The night breeze drifted softly, carrying the earthy scent of damp leaves. In the stillness of darkness, only the faint glow of a small campfire lit their faces.
After the long explanation about affinities and the echoes of the world, the three of them finally decided to move on to the next step: their first mana absorption training.
"Sit down and close your eyes," Ashtoria said calmly. Her voice was like a whisper in the wind—gentle, yet commanding.
Riven and Mira exchanged a glance before obeying. They sat cross-legged on the grass, inhaled slowly, then closed their eyes.
Ashtoria walked behind them. Both of her hands touched Riven's and Mira's backs simultaneously. Her touch was warm and steady, but it carried a depth that felt like it reached beyond the skin.
"The fastest way to teach mana absorption… is to demonstrate it," said Ashtoria. "I will channel my mana into your bodies. Don't resist. Relax and let the energy in."
Riven held his breath for a moment, but nodded inwardly, trying to calm his mind.
And then it happened—a stream of heat entered his body from his back.
It felt like something foreign yet alive was slipping through his pores. The energy flowed like warm water poured into a frozen vessel. But discomfort soon followed. His body instinctively tightened, resisting the intrusion.
"Relax… you're too tense," Ashtoria whispered. "Take a deep breath. Let it move."
Riven complied. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Gradually, his body began to soften. And that warmth... it started to flow more freely. It traveled to his chest, down his arms, to the tips of his fingers. It trickled through his core, down to his legs. Every part of him was slowly filled with the flow.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. But he remained still, trying to remember and internalize the sensation. He knew this was important.
"Remember this feeling well," Ashtoria said. "The way it moves, its texture, its pressure and heat."
The energy kept pouring in. And now, it wasn't just coming from Ashtoria's hands. Riven began to sense something else… something from within himself. As if his body, once passive, was now responding—awakening.
The mana that once felt coarse and heavy was slowly becoming gentler, smoother. He could feel it—so clearly.
"Endure it," Ashtoria instructed, her tone firm.
Riven clenched his fingers. He tried hard to stay aware of the sensation, to memorize it, to become one with it. And just as he was fully immersed in the process, something changed.
The incoming flow from his back suddenly… shifted. He wasn't just receiving mana from outside anymore. Now, something was rising from within. His body had found its own rhythm.
Riven jolted. His entire body trembled. His eyes snapped open, breath ragged. It felt like he had just resurfaced after being submerged underwater for far too long.
Beside him, Mira experienced the same. Her body trembled, her clothes soaked with sweat, her breathing uneven.
Ashtoria looked at them both with a composed expression, then said, "Not bad… for a first attempt."
She watched their bodies still trembling, their breaths heavy, sweat glistening across their faces and necks. After a few seconds, when their heartbeats started to slow, she spoke again in her calm, commanding voice.
"Calm your bodies. We're going to repeat it."
Riven swallowed hard, eyes still wide. His body felt light, yet fragile, like glass full of hairline cracks. Beside him, Mira slowly closed her eyes again, trying to steady her breathing as she had been taught.
Riven shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to quiet his mind. He recalled the warmth, the flow of energy earlier, calling that feeling back. Gradually, his body began to relax again, his spirit aligning once more with the world around him.
Ashtoria approached. Her hands returned to their backs, but this time she didn't push mana as deeply. It was only a small nudge—a trigger.
"Let your bodies remember the path mana took before," she whispered. "And this time, let yourselves guide it."
Riven began to feel it again—a faint heat in his chest, like embers rekindling from a dying flame.
His body recognized the flow. It wasn't as strong as before, but it was gentler, more natural… more his. He tried to follow its movement, letting the energy trace his veins, circle his heart, rise to his chest, then throat. When it reached his head, he felt the urge to open his eyes but resisted.
Mira whimpered softly beside him, but her breathing remained steady.
Ashtoria nodded quietly from behind. Her two students seemed to be grasping the basics. She knew the human body retained invisible memories—and once mana's path was opened, the body would remember it.
"Good… now slowly direct that energy back to your navel. Place it there. Store it."
But just as Riven tried, the energy faltered. It lost its direction and scattered. He winced and shuddered, breaking the flow. He glanced at his sister, who appeared to be struggling even more than he was.
After a brief pause, Ashtoria guided them through the cycle again.
Riven and Mira closed their eyes once more, inhaled slowly, and allowed their bodies to sink into silence. It didn't take long before they felt the surging presence of mana again—once just a spark, now growing like a heated ripple spreading from the chest.
Their bodies trembled slightly. Riven furrowed his brow as the energy spun, pushing through parts of him still unaccustomed to its touch. Mira bit her lip, her shoulders tightening. Then, in the same moment, both of them jerked forward.
Their bodies curled forward slightly, breath caught in their throats. Just like before—though not as intense.
Ashtoria remained calm. "Once more," she said.
And they repeated it.
Sit. Focus. Absorb. Jolt. Breathe. Repeat.
Time passed unnoticed. They didn't know how many cycles they had gone through.
But slowly, change became visible.
Riven began to adapt. His body adjusted. His breathing grew calmer, his mind no longer startled when mana flowed in. He began guiding the current toward his core more smoothly, restraining the burning energy so it wouldn't throw him off balance. Sweat still clung to his forehead, but when he opened his eyes between rounds, there was a steadiness behind them.
Meanwhile, Mira continued to struggle. Her breath was uneven, and each time mana tried to enter, her body tensed. The flow felt more like pressure than something natural. She gritted her teeth, trying to endure it, but her body rejected it. At one point, she even staggered and nearly toppled over.
Ashtoria quickly steadied her.
"Calm down. Don't force it," she said gently, though her eyes remained sharp. "Your body isn't fully open yet. But you've improved."
Mira nodded slowly, swallowing her disappointment. Her hands clenched on her knees. She didn't want to fall behind—especially not behind her brother.
Riven glanced at her and sighed.
Soon, they tried again.
Ashtoria, seated behind them, closely observed every movement and change in Riven's breathing. Her fingers, still resting lightly on his back, gradually lifted. She could feel the change in the rhythm of his mana—what was once erratic and unsettled now flowed with calm direction.
She withdrew her hand completely.
'He can do it on his own now,' she murmured inwardly, mildly astonished.
Her expression remained composed, but deep down she thought with a tinge of disbelief,
'Only three hours… and he's already come this far, not bad.'