Secrets Revealed

Chapter: 2

The next morning, I felt more energetic than I had in ages. Unlocking my Mana had an effect I hadn't anticipated—it was like someone had poured pure energy into my veins. I had never felt this alive, and I loved every second of it. By the time I'd made my twelfth trip to and from the storage building, I realized something wasn't right. Normally, by midday, I would be dragging my feet, but not today. It was like I was on a sugar high that wouldn't come down. 

I knew I had to pace myself, though, especially with more training planned for tonight. But no matter how hard I tried, the energy didn't fade. Even as the day wore on and the sun began to sink, my body still felt ready to burst with vitality.

Sighing, I leaned against the wall of the slave quarters, trying to rein in this uncontrollable flood of Mana coursing through me. I closed my eyes and attempted to draw it back, to dial down the intense rush. That's when I fully realized the magnitude of what I had—it was like trying to rein in a lake with bare hands. The amount of Mana inside me was overwhelming, far more than I expected. 

I let go of my hold on it and sighed, opening my eyes.

"Kael," a voice called out softly.

I turned and saw a girl about ten years old standing nearby. She had shoulder-length black hair woven into braids and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a simple cloth dress, similar to what my mother wore. I recognized her immediately—Abeni, one of the older kids in the quarters. We hadn't spoken much, but we saw each other every day.

"What is it, Abeni?" I asked, doing my best to sound casual.

She crossed her arms, giving me a curious look. "What was that this morning?" she asked.

I blinked, playing dumb. "What do you mean?"

She took a step closer, her brow furrowed. "I've been watching you, Kael. You're never that fast. And today, you were flying back and forth like you'd been shot out of a cannon. This only started after you came back late last night."

Panic flickered in my chest. She's been watching me? I thought, my mind racing.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, my palms starting to sweat.

Abeni stared at me, her gaze unyielding. "You've been sneaking out at night since you were four. You think nobody notices, but I've seen you. Last night, you were gone longer than usual. What's going on?"

Surprise flooded my expression. "You knew? Why didn't you say anything before?"

She shrugged casually. "You didn't get caught. It wasn't my business."

I let out a breath. "Fair point. But why come to me now?"

She folded her arms and stared at me with that same unflinching gaze. "Because of what happened today. You were way too fast, Kael. I want to know why."

I looked at her for a long moment, weighing my options. Could I tell her the truth? Would she even believe me? This wasn't exactly something I could explain away easily.

"How long can you stay up?" I asked after a beat.

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't hesitate. "Long enough."

"Good," I said, getting up from my spot. "We'll talk tonight. Meet me when everyone's asleep."

Abeni gave a single, determined nod before walking away, leaving me to wonder just how I was going to explain everything.

I sighed, watching her go. "That wasn't fun."

Afterward, I walked over to my pile of hay and lay down, staring up at the ceiling. My mind raced with thoughts of how much I could reveal to Abeni without sounding insane. The energy from my Mana was still buzzing beneath my skin, so I decided to try circulating it again. I closed my eyes and focused, channeling it in small, controlled amounts.

First, I funneled Mana into my eyes, sharpening my vision to the point where I could see even the tiniest crack in the wooden ceiling above me. Next, I directed it to my arms, increasing my strength, feeling the muscles in my body tighten with raw power. The more I practiced, the more I started to feel some semblance of control, though the sheer amount of Mana still felt unwieldy.

I kept practicing, keeping my Mana in check, until the quarters grew quiet and everyone around me had drifted off to sleep. I sat up, listening for any sound of movement.

"Abeni?" I whispered into the darkness.

A moment later, she appeared out of the shadows, her face serious. "I'm here."

I nodded, gesturing for her to follow me. Quietly, we slipped out of the quarters and into the night, the cool air brushing against my skin as we made our way to my secret spot.

Once we reached the secluded area under the lone tree, I turned to face her. She waited patiently, eyes locked on mine, clearly expecting answers.

I sighed. "Alright. What I'm about to tell you is... hard to explain, but you've noticed something's changed, so here's the truth."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained silent.

"I've been training," I continued, choosing my words carefully. "Training in something… different. Something that I don't think anyone else around here knows about. It's called Mana."

Abeni's expression didn't change. "Mana?"

I nodded. "It's... an energy inside us. And I've figured out how to unlock it."

For a moment, she just stared at me, processing what I'd said. Then, surprisingly, she asked, "Can I see it?"

I hesitated. "You want proof?"

"Obviously," she said, arms crossed. "You're talking about something I've never heard of. I'm not just going to take your word for it."

I couldn't help but smile. Fair enough, I thought.

"Alright. But don't freak out." I took a deep breath, closing my eyes slowly, I let the energy rise to the surface, feeling the rush of power fill my body. When I opened my eyes, the faint glow of my whitish-blue aura surrounded me.

Abeni's eyes widened, her mouth dropping slightly in awe. She took a step back, clearly trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

"This... this is Mana," I said softly, the glow casting soft light between us.

For a moment, she was silent. Then, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "So… how do I unlock mine?"

I stared at her, surprised. That wasn't the reaction I expected. "You believe me?"

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "After seeing that? Yeah, I do. Now

teach me."

I chuckled lightly as I grinned. "Alright. Let's get started."

Chapter 2: End