Learning Control

Chapter: 8 

Two Days Later

I was in the park practicing with mana control waiting for Yuuri to arrive. I started to create a mana sword trying to refine it. I took a breath and my eyes shifted to the octogram state apparently this was a part of my bloodline allowing me to see whatever those streams of energy were heck even Yuuri wasn't sure what they were her best guess was that the streams of energy were most likely the energy that makes up a person, thing, or magic attacks. so my bloodline ability is split into two parts: The eyes that allow me to see the energies and then the ability to interact with the energies themselves the latter part access that easily. That was Yuuri's explanation but for some reason that explanation didn't sound or feel right.

I concentrated, visualizing a sword in my mind a simple broad sword. Mana started flowing from my body into my hand. the mana started to take the form of a sword the process was much easier thanks to my eyes but that still didn't mean it wasn't a hassle to get right. The edges wavered, and the hilt felt uneven.

"Focus, Ethan," I muttered to myself. I tried again, steadying my breath and maintaining a consistent flow of mana. Gradually, the sword became more defined, the edges sharper, and the hilt more solid.

Just as I was getting the hang of it, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned to see Yuuri walking towards me, her teal hair catching the light of the setting sun.

"Hey, Ethan," she greeted with a smile. "How's the practice going?"

"Better," I replied, dispelling the mana sword. "It's getting easier, but it still takes a lot of concentration and is far too slow." 

"meh forget that for now today is going to be fun."

"How so?"

"Well, starting today I'll be teaching you actual attacks."

"so you're teaching me how to cast spells."

Yuuri shrugged. "Well, I don't really call them that because, for some reason when most people use spells for some odd reason, they always call them out."

"wait they actually do that? I asked surprised. "I thought they only did that in anime and movies?"

"I thought that too so imagine my surprise."

"that must have been embarrassing?"

"tell me about it."

"wait isn't mana all imagination base so why would they call out their spells."

"I couldn't tell you."

Yuuri then sighed. "Ok so since you can already transmute mana into elements we can start with some average spells but question for you what element do you want to start with first?"

"lightning then water then the rest."

She nodded. "Lightning it is. Let's start with a basic lightning bolt."

She raised her hand and focused. A small bolt of lightning crackled to life in her palm. the lightning shot from her palm impacting a tree and destroying it. "so for that one, you simply create lightning and fire it from your palm."

Ethan nodded "ok sounds simple enough."

Ethan raised his palm toward a tree. I closed m eyes picturing lightning materializing from my mana. I focused on the energy swirling within me, guiding it to my hand. I felt the familiar tingle of mana and visualized it transforming into lightning.

"Remember, don't overdo it. Just a small bolt," Yuuri cautioned.

But as I focused, something went wrong the spell then started to pull on more mana than expected I tried to pull back some of the mana but I couldn't.

"Uh, Ethan, maybe you should—"

Before Yuuri could finish, a massive bolt of lightning erupted from my palm. It shot forward with incredible speed and power, far stronger than anything I intended. The bolt struck the tree, not just destroying it but reducing it to ash and leaving a scorched crater in the ground.

"..."

"..."

There was silence for a little bit before I turned to look at Yuuri and she turned to look at me.

"We should leave shouldn't we?" I asked

"Gee you think?" she asked sarcastically

I picked up my stuff and prepared to book it but Yuuri stopped me.

"Oh Ethan."

"Yeah?"

"relax for the rest of the week I'll be gone for a while and for the love of god don't blow anything up."

"...Got it."

I took off booking it home. The adrenaline from the lightning spell was still coursing through me, making my heart race. I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. The power was incredible, but it was also clear that I needed to learn control. When I got home, I threw my backpack on the floor and collapsed onto my bed. I replayed the day's events in my mind, trying to understand what went wrong. It wasn't just about the amount of mana; it was also about how I directed it.

The next day, without Yuuri around, I decided to practice on my own. I went back to the park, choosing a different spot this time to avoid any suspicious looks from passersby. I started with the basics, focusing on creating small, controlled amounts of mana. I spent hours practicing, trying to maintain a steady flow and proper control. It was exhausting, but I could feel myself improving. I managed to create smaller, more stable lightning bolts and even tried my hand at some water manipulation. I was making sure to balance this while attending school.

By the end of the week, I was able to create a small whirlpool of water and a controlled stream of lightning. After I while I started trying my hand in attacks I've seen in anime. Standing in the park I raised my hand and pictured lightning taking the form of a bow. The mana flowed through me, and slowly, a bow of pure lightning formed in my hand.

"Okay, let's see how this works," I muttered, aiming at a distant tree. 

I pulled back on the bowstring made of lightning, feeling the energy being pulled from my body as a lightning arrow formed. With a deep breath, I let go, and the lightning arrow shot forward, hitting the tree with precision. I couldn't help but smile. Despite the challenges, I was getting better. I still had a long way to go, but with each step, I was getting closer to mastering my abilities.

Chapter 8: End