Kael's sleep-deprived eyes showed the result of his tireless efforts, and he managed to make the three marbles float in the air effortlessly. After completing his morning chores, he eagerly demonstrated his progress to Beth.

"I thought it would take you longer with your method. Not bad. You look terrible, though. Did you even sleep last night?" Beth asked, her voice hinting an uncharacteristic concern.

Kael shook his head before replying. "On the battlefield, I'll have to go days without sleep anyway. I need to get used to casting magic while fatigued and tired."

Beth exhaled a long, weary sigh and looked Kael sternly in the eye. "Listen, methods like these will only stunt your growth. You need to maintain good health to properly grow, both physically and mentally. This means you need to rest, and you need to relax. Otherwise, you'll burn yourself out before you have a chance to accomplish your goals. Think on it. Anyway, when you make the marbles float, you see how they bob up and down and spin a bit? Your next task is to get them to float without moving at all. They must be perfectly still while floating. Let me know if you have any questions—you always know where I am." Beth gave him a quick glance before heading back into the house.

Once she left, Kael sat on the wooden bench and stared at the ground, his eyes unfocused. He didn't think about the upcoming war, his past life, or even how to succeed at the next exercise. He didn't think at all. He simply stared at the ground, feeling a hollow emptiness within him. When he succeeded in making a flame, he had been so excited. It was a monumental milestone for him and his journey. He was even happy after making the first marble float. But now? Nothing.

His most recent accomplishment was merely a task that needed to be done. There was nothing to be excited about. He had to get better, or a terrible fate would befall his family. It was a step on the path to avoid desolation—a step that he took too long to reach.

After what felt like an eternity to him—but in reality was closer to ten minutes—he got up and headed to the library. He still had to study. His magic couldn't grow without the knowledge needed to enact it. Since he was currently using air streams the most in his magic, he decided to learn about the weather.

Like a mindless zombie who knew nothing of wants or joys, Kael worked throughout the rest of the day. In the evening, as he sat on the bench trying to think of a way to keep the marbles still, Kael fell asleep. A night full of haunting memories of his family members' corpses. When he woke up, his body was stiff and cramped from sleeping on the bench.

As he got up to head inside to start the day, he had a sudden sneezing fit. He couldn't help but curse the situation. It was embarrassing that the old woman's words had proven themselves so swiftly. He had gotten sick. He was sure he wouldn't be able to hide it from Beth if he tried, so he didn't bother and went about his chores.

Once he had an idea for how to stabilize the marble, he went out to practice it. In his studies, he learned how wind was caused by large changes in pressure in the atmosphere. That gave him an idea. He could simply apply pressure from every direction onto the marble. That should keep it still, much like how when two people arm wrestled, if they both put in the same amount of strength, their hands wouldn't move.

He started with only one marble. After the first attempt, the marble just fell down. It seemed he would need to add more upward pressure to compensate for gravity. When he tried that, the marble would end up breaking through to one side or another before falling. It seemed his original idea was correct, and he would need equal pressure from each side. This meant he would have to increase the amount of pressure he put on the marble, which would require more focus. With each failure, his frustration grew exponentially.

As Kael continued to struggle with the floating marbles exercise, his frustration reached a boiling point. He clenched his fists, trying to control his emotions, but it was too much. One marble suddenly shot off into a small patch of weeds several meters away, propelled by the unbalanced pressure that was applied to it. Kael stared off in the direction the marble flew for a moment, and then, unable to contain himself any longer, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

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"GODS. FUCKING. DAMN IT ALL!" His fists slammed the top of the bench with his words. He continued to pummel the defenseless piece of furniture as he cursed. "Stupid piece of shit! Magic is so fucking stupid! This is a waste of time!" By this time, the bench was ruined, split in the middle from his strong strikes. This didn't stop Kael; however, he hadn't even noticed.

What Kael did notice, however, was when he suddenly started floating up into the air. He struggled to move but just twisted around while floating two meters above the ground. Then he caught sight of Beth, who had been observing him from a distance. She just stood there, looking between him and the broken bench, a disappointed look on her face.

With a sigh, she approached Kael, her voice tinged with concern. "All this frustration and anger won't help you master your magic, Kael. Take a deep breath and calm down. Let's talk."

Kael was embarrassed that she had witnessed his outburst, but her words resonated with him. He realized that he couldn't just keep pushing away his feelings. There was nobody in this world who could really understand his situation. But, out of everyone, Beth was probably the one who could get the closest. She was the only one who knew about his regression. And she still helped him learn magic despite that. Maybe she would be willing to help him further…

"I can understand getting frustrated with magic,” Beth continued speaking. “Research and experiments often lead to such emotions. But there's obviously more happening. What's led you to such violence and tears?"

Kael wiped away his tears, and the floodgates opened. Between sobs, he attempted to tell her what weighed on his mind.

“They’re all going to die. They’re all going to die and I don’t know what to do. I train and I train. But I’m just not getting strong enough.” Once he finished, Beth nodded before speaking in a gentle tone.

“Come inside and have some tea. I won’t promise to help you, or even to believe anything you say. But, I can give some advice. You may claim to be in your second life, but I bet I’ve still lived more years than you. I definitely have better social skills.”

Kael was dumbfounded. While her sass was on brand, he didn’t know she had the capacity for such compassion. He was a little wary of her intentions, but he followed her inside. When they entered the kitchen, she moved towards the cabinets and gestured for him to sit down.

She was even going to make the tea? She was going to do some work? For him? He couldn't contain his suspicion any longer. “Why are you being so nice to me right now?”

She chuckled then said, “You remind me of someone. Don’t think about it too hard; you’ll strain something.”

That made sense to Kael, in a way. Beth had her own reasons for helping him, but that didn't mean she couldn't care about him too. She had her own past he knew nothing about, afterall.

With a warm cup of tea in their hands, they settled down at the table. Kael hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to start. Beth, noticing his uncertainty, offered him a sad, gentle smile. She looked to have an almost nostalgic look on her face.

"Just tell me what's bothering you, Kael. Let it all out."

Kael hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether he should reveal the secrets of his past life to Beth. If she believed him, he wasn’t sure how she would take the news. He took a deep breath and decided that he needed her help and guidance, so he had to trust her.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything. But you have to promise me that you won’t judge me for the things I’ve done." Kael said, his voice wavering with vulnerability.

Beth looked at him with a hint of surprise and curiosity but nodded her agreement. "I can promise that Kael. Everyone makes plenty of mistakes throughout their life. I’m no exception.” There was a quick flash of sadness in her eyes as she spoke, but she quickly regained her calm demeanor.

Kael braced himself for the conversation that was about to take place, knowing that once he shared the details of his past life, there would be no turning back. He glanced at Beth, who was waiting patiently for him to start, and took a deep breath.