Chapter 18: Healing and Puppeteer
The morning arrived as it always did. The first soft light of dawn spilled through the window, painting thin stripes of gold on the wooden floor. The air held a quiet stillness, broken only by the cheerful chirping of birds outside.
Aiden woke slowly, rubbing his sleepy eyes. His room was calm and tidy. The familiar, clean scent of the morning drifted in through the half-open window. He pushed his blanket aside, got out of bed, and stretched his arms lightly before walking to the washroom.
Standing before the basin, he splashed cold water on his face, washing away the last bits of sleep. His reflection in the mirror looked sharper now—his expression more controlled, more grown-up than before. After washing up, he changed into his usual light training clothes and headed for the kitchen.
Inside, the gentle smell of warm bread and herbs filled the air. His mother, Sara, was already there. Her calm figure moved gracefully as she made breakfast. Jonathan sat at the table, reading something quietly with the same composed look he always had in the mornings.
Aiden smiled softly and greeted them in his usual polite voice. "Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Dad."
Both of them looked up and replied together, their voices blending warmly. "Good morning, dear."
They ate breakfast together. The feeling in the room was peaceful and familiar. The sound of forks and knives and the soft sounds from the stove filled the space. Jonathan glanced at his son now and then with pride. Sara watched him with her same gentle smile that always held both love and high hopes.
A few moments later, when they had finished eating, Sara put her cup down and turned to Aiden. Her tone changed a little—still soft, but now carrying the authority of a teacher.
"Let's go to the garden. We will now begin training in Healing and Puppeteer Mana, so pay close attention. These two elements are trickier than all the others—except for Parasitic Mana."
She paused for a moment before continuing. "That one is the most complicated to learn. It is why there are far fewer parasitic mana cultivators than any other kind." She stopped again briefly. "Okay, now let's go."
Aiden nodded right away, his face serious but eager. "Yes, Mom."
After cleaning up, all three of them walked out to the garden. The morning light had grown stronger, bathing the green grass in a soft glow. Dewdrops sparkled as tiny crystals as a cool breeze brushed past them.
The garden, which had seen so many training sessions before, once again became their place of hard work and growth.
When they reached the center, Sara stopped and turned to face Aiden. Her long hair fluttered a little in the wind as she spoke. Her voice was clear and calm.
"Aiden, do you remember me teaching you how to use Healing Mana? You must have a pure heart, truly wanting to help the injured. You must feel emotions like love, friendship, sympathy, or sorrow."
Aiden nodded without any hesitation. "Yes," he replied honestly.
Sara's eyes softened a little, pleased he still remembered. Then she continued, her tone becoming more like a lesson.
"Healing Mana does not have many uses in a direct fight," she began patiently. "But if it is paired with an element that is good at fighting, it can give great advantages. For example, you can heal yourself during a battle."
"You can heal your friends while fighting. You can even take risks others would not. You can allow yourself to get hurt to land a powerful hit, knowing you can heal yourself right after."
She paused, letting her words sink in before she went on.
"Healing Mana spells are fewer in number compared to combat elements. There are four basic ones: **Direct Healing**, **Group Healing**, **Reverse Healing**, and **Self Healing**."
Her gaze grew sharper as she explained each one.
"Of these four spells, only Reverse Healing can hurt an opponent, because it can make their wounds worse. Self-healing, on the other hand, can make you much harder to defeat. I have already taught you how to use Direct Healing, but you are still too slow. You cannot use it well during combat, so you must improve your casting speed."
Aiden listened with full attention, his eyes never leaving hers.
Sara continued. "After that, you will learn Group Healing. It is less powerful than Direct Healing for one person, but it is extremely useful when fighting in a group. You use it by spreading your mana into the air around your friends and pushing it into their bodies all at once."
She took a breath, then added, "Next is Reverse Healing. You use Reverse Healing by taking control of the mana in the air, or even the mana inside your opponent's body. By doing this, you take away your opponent's natural ability to heal. Their wounds will get worse over time, giving you an advantage in a long fight."
Aiden nodded slowly, understanding the smart thinking behind it.
Sara continued calmly. "After that, you will learn Self Healing. It might sound strange, but to use Self Healing, you must be as selfish as you can be. You must care only about your own body. You must focus completely on yourself, valuing your own life above everything else."
"Once you have that strong feeling, you will create Healing Mana and spread it outside your body, wrapping yourself in it. At higher stages, you will be able to control Healing Mana both inside and outside your body freely."
Her tone was calm but firm. Her words carried both wisdom and command.
Aiden listened quietly, his young face serious. When she finished, he replied softly but with confidence. "Yes, Mom."
Sara's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. She could see he had truly grown.
After a short silence, she continued. "I will not focus on training you in one element at a time anymore. You will have two hours of Healing Mana training and two hours of Puppeteer Mana training every day. Understand?"
Aiden's eyes lit up at her words. He could train in two elements at once! His excitement showed in the small spark in his gaze as he nodded quickly. "Yes, Mom!" he said, his voice bright but still respectful.
Sara nodded back. Then her tone shifted again to a more serious one.
"Now, listen carefully. Puppeteer Mana Cultivators do not fight head-on. They rely on their puppets. They control them to overwhelm their opponents with numbers and smart strategy. At the early stages, they do not have many spells. At Stage One, they can only create puppets and use them in battle. But to control different puppets well, you will need to train your mind."
Her expression hardened a little. Her gaze was sharp and focused.
"You must train your mind so you can make your attacks perfectly together and control your puppets with precision during a fight. This will take time—at least eight months to master. And since you will also be training Healing Mana at the same time, it will take you about a full year to learn both completely."
She paused, studying her son's face. "By that time," she said softly, "you will be almost nine years old. So be ready for a year of hard, mental training."
Aiden's expression became serious once more. His small fists clenched a little as he nodded. "Yes," he replied, his voice steady.
Sara watched him for another moment, then finally gave a small nod of satisfaction. Jonathan, who had been standing silently nearby the whole time, smiled faintly.
He did not interrupt their exchange. Instead, he watched quietly, feeling both admiration and pride. His son was walking a path that few people could even dream of.
After that, Sara began teaching Aiden the basic exercises for focusing his Healing Mana flow. She made him repeat the breathing technique while, at the same time, picturing feelings of warmth, care, and real empathy.
Each breath made his control a little steadier. At first, his Healing Mana wobbled and scattered. But as the hours passed, his flow became smoother.
The air around them shimmered faintly whenever Aiden's concentration grew deep. His mother guided him patiently, correcting his mistakes with calm precision.
When his mana spread too wide, she told him to narrow his focus. When he hesitated, she told him to trust his feelings.
After two hours of Healing Mana training, Aiden's body glistened faintly with sweat. His breathing was steady. His aura felt calm and balanced. He could feel his mana answering him more smoothly than before.
Sara gave a small, approving nod. "Good," she said softly. "Now rest for a few minutes. Then we will begin your Puppeteer Mana training."
Aiden nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He sat down on the grass, breathing slowly. The air was cool and refreshing, carrying the faint smell of blooming flowers.
After a short rest, Sara began explaining the way of Puppeteer Mana once more, making sure he remembered everything. Her words were steady and careful, just like before.
"Remember," she said, "to become a Puppeteer Mana Cultivator, you must think of yourself as the master of whatever you control. Whether it is a wooden doll, a dead animal, or any other object, your mind must be sharp enough to guide it like your own arm or leg. Every movement, every reaction—it all comes from your control. That is why mental strength is everything on this path."
Aiden nodded with determination, memorizing every single word.
Sara gave him one of her small wooden training dolls—the same kind she had used in earlier lessons. "You will start with this," she said calmly. "For now, just focus on putting your mana into it properly and keeping control for longer times. Once you can do that well every time, we will start combat drills."
Aiden held the doll carefully. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and gathered his mana. Then he began to push it into his fingers.
Thin, faintly glowing strings of mana stretched from his fingertips, connecting to the doll. Slowly, the wooden puppet began to twitch. Then it moved clumsily under his control.
Sara watched closely, giving soft instructions now and then. "Too fast—slow your flow. Keep your focus. Feel the connection as if it is part of your own body."
Time flowed quietly as mother and son trained under the rising sun. Hours passed with Aiden focusing hard, failing, and trying again and again until the puppet began to move more naturally.
His precision improved. His mana flow became stable. His eyes shone with a quiet resolve.
As the training ended for the day, Sara smiled faintly. "That is enough for today," she said softly. "We will continue tomorrow."
Aiden bowed his head a little in thanks. "Yes, Mom."
They walked back toward the house as the afternoon sun shone warmly above. A faint breeze brushed through the garden, scattering leaves across the grass.
Aiden's steps were tired but firm—his will was unbroken. He knew this would be a long, difficult journey, but he was ready for it.
That night, the world outside was calm once more. Aiden slept soundly, the faint hum of mana staying around him like a soft, protective whisper.
Author's Note: Aiden is now learning the arts of healing and control, skills that rely on heart and mind, not just raw power. But as he trains his mind to split its focus, what will happen to the darkness stirring below his home—and the strange, dark flicker in his own mana heart? If you want to see how his gentle healing magic clashes with the emerging shadow, make sure to add this story to your Collections!