I stood still for a moment, feeling the weight of the mana around us shift. Ramon was still quiet beside me, both of us sensing the same lingering pulse in the air. Whatever it was, it didn't feel like an accident. It was deliberate, waiting.
We weren't the only ones who noticed, either. I could feel the subtle tension in the atmosphere as a presence drifted toward us, sharp and purposeful, like a breeze that was a little too warm.
"Hey," a voice called out, smooth but carrying an edge. "You two, over there."
The figure was a blur in my sight—his energy unmistakable, though his shape remained out of focus. Still, the pull of his mana sharpened the air around us, and I could already tell he was confident, focused. Definitely someone who knew what they were doing.
I turned slightly, instinctively orienting myself to his presence. I couldn't see him clearly, but his mana spoke volumes. A bit older than me, controlled, steady. Definitely someone who knew what they were doing.
"I assume you're Annabel?" His voice wasn't demanding, just curious, with an undercurrent of something like recognition. "The prodigy everyone's talking about?"
I held his gaze, The air hummed with his mana—sharp, purposeful, but not yet hostile. The way he spoke, though, told me he wasn't just another curious stranger.
"Prodigy?" I repeated, voice calm, though careful. "I've heard some rumors." Trying to play it off, not being to obvious.
There was a brief pause, then a small, almost amused chuckle. "Rumors tend to get exaggerated, especially when it comes to people like you." He didn't step closer, but his presence seemed to fill the space around us. "But there's something about this place—something worth looking into.
I paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle. There was a familiarity in his voice, something I recognized. It clicked. I had sensed this mana before.
"You were at the Association test," I said. "I remember you. You were sparring before us."
His presence shifted, and I could almost feel the smile tug at his lips. "That's right. Lycian," he said simply, a small chuckle following. "Though I wasn't sure if you'd remember me from all the commotion."
I nodded slowly. "I remember the fight. You were the one with the precise control, the one who barely put in effort but seemed to command the entire space."
Lycian's mana shimmered slightly with amusement, but he didn't seem offended. "Not exactly a showstopper, huh? But it gets the job done." He then turned his attention to Ramon, his energy still calm but focused. "And you must be Ramon?"
Ramon's stance shifted slightly, and I felt a subtle flicker of interest from him. "That's me. You've heard of us, too?"
Lycian's tone was neutral, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath it. "I've heard of a lot of people. And it's not every day you meet someone with as much raw potential as Annabel. Didn't expect to run into you so soon, but here we are."
Ramon crossed his arms, his voice skeptical but more intrigued now. "So, you've been watching us?"
Lycian's smile was small, though he didn't seem phased by the question. "Not so much 'watching' as I've been hearing rumors. People talk, especially when you've got someone like Annabel on the rise."
I could feel Ramon's mana shift slightly, the caution still present but mingled with curiosity now. "Alright, so why are you here? What's your game?"
Lycian's smile became a little more measured. "I'm not asking for anything from you. I'm just offering a chance. There's something out there—the deeper parts of these grounds. The mana's dense, thick. A place like that can push you past your limits. If you're looking to grow, to really control your power, it's worth considering."
Ramon didn't relax his stance, but his presence shifted, intrigued despite himself. "And you want us to follow you there just because you say so?"
Lycian's energy sharpened slightly, like he was sizing up our response. "It's not just that. You'll find things there—artifacts, magic, weapons. Things you won't find in the outer areas. It's dangerous, sure. But there's potential." His voice lowered, just slightly. "It'll teach you control, force you to handle pressure."
Ramon seemed to mull it over, and I could feel his hesitation. "And what's in it for you?"
Lycian didn't hesitate, his tone unruffled. "I'm going to the Tri-Continental Academy soon, and I've heard rumors about a prodigy heading there as well. I thought I'd help you prepare for what's coming." He met my senses with his unflinching calm. "The rumors say you're going there soon, Annabel. The youngest to ever attend. I'm assuming that's you?"
I held his gaze for a moment longer, sensing his certainty. The weight of his words settled in. "Yes," I said slowly. "I'm the one they're talking about."
Lycian's mana flared for the briefest moment, the satisfaction evident but fleeting. "Thought so." He relaxed slightly but kept his energy controlled and steady. "Like I said, the deeper grounds here have potential. Weapons, magic, artifacts. But they're dangerous. You'll need to be prepared. If you're interested, I can show you the way."
Ramon and I exchanged a glance. I could feel the pull of Lycian's offer, tempting in its possibilities, but there was still uncertainty in the air. "And why should we trust you to lead us?" Ramon asked, his voice still cautious.
Lycian's tone was unwavering. "You don't have to trust me. But think about it—what you gain there, what you learn—it could make all the difference. I'll be heading to the Academy soon as well, and if you want to survive there, you'll need more than talent. You'll need control. That's something I can help with."
I didn't respond right away. His offer was tempting, the promise of treasure, magic, and growth hard to ignore. But I wasn't sure where Lycian truly stood.
Ramon shifted, breaking the silence. "Sounds like a gamble."
I nodded, considering his words. "Could be," I said quietly. "But sometimes, the risks are worth it."
Lycian's presence lingered, but he didn't push any further. "Think about it. You know where to find me."
With that, his mana faded, leaving us standing in the stillness of the grove. The offer hung in the air, promising growth and danger in equal measure. We would have to consider it, but there was no denying it—Lycian's offer was something we couldn't ignore if we wanted to be ready for whatever came next.
Ramon and I stood in silence after Lycian's presence faded, his mana trailing behind like the echo of a bell.
"He's confident," Ramon said eventually. "Too confident, maybe."
I turned my head slightly, listening to the space he'd left behind — the air was still, but charged. "He's hiding things. But not everything."
"You trust him?"
"I trust his goal. That doesn't mean I trust him."
Ramon clicked his tongue. "Still. He wasn't lying. I could feel it too."
I nodded. "We'll go."
Ramon exhaled, the tension in his shoulders fading slightly. "Then we better be ready."
⸻
We found Lycian not far from the edge of the grove — by the distinct thread of his mana, sharp and rooted like thorns in motion. He stood by a stone arch whose structure I couldn't see clearly, but the way the mana bent around it told me it was old. Alive, somehow. Watching.
"I thought you'd come," he said.
"We're in," I replied. "But if you're leading us in, we want to know who we're walking beside."
He nodded once. "Fair."
His mana stirred. From beneath his feet, I felt the subtle shift of growth — roots unfurling, vines coiling, all with exact precision. No wasted force.
"Plant magic," he said. "Control and disruption. I shape the battlefield more than I destroy it."
Then came something stranger — a thin, coiling haze of energy that brushed the back of my throat even from a distance. Bitter. Slow. Laced with something venomous and deliberate.
"And this," he continued, "is my secondary affinity."
Ramon inhaled sharply. "Whats that? i've never seen that before."
"Poison. Learned from a forbidden scroll," Lycian said without shame. "One of the old kinds. Not listed. Not recorded."
I felt his blade leave its sheath — light, narrow, the mana focused along its edge like a river flowing in a single, deadly line.
"I fight with this. Fast, efficient."
He turned slightly toward me. "You?"
I pulled the staff from my back and channeled my mana through it. It responded instantly, splitting with a whisper of steel and energy. The twin blades vibrated in my grip as I let the elements thread through — not light or heat, but the texture of them: the fluid hum of water, the coarse vibration of earth, the hiss of wind, the bite of frost, and the slow-burn resonance of fire.
"Five affinities," I said. "More than most. I fight to adapt."
Lycian's mana pulsed in something like respect. "That staff of yours… it's not ordinary."
"It listens," I said.
He nodded, then turned to Ramon.
Ramon summoned his hatchets with a snap of his wrists — the weight of their presence steady and grounded. Flame surged in one, deep and steady. Earth swirled low in the other, solid and reliable.
"Fire and earth," he said. "Simple. Strong."
"Good," Lycian murmured. "We'll need every bit of it."
He stepped through the threshold of the arch, where the air was heavier and mana pulsed in long, dense waves — not bright or chaotic, but slow, deliberate. Ancient. It buzzed across my skin like a warning.
"Follow me," Lycian said. "The deeper ground doesn't follow the same rules. Things… listen down here."
I stepped through next, and everything shifted. I could no longer hear the grove behind us. The air pressed against my skin with layered pressure, like walking into a sound that hadn't yet been made.
Whatever waited for us in this place, it wasn't just mana.
It was aware.