Valeria woke up early, unusually so, with a vitality she rarely felt, as if a ray of light had suddenly awakened inside her. She rose lightly from her bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out, she found Emilia standing in the room, waiting for her with a gentle smile.
Emilia:
– "Miss, what would you like to wear today?"
Valeria, softly and gently:
– "Choose something suitable for sitting with my parents."
Emilia smiled kindly, bowed slightly, and began preparing her. She dressed Valeria in a knee-length blue dress and combed her long silver hair, which gradually faded into white like threads of snow.
Then Valeria went down to the tea hall. Her parents were sitting there, waiting. As soon as they saw her, their eyes widened in admiration; she looked different, calm, and pure.
Valeria bowed respectfully and sat in front of them. They began a simple but warm conversation. The words were few, but each sentence bridged the distance between them and rebuilt a familial bond they had long missed.
When the session ended, she stood with a graceful bow:
Valeria:
– "Thank you for your time. I will go now to continue my training."
She went up to her room and called out:
Valeria:
– "Emilia!"
The maid quickly entered:
– "Yes, Miss?"
Valeria:
– "What have you done regarding the trainers?"
Emilia:
– "Unfortunately, we haven't found a magic trainer yet… but we did find a very skilled sword trainer. If you wish, he is waiting for you now in the training yard."
Valeria smiled confidently:
– "Good. Bring me my training clothes."
She changed into her training outfit, tied her long hair back, and headed to the training yard. When the trainer saw her, he bowed respectfully:
Trainer:
– "It is an honor to see you, my lady."
She raised her hand slightly as a signal:
– "No need to bow. Stand."
He stood, and she asked him:
– "May I know your name?"
Trainer:
– "I am Ryouhei Arata… thirty-five years old. I have come to lead your sword training."
She smiled lightly:
– "Very well, Ryouhei… let's begin."
Ryouhei started teaching her how to hold the sword, body balance, and footwork. He did not allow her to spar yet, focusing on the basics. The training continued for two and a half hours, and Ryouhei watched in amazement; she was learning at an unnatural speed.
After the training ended, she said goodbye and returned to her room. She changed her clothes and asked Emilia to set up a table for her in the garden.
While walking, Akira's voice whispered inside her mind, heard only by her:
Akira (in her mind):
– "I won't sit idle just because they haven't found a magic trainer… I better find a book that explains this magical world."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Emilia's voice:
– "Miss… were you lost in thought?"
Valeria smiled with slight embarrassment:
– "Perhaps a little. What did you say?"
Emilia:
– "I said… if you don't need anything else, may I leave?"
– "Of course… but I have a question."
– "Go ahead, Miss."
– "Is there a library in the palace?"
Emilia laughed lightly:
– "Of course, Miss! We have a very large library."
With an eager look:
– "Then… take me there immediately!"
They arrived at the library… and when Valeria entered, her eyes widened in astonishment. The hall was enormous, with shelves reaching up to the ceiling.
Emilia left her briefly to fetch what Valeria requested, while Valeria began wandering among the books.
Suddenly… a book fell from a high shelf for no reason.
She bent down and picked it up.
She read the title… and her eyes widened:
"Fundamentals of Mana and Ancient Magical Arts"
Clutching the book tightly, she went to the garden. She sat down, opened the pages, and began reading…
✦ Here begins the book's content (a chapter Valeria had been waiting for)
Chapter One: The Essence of Mana
Mana is the essential energy that flows through the fabric of the world, born with creation and mingling with all living and non-living things.
Yet, it responds only to those who possess the ability to summon it.
It is not a physical force, but a reflection of the user's spirit and will.
The book continued:
"Mana is divided into levels:
.1/Innate Mana – present in the imperial lineage and some noble families; strong but not rare..
.2/Acquired Mana – weak; most humans have it to varying degrees, but it is not very reliable.
.3/Rare Mana – appears in 0.01% of ordinary people by chance, often altering their destiny."*
Chapter Two: The Evolution of Magic
To master magic, the body needs training, just like sword training, because mana flowing through the body can exhaust it if unprepared.
The mind requires deep concentration to summon mana, otherwise the energy will escape and harm the user themselves.
Chapter Three: Magic Elements
Magic is divided into three types:
.1/Elemental Magic – including fire, water, wind, earth, ice, and lightning.
.2/Spiritual Magic – including two elements:
Light (the rarest and strongest)
Darkness (forbidden to use)
.3/Black Magic –
– Dangerous and forbidden
– Usually used for sealing and control
– Harms the user's spirit
– Corrupts pure mana within them
Chapter Four: The Most Dangerous Element – Darkness
The element of darkness is an energy that engulfs all other elements. Its use is forbidden… because it can destroy the user's soul and corrupt their destiny.
It is used only for forced sealing, to prevent a soul from summoning its true power.
When Valeria reached this line…
Her eyes widened in fear without knowing why.
It was as if Akira's soul within her had suddenly shivered.
Valeria slowly closed the book…
She felt something strange creeping inside her… a vague feeling, as if the air around her had changed, but she could not pinpoint its source.
Before she could dwell on that feeling, she saw her father Philip approaching from afar with steady steps.
At that moment, she remembered something important…
He had promised to come visit her in the garden today, but she had completely forgotten due to her engrossment in the book.
Philip approached and sat calmly in front of her. Despite his usually cold features, Valeria noticed a fleeting hint of embarrassment on his face before he quickly hid it.
Valeria spoke gently:
– "I'm happy you came, Father… I forgot you told me you would visit."
He replied in a calm voice:
– "It's alright… it seems you were busy."
But his eyes quickly fell on the book beside her. He reached for it slightly and asked:
– "Are you… intending to learn magic, Valeria?"
She lifted her head toward him and shook it gently:
– "Yes… I want to."
He looked at her seriously and said slowly:
– "You know that it is not your duty. You do not need to possess magical energy to be strong or important."
Valeria lowered her gaze, a hint of sadness in her voice:
– "But I… want to learn magic. Have I made a mistake by wishing this?"
His expression softened slightly:
– "No, you haven't. But you must be very careful. Studying magic is not simple, especially for those starting from scratch."
She smiled enthusiastically:
– "I promise, Father… I will be careful."
Then she leaned forward slightly and asked hesitantly:
– "May I ask a question?"
He replied:
– "Ask whatever you wish."
She took a deep breath and said:
– "Is it true that some children of empires are born without magic?"
He nodded affirmatively:
– "Yes. Magical energy is not necessarily inherited. It is acquired energy; magic may appear in some… and may never appear in others."
Her eyes widened in genuine astonishment, then she quickly asked:
– "And you? Which element do you possess?"
Philip smiled, a rare smile this time, and said confidently:
– "I do not possess just one element… but two."
Valeria gasped unconsciously:
– "Two elements?! Is that possible?"
He replied:
– "Rare… but possible. I acquired these two elements when I was only twelve."
Valeria's gaze was filled with admiration, and a strange sense of reassurance… as if part of her inner anxiety had vanished upon hearing this.
Suddenly, Philip stood:
– "I must go now."
She lifted her head quickly:
– "Why? Stay a little longer, I want to spend more time with you."
He looked at the sky and said calmly:
– "Tomorrow, Valeria… don't you see the darkness that has fallen? It's already late."
She glanced around, realizing the night had truly fallen without her noticing.
– "Alright… then we shall meet tomorrow."
She stood and hugged him lightly, then bid him farewell with a sincere smile before returning to her room, holding the book in her hands.
She changed her clothes slowly, her eyes never leaving the pages. She reflected on everything she had read… on her father's words… and that strange feeling that had lingered inside her from the beginning.
Then she lay down on her bed, and gradually, her eyelids grew heavy…
She slipped into a deep sleep, while countless questions swirled in her mind, unanswered.
Message:
Hello to the most wonderful readers in the world! 🌟💖
I truly cannot express in words how grateful I am to all of you—we've reached 1.7K readers! 🥳✨ Each one of you, whether you read my story, commented, or shared it with others, means the entire world to me. You are not just readers to me, you are my partners on this journey, part of the dream I live, and part of every page I write. 💞
I want to thank each and every one of you from my heart: for your support, for your kind words, for every heart you clicked ❤️, and for every moment you dedicated to reading my novel. Your support gives me the strength to keep going, and motivates me to always give my best. Every time I see your comments and encouragement, I feel that all the hours of writing, all the effort, and every moment of worry were worth it!
Let's continue together, to keep reading, sharing, and bringing our friends to join us on this journey. Our next big goal is 10,000 readers! 🌍💫 I can truly feel that with your amazing support and love, we can reach it. Every share, every view, every comment, every heart ❤️ brings us a step closer to achieving this big dream.
Also, I want to be honest with you: after publishing Chapter Five, I will be forced to delay a little in writing Chapter Six. I know you are excited and eager, and I am so sorry for this delay 😔. Life and writing demand a lot, but I promise that every second I spend on the next chapter will be full of love, excitement, and wonderful surprises that are worth the wait.
I ask you to be patient a little, and to remain as excited as you are now. Your enthusiasm, your comments, and your support make me believe more and more that this story deserves to be told, and that the world of Valorin deserves to be discovered by the largest number of readers. 🌟📚
Thank you for being part of this world, part of this dream, and part of my story. You are the reason for my smile every day, and you are what makes every sentence I write meaningful. 💖🥰
Let's continue this journey together, and let's take Valorin to the stars! 🚀✨ Our next goal: 10,000 readers—and we are closer than you think!
With all love and gratitude,
[Your Writer] ✨📖