Chapter 10 - Training and Tension

Morning breaks, and there is a palpable tension in the air. While Shiro begins his sword training with our father, I will take my first steps into magic with Reina.

"Alright, Sota." Reina stands before me with her arms crossed. "Before you learn how to use magic, you must first understand how it works."

I nod slowly.

"Magic comes from mana. An energy that exists in the world and within living beings. But not everyone has it. Mages possess this mana and the ability to sense, control, and shape it."

She raises a hand, and before my eyes, a gentle blue light begins to flicker in her palm. It pulses as if it were alive.

"This is mana in its purest form. Your first task is to sense your own mana and channel it outward."

I swallow. "And how do I do that?"

Reina gives a small smile. "Sit down and close your eyes."

I sink into the grass and shut my eyes.

"Breathe deeply. In and out. Feel inside yourself. Your mana is there. You just need to find it."

I concentrate, searching for something I have never felt before. At first, nothing happens. Nothing at all.

I try again, but it's as if I'm reaching into emptiness.

"I don't feel anything." I mumble, frustrated.

"That's because you're searching as if it were something tangible." Reina says calmly. "Mana is not a muscle you tense. It is a flow you must guide."

I take a deep breath and try to feel it. But there is only silence within me.

Seconds pass. Then minutes. My back begins to ache, my hands tremble slightly.

"Maybe I don't have it after all." I finally whisper.

Reina narrows her eyes. "Nonsense. You have mana. I can sense it. It's there, but you've never tried using it before. Your body doesn't know how. So we'll help it."

I look at her questioningly, but before I can say anything, she steps closer.

"Give me your hands." she says.

I reach out, and she takes my hands in hers. A warm, tingling sensation spreads through me, and suddenly. I feel it.

A tiny, barely perceptible flicker deep in my chest.

A smile spreads across my face. "I feel something!"

"That is your mana." Reina confirms. "Now you know what you're looking for. Try it on your own."

She releases my hands, and the sensation fades again. But now I know, that it's there.

I concentrate. I imagine my mana flowing out of my body, gathering in my palm.

I wait for the warmth, for the light.

But nothing happens.

"Damn it." I mutter, clenching my fists.

"It takes time." Reina says. "Do you remember when you took your first steps as a child? Did you succeed immediately?"

I shake my head. "I don't remember, but I don't think so."

"Magic is the same. Try again."

I take a deep breath. I close my eyes, trying to relax. Once more, I imagine my mana. Once more, I try to release it.

And then. A tiny spark.

It is so faint that I am not sure if I imagined it.

"There was something." Reina says, confirming it. I had just released mana.

My heart beats faster. "Yes! I did it, even if it was just a little!"

"But it was there." Reina nods approvingly. "That means you can do it."

I try again. And again. Each time is a struggle. But after countless attempts, I feel it once more.

A weak, barely visible flicker emerges from my fingertips.

Exhausted, I collapse onto my back in the grass. "That was exhausting."

"Magic is exhausting." Reina says. "But you've taken the first step."

I nod, my heart still racing.

Reina studies me for a moment, then shakes her head. "That's enough for this morning. Take a break. We'll continue in the afternoon."

I look at her in surprise. "But I just started."

"And your body isn't used to it. If you push too hard, you won't even be able to lift your fingers tomorrow." She grins. "Besides, I'm not as strict as your father."

I sigh, though inwardly, I'm relieved. My arms feel like lead. Maybe a break isn't such a bad idea.

I get up, brush the dust off my clothes, and head toward the training ground where Shiro is practicing with our father.

When I arrive, I see Shiro holding a practice sword. Our father stands before him, arms crossed, his expression stern.

"No! Your stance is completely wrong! You're too stiff. You need to move with the strike!"

Shiro grits his teeth and tries again. He raises the sword and swings, but it looks clumsy. Our father blocks effortlessly.

"Too slow! You hesitate every time!"

"I'm not hesitating!" Shiro snaps, but our father just shakes his head.

"You're thinking too much. A real fight won't give you time to think."

Shiro's face tightens. I recognize that expression. The old frustration.

I see him gripping the sword harder.

"Again." Shiro says, his voice tense.

Our father nods curtly.

Shiro takes a deep breath, positions himself, and attacks.

But the strike is not clean.

Our father sidesteps, grabs Shiro's wrist, and twists him around in one swift motion.

Shiro lands hard on the ground.

"Damn it!" He punches the dirt with his fist.

I can feel his anger. His disappointment.

I can't watch this any longer.

I run up to our father and tug at his shirt.

My father turns to me, surprised.

"Sota? What are you doing here? We're in the middle of training."

My eyes well up, and I look at him, hurt.

"Why are you so mean to Shiro?!" I yell.

Silence.

My father blinks as if I had just struck him.

"I'm not being mean." He says after a moment. "I'm teaching him how to fight. A real opponent won't go easy on him."

"But you're not his opponent! You're our father!" I shout back. "You talk as if he's weak. You treat him like he'll never succeed!"

My father's expression hardens. "That's not true. I want him to be stronger."

"Then tell him that!" I pound my fists against his leg. "Tell him you believe in him instead of tearing him down every time! Also his arm hasn't fully recovered yet!"

I breathe heavily. My heart races.

I don't dare to look at Shiro. I don't know how he will react.

My father is silent. His brow furrows as if he's thinking over my words.

Then, slowly, he turns to Shiro.

My brother is still on the ground.

Father exhales quietly and runs a hand through his hair.

"Shiro." He begins, hesitating. "I didn't mean to..." He trails off, struggling for words.

Then he takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry."

Shiro lifts his head.

"I only wanted to make you stronger." Our father continues. "But maybe I was too harsh. I see now that I've hurt you more than I've helped."

He studies him for a moment, then nods.

"We're taking a break." He finally says. "All of us."

Shiro exhales shakily. He lowers his head, but this time, he looks relieved.

The tension in the air slowly fades.

For a moment, no one speaks.

Then our father steps back, sits on a tree stump at the edge of the training ground, and rubs his forehead.

I glance at Shiro, but he doesn't look at me.

Instead, he lifts his sword, stares at his hands, and takes a deep breath.

I hope something has changed.

Even if it's just a little.