Ten Years of Training

Kieran raised his hands, fingers weaving intricate patterns through the air. Energy rippled from his body as a glowing circle appeared beneath their feet, expanding outward in a radiant wave. Lunette gasped as the world around them seemed to blur and shift. In an instant, the two were standing in an endless field of soft, swaying grass under a sky with no sun or clouds—just a vast expanse of glowing light.

"Is this... magic?" Lunette whispered, turning in place to take it all in.

Kieran smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Welcome to my domain expansion. Time won't pass here, so we've got all the time in the world to train."

Lunette narrowed her eyes, a sly grin creeping onto her face. "He really is like Gojo," she thought, her mind flashing to the anime she vaguely remembered. But she kept the thought to herself.

"You're a pro," she said instead, her tone admiring but teasing.

Kieran gave an exaggerated bow. "Why, thank you. I do try." Then, with a snap of his fingers, he straightened up, his expression turning serious. "Now, let's get down to business. First, we need to figure out your origin."

Lunette tilted her head, intrigued. "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

"Simple," Kieran said, his voice calm but purposeful. "You're going to manifest your mana and let it flow outside your body. The color of your mana will reveal your origin."

"What kind of colors are we talking about?" Lunette asked, crossing her arms.

"Blue for mer-specie, red for humans, green for angels, and purple for shapeshifters. Each species has its own distinctive color. It's like a fingerprint for mana," Kieran explained.

Lunette nodded, trying to focus. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling for the energy Kieran had mentioned. At first, there was nothing—just the sound of the grass rustling in the breeze.

"Relax," Kieran said, his voice steady. "It might take a few tries. Imagine the mana inside you as a flowing river. Let it come to the surface."

On her fifth attempt, something clicked. A warm, radiant energy surged through her body, and she felt it pooling in her hands. Slowly, she opened her eyes—and gasped.

"Kieran... there's a problem," she said, staring at the shimmering light surrounding her.

Kieran frowned, stepping closer. "What kind of problem?"

"My mana... it's not blue, red, green, or purple." She hesitated, holding her hands up. "It's... golden."

For a moment, Kieran was silent, his eyes wide with disbelief. Then, a grin spread across his face—a wild, almost manic grin that made Lunette take a cautious step back.

"Hahahaha! You're a diamond in disguise!" Kieran exclaimed, his voice echoing through the endless field. He looked at her as if she were the most valuable treasure he'd ever seen. "A miracle! A phenomenon! I've found the impossible!"

"Um... should I be worried?" Lunette asked, eyeing him warily.

Kieran ignored her, pacing back and forth like a mad scientist whose experiment had just succeeded. "Golden mana... This changes everything! Do you have any idea how rare this is? A being with golden mana is born maybe once in two hundred centuries, if that!"

"So... what does it mean?" Lunette asked, still not sure if she should be excited or terrified.

Kieran stopped pacing and turned to her, his expression a mix of awe and excitement. "It means you're a mixture of all four species. Mer-specie, human, angel, shapeshifter—you're a combination of them all. Your existence defies explanation. You're beyond anything this world has ever seen."

Lunette stared at him, her mind racing. A mixture of all four species? Her thoughts flickered back to her parents. They had never told her much about their origins, only that they weren't entirely human. Had they known? Was this why she had been targeted and dragged to that lab?

"So... I'm special?" she asked, her voice small.

"Special doesn't even begin to cover it," Kieran said, his tone suddenly serious. "You're an anomaly, Lunette. A golden anomaly. Your power isn't just unique—it's limitless. And that's why you need to learn to control it. Because if anyone finds out what you are..."

"They'll come after me," Lunette finished, her voice trembling.

Kieran nodded, his expression grim. "Exactly. There are people in this world who would do anything to harness your power. Some would try to use you, others would try to destroy you, and a few would see you as a threat to the balance of the entire kingdom."

Lunette swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. "So... what do we do?"

"We train," Kieran said, his voice firm. "And we keep your true nature a secret. For now, you're just my adopted son. No one else needs to know about the golden mana."

Lunette nodded, determination flickering in her eyes. She didn't fully understand what she was or what her powers could do, but one thing was clear—if she was going to survive in this world, she needed to be strong.

"Alright," she said, her voice steady. "Let's do this."

Kieran grinned, clapping her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit. Now, let's see what you can really do."

The next ten years passed in a blur of endless training, discovery, and growth. Lunette's days were filled with sweat and exertion, with Kieran pushing her limits and constantly testing her newfound powers. It was overwhelming at first—her body constantly adjusting to the overwhelming surge of energy as she honed the ability to wield not just one, but all four elemental powers. But as time went on, Lunette began to adapt.

The first surprise came when she was able to use all four elements: water, earth, air, and fire. Each power felt distinct, each had its own way of moving within her body, but it was as though they had always been there, waiting for her to unlock them. She would summon great torrents of water when she was near the ocean, stir up tornado-like gusts of air with a simple wave of her hand, create swirling flames that danced in the air, and form solid walls of earth to protect herself.

But the true shock came when she started discovering their derivatives:

Lava from fire and earth, light from air and fire, plant manipulation from earth and water, and even the ability to manipulate ice. It was unheard of. It shouldn't have been possible. Yet, there she was, controlling all of it.

"You're a walking natural disaster," Kieran had said one day, laughing as Lunette accidentally turned a small rock into molten lava with a single thought.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Lunette had protested, horrified as the ground beneath her cracked and sizzled.

Kieran chuckled, his eyes sparkling with pride. "You've got potential, kid. Just be careful where you practice."

It was clear that Kieran was astounded, though he kept a light-hearted attitude about it. He had spent decades studying magical beings, but even he had never seen anything like Lunette's powers. No one had.

Their training didn't take place entirely in Kieran's domain, of course. They spent enough time there to hone her skills, to keep the world outside at bay while she focused on mastering her powers, but they also returned to the real world every day.

And every day, Lunette learned something new. Whether it was the subtle differences between controlling water and manipulating ice or the intricacies of summoning fire without burning herself, each moment was a lesson.

But there was also time for fun. Kieran was an excellent teacher, but he was also a jolly, sarcastic mentor who liked to spoil his pupil. He wasn't just the strict teacher in the field; he was the loving, fun father figure who took Lunette to various restaurants, exploring new cuisines in each town they visited. They'd eat ice cream on the street, laughing like a pair of carefree wanderers. Lunette even grew to enjoy the quiet moments—those rare days where Kieran allowed them to rest, when they would simply wander the city, shopping, eating, and people-watching.

They were a strange duo—father and daughter in spirit, if not by blood. Their bond deepened with each passing year, and Lunette's appreciation for Kieran grew. Not only was he her teacher, but he had become her family in a way she hadn't even known she needed.

In the outside world, Lunette's appearance also began to change. Her features grew to reflect the characteristics of all four species, giving her an exotic, otherworldly appearance that only added to the mystery of her golden mana.

Her ears grew pointed like a shapeshifter's, sharp and elongated, a subtle yet constant reminder of the earth element coursing through her veins. Beneath her eyes, a small tattoo formed—a symbol of her shapeshifter lineage, though it was delicate, barely noticeable to those who weren't looking closely.

Her wings—large and elegant—began to sprout from her back, soft feathers unfurling with an ethereal glow whenever she chose to summon them. Kieran had taught her to control them, to fold them up at will so they wouldn't get in her way, but she was still learning how to fly properly.

Her legs, too, began to reflect her mer-specie heritage. Scales formed across her calves, iridescent and shimmering in the sunlight, like the ocean itself. It was a beautiful sight, though she often wore long skirts to hide them, knowing that her appearance might draw unwanted attention.

The most notable transformation occurred whenever she entered the water. Lunette had always been drawn to the ocean, and whenever she stepped into the waves, a long, sinuous tail would sprout from the base of her spine. It was a sight to behold—powerful and sleek, covered in shimmering scales, much like the ones on her legs.

"Getting a tail? Seriously?" Kieran had said, grinning as Lunette twirled in the water. "You really are the best of all worlds, huh?"

Lunette had only laughed, though there was a part of her that still felt odd about it. She was a blend of so many different beings, yet she still felt like an outsider—always different, always out of place.

But Kieran never made her feel like she didn't belong. He constantly reminded her of her worth, even when she doubted herself.

As the years passed, Lunette grew more confident in herself. Her powers were immense, but she had learned to control them, to wield them with precision. She could summon water to cool her skin when the heat of the sun became unbearable, create gentle breezes to relax in, and manipulate the earth to create intricate patterns and structures.

She could even use her powers for more subtle things—like making plants grow at will, manipulating light to create illusions, or controlling the temperature of a room with a flick of her finger.

But she had not forgotten Kieran's words. She was an anomaly, and anomalies were always hunted.

By the time she was 15, Lunette knew that her training was far from over. There were still so many things to learn, so much to discover about her powers and herself. But in those ten years, she had come to understand one thing: she was not a mere girl anymore. She was a force—a force that would change the fate of the kingdom.

And, as she continued her training, Lunette knew that the time was coming when she would have to decide what she wanted to do with the power that now flowed within her veins. But for now, she was content to enjoy her training and the strange, jolly life she had with Kieran. They had become more than just mentor and student—they were a family, a team, and together, they were unstoppable.