Thirty days had passed since Arix returned from the forest.
The test was over, but the lessons from it had not been.
Veyr had not given him any new ability.
He had not taught him any technique.
He had simply continued the same training.
Every morning began with physical conditioning.
Running.
Climbing.
Balance.
Strength.
Endurance.
Then came combat.
Arix repeated the same movements until they became natural.
He learned how to shift his weight without losing balance.
How to keep his guard while moving.
How to attack without leaving an obvious opening.
How to recognize the smallest change in an opponent’s stance.
And whenever Arix tried something clever, Veyr made sure he learned whether it was actually clever.
Sometimes it worked.
Sometimes it didn’t.
Either way, Arix learned.
But there was one thing he still hadn’t received.
Power.
Arix had known about Mana and Aura for some time.
He had seen Veyr use things that couldn’t possibly be explained by ordinary physical strength.
Yet Veyr had never taught him how to use any of it.
Whenever Arix asked, the answer remained the same.
Later.
Until now.
— The sun was beginning to set when Veyr finally stopped Arix’s training.
“Enough.” Arix lowered his wooden sword.
His breathing was heavy.
He wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
“I’m getting better.” “Yes.” Arix smiled.
Veyr rarely gave compliments.
Even a single word from him felt like one.
Then Veyr said: “Tomorrow, we’ll begin with something different.” Arix immediately became interested.
“What?” “You’ll learn about power.” Arix’s eyes widened.
“Finally.” Veyr turned around.
“Go eat.” “Wait!” Veyr kept walking.
“What kind of power?” “You’ll find out tomorrow.” Arix stared at his back.
“You could’ve just told me!” Veyr didn’t respond.
Arix sighed.
“Of course.” — The next morning, Arix was already waiting.
Veyr stepped outside and found him sitting on the ground.
“You’re early.” “You said today.” “I did.” “So?” Veyr sat down.
Arix sat opposite him.
Veyr looked at him for a moment.
“Before you learn to use power, you need to understand what you’re actually trying to use.” Arix nodded.
Veyr raised one hand.
“There are three major forms you need to understand first.” Arix listened.
“Mana.” Veyr tapped his temple.
“Mana is primarily connected to the mind.
It can be shaped and used for spells, detection, conjuring, and many other things.” Arix nodded slowly.
“So Mana is mind power.” “That’s a simple way to put it.” Veyr lowered his hand.
“Aura.” He placed his hand against his chest.
“Aura is primarily connected to the body.
It can strengthen your physical abilities, sharpen your senses, and be shaped into different techniques.” Arix looked at his arms.
“So Aura makes the body stronger?” “It can.” “And techniques?” “Yes.” “What kind?” “You’ll learn them later.” Arix frowned.
“Of course.” Veyr continued.
“Then there’s Spirit Energy.” Arix immediately became more attentive.
“Spirit Energy doesn’t work like the other two.” “How?” “It deals with things that are outside their usual nature.” Arix tilted his head.
Veyr continued simply.
“Spirits.
Blessings.
Curses.
Gods.
And many other things.” Arix stared at him.
“So it’s basically the weird one.” Veyr paused.
“That’s one way of putting it.” Arix smiled.
That was enough for now.
Three different powers.
Three different ways of using them.
And he finally understood why Veyr had always treated them separately.
But then another question came to him.
“If they’re all powers, why can’t everyone use them?” “Because of affinity.” “Affinity?” “Your natural compatibility with a type of power.” Arix nodded.
“So I need an affinity.” “Yes.” “How rare is it?” “Mana and Aura affinities are each roughly one in a hundred.” Arix’s eyes widened slightly.
“One in a hundred?” “Yes.” “So most people don’t have them.” “Correct.” “What about Spirit Energy?” “Roughly one in thirty thousand.” Arix went silent.
“That rare?” “Yes.” “What happens to people with no affinity?” “They cannot naturally use Mana, Aura, or Spirit Energy.” Arix thought about the village.
The baker.
The teacher.
The people who worked every day without using any of those powers.
“So that’s why most people just…” “Live ordinary lives.” Arix nodded.
“Can someone have more than one?” “Yes.” “How rare?” “The more affinities someone possesses, the rarer the combination becomes.” “How rare is two?” “That depends on which two.” Arix waited.
Veyr finally added: “Someone with both Mana and Aura affinity, but without Spirit Energy affinity, would be roughly one in a million.” Arix’s mouth opened slightly.
“One…” He paused.
“Million?” “Yes.” “That is insane.” “It is rare.” “And if they have Spirit Energy too?” “Rarer.” “And more than three?” “Rarer still.” Arix leaned back.
He suddenly realized how unusual someone with many affinities would be.
Then he looked at Veyr.
“So…” Veyr nodded toward him.
“Let’s find out what yours is.” — Arix stood in the clearing.
Veyr stood several steps away.
“Close your eyes.” Arix did.
“Don’t try to force anything.” Arix nodded.
“Feel your body.” He breathed slowly.
The training of the past months made it easier.
He could feel his heartbeat.
His muscles.
His breathing.
The ground beneath his feet.
“Now,” Veyr said, “look deeper.” Arix concentrated.
Nothing happened.
He waited.
Still nothing.
Then he noticed something.
A faint pressure.
It wasn’t inside his body.
It wasn’t exactly outside either.
It felt connected to him.
Arix focused on it.
The sensation grew.
His fingers twitched.
“Don’t chase it.” Arix relaxed.
The pressure returned.
It gathered around his arm.
Then his hand.
A faint layer of energy appeared around his fingers.
Arix opened his eyes.
He stared.
Something invisible had become visible.
Barely.
A thin layer surrounded his hand.
Veyr looked at it.
“Aura.” Arix looked at him.
“That’s Aura?” “Yes.” Arix looked back at his hand.
“So…” He smiled.
“I have an Aura affinity.” “Yes.” Arix’s excitement lasted approximately three seconds.
Then he tried to move the Aura.
It vanished.
He blinked.
“Wait.” He tried again.
Nothing.
Again.
A tiny flicker.
Gone.
Arix frowned.
“Why isn’t it listening?” “Because you haven’t learned to control it.” “Then teach me.” “That’s what we’re doing.” Arix tried again.
The Aura appeared.
He focused on it.
It disappeared.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
A flicker.
Gone.
Arix became increasingly irritated.
He had spent weeks making his body obey him.
Now this tiny amount of energy refused to cooperate.
He clenched his fist.
“Again.” He tried.
Nothing.
Again.
A faint layer.
One second.
Gone.
Again.
Two seconds.
Gone.
Arix stared at his hand.
‘That’s it?’ Veyr answered as though he had heard the thought.
“You haven’t even controlled it yet.” Arix looked at him.
Then at his hand.
His frustration slowly turned into determination.
“Then I’ll control it.” Veyr said nothing.
Arix tried again.
— The rest of the morning passed without much progress.
Arix learned something important.
Aura wasn’t strength.
Not exactly.
It didn’t simply appear because he wanted more power.
He couldn’t force it.
He couldn’t grab it.
He couldn’t command it through sheer effort.
He had to understand it.
Feel it.
Control it.
And that made him want to master it even more.
By afternoon, he could maintain a thin layer around his hand for several seconds.
It wasn’t impressive.
But it was progress.
And Arix was satisfied.
For the first time, he had touched something beyond his ordinary physical abilities.
He wanted more.
Naturally.
During their evening meal, Arix suddenly remembered something.
“Veyr.” “Yes?” “You said Spirit Energy has different affinities.” “Yes.” “What kind?” Veyr answered without much hesitation.
“Diviners.” Arix looked interested.
“What do they do?” “They can perceive the future.
Communicate with spirits.
Some can detect lies.
Some possess resistance to dangerous knowledge.” Arix paused.
“Dangerous knowledge?” Veyr continued as though he hadn’t heard the question.
“There are also priests.” “Like people who worship gods?” “Some are.” “What can they do?” “Some connect humans with gods.” “Light?” “Purity.
Light.
Blessings.” “And dark?” “Corruption.
Darkness.
Curses.” Arix’s eyes widened.
“Spirit Energy really is weird.” Veyr nodded.
Arix thought about it.
Then another question appeared.
He looked at Veyr.
“How many affinities do you have?” Veyr continued eating.
“All.” Arix froze.
“All?” “Yes.” “Mana too?” “Complete control.” “Aura?” “Complete control.” Arix stared.
“And Spirit Energy?” Veyr finally looked at him.
“All of the darker aspects.” Arix blinked.
“Everything?” “Everything within those aspects.” Arix was silent.
He remembered what Veyr had just told him.
Darkness.
Corruption.
Curses.
Dark Essence.
Veyr had control over all of them.
Arix leaned back.
‘That’s ridiculous.’ He looked at his own hand.
He had spent hours trying to hold a tiny amount of Aura.
Veyr could control Mana, Aura, and the darker aspects of an entirely different system.
Arix looked at him again.
“Then why haven’t you taught me?” “You’re not ready yet.” Arix immediately groaned.
“Ahh, come on.” Veyr continued eating.
“This danger of knowledge thing sucks.” Veyr looked at him.
Arix continued.
“How does everyone maintain it?” “They don’t know.” Arix frowned.
“What?” “Everything and everyone follows this principle.” Arix stared at him.
“But everything and everyone doesn’t know this principle.” “Correct.” “How?” “Only higher beings know.” Arix was quiet.
He thought about it.
If everyone followed something they didn’t even know existed, then… “Then why?” Veyr looked at him.
His expression didn’t change.
“Do you want to be forgotten, kid?” Arix stopped.
He didn’t understand.
Forgotten?
By whom?
Why?
What did that have to do with knowledge?
Before Arix could ask another question, Veyr stood.
“Enough.” “But—” “Training tomorrow.” Arix watched him walk away.
He wanted to ask more.
He had plenty of questions.
But Veyr had already made it clear.
Not yet.
So Arix let it go.
For now.
— The next morning, Arix stood alone in the clearing.
He raised his hand.
He closed his eyes.
He breathed.
A faint layer of Aura appeared around his fingers.
It trembled.
Arix steadied himself.
The Aura stabilized.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Fifteen.
It disappeared.
Arix opened his eyes.
A small smile appeared.
Better.
He raised his hand again.
Nothing.
He tried again.
A faint layer appeared.
Arix watched it carefully.
He didn’t force it.
He didn’t rush.
He simply controlled it.
Behind him, Veyr stood at the edge of the clearing.
Watching.
Silent.
Arix didn’t notice.
He was too focused on the small amount of power surrounding his hand.
It wasn’t much.
Not yet.
But it was the beginning.
Arix looked at the Aura.
‘I’ll get stronger.’ Then he tried again.