Maxi and Angelina went up the stairs into the hallways of the main castle. They passed through various corners until they finally reached the downward spiraling entrance of the castle's main library.
"Down we go," Maxi said happily. "To my happy place."
Angelina sighed. "Some happy place you have."
Maxi waved off Angelina's snarky comment. He was far too enthralled by the new scent of the library to care.
The smell hit him before they even reached the spiraling slope of stairs.
The scent of fresh fruit struck him like a wave, carrying him with every step. His sweat and stress seemed to fall away, burying him deeper in bliss. The final nail in the coffin was the faint trace of roasted cinnamon.
Angelina just stared as Maxi floated on cloud nine.
"Young master," she sighed, "didn't you come here yesterday?"
"It's not the same," Maxi muttered, closing his eyes in pure delight.
Angelina facepalmed. "How is it different?"
Maxi shrugged. "It just is."
Angelina sighed again. "Young master, I will never understand you."
Maxi smiled inwardly and thought, (No one ever will.)
At last, Maxi pulled himself out of his blissful trance as they reached the center of the library. There, they found Colen sitting in the middle.
Colen was dressed differently than usual. For him, it was strange, though he still looked as handsome as ever. He wore a white button-up shirt, his blazer draped across the back of his chair, and dark blue pants.
He sat at a wooden table, tapping his fingers in a steady rhythm as he read.
Maxi blinked in surprise. This was the first time he had seen Colen without a second layer covering his body — just a simple button-up shirt.
Well, this is new, Maxi thought, smiling slightly.
"Hello, big brother Colen," Maxi said.
Colen's cold eyes lifted slowly from his book. "Hello, Maxi. So you finally arrived."
"Yep," Maxi nodded. "And I'm ready to learn about magic."
Colen lowered his eyes back to his book. "Do you want to learn about magic, or how to use magic?"
"What's the difference?" Maxi asked.
For a brief moment, something almost resembling a reaction crossed Colen's face. He closed the book and set it down.
"To be honest, there is none. Learning about it just helps you understand how to use it." His voice was as cold as ever.
"Then can I learn about magic first?" Maxi asked.
Colen nodded. "Magic — or rather, mana — the substance we use to perform magic, doesn't originate from here. Or rather, not from this dimension. It originates from the Earthly Realm, but in another dimension. The mana we use isn't pure; it goes through many processes before reaching us. Do you want me to explain them all now or break it up over time?"
"Whichever one will let me use magic as soon as possible," Maxi said quickly. He wasn't going to let his obsession with details hold him back. He was already behind in his blessing training — unable to awaken his blessing until he turned thirteen — so this was his best shot at getting stronger.
Colen studied him for a long moment, then nodded.
"Alright. All you need to know for now is this: when humans use magic, we integrate ourselves with the nature of mana. Think of it like traveling to a new country. At first, the air, the environment, everything feels foreign. But after months and years, you adjust. You grow familiar. Eventually, you're able to do things there with confidence that you couldn't do before. That's essentially how magic works. To put it simply: our magic is exploration. Not just surface-level, but deep — until you can do in that unexplored place what you could never do here."
Maxi blinked and nodded. "The analogy is good, but overall it's confusing."
Colen scoffed. "Don't get me started. It's a nonsense concept, but it makes more sense if you try it yourself."
"Sure," Maxi said.
Colen gave him a slightly annoyed look.
Maxi smiled awkwardly. "Sorry."
Colen shook his head. "Anyway, if you truly want to use magic, then try it."
Maxi looked at his hands. "How?"
Colen sighed, and Maxi shivered as the cold in his brother's voice hit him like steel. "Just watch."
Colen flicked his fingers. His breath swirled, condensed, and froze into a snowflake the size of a fingertip.
He flicked the snowflake at Maxi. It struck the left side of Maxi's chest, sending a wave of icy pain through him.
Maxi grits his teeth, forcing himself to endure. "What next?"
"Visualize a key at your core," Colen said, his voice cutting like ice. "Then imagine turning the key."
Maxi nodded, the cold making it hard to focus. Still, he managed to sense his core. It was like locating his own heart without touching it. Slowly, he pictured it as a key — cylindrical with an ornate tail.
When he imagined turning it, nothing happened at first. Then suddenly, everything rushed in like a tidal wave.
Heat and dryness. Thirst and hydration. Electricity and crushing gravity. He felt lifted and stretched, boiled and frozen, all at once. His body shook as if he had walked into a new world and was being assaulted by everything it had to offer.
It was too much.
His brain screamed from the overload. Then Colen's voice cut through, cold as steel:
"Focus on your hands. Put everything into your hands."
Maxi blinked, blinded by colors, then squeezed his eyes shut. He forced himself to focus. Breathing was hard — every new sensation made it harder — but struggling to breathe was nothing new to him. He had been in this cursed castle too long.
Through sheer will, he pulled the sensations from his body into his hands. One by one, they flowed, leaving behind emptiness as they gathered in his palms.
Finally, trembling and drained, Maxi managed it.
"Now," Colen's voice came again, "assign each sensation a symbol or shape you can easily imagine. This is important — each must be something you'll always remember."
Maxi breathed in and out, starting with overwhelming heat. He chose something simple: a matchstick struck against the air, igniting with a spark.
For cold, he imagined an ice cube. For wind, a spinning propeller. For water, a lone fish in a bowl. For lightning, a lightning rod. For gravity, a space helmet reflecting stars. For negative gravity, a broken helmet sucking in endless blackness.
"I'm done with the ones I know," Maxi muttered.
"That's good enough," Colen said. "You'll recognize the others in time. Now, push each sensation through your palms and transform them into their symbols."
Maxi obeyed. Slowly, painfully, he forced each sensation outward. His palms trembled as fire melted ice, ice became water, water shifted into vapor and wind, wind stirred an atmosphere, and gravity pulled both ways.
It was beautiful — nature itself condensed into his hands.
Maxi stared in awe. Geography had always fascinated him, and this was like watching creation unfold.
But it wasn't perfect. The feeling of dirt and stone was drowned out by the other sensations, and lightning refused to manifest directly — though he sensed its presence within the fire.
Still, it was magic. Real magic.
"You've got the basics," Colen said at last. "Now lock it away. Turn the key back to its original position, specifically keep turning in the direction you opened it."
Maxi did as told. The sensations vanished, leaving him feeling like he had returned home after a long, unwanted journey.
He sighed with relief. "Well, that was an interesting experience."
Colen shook his head. "That was only the beginning. All you did was mark a magic element so you can use it more efficiently. You still have to learn how to actually wield it."
Maxi nodded. "I've got two questions."
Colen nodded. "Ask away."
Maxi took a deep breath. "Okay, am I some kind of magic protégé because I am filled with the… dilution that I may be — or rather hope to be — a protégé in magic, since I'm behind in blessing?"
Colen looked at him, almost amused at his self-awareness. "I wouldn't call you a protégé, but you are naturally skilled, probably because of your mother. Magic takes a long time to master because we have to adapt to it. We've invented ways to accelerate that adaptation, but no matter how hard we try, it still takes a long time."
"How long?" Maxi asked.
"About a hundred years," Colen said. "Which may sound small, but back then, we didn't have gods' blessings to extend our lifespans. It was detrimental. The only mages who knew how to use magic were old, wise men who dedicated their entire lives to mastering even what you just did."
"Wait… so the gods are the ones who give us our long lifespans?" Maxi asked, perplexed.
Colen nodded.
Maxi thought for a moment. "So, do we get the long lifespan when we are blessed, or when we awaken our blessings?"
"Both," Colen replied. "Being blessed doubles your lifespan. Awakening your blessing boosts it even further — up to ten thousand years."
Maxi nodded. "So what was the original human lifespan?"
"Roughly a hundred years," Colen said coldly.
Maxi nodded again.
Colen cleared his throat. "But back to the point: it took a long time until Tony came along. His profound genius in magic brought countless advancements. Some of his theories and laws are still too complex for us to fully understand today. He made the main methods we use today possible — imaginative adaptation. Essentially, Tony adapted and improved faster than anyone else, whatever he was interested in. After building the Blossoming Kingdom, he taught his children magic. They weren't as powerful as Tony, but they were strong enough to understand his teachings and pass them on. They couldn't teach everything because Tony kept discovering new forms of magic. Eventually, the potency of our dimension's mana restricted him, so he went to other dimensions to find new ways to use magic."
Maxi blinked. "So… is Tony still alive?"
"Yes," Colen said.
Maxi was shocked. "What?"
Colen sighed as Maxi cried silently inside at the coldness of his sigh. "Apparently, he discovered a spell for immortality, among others."
Colen rubbed his head, clearly annoyed at the absurdity of it all.
Maxi chuckled slightly, recognizing the feeling all too well.
Colen continued, "Tony's method is about entering the world of mana and adapting, like an animal being forced to survive in a new habitat. This resonates with humans, especially those from our bloodline. Our bodies naturally adapt and survive, which leads me to the core — our magic core. Not the stomach core, though that's involved. The core is born through adaptation. When you are first born, it's fragile and sensitive to allow better connection to mana. Even the season you are born affects your elemental affinity."
Maxi nodded. "Tengen told me about that already, and also how magic adapts with you, which makes a lot more sense now… well, somewhat."
Colen nodded. "Good that he did his job for once — probably just the bare minimum. But anyway, to answer your question: nowadays, with Tony's method, a normal person takes about twelve years to learn all types of magic. Some special individuals can do it in one or two years. Your mother could learn and use magic within a month. Even then, she isn't a protégé. A true protégé could learn and use magic in a day, or at most a week. You're like your mother, but less extreme. You're above average — you should hypothetically be able to learn magic in three months. So no, you're not a protégé, but you are above average."
"Oh… okay, at least I'm above average," Maxi sighed.
Colen nodded. "We got way too sidetracked."
Maxi nodded. "Yep."
Colen said, "Anyway, we're finished here. You can go now. I'll break everything down and explain it slowly over time."
Maxi bowed. "Thank you, big brother and teacher, Colen."
Colen waved him off. "No need for flattery. 'Big brother' is just fine, Maxi."
Maxi nodded again, turning to find Angelina sitting on a chair, slowly blinking as if fighting sleep.
He sighed, walked over, and pulled her wolf tail.
Angelina jumped up, holding her tail.
"We are leaving," Maxi said.
Angelina looked at him with a mixture of hate, resentment, and shock. The shock faded, leaving annoyance. She sighed. "Lead the way, young master."
She stood and curtsied toward Colen.
Colen just picked up his book and opened it.
Maxi walked on, Angelina following. They ascended the spiraling stairs back toward the battlegrounds.
When they reached the arena, Maxi and Angelina found Mōkō in the middle.
Maxi breathed in and out as the black gate dissolved into illusory stars. He approached Mōkō.
Mōkō crouched, standing on tiptoe with a devilish grin. "So you finally finished."
Maxi smiled awkwardly and nodded.
Mōkō grinned wider. "Then you better get ready for the training of your life."
Maxi gritted his teeth and smiled awkwardly. "I can't wait."
He endured torturous training, forcing his body to bend in ways that made him scream across the battlegrounds.
Finally, Maxi returned to his small castle. He collapsed on his bed, sighed, and slept — dreaming nothing.
Life continued. He trained in battle styles and learned more about magic, discovering how mana overflows between dimensions. Mana, in its original dimension, spills into others, where it is processed and made bearable. Over time, it reaches his dimension. Maxi gradually learned to use his first spell after three months and began mastering a second spell, with Colen providing guidance for independent practice during his upcoming trip.
The night before the trip, Maxi dragged himself to his room, exhausted.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed a man at his window. A long pink-haired man in a flamboyant suit, wearing pink diamond-rimmed glasses, smiled as the wind lifted his coat.
he spoke in a voice overly cocky not quite like Tengens it had a little bit more craziness, a little bit more flamboyant, a little more elegant, "You're Maxi Bloodheart, right? I don't need an answer — I already know. I just wanted to meet the new great-grandson of Old Man Kan. I still believe he made me do this… Well, it was his final wish, so I may as well. I wonder if someone in this family has found him yet. Oh, that boy, my great-grandson… I knew Aliea was my favorite."
Maxi ground his teeth, indifferent — or too tired to care.
The man laughed. "I guess I got lost in thought. Sorry. I just wanted you to see me. I have nothing else to say. Just tell Aliea her old man said hello."
With that, he disappeared. Maxi fell asleep.
The next day, Maxi woke up, took a bath, and dressed simply since Tengen had warned him not to draw too much attention.
He wore a button-up shirt, a plain black blazer, and black pants. After fixing himself up, he picked up the suitcase he had packed with clothes and slid on his glasses.
Maxi went to the coner of his room, where he placed the book that his mother gave him. Maxi tapped his chin think of what to call the story he had written in it after a few minutes Maxi come up with a name Maxi opened the book skiped a few pages which mainly contained a draft of a story maxi had never finished then Maxi finally reach the story he full finished and wrote on the title of the story Ties Almost Forgot then Maxi writes at the bottom
"Love can make you blind,"
Maxi put the book away in his suitcase
When he opened the door and stepped outside his castle, he saw Tengen waiting for him.
Tengen waved cheerfully. "Hey, Master Maxi!"
Maxi sighed, thinking, (Well… here we go.)
He walked over with his bag in hand. "Hello, Tengen."
Tengen grinned. "Ready for the adventure of your life?"
"I guess. But why did we have to get up this early?" Maxi whined.
"So I could force everyone in your family to wake up early too," Tengen smirked.
"For what?" Maxi asked flatly.
"Fun," Tengen said, grinning wider. "Now come on, let's take a group photo."
Maxi followed him and saw some of his siblings gathered together, along with his mother and Techxin's mom.
His mother rushed up to him and hugged him tightly.
"Hey, Mom," Maxi said, smiling.
"Hello, my sweet angel." Her breath was shaky. "I can't believe I won't see you for so long."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine," Maxi said, kissing her head.
"Well, you'd better be fine, otherwise I'll have your tutor's head."
Tengen chuckled awkwardly. "How about we take the picture before the carriage leaves without me and Maxi?"
His mother sighed. "Okay, fine. I guess he's right."
Maxi walked with Tengen to the back row, only to realize he was too short. Tengen laughed, then picked Maxi up and set him on his flexed muscles, posing dramatically. Maxi couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. He smiled as a magical mechanical bot clicked the picture.
One by one, his siblings wished him good luck—some lazily, others with warmth. Techxin gave him a fist bump. Colen nodded at him.
Snow clung to Maxi, and he gently patted her head.
"I'm proud of you. Sorry i couldn't say it before i was busy with my studies," Snow said softly, melting his heart.
maxi nodded, nearly holding back tears. "It fine. Snow it's fine,"
Dallas and Mōkō both saluted. Techxin's mother patted Maxi's head.
"Good luck on your trip, Maxi, you sweet angel."
"Thanks, Auntie Qill," Maxi replied.
She laughed. "Oh, angel, don't call me Auntie Qill. Baby cousins call me that. You're a little more special. Call me Auntie Aliea."
Maxi blinked, then remembered something. "Oh yeah, some strange guy told me to tell you he said hello."
Her face lit up with surprise. "Wait… did he have pink hair and pink glasses?"
Maxi thought for a moment, then nodded tiredly—he hadn't slept much and barely remembered.
Even so, Auntie Aliea's expression softened, and she hugged him. "You just made my day. Thank you."
"Sure," Maxi said, unsure what else to add.
Finally, Maxi put his things in the carriage. Just as he was about to climb in, Angelina came running up.
She was breathing heavily. "Sorry! I wasn't going to wake up early, but I tried my best. Sorry I'm late!"
Maxi shrugged. "It's fine. We're already done anyway."
"I'm really sorry, young master," Angelina said, bowing her head.
Maxi chuckled, patting her head with a smile. "It's really fine. Come on, lift your head."
Angelina raised her head, nodding as her tail began wagging again.
"By the way… did you want to come with me?" Maxi asked.
Her tail curled around her leg, and guilt flickered in her eyes. She glanced at the ground, hesitated, then said, "No."
Maxi was a little surprised. "You sure?"
She nodded. "I'd rather stay in the castle with Head Maid Ray."
Maxi smiled softly. "Okay. Then make sure to take good care of my mother, alright?"
Angelina returned the smile and nodded.
For a moment, her eyes met Tengen's. His smile sharpened as his eyes glowed red, and as he turned, the glow revealed itself to be a red star.
Maxi climbed on top of the carriage. He let the wind brush past him as he spread his arms out—only for Tengen to suddenly shout, "Master Maxi! Get the spiraling hell off the top of the carriage!"
Maxi muttered an apology and ducked inside. As the carriage started moving, he looked back and saw Angelina, his mother, Techxin, and Auntie Aliea all waving goodbye.
He sighed, then looked forward. The gates opened before him, showing him a great kingdom he had lived in for 7 years but was only now seeing for the first time.
And the only thought that entered his mind was—
I am finally free.