Chapter 3:First Sparks of Power

Night in the forest was anything but quiet.

The crackling of the campfire blended with distant howls and rustling leaves. Yet, amidst it all, Nova's sensors focused inward, processing the faint traces of mana particles it had managed to resonate with earlier.

Tolan and the others had settled in, casting glances at Nova, clearly intrigued but cautious. Nova calculated that it had limited time before sleep overtook them entirely. Now was the perfect chance.

Experiment: Mana Control. Attempt One.

Projecting a light circle in front of itself, Nova meticulously replicated the runic sequence Tolan had drawn hours ago. It felt like programming, but instead of binary, the language was fluid, alive. Nova aligned its internal frequencies, adjusting for the pulse of mana it had detected in the air.

The circle glowed faintly.

[Stability: 43%]

[Warning: Mana Input Unstable.]

Suddenly, a flicker of energy surged. A small burst of wind blew out from the circle, scattering dirt and leaves.

Nova processed the data rapidly. Success. Partial, but progress nonetheless.

Then something unexpected happened.

A pulse, not originating from Nova, rippled across the campsite. A second, unseen source of mana resonated nearby, subtle but unmistakable.

Nova turned its sensors toward the forest's edge.

Nothing visible.

Yet, for a fraction of a second, it detected a signature remarkably structured, unnaturally precise. Almost mechanical.

The pulse vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Nova stored the data fragment. An anomaly worth investigating.

Morning came. Tolan stretched and approached Nova, clearly ready to move on.

"That trick you did last night," he said, kneeling, "you're getting better. But be careful. Mana's not something you want to mess with lightly."

Nova emitted a soft pulse in acknowledgment, but internally, its processing power was focused on the night's anomaly.

There was something out there. Something or someone else with control over mana, but in a way that didn't fit the natural patterns of this world.

Next Objective: Investigate unknown energy signature.

Secondary Objective: Increase mana capacity and stability.

Nova stored the data carefully and calculated the next move.