After that intense moment of awakening, filled with deep emotions, Érikan slowly moved away from his parents. He was still wrapped in the lingering shivers of the fire that had just been born within him. The room was bathed in a soft light, as if the very walls were holding their breath.
Stella's eyes were still moist, but her smile was radiant. One of those smiles that could light up an entire kingdom. Her features were glowing, and in her gaze shone sincere pride.
— My darling, she said, approaching him, now that your awakening is complete, let me teach you a universal mana gathering technique. Sit down first, and relax.
Gaël, ever silent, remained in the background. Watching. To him, it was obvious—no voice surpassed his wife's when it came to teaching.
Érikan sat in lotus position. The wooden floor beneath him was still slightly warm, pulsing gently, marked by the recent awakening. Stella knelt behind him, gently placing both hands on his back.
— Begin by visualizing the mana around you, she said calmly. Try to draw it into your core. The goal is to form your star. Take your time.
Érikan closed his eyes, breathing slowly. Almost immediately, he felt the mana converging around him. Fluid. Natural. Obedient. As if it recognized his essence.
That surprised Stella. Few awakened, even among the most gifted, managed to attract mana with such ease. She tried to guide him, but he had already forged his own path.
Érikan visualized a core... similar to an atom.
"An atom isn't just a simple ball," he thought. "It has a complex quantum structure. Electrons orbit within zones of probability—called orbitals. And these orbitals can hybridize. Take on specific forms."
And then an idea sparked.
Instead of forming a star through traditional paths, he would create his own structure. An atomic structure adapted to his mana.
He remembered what he knew:
An atomic combination releases energy when stable (an exothermic reaction).
Stability requires a balanced structure.
A fire needs fuel (his emotions), an oxidizer (ambient mana), and activation heat (his determination).
When Stella tried to gently correct him, she felt something.
The core he was forming… was not ordinary. A star was indeed forming—but connected by layers, like concentric orbitals. Lines of energy linked them.
Mana flowed through the structure with both fluidity and precision. With logic. Like a living atomic system. It pulsed. It vibrated. It resonated.
Gaël had moved closer, silently alert. He was stunned. What he sensed was equivalent to a three-star awakened… just minutes after first touching mana.
Stella, deep inside, trembled.
"He dares say he's no prodigy... But his affinity with mana rivals that of a royal elf, or a child blessed by the Great Families."
She smiled, her eyes shining.
— Bravo, Érikan... You've done the hardest part. I'm proud of you.
She slowly stood up, now facing her son.
— Now that you've formed your star, it's time to begin your training. Being awakened doesn't stop at mana control. You've surely felt it—mana affects your body. To fully use it, you'll also need to strengthen your physique.
She turned toward Gaël.
— The Sentinels will take charge of your physical and martial training. I'll teach you mana manipulation. And your father… he'll help you with the fire element. He's quite skilled.
She winked at Gaël with a knowing smile.
— What do you say, chief?
Gaël gave a small shrug.
— You're the boss, honey, he replied, laconic, but with a slight grin.
Érikan, wide-eyed and gleaming with curiosity, nodded eagerly.
— Yes! I'm ready. I want to grow stronger!
He didn't yet know… that the path would be long. Hard. Unforgiving. But what he did know, in that precise moment, was that for the first time in his two lives…
He had the right to exist.
The fire still danced gently in the hearth, casting warm shadows on the stone walls. The air was calm, filled with a strange peace after the intensity of Érikan's awakening. Mana, usually omnipresent, seemed to have stepped back… making space for something more sacred — a moment between mother and son.
Stella approached slowly, her gaze still moist, but her face serene. In the hollow of her palm, she held a small, shining object — a silver ring, smooth and unadorned, but exuding a strange vibration. Subtle. Ancient. Powerful.
She extended her hand toward Érikan.
— Take it, she said gently, almost solemnly.— And never lose it.
The boy reached out, curious. The ring seemed to recognize him: the moment it touched his skin, it reshaped itself, adjusting perfectly to his finger—as if it had always belonged there. A shiver ran through him.
— With this, continued Stella in a grave tone, it will be nearly impossible to detect your elemental affinity… even with time.
Érikan frowned. His heart pounded.
— But… mom…He looked at the ring, glittering softly in the light.— An artifact like this… where did it come from?
And then, another thought struck him.
Since his awakening, he perceived mana with a newfound sharpness. Everything vibrated—walls, objects, living beings. Everything was touched by energy.
Everything… except his parents.
A void.
Or rather… a veil.
An absence too precise to be natural. With Stella, the humble herbalist, and Gaël, the stoic blacksmith, their mana auras seemed absorbed, masked, hidden.
That was not normal. Not in a world where even stones wept mana.
He stared at his mother. Then at his father. Now, with his awakened senses, he understood what they had been hiding:
They were not who they appeared to be.
— Are you listening? asked Stella softly, interrupting his thoughts.
He snapped out of it, slightly embarrassed.
— Yes… sorry. Thank you, Mom.
He lowered his gaze to the ring.
— I promise I'll never part with it.
A tender smile curved Stella's lips. Her eyes, still red with emotion, narrowed gently.
— I know, she whispered.
From the shadowed corner of the room, Gaël observed the exchange. As always, silent. But his eyes said everything: contained affection, quiet strength. A fire, smoldering calmly.
Érikan felt that gaze. And in that instant, he stopped questioning. Yes, he had doubts. Questions. But deep down… he trusted them. Completely.
They would tell him everything. In time.
He nodded slightly, reassuring himself.
— You're done, my son, Gaël finally said, his voice deep and steady.— Go get ready. We'll go see the Sentinels.
— Yes, Father, Érikan replied with a quiet breath.
He stood up. A slight dizziness swept over him, but he blinked it away. He exited the room, his footsteps muffled on the warm stone tiles.
In His Room
Silence embraced him again. A gentle, soothing silence. Sunlight filtered through half-open shutters. He undressed slowly, peeling off the sweat-soaked garments from his awakening.
He looked at himself in the mirror.
His torso still glistened. His body hadn't grown taller or more muscular… but something vibrated beneath the surface. An energy. A warmth.
Impurities… he thought.
He had read about this: after awakening, the body naturally expelled wastes, as if mana sought a new home—a new balance.
He touched his chest, where he felt the star formed. It was barely perceptible… but it was there. A constant warmth, like a star nestled deep inside. A star he had shaped himself — according to a unique atomic structure.
He closed his eyes.
Breathed.
And smiled.
— I'm ready.