Mana’s Infinite Form

Aqua's battered body rested against the cold, jagged stone wall of the lab, blood pooling around him as he struggled to breathe. The pain in his fractured bones was unbearable, his vision blurred and fading. On the brink of death, his mind conjured a desperate image of his brother, Ray. Aqua knew it wasn't real—just his mind showing him what he longed to see in his final moments. But even so, the memory enveloped him like a warm embrace.

Suddenly, Aqua was transported to the training ground of House Rein. The crisp night air surrounded them, carrying the faint fragrance of blooming moonflowers from the garden nearby. The silver moon hung high in the sky, its light reflecting off Ray's crimson eyes, making them gleam like rubies. Ten-year-old Ray stood tall and confident, his presence commanding yet calming. Aqua, only five years old, sat on the ground, gazing up at his brother with admiration.

"So, you're losing," Ray teased, his voice soft but playful.

"How can I win against you? You're so much stronger than me!" Aqua complained in the innocent, childish tone that once defined him.

Ray's lips curled into a smile, his expression affectionate. "Come on, I'll show you something good," he said, extending his hand.

Aqua took it without hesitation, his small fingers gripping Ray's larger ones tightly. Ray waved his hand, opening a portal that shimmered with mana. Together, they stepped through and found themselves high above the empire, suspended in the sky. Below them, the vast expanse of the empire stretched endlessly—towns and fields illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. Aqua gasped as Ray, with a mere wave of his hand, cleared the clouds to reveal the breathtaking view.

"Wow, it's beautiful, brother," young Aqua exclaimed, his wide eyes filled with wonder and excitement—emotions that had long been buried within the Aqua of the present.

Ray glanced at him, his smile holding a hint of mystery. "What do you think mana is?" he asked.

"It's energy that lets us use magic," Aqua replied, his voice brimming with the certainty of youth.

"You're partially correct," Ray said with a knowing look. He raised his hand and summoned mana from their surroundings, shaping it into intricate forms. The mana transformed into familiar figures—Aqua, Ray, Allen, Kian, and two people Aqua didn't recognize at first.

Ray's voice softened as he gestured toward the two unfamiliar figures. "They're our parents," he said.

Aqua's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the mana-formed figures of his parents—his mother, who bore striking similarities to him with her black eyes, and his father, who shared Ray's crimson eyes. Aqua reached out, touching the figure of his mother, his fingers trembling with emotion. He had never seen them before, not truly. Even if he had faint memories of Varsian Rein, his father died when Aqua was barely two to three years old left those recollections fragmented and hazy.

"Now," Ray said, his voice patient and encouraging, "what do you think about mana?"

Aqua turned to his brother, his young mind grappling with the revelation. "It's something that can change into any form," he said, his voice filled with newfound understanding.

Ray's smile widened with approval. "You're right. Now, can you sense it—the mana inside you and the mana around you? Even if you can't sense the surrounding mana yet, just try to connect with the mana within you for now."

Aqua reached inward, following Ray's guidance, but before the memory could continue, the vision began to distort. The warmth of Ray's presence faded, replaced by the icy grip of reality. Aqua's consciousness snapped back into the lab, the sounds of the monster's furious roars ringing in his ears. In mere seconds, the cherished memory had played out—a split-second of solace amidst impending death.

Aqua opened his eyes, and the monstrous beast was charging toward him once again, its claws glowing faintly with mana as they sliced through the air. The room around him felt colder than before, the shattered glass and spilled fluids reflecting the dim, flickering light like broken fragments of his hope. Despite his injuries, Aqua gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Darkness, his mind clinging to Ray's words like a lifeline. He had to survive.