A serene night in Carna village. Ethan sat alone in his room. His eye focused on his palm, a green vine writhing along his right hand, a purple flower blooming on its end, right on top of his palm.
"Magic huh?" Ethan muttered.
He feels it clearly, all the mana in the air dancing around him. Every time his heart beat, mana also flowed through. All of these surreal things make him more and more amazed. 'So I was really just a frog inside a well.'
All of his beliefs were shattered today. He cannot deny it anymore; magic is real, and there are so many things that he hasn't seen in this world. Maybe someday he will get to see all the magical creatures that Granny Jenny told him about in her story.
His mind drifted back, unbidden, to the moment everything changed.
The moment Orion touched his shoulders.
The moment he felt the world open.
And before he realized it, his thoughts slipped fully into the memory…
— earlier that afternoon —
Orion's voice echoed in his mind, calm but edged with disbelief.
"Ethan… what you just did shouldn't be possible."
Ethan remembered the old mage kneeling in front of him, eyes wide as they studied the vines blooming from his arms. The children shouted in joy around them, but Orion looked nothing like the cheerful teacher he had been minutes before. Instead, his expression was serious — almost worried.
"Elemental manifestation on the first try… and without guidance…" Orion murmured. "This isn't normal. This is something else."
Ethan could still recall the weight of Orion's hand on his shoulder, grounding him as the flowers slowly wilted and disappeared.
"Listen well, boy. What you awakened just now is rare. Very rare. Even in Valeria, only a handful can touch nature magic like this."
Ethan swallowed, remembering how Orion's eyes narrowed, as if piecing together a puzzle only he could see.
"And more importantly… the mana responded to you as if it already knew you."
The memory faded, pulling Ethan back into the quiet of his room — but the old mage's words kept echoing.
'As if it already knew you.'
'What is happening to me?' Ethan thinks to himself.
Casting magic was never a thing that he ever dream off, currently he's at a crossroad of his life. What should he do now? With the mana flowing in front of his eyes, he knew his life wouldn't be the same anymore.
Well... It's not like his life is normal, escaping a rope, a locked room, and exploring forrest while sleepwalking was never normal.
'Eh? Is it connected? Is my magic awakening connected with my sleepwalking habit? Did something happen to me while I was sleepwalking?'
A bunch of questions suddenly pop into his head.
'No need to think about it, it's best if I take a rest and ask all of my questions and curiosity to Sir Orion tomorrow. After all, he already gave his promise to help me train and control my magic.'
Elsewhere, in a quick-made tent outside Carna Village, three figures stood by a table and were discussing something.
"Impossible! I checked all the research that our kingdom has done all these years, and there's no way someone could awaken elemental magic when they just activated their magic circuit!" A female middle-aged woman in a red mage robe retorted furiously. She is Agis, one of Valeria's court mages and also Orion's pupil.
''Is it really the first time he learn magic, Sir?'' The knight, Sylvester, asks Orion, and confusion is all over his face.
"When I feel his internal circuit, I am certain he would never learn any form of magic. It is still inactive and empty." Orion replied firmly, but his face clearly showed that he was uncertain about Ethan's condition.
"Even if he already has an active circuit, he still has to activate his magical core and learn to convert neutral mana into elemental mana. It even takes me years to learn how to convert mana." Agis gives her experience to the group.
''I know that Agis. But what I saw this afternoon really exceeded all of my understanding. If only you could be there to witness all of that." Orion reply his pupil with a bit dissapointment in his voice.
"No, Master, I'm not doubting what you just experienced! It's just that I know there's something wrong with that boy. For starters, we have to try to awaken the magic circuit of some children in this village. Ah! He has a little sister isn't he? Maybe I should try with her. If any af the kids gave us the same experience, then there's something happening with this village. If it only happen on his sister, then there's something extra in their bloodline. If nothing similar happens, then that means that the boy is special! Uh! Doing a comprehensive, thorough research on such an anomaly will be so thrilling!!! I cannot wait!!!" Agis suddenly changed her expression 180 degrees, from disbelief and confusion to excitement and questionable lust.
"Tch! There she goes, Agis the Unhinged Arcanist. I don't get why you take her as one of your disciples. Especially, why did you choose her to come with us on this expedition? There are more 'normal' court mages that you can choose." Sylvester asks Orion in a clear, doubting expression and disgust. He cannot stand this weird woman.
''Agis is indeed unique, but she is the most knowledgeable among the entire court's mages. Even she has more knowledge of ancient runes than me. And we need that knowledge to solve that problem in the woods." Orion gives his reason to Sylvester.
The two talk while ignoring the grinning Agis with her wild imagination. They conclude that they have to agree with Agis suggestion; they have to solve the first mystery, whether Ethan is the only Anomaly or not.
The night passed quickly, Ethan woke up from his sleep and ran straight to the village center, eager to ask Orion a million questions that had been plaguing his mind the whole night long. He even skipped his breakfast despite his mother's persuasion.
When Ethan arrived at the village center, he saw several kids and some adults gathering while conversing together.
"That's Ethan!!! Ethan!!! They say you learn magic!!! Quick, show us your magic!!!"
"Hey, Ethan, can you also teach us magic?!?"
"Are you stupid? He just learn it, how can you ask him to teach us?"
People are crowding around Ethan, and he can only stand dumbfoundedly around them.
Thankfully, a helping voice came from behind the crowd,
"Enough, all of you, leave the boy alone. Magic its not a plaything, just wait for Sir Orion to guide the kids." The village chief spoke to all of them.
'Phew... Thanks for saving me, chief... But where is Sir Orion' Ethan thinks to himself while looking at the reluctant villagers.
Ethan scanned the crowd again, searching for the tall figure of the old mage.
Just as he was about to ask the village chief, a familiar calm voice came from the other side of the square.
"Good morning, Ethan."
The villagers slowly parted as Orion stepped forward. Behind him stood two other figures.
The first was the knight Ethan had seen yesterday, Sylvester, standing tall in polished armor. His expression was calm, though his eyes quietly studied the young farmer.
The second figure was a woman wearing a crimson mage robe.
Her gaze was already fixed on Ethan.
Not in a hostile way.
But with an intensity that made him slightly uncomfortable.
"Sir Orion!" Ethan quickly walked toward him. "I was looking for you. I have so many questions—"
"I expected as much," Orion said gently. "We will talk soon."
His eyes briefly shifted toward Ethan's right hand.
"You attempted to use magic again last night, didn't you?"
Ethan froze. "…Yes."
The woman in the red robe suddenly leaned forward, her eyes shining with interest.
"You did?" she asked quickly.
Before Ethan could answer, she stepped closer and grabbed his wrist.
"Did the vine appear again? How stable was the mana flow? Did the elemental response weaken or strengthen? Did the flower bloom again?"
Ethan blinked several times. "I… uh…"
Agis lifted his hand slightly, studying it like a rare artifact. "Mmm… fascinating…" A faint shimmer appeared in her eyes as she examined the lingering mana around his palm.
"The residue is still present… and the mana density is unusually high."
Her smile slowly widened. "Oh this is wonderful."
Sylvester quietly rubbed his forehead. "There she goes again."
Orion cleared his throat. "Agis."
She stopped immediately, though her eyes were still locked onto Ethan's hand. "Yes, Master?"
"Release the boy."
Agis clicked her tongue softly but obeyed. "Fine. But he's the most interesting subject we've seen in years."
She crossed her arms, still staring at Ethan like she was trying to peel apart the secrets of his existence.
Orion then turned to Ethan. "Allow me to introduce them properly. This is Sir Sylvester, the knight leading the escort from Valeria."
Sylvester nodded politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ethan."
"And this," Orion continued, "is my disciple, Agis."
Agis gave a small wave without taking her eyes off him. "Court mage. Rune specialist. Researcher of magical anomalies," she said casually.
Then she leaned slightly closer. "And apparently your new problem."
Ethan wasn't sure if that was comforting.
Orion turned toward the villagers gathered around them.
"As I mentioned earlier, we will conduct a magic circuit awakening test for the children of this village."
Excited whispers spread immediately among the crowd.
Magic was something they had only heard about in stories.
"Is it dangerous?" one villager asked nervously.
"Not at all," Orion reassured them. "It is merely a test to see whether a person possesses a magical circuit."
Agis suddenly spoke again. "Though if something strange happens again…"
Her eyes slowly shifted toward Ethan. "…that would be extremely interesting."
Sylvester folded his arms calmly. "I assume Ethan will participate as well?"
"Of course," Orion replied.
Agis nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Multiple tests would be ideal."
Then she suddenly stepped slightly in front of Ethan, addressing the curious villagers.
"However," she said casually, "no one is to bother him while we are conducting the test."
The villagers looked confused.
Agis tilted her head slightly.
"Mana interference would ruin the results."
Then she added quietly, "And I would hate to lose such valuable data."
Ethan wasn't sure if she was protecting him or studying him.
Possibly both.
The village chief stepped forward.
"Very well. Everyone, give them some space."
The crowd reluctantly moved back, forming a wide circle in the center of the square.
Orion planted his staff into the ground. "Let us begin."
Agis leaned slightly toward Ethan again, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Try not to explode."
Ethan stared at her. "…Was that supposed to make me feel better?"
She thought about it for a moment. "No." Then she smiled.
"But if something unusual happens again, I will make sure nothing bad happens to you."
Ethan wasn't sure why…
…but for some reason, that statement felt strangely reassuring.