the wind on my skin, and… something else. A subtle, almost imperceptible hum at the edge of my awareness. It was there, like a distant murmur, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Good," Kael murmured. "Now listen. The Veil is a boundary, yes, but it's also a presence. It breathes, it reacts. Don't force it. Let it come to you."

I concentrated, trying to let go of my expectations, reaching out not with force but with a sense of curiosity. Slowly, I became aware of a thin, gauzy barrier, just beyond my grasp. It was like trying to catch smoke with bare hands—ephemeral, elusive.

Then, for a fleeting moment, I felt it—a flicker of warmth, like a distant star's light touching my consciousness. I leaned into it, but the moment I did, the warmth vanished. A cold shock shot through me, like icy water pouring down my spine.

I gasped, my knees buckling. "What was that?"

Kael watched me, his gaze steady. "The Veil is testing you. It doesn't open easily. You have to earn its trust."

...

Over the next several days, I trained relentlessly under Kael's watchful eye. His methods were different—less about technique, more about intuition and attunement. It wasn't just about drawing mana from the Veil; it was about understanding its moods, its rhythms. The Veil wasn't a servant to be commanded; it was a force to be negotiated with.

"Mana is not a gift," Kael explained one afternoon. "It comes at a price. The Veil demands balance. To pull power from it is to invite its attention, its scrutiny. Misstep, and the price could be your sanity, your soul, or worse."

Each day, I pushed myself to the brink, reaching for that tenuous connection, feeling the Veil's pulse beneath my skin. It was a delicate dance, a precarious balance between desire and restraint. And each time I overstepped, the Veil pushed back—sometimes gently, other times with a force that left me gasping for breath, my body wracked with pain.

But slowly, I began to learn. I managed to draw a sliver of mana without backlash—just a breath of it, a taste. And in that moment, I understood. Mana wasn't just raw power. It was a negotiation, a pact between the living and the unseen.

Lately I had been so absorbed in this new reality, as Aric, that my past life as Elijah seemed to slip further and further away, like a half-forgotten dream. Not truly forgotten, but buried beneath layers of experience that had reshaped my very sense of self.

The mana in this world bore some resemblance to what I'd read in the web novels back on Earth—where one had to circulate it throughout the body to strengthen and harmonize with it. But here, the process was far more complex, more dangerous. You didn't merely circulate mana; you fused it with your very blood, and its flow depended entirely on your blood's purity. The more impure, the more the mana would resist and reject, threatening to tear you apart from the inside.

The mana here was a living, breathing entity—complex, demanding, and, above all, unforgiving.

But beyond all that, I couldn't lie to myself. A part of me still wanted to return to my previous life—the comfortable, lavish life I had known as Elijah. And for that, I needed to "help" that white figure with something. But what exactly, I had no idea.

"Tch, that bastard didn't even tell me how I could help him."

A voice, smooth yet sharp like a blade's edge, cut through the silence.

Do you seek answers, Elijah, bearer of the curse?

It came from everywhere and nowhere at once. My pulse quickened. I spun around, searching for the source. "Who's there?" My voice was taut, laced with tension. Yet there was a nagging sense of familiarity in it.

Forgetting the voice of your benefactor already...I am quite saddened.

"Benefactor, my ass." I scoffed. "You dragged me into this mess without a shred of information."

No need to be so rude. I will answer your questions one by one... but not for free.

My teeth clenched. "What do you want?"

Tasks, Elijah. You must complete the tasks I give you. The difficulty will depend on the weight of your questions. Only then will I reveal what you seek.

"What kind of twisted game is this? Just tell me what I need to know!"

Patience. Answers will come as you earn them. This is for your own good. But, as you are so... upset, I will allow you two questions now, without a cost. Choose wisely, I may not answer them depending on what they are and your question will go to waste.

I hesitated. This was an opportunity I couldn't squander. I had to be careful. Asking about the forgotten gods would be a dead end—he'd sidestep it for sure. He also called be the curse bearer, that too seems like a question he would avoid.

'Why was I brought here? What does he want from me?' But I also wanted to know if there was a way back to my own world, but of course he should know I would ask this and he still gave me this chance, and there is no way he is going to answer it right away.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself. "Why was I brought here? And what do you need from me?"

A heavy silence followed, thickening the air around me. Each second stretched like an eternity, a void threatening to consume me.

Then, the voice returned, colder and more deliberate.

You were brought here, Elijah, because you are both a curse and a key. A fragment of a shattered promise. And as for what I need from you...

A pause, followed by a soft chuckle that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

You must first understand the Divine Contract. Only then will you understand your purpose. Only then will you have a chance to leave... if that is still your wish.

"The Divine Contract? You mean the one made between the gods and the founders of the Four Great Families? The one Eldric Oswin, the founder of my family, forged?"

Yes, that very one. When you turn nineteen, you will face the Trial. Succeed, and the Oswin Relic will unveil the answers you seek. Fail, and you may never grasp the truth. No one has ever unlocked the final gate within the trial.

"How do you know all of this?"

That is not for you to worry about... yet. Focus on the task at hand.

I exhaled sharply. "You want me to get stronger. What else?"

Throughout your journey, I will guide you. Your next task is to visit the capital of Centrallis. Seek someone there.

"And this task answers what question?"

You wonder how to grow stronger—how to wield power more efficiently. Follow my instructions, and you will find your path.

I fell silent, the weight of his words settling over me.

That, Elijah, is your first task. Seek it, unravel it. And perhaps, you may yet earn your freedom.

The voice faded, leaving me alone once more with only the rustling of leaves and the distant, eerie whisper of the Veil. A curse and a key. A shattered promise. The Divine Contract.

I took a deep breath, grounding myself. One thing was clear: I couldn't turn back now. The only way out was through.

I would dive deeper into the unknown, into the secrets that could either save me... or damn me forever.

...