Fractured Strength

The blade manifested and he opened his eyes, taking a closer look at the blades.

'They feel less…. solid.' he thought as a wave of disappointment washed over him and it showed in his expression.

"What's wrong? Are they busted?"

"No! Something's…. different."

Victor's expression shifted slightly, sensing the unease in Kaleb's voice.

"Different… how? Are they weaker somehow?"

"It's more about the way they're interacting with my mana now. Victor, what exactly did you guys do to… 'help' me?"

Victor's expression shifted, and he took a moment before responding as if considering the best way to explain.

"Well, after you lost control… your mana core shattered. So we didn't exactly have much of a choice, kid. To keep you alive, we had to isolate the parts of it that had separated."

Kaleb took this in, his brow furrowed as he let out a slow breath.