Worth it

The night had already taken over the land. Kayn lay on the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling. The distant murmur of the trees did little to calm his restless mind. He needed to find a way to focus his anima, and sleep wouldn't give him the answer; he needed to understand what he was missing. He wanted to try again.

He sat up carefully, sliding his legs off the bed, trying not to make any noise. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the silvery moonlight filtering through the cracks in the window. Slowly, he opened the door, listening to the faint creak of the hinges, a whisper in the stillness of the house. He held his breath, hoping not to wake anyone.

As he passed through the living room, he saw Finn sleeping soundly on the sofa, wrapped in a worn-out blanket. Kayn watched him for a few seconds. While he used the bed, Finn had to sleep on the couch, likely ruining his back. He tiptoed across the room, careful not to make the wooden floorboards creak under his weight. Reaching the entrance, he gently opened the front door, letting the cool night air wash over him. The silence was nearly absolute, interrupted only by the whisper of the wind through the trees and the distant chirping of crickets.

Closing the door behind him, he began walking along the path winding between the tall oaks. He arrived at the clearing where he and Finn had practiced all afternoon. Under the moonlight, it felt different now. He approached the rock and sat down, feeling the cold surface against his bare legs.

"This time, I'll do it," he whispered.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, letting the icy air fill his lungs. He tried to empty his mind, focusing only on the anima flowing through his body like a powerful and rebellious river, refusing to be controlled. He tried to concentrate it in a single point, imagining the energy gathering at the center of his body. But, as with previous attempts, the anima seemed to escape his grasp, flowing freely through his body without obeying him.

The internal pressure exhausted him, a tension spreading from his chest to every part of his body.

"Damn it."

He opened his eyes, panting slightly. Once again, he had failed. He struck the rock with his clenched fist, feeling the hardness against his knuckles.

"There has to be a trick. It's impossible to gather the energy like this."

Then, a soft light caught his attention. He looked up, spotting a group of fireflies hovering nearby, illuminating the darkness with a faint green glow. Their lights flickered in perfect synchrony, creating a hypnotic display. Kayn watched in fascination, noticing how the fireflies didn't seem to force their light; they simply let it flow, a natural part of their essence. An idea began to form in his mind as he watched them dance around him.

"What if...?"

The question lingered in the air. He extended a hand toward the fireflies without touching them, feeling the gentle breeze from their wings. He closed his eyes again. He listened to the beat of his heart, the whisper of the wind, the distant murmur of a stream. He let his anima flow, without forcing it in any way. That was what he had been missing.

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight began filtering through the treetops, bathing the forest in golden hues. Finn walked along the path and stopped when he reached the clearing, spotting Kayn asleep on the moss-covered rock.

"And here I was wondering where you'd gone," Finn sighed, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the boy resting.

Kayn blinked, slowly waking up to the sound of his voice. He let out a long yawn, stretching his arms toward the sky as the morning light warmed his face. His hair was even messier than usual.

"Good morning, Finn," he greeted, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"If I'd known, I would've taken the bed," the elf replied, crossing his arms. "You have no idea how much my back hurts after spending the night on the couch."

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Finn replied. "Now, are you going to explain what you're doing out here? I thought I told you to rest."

"I tried, but I couldn't sleep and came out to practice in the middle of the night. My plan was to go back after a while, but I guess I fell asleep," the boy admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm not surprised. You must've been exhausted from overusing your anima," Finn sighed, shaking his head. "I warned you not to push yourself too hard. Controlling your anima takes a lot of training, but you also need to rest."

"But I did it."

"Don't worry, I'm sure today you'll—" Finn's eyes narrowed in curiosity and surprise as he processed Kayn's words. "What did you just say?"

"I said I managed to control my anima."

Disbelief spread across Finn's face. He knew Kayn had no reason to lie, but still, he wouldn't believe it until he saw it for himself.

"Show me."

Kayn nodded without hesitation. He sat on the rock, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Inside him, the anima began to flow smoothly through his body, like water in a calm pond. The energy concentrated into a single point, free of the turbulence that plagued his previous attempts. Finn watched closely, silently counting the seconds, alert for any fluctuation.

"Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty…" Finn stared at Kayn in astonishment. He couldn't believe how much progress the boy had made in just one night. "Incredible. But how did you do it?"

"Last night, while I was practicing, I noticed the flickering lights of some fireflies. I realized that the fireflies simply let their light flow naturally. Until now, I'd been trying to force my anima, but what I really needed to do was let it flow. That way, the anima doesn't build up as much pressure and becomes much easier to control," Kayn explained calmly, leaving his mentor speechless.

"Kayn, how old did you say you were?"

"Fourteen, just turned."

"Look… I don't want to doubt you, but are you absolutely sure this is the first time you've practiced with anima? Have you never trained it before?"

"My father insisted I practice it a lot when I was younger," Kayn admitted with a shrug. "But I always thought I wouldn't need it because I'd get a guardian, so I refused. Now that I've failed the trial, I guess it's the only thing I can learn."

Finn nodded slowly, taking in the weight of Kayn's words. The wind blew, rustling the tree branches and carrying the scent of damp earth.

"For now, let's go have breakfast. You must be drained after using so much of your anima."

"You go ahead," Kayn replied. "There's something I want to try."

"All right, but don't take too long," Finn warned, turning and walking back down the path toward the house.

As he walked away, his mind replayed what he had just witnessed. When he reached the door, he closed it behind him, leaning against it. He let out a sigh he'd been holding back.

"Incredible. In just one night, he's managed to control his anima. Not only that, but he can direct it wherever he wants."

A chuckle escaped his lips. He remembered the first time he'd found Kayn in the forest, drawn by the intensity of his anima. He placed a hand on his forehead, gazing up at the wooden ceiling.

"Training him will definitely be worth it."