I woke up that day thinking it would be just another calm morning in Vailor. The festival was already over, work was flowing, and for the first time in weeks, I felt that the world was… quiet. Not quiet in a bad way — but in a comfortable way.
I got up, stretched, and walked into the living room. Vespera was sprawled on the couch, cleaning her bow with the utmost seriousness, despite still missing half of her shots. Liriel was upside down on the carpet, trying to meditate. Or at least pretending to.
I looked around. Something was off.
Or rather — someone was off.
"Hey… where's Elara?" I asked.
Vespera lifted her head. "Huh? I thought she was with you."
"With me? Elara barely looks in my direction in the morning. She complains that my energy messes with her mana."
Liriel raised a delicate finger. "I saw her leaving early. Very early. Before the sun rose."
That sent a chill through me. Elara didn't do anything "very early." She only woke up early when she needed to train control — and lately her mana had been… awful. It ran out too fast, collapsed, became unstable. She always seemed tired.
"Did you try talking to her?" I asked.
"I knocked on her bedroom door," Vespera said, "but she didn't answer. I thought she was focused."
That really started to bother me.
"Alright. I'll look for her."
I left the house, and the soft morning light of Vailor illuminated the streets. The city was calm. Merchants were setting up their stalls, adventurers were coming and going from the guild, children ran around with freshly baked bread in their hands. Everything was normal.
But none of it eased the strange feeling in my chest.
I went to the guild first. No one had seen Elara since yesterday. Then I went to the tavern — nothing. I went to the potion shop where she usually bought components — no one remembered her passing by.
"This isn't right…" I murmured.
I knew Elara.
She would never disappear without saying anything.
When I finally started to panic, I decided to try something I hadn't done in a long time: I focused on the flame.
I took a deep breath and let the heat rise through my arm, igniting like an internal beacon. The flame reacted sharply — as if it had sensed something. It pulled, gently, like a vibrating compass.
"So she's… close?" I whispered.
I followed that feeling. It wasn't an exact direction, but an… intention. A soft pressure in my chest. I passed through the central square, the smaller alleys, and ended up stopping near the northern edge of Vailor, where the trees start to grow denser.
"Elara?" I called.
Nothing.
The flame vibrated more strongly.
I pushed through the bushes and entered the grove. The trail was far too silent. No wind, no birds, nothing. I kept moving forward until I found something on the ground: a small pouch of magical components. It was Elara's.
My heart raced.
"Elara!"
I ran.
And then I saw her.
She was lying near a thick tree, leaning against the trunk, breathing shallowly and irregularly. Her eyes were half-open, and her skin looked far too pale.
"Elara!" I knelt beside her. "Hey! Look at me!"
She opened her eyes slowly. "T-Takumi…"
"Are you okay? What happened?"
"My mana… it just… collapsed. Again." She tried to smile, but her expression fell apart. "I thought it would just be a walk to clear my head. But I passed out before I could make it back."
I gently held her shoulder. "Why did you go out alone?"
"I didn't want to worry anyone."
"That's exactly why you should have told us."
She looked away, stubborn as always. "I can handle it."
"Elara," I took a deep breath, "you literally passed out in the middle of the forest. That's not 'handling it.'"
She bit her lip, not answering.
I picked up her pouch and helped her to her feet. She leaned on my arm in a way that made one thing very clear: she was much weaker than she let on.
"Let's go back," I said.
"Takumi… I'm sorry."
"I don't want an apology. I just want you alive."
She blushed slightly — but closed her eyes, too tired to argue.
I carried her back along the trail while the flame, strangely, remained restless. As if it were trying to understand her mana collapse. As if there were something… bigger… behind it.
When we got home, Vespera and Liriel rushed over.
"Elara!" Vespera nearly tripped over her own feet. "What happened? You're white! Whiter than usual!"
Liriel tilted her head. "You are… drained."
Elara forced a smile. "It was just a collapse. It'll pass soon."
"'Just'?" Vespera repeated indignantly. "You have to stop acting like you're strong all the time!"
"I am strong."
"Sure," Vespera crossed her arms, "until your mana decides otherwise."
I sighed. They were going to argue, I knew it. But before they started, I placed my hand on both of their shoulders.
"We can argue with her later. Right now, the important thing is for her to rest."
Elara looked at me as if she didn't know whether she should thank me or complain.
I walked her to her room and let her lie down. She took a deep breath, seeming to finally relax.
"Takumi… were you really worried?" she asked softly.
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Elara, you're part of the group. I—"
I realized I was saying more than I should.
"I didn't want to see you collapsed in the middle of the grove," I corrected. "That's all."
She smiled softly. "Thank you… truly."
I left the room when she closed her eyes to sleep. I closed the door gently.
Vespera and Liriel were in the living room.
"So?" Vespera asked.
"She's not well," I replied. "Her mana is collapsing faster than it should. That's not normal."
Liriel touched her chin. "Repeated collapses can mean several things… from overuse to external influence."
"External influence?" I asked.
"Someone's energy," Liriel said. "Or something say. Mana speaks with the world around it."
That sent a chill through me.
And the flame inside me burned lightly — as if it were listening too.
"If something is affecting Elara… we need to find out," I said.
And for the first time in that light arc…
I felt that the tranquility was beginning to break.