The Hidden Valley...
Morning sunlight bathed the valley in a warm golden glow.
Kieran was already seated beneath the ancient oak tree before Crystal arrived.
Unlike yesterday...
He wasn't meditating.
He was watching.
Watching the Magna drift between the blades of grass.
Watching it dance with the wind.
Watching it gather around the flowers before dispersing once more.
A smile unknowingly crept onto his face.
Crystal stopped several meters away.
"So..."
"You still see them."
Kieran looked up.
"They never left."
Crystal nodded.
"They won't."
"Once someone truly sees Magna..."
"They can never become blind to it again."
---
She sat opposite him.
"Yesterday..."
"You learned to listen."
"Today..."
"You'll learn what every cultivator is truly pursuing."
With a gentle wave of her hand...
Four glowing symbols appeared in the air.
Each floated independently.
The first resembled a blazing flame.
The second, a winding road.
The third, an open hand.
The fourth...
A brilliant golden star.
"What are they?"
Kieran asked.
Crystal pointed to the first symbol.
"Element."
Then the second.
"Path."
The third.
"Technique."
Finally...
She looked at the golden star.
"...Arcana Magna."
---
"Every cultivator in Gaia begins with an Element."
She waved her hand.
The symbol split into countless smaller ones.
Fire.
Water.
Earth.
Wind.
Lightning.
Ice.
Wood.
Metal.
Light.
Darkness.
Poison.
Sound.
Gravity.
Space.
And dozens more.
"These are only some of the known elements."
"There are also rare elements."
"Mutated elements."
"Composite elements born from the fusion of two or more."
"And..."
She paused.
"There are elements so rare that entire Realms believe them to be myths."
Kieran's eyes sparkled.
"How many are there?"
Crystal smiled.
"No one knows."
---
She continued.
"Most people awaken one."
"The talented awaken two."
"Geniuses occasionally awaken three."
"Throughout Melika's history..."
"Only a handful have ever awakened four."
Kieran tilted his head.
"What about five?"
Crystal laughed softly.
"There are no recorded cases."
At least...
None that she knew of.
---
She then pointed toward the second symbol.
"The Path."
"If your Element determines what you are born with..."
"Your Path determines who you become."
The glowing road divided into many branches.
"The Path of the Sword."
"The Path of the Spear."
"The Path of the Flame."
"The Path of Healing."
"The Path of Formation."
"The Path of Illusion."
"The Path of Kings."
"The Path of Beasts."
"The Path of Creation."
"The Path of Destruction."
"The Path of Stars."
"The Path of Time..."
She stopped.
"The possibilities are endless."
---
"Can someone have more than one Path?"
Kieran asked.
Crystal nodded.
"They can."
"But walking multiple Paths is far harder than walking one."
"Many who try..."
"Never reach greatness in any."
---
The third symbol shone.
"Techniques."
"These are what most people think cultivation is."
She smiled knowingly.
"Sword Arts."
"Movement Arts."
"Body Refinement."
"Breathing Methods."
"Formation Techniques."
"Alchemy."
"Forging."
"Beast Contracts."
"They are all techniques."
"They can be learned."
"They can be improved."
"They can even be surpassed."
---
Kieran nodded slowly.
"So..."
"Elements are what we're born with."
"Paths are what we choose."
"And Techniques are the tools we use."
Crystal's smile widened.
"Exactly."
---
His eyes naturally shifted toward the fourth symbol.
The golden star.
It shone brighter than the others.
"...And Arcana Magna?"
The smile on Crystal's face disappeared.
Even Kael, who had been lazily sleeping nearby, quietly opened one eye.
For several moments...
No one spoke.
Finally...
Crystal answered.
"It is not a technique."
"It is not a Path."
"It is not an Element."
"It cannot be taught."
"It cannot be inherited."
"It cannot be stolen."
"It cannot be copied."
Her emerald eyes reflected the golden star.
"Arcana Magna..."
"...is the deepest truth of a soul."
"It is the moment one's existence refuses to bow before the laws of Gaia."
"It is..."
She searched for the simplest words.
"...a miracle born from an impossible desire."
---
Kieran became unusually quiet.
"...Can anyone awaken it?"
Crystal slowly nodded.
"In theory."
"In reality..."
She looked toward the sky.
"Entire ages have passed without producing a single bearer."
"Those who do..."
"...change history."
---
Kael finally stood.
"Remember one thing, brat."
"If someone ever tells you they possess an Arcana..."
"Never underestimate them."
"Even if they're weaker than you."
"They've already stepped onto a road most beings will never even see."
---
Crystal dismissed the four symbols.
"Don't concern yourself with Arcana Magna."
"It lies far beyond where you are."
"For now..."
"You must first discover your Element."
---
Kieran blinked.
"I don't already have one?"
"You do."
"Every living being does."
"But until it awakens..."
"It remains asleep."
---
Crystal slowly stood.
"Tomorrow..."
"We begin your Awakening."
Kael's ears twitched.
"So soon?"
Crystal nodded.
"He's ready."
She looked toward Kieran.
"But remember..."
"Whatever Element awakens..."
"Do not be disappointed."
"A flame is not greater than a river."
"The wind is not weaker than the mountain."
"The strongest cultivators..."
"...are not those with the rarest Elements."
"They are those who understand themselves."
Kieran smiled brightly.
"I don't care what mine is."
"I'll master it anyway."
Crystal couldn't help but smile.
For a brief moment...
She almost forgot the countless mysteries surrounding the child.
Because before her...
He wasn't an ancient bloodline.
He wasn't the one welcomed by the Hall of Origins.
He wasn't a child sought by fate.
He was simply Kieran.
A boy eager to take his first real step into the vast world of Gaia.
And tomorrow...
That journey would truly begin.
End of Chapter 36