PART 1
Mother, holding the jar, repeatedly stared at it, lost in thought. Father then said, "I've never seen your mother this concentrated before."
"Give me some space," she said to us as we gathered behind her.
Astraya and I looked toward each other. "Brother, why did you do this, exactly?" she asked.
Of course, I couldn't tell her my real intentions, but I could tell her the easiest truth. "Well, Astraya, I really want to know how good a Khetemu can be."
She then replied, "Oh, I see. I'm also curious." Turning her gaze to Mother, Mother placed the glass jar on the ground, clearing away the grass. She was about to begin, but she was still trying to figure out how it would be possible in her head. This was definitely no easy task. Even with my lack of mana, I could already see three phases she would need to go through to effectively separate all these liquids.
The first would be to Identify each type of liquid. If she was not able to conceptualize each one individually, she would fail before phase two. The second step was to Separate. Instead of waiting for the natural settling of the liquid, she'd use the seal to "pull" similar energies together, which was a way more effective way in this situation. And finally, the third phase would be to Stabilize. Once separated, the seal would form barriers between them, preventing remixing. In practice, she'd etch containment lines on the jar, sealing each layer into its own "band."
Alright, time to begin," she said. The wait was over; it looked like she had figured out a way. She now wanted to explain each step, or at least one of them.
"Honey?" she said.
Father wondered if she meant what was in the jar. "Yes, honey, in the jar, dear?"
"No, I mean you," Mother said.
"Oh, how may I be of help?" he said enthusiastically.
Mother then asked if he could get her some seal paper, as he knew where she hid them. Father energetically rushed indoors to get them.
As we waited for him, Mother then said, "Sealing paper would make this work easier, as I could apply my mana and store them inside. Like I said before, due to the fact that we are a side branch family, our ability to combine seals is very limited. If I were a main branch member, I would have immediately used a likely 'Khetemu of Revelation' to identify the different presences, like I said prior. This is used to unveil hidden truths, detect lies, or reveal concealed things, and it also applies to living and non-living entities. And the one I will currently use is 'Khetemu of Containment' to separate them into distinct layers again, and my seal will then hold my intention coined in a spell."
PART 2
Father was finally back with the seal paper, and Mother then began her chants. From the moment she began the chant, I understood how Mother pulled it off.
Chant:
By the Ashborn word: I divide the tasteful from the tasteless. Let them follow their own nature. Let them repel false mixing.
As Mother's mana affinities flowed into the paper, tiny words filled the paper. Before she applied the seal on the jar, she showed it to all of us. she said. "These are Ashborn words, used primarily for incantations and spells." Without a doubt, these words were from my old world; this was definitely very similar to Latin. "Is that really Latin?" I thought. "The only word I could recognize was insipidum."
Father, ever so curious, asked, "So, this is how the Ashborns create seals? This is quite different from other kingdoms. Why didn't you tell me this, Ashley?"
"Well, it wouldn't have mattered, honey," she replied. "Mana manipulations like this are only available to Ashborn bloodlines. Teaching a non-Ashborn has its consequences, as the seals do have core-destructive capabilities. Many have tried to apply this, especially to their bodies, to either increase mana or change their cores."
"A seal applied to a body isn't just a spell it's a binding formula that manipulates the target's mana flow or life force," she said. "It can store, restrict, or amplify mana. It basically tampers with the person's 'mana core' the system of channels that circulate mana in the body. So, when someone puts a seal directly onto the body, it forces mana to flow in unnatural ways. That disruption is painful, leading to death. It is also a taboo technique that shouldn't be done, as unforeseen spiritual punishments were also a risk."
But all of this information Mother said didn't really bother me, as I was different from the rest. They didn't have my knowledge, and I was sure no one had thought of this approach. I would definitely find a loophole; everything does.
As Mother now applied the seal to the jar, a bright light consumed the jar as it floated in the air. It appeared the transformation was beginning.
"Fingers crossed," Father said, as we all hoped it would work.
A sharp smile hit the side of my lips as the light now no longer blinded us. There it was: a successfully separated mana core. I mean, liquid.
"Mother, you're amazing! You did it!" I said. But props to me for coming up with the idea in the first place.
As everyone held it, it was my turn. The messy, bubbly liquid had found balance within the jar.
Holding on to it, I asked, "Mother, do you mind if I do one last test?"
Without warning, I shook it very aggressively one more last time.
"Wow, I will never doubt the talents of Ashborns, especially you, Mother." The reason was evident: no matter how much I shook the jar, the liquids never mixed, as if they knew their space and limits.
---
I was the happiest person that day, as Mother allowed me and Astraya to keep it in our room. My plan was simple: apply this seal on my body, and I would be able to use mana. "Sweet," I said on my bed after everyone had dinner and we had been tucked in. Astraya was sound asleep while I wanted to apply it now while she was asleep, but the best time to apply it was at the fish pond or somewhere close, in case anything got out of hand. Father had announced he would be leaving for Manyblood in the next three days, as the journey was a long one and took about three months to reach Manyblood's capital, Heartis. This was it; before Father returned, I would make sure I accomplished two things: create a mana beast and awaken my core, as I needed green mana elemental properties to make it fully awakened. As I gently closed my eyes, I went into a deep sleep.