Chapter 7 - Mana

They moved deeper into the forest, the moonlight filtering through the canopy in broken shafts. Akito followed behind the group, quiet but observant—his eyes scanning the ground, memorizing terrain, patterns, airflow.

"This is the place," Akito said, stopping at a clearing marked with splintered wood and churned-up earth. He crouched near a long gouge in the soil. "The boar came from that direction—snapped those trees like twigs. Didn't knock them down. Shattered them."

Kael knelt nearby, silent as he examined the markings.

"Scorch residue," Akito continued, pointing. "Blackened, but not burned like fire. This was raw mana—blasted out from inside the creature, not cast. Look at the blast shape—it's not radiating from a circle or point. It's directional. Focused. That thing didn't just charge—it discharged force on impact. Like an explosive battering ram."

Varek narrowed his eyes. "You can tell that… just from the marks?"

"Yeah," Akito replied, brushing ash from his fingers. "Also… the root system under that ridge is cracked. The boar must've used some kind of mana burst right as it lunged. Probably instinctive."

Ruva stared at him. "You sound like a veteran hunter."

"I just saw it once," Akito shrugged. "And then it almost made me a tree ornament. The only reason I survived was because it didn't take me seriously. I wasn't even a threat to it."

Kael gave him a long, appraising look. "You remember everything."

"I… don't like dying. Good motivation."

Caldus stepped forward, cloak swaying as he raised a hand. "You speak as if you understand mana. Have you seen it before?"

Akito tilted his head. "I mean, kind of? Not directly. But I've noticed… there's something in the air. Like a glow. It gathers around people. Animals. Even trees."

Caldus gave a slight nod. "That would be mana. Life energy, ambient and internal. Most beings have it. The stronger the presence, the more dense the mana."

He held out his palm.

A faint shimmer gathered—particles of light and mist—twirling together until a small orb of flame flickered to life above his hand.

Akito's eyes widened slightly.

"…You're shaping it," he muttered. "That's not just energy—it's directed. Contained."

"Correct," Caldus said. "This is spellcasting. We channel mana, shape it through formations—runes, glyphs, gestures—then release it."

Akito leaned closer, fascinated. "So it's not raw. It needs a framework to work."

"Yes. Magic is as much art as it is structure."

Akito nodded slowly, more to himself than anyone else. "Mana… is like a type of energy. It's everywhere. Living things, air, maybe even the ground. And spell formations… they're like structured patterns that tell that energy what to do."

Caldus gave him a puzzled glance. "You use strange comparisons."

"Sorry," Akito smiled. "Where I come from, we have things like… systems. Structured flows of energy through materials, using pathways and symbols. Kinda like—uh—mana, but with metal and logic gates."

"…You mean alchemy?" Ruva offered.

"Not exactly, but close enough."

Akito stared at the lingering flame, gears turning behind his eyes.

"So if I understand this right… mana is like a living current. It doesn't just exist—it flows. And magic is how you guide it."

"You grasp quickly," Caldus said.

The flame in his palm dissipated with a flick of his fingers. He began tracing a diagram in the air—lines glowing softly with ambient mana.

"Every living being has a circuit within them. Mana flows through these natural paths—veins of power, if you will. They're subtle, often intertwined with the nervous system. Most are born with one. The stronger the circuit, the more mana you can channel."

Akito's brow furrowed. "So it's like having an internal wiring system."

"In a sense," Caldus said with a nod. "And within that circuit lies the core—a reservoir. Like a heart for mana. It stores the energy when not in use."

"Huh," Akito murmured. "So everyone's walking around with their own biological power grid... neat."

Ruva rejoined them from the shadows, listening silently as Caldus continued.

"Of course, training expands the circuit. Strengthens it. Allows better control, larger storage, faster regeneration."

Akito tilted his head, processing. "So I guess I've got one of those... circuits, too?"

Caldus stepped forward, raising both hands. "Let me check. Hold still."

A soft, glowing sigil formed in front of him—six overlapping rings with runes orbiting like tiny planets. Caldus focused, and strands of mana drifted toward Akito, swirling gently around his body.

Silence fell.

The glow began to fade.

"…That's odd," Caldus muttered.

"Odd like 'you're secretly royalty' or odd like 'your body is going to implode in ten seconds'?" Akito asked, eyes darting between Caldus and his hands.

"No mana core. No active circuit. None at all." Caldus looked genuinely perplexed. "You don't just lack mana. It's as if your body never had the organ for it in the first place."

Akito blinked. "So I'm running on… good vibes and stubbornness?"

Varek grunted. "That explains the insanity."

Akito shrugged. "Well, I do have a killer eye that messes with reality. Maybe that's running on a separate battery pack. That also explains why the boar was underestimating me."

Ruva gave him a long look. "You're unnatural."

He grinned. "Thanks. I try."

Before Caldus could respond, Kael—who had been crouched at the edge of the path—raised a hand sharply.

"Boar," he said. Quiet. Focused. "Southwest. Just past the ridge."

They all fell into silence. Even the wind felt like it held its breath.

Ruva was already gone—vanished into shadow once more.

Kael turned to the others. "We move. Quiet. Fast. Stay sharp."

Akito, still trying to wrap his head around his missing internal organs, gave his best "sure, no problem" face. Then followed after them, adrenaline already rising.

Because apparently, being a magical anomaly with no mana made you extra popular with monsters.

And probably boars.

Especially the kind that exploded.