chapter 15

As dawn broke over the massive spires of her lab, Charlotte sat in deep contemplation, staring at the intricate magical runes and arcane diagrams glowing faintly on the walls. She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to wrap her mind around the unusual patterns of Will's mana. Her workspace smelled of herbs and sulfur from the countless experiments she'd run through the night. She shuffled through parchment after parchment, notes scattered across the table, the dim blue light from the crystal lantern casting long shadows across her face. Charlotte had long known that Will was special, but now… now it seemed like something beyond her comprehension.

"It's like… mana itself loves him," she whispered to herself, the idea as terrifying as it was profound. Will had crossed some invisible barrier, a threshold beyond what anyone thought possible. His body didn't just channel mana; it attracted it in amounts that no mage had ever controlled.

Suddenly, the air in the lab thickened, and the temperature dropped, the familiar cold grip of dread settling into Charlotte's stomach. The door creaked open behind her, and without turning, she felt his presence. Her brother, King Suman Utaibiah, entered the room, his towering silhouette casting an imposing shadow over her. The weight of his power filled the room, pressing down on her like a vice. She shuddered, instinctively shrinking back as if the darkness of his aura threatened to swallow her whole.

Suman's eyes, cold and unreadable, scanned the lab with disinterest before resting on Charlotte. His presence was like a looming storm—silent, but capable of devastating destruction. Charlotte bit her lip, her hands trembling ever so slightly. She knew exactly what kind of man he was. He was the one who had cursed his own son, Will, to be shunned and feared by others, making him seem like an outsider, a freak. He had neglected him, allowing his own flesh and blood to be lost in a world that never understood him.

But what could she do? She was powerful, yes—the second most powerful person in the kingdom, save for the legendary Nine Transcendants—but standing before Suman was like standing before a force of nature. He was the strongest of them all, the very reason their nation remained safe and unchallenged. His power was absolute, his decisions unquestionable.

"What is the problem?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. There was no warmth in it, just cold indifference.

Swallowing her fear, Charlotte explained Will's situation—the friction between his mana and the mana of the world, how he had nearly vanished from existence entirely. She explained it all, her voice growing smaller as Suman's disinterest became more apparent.

He barely seemed to care. His eyes flicked toward her for a moment, and with that same cold, detached tone, he said, "Bring him to the Council's towers. We must restrict his powers."

A shiver ran down Charlotte's spine. Restrict his powers? Why? She dared to ask, "Why?"

The look he gave her froze her to the core. It was a look that spoke of finality, of power unquestioned. He said nothing more, turning away and leaving the room without another word. Charlotte stood there, breathless, feeling like she had just stood before death itself. She knew, by morning, she would need to craft a convincing explanation for Will.

---

The next morning, Charlotte made her way to Will's chambers, her heart heavy. She found him sleeping peacefully, his face untroubled by the world that was quickly closing in on him. With a gentle touch, she woke him, allowing him time to wash up and get dressed. Once he was ready, she sat him down, taking a deep breath.

"Will," she began, her voice soft but firm, "what happened yesterday, when you tried to levitate, it wasn't your fault. The difference in mana density between here and Earth… it's like our bodies are containers for a flammable gas—methane, for instance. If you burn a little of it as it escapes, it's manageable, right?" Will nodded, following her analogy. "But here, you're not just burning what's inside you. You're tapping into the world's mana, an endless supply. And if you burn that… well, it's like lighting an entire gas field on fire. Boom."

Will nodded, understanding the gravity of what she was saying. He didn't like it, but what choice did he have? He was to appear before the Council of Elders, a place where criminals and those deemed dangerous to the kingdom stood judgment. "Am I really such a threat?" he muttered under his breath as he dressed.

When they arrived outside the towering Council chamber, Charlotte teleported them just beyond the massive, ancient gates. The air was thick with tension, and Will felt it in his bones. He was the first priority case, and the weight of it crushed him. "Why is this necessary?" he thought. He was just a kid, after all. How could he possibly be a danger to the kingdom?

As they entered the grand chamber, Will felt the overwhelming power of the Elders wash over him like a suffocating wave. His family—four of the eight Elders—sat in their high seats, their faces expressionless yet their presence dominating. This council wasn't just a governing body; it was the last line of defense for the entire kingdom, and it scared him to his core.

The questioning began, one Elder, an expert in barrier magic, finally stepping forward. "Let's test that bond of yours with mana," the Elder said, creating a transparent cuboid barrier. It was large, towering above Will like a crystal cage, with a small hole for him to place his hand into.

Will did as instructed, sliding his hand into the barrier, feeling the strange pressure against his skin. "Now, release a flame spell," the Elder instructed.

Will chanted the words for the simplest fireball spell he could think of, something he had read from his father's old spellbook. As the spell formed, he felt a surge—too much mana. His hand erupted with fire, and in an instant, the entire barrier was engulfed in flames.

Without warning, the flames roared to life, spreading faster than anyone expected. His hand, the one inside the barrier, burned to a crisp in seconds. The searing pain shot through him, and he screamed, watching in horror as the flesh melted away, leaving only bone.

The barrier dropped, and as it did, something miraculous—and terrifying—happened. His hand, once a charred skeleton, began to heal itself at an impossible speed. Skin, muscle, tendons, and blood vessels regrew before his eyes, knitting together in mere seconds.

It took less than three heartbeats, and his hand was whole again.

Will stared in disbelief, his breath ragged. His regeneration was already fast, but this… this was something else. The speed, the power—it frightened him.