Chapter 12 - Mana

Two months swiftly passed during which I became a regular customer of Aunt Soya's. She continually brought me new clothes, and both my mother and my aunt thoroughly enjoyed playing dress-up with me.

To be honest my wings kinda troublesome sometimes. Whenever I take a bath, they splatter water all over the place, even though they're resistant to both water and dust.

Over time, my wings have gradually grown and their softness has proven to be quite addictive. At night, parts of my body are comfortably enveloped by my wings, providing a soothing warmth. My aunt, too, finds them irresistible, often gently patting them. It's a rather pleasant sensation.

Apart from my wings, my mana vein is also slowly expanding. It presently stretches across my chest down to my lower abdomen. It tends to grow incrementally when I cultivate at night, just before sleep.

If you imagine that I cultivate while in the lotus position, you're mistaken. My cultivation happens while I'm lying in bed, right before I drift off to sleep.

From what I recall, cultivation can be done anytime. The key requirement is a mental focus that allows you to do it unconsciously. But at my current level, I'm simply at the beginning stages and thus can't execute it unconsciously.

The path to cultivation also progresses through several distinct levels. I currently reside within the Initiate Realm.

In the Initiate Realm, a cultivator stands on the cusp of awakening their unique powers, wielding only minimal control over their burgeoning energy, and capable of performing only the most basic of techniques.

Proceeding is the Foundation Realm. It's the phase wherein a cultivator establishes a robust foundation for their cultivation. In this realm, they acquire the ability to manipulate he energy more proficiently, thus enabling stronger attacks and heightened defensive capabilities.

The Core Realm follows. In this level, cultivators undergo a transformation that forms a essence core within them. This core serves as a reservoir for their energy, facilitating more potent techniques and enhancing their physical prowess.

The journey doesn't stop at the Core Realm. Up ahead lie the Spirit, Heaven, and Divine realms, untrodden territories that undoubtedly hold more profound transformations for the body, astral form, and soul.

But that's fodder for thought once I reach the Core Realm. There's no sense diving into those depths prematurely, considering I'm only at the dawn of my cultivation journey. I let out a sigh, pondering over these distant possibilities.

As night falls, I find myself cozied up in bed with my mother. My cultivation progress has granted me better control over my body. My spoken communication, previously hindered by past trauma, has also become much smoother.

"Hey, Mom, where's Dad?" I inquire. These past two months since my transformation, he's been conspicuously absent.

"Sweetie, your father is on an important mission, one that ensures our safety and the security of our lands. Let's not dwell on his absence, instead let's focus on enjoying our time together, okay?" Her effort to sidestep my question doesn't go unnoticed, but I decide not to press her.

It's clearly a tender subject she's not ready to discuss with me just yet.

"Okay," I respond with an upbeat tone, choosing to shift the conversation. "Could we maybe go out somewhere tomorrow? Maybe to the library or for shopping?" The past couple of months have seen me cooped up in our mansion, with my mother never taking me out.

"No, darling, not just yet. Not until you master the art of concealing your wings," she replies, her face clouded with a mixture of concern.

Over the past two months, my aunt Claire has asked if I'm capable of making my wings invisible. The answer is, I can, but it's hardly a comfortable procedure. I feel suffocated, trapped within myself, breathless to break free. The longest I've managed is a few minutes.

"Okay," I respond, my enthusiasm dampened. I realize that I am not normal, and my mother seems intent on keeping my uniqueness under wraps. The household dynamic has noticeably shifted since my wings made their appearance.

Reading my downcast expression, my mother suddenly proposes, "How about we try learning some magic tomorrow?" She knows how to pique my curiosity. Magic. It's something that I've never attempted to control. My cultivation effects did cultivate magic veins, but I have never delved into this phenomenon before.

Animated by the prospect, I respond gleefully, "Yes, yes, yes!"

As the night deepens, my mother and I engage in comfortable chatter until sleep's gentle embrace claims us.

By morning, I find myself in the library alongside my mother, strangely accompanied by Aunt Soya.

"Greetings, my lady and young lady," Aunt Soya addresses us, wearing a warm smile.

"Hello, Aunt Soya," I respond cheerily.

With an affectionate glance my way, my mother comments, "Look at our happy girl." According to her stories, Aunt Soya is a celebrated magician from our country, with a knack for dressmaking. She also happens to be my mother's best friend, and she's going to teach me magic today.

"For the coming months, I'll be your magic tutor," Aunt Soya declares. She produces a translucent sphere from somewhere, "This orb is a tool to discover your mana's affinity," she explains before I can even question its purpose.

"I'm attuned to wind magic and while most people only possess a single affinity, having multiple ones is incredibly rare," she continues her explanation.

I simply nod, my eyes radiating pure enthusiasm.

"Now, let's proceed. Place your hand on the orb, and it will begin absorbing your mana," she resumes her instruction.

As soon as I place my hand on the orb, it emanates an alluring light. I can gradually feel the energy from my newly formed vein being siphoned off, leaving me feeling drained and sluggish.

"Stop, you can remove your hand from the orb now," Aunt Soya warns me.

As I retract my hand, fighting the fatigue, the orb begins to display a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Hmmm, it seems that your mana reservoir is slightly below average for your age," she observes.

At her stark assessment, my face falls, but she quickly adds, "Don't worry, you still have until adulthood for it to mature." It appears I need to train rigorously to boost my mana reserves.

She then scrutinizes the orb intently, taking note of the varied colors it exhibits - white, black, and an array of red hues, ranging from blood-red to fiery red.

"Intriguing, it appears you're a rarity," she concludes.

"There are five types of mana here," she declares, her face registering surprise.

Wait, five? But there are only four colors. "There is light and dark. Both seem to dominate the other forms."

"The remaining types are fire and blood," Aunt Soya continues her explanation.

"Although there is another type present, it's undocumented. It appears transparent and minuscule," she points out something that I overlooked.

Bewildered, I'm not sure what to make of this revelation. Diving deeper into it doesn't seem necessary.

"Perhaps it's Aether, the purest form of mana. I honestly need to conduct more research to confirm this," Aunt Soya muses, her eyes still wide with surprise.

"Before we start with magical training, you need to familiarize yourself with mathematics and body physiology," she adds, producing several extremely thick books, each seeming to be nearly 30cm in thickness.

Magic isn't as I initially imagined. It's certainly not about chanting incantations and conjuring something out of thin air. As this realization dawns on me, I can't help but chuckle.

"Now, before we proceed, shall we start with mathematics?" my tutor proposes enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming behind her spectacles.

However, just as I am about to nod in agreement, an unexpected interruption startles us. There's a loud bang as if a gale has blown our serene atmosphere apart. The room's door is thrown wide open, causing the ancient wood to creak in protest.

"No! Absolutely not. I will not allow this!" a familiar, indignant voice echoes in the room.

In the doorway stands my Aunt Claire, panting slightly as if she has run a marathon to get to us. Her hair is disheveled, her eyes ablaze with determination and a dash of frustration. My tutor looks startled, but she recovers quickly, blinking in surprise at my aunt's dramatic entrance.

"I shall be the one to teach her!" Aunt Claire declares defiantly, pointing an accusing finger at my bewildered tutor.

Aunt Claire seems to be late to the news of my new training regiment, and her reaction is nothing short of comical. My lips curl up into a smirk as I fight back laughter at her antics. Her energy is infectious, waking me from any lingering sleepiness . This day is turning out to be far more entertaining than I initially imagined.