Ashora sits alone in his room, the quiet pressing in around him. The faint light of the evening filters through the window, casting long shadows across the floor.
"Sis reached Stage Two…" he murmurs softly.
"If I don't reach it in one month… Father won't let me go."He closes his eyes and straightens his posture, returning to meditation.But his mind refuses to settle.
Grandfather's words echo within him—Let your emotions move freely… as if you have complete control… yet no control at all.
Ashora frowns slightly.
Stage Two is not about suppressing emotions.
It is about understanding them—pleasure, desire, freedom, temptation—and controlling them without losing oneself.
"But I already control them…" he whispers.
His thoughts grow tangled."I can control desire.""I can control my emotions toward others.""I'm not tempted easily.""I don't crave anything…"
He pauses.
"…and yet I can desire anything."His breathing becomes uneven."It doesn't make sense…"His mind becomes a storm of confusion, anxiety, and frustration.Though his body remains still in meditation—His mind is not.
Fifteen days pass.
And Ashora makes no progress.
At last, he opens his eyes with a sigh."I have to ask Sis…""There's no other option."He stands up and leaves his room, heading toward Leona's chamber.
He knocks.
"Sis, are you there?"
"Yes," Leona's voice comes from inside. "Come in."
Ashora enters.
Leona is sitting calmly, meditating. She opens her eyes as he approaches.
"So, Ashora," she says, "what brings you here?"
Ashora sits down in front of her.
"I can't reach Stage Two."
His voice is direct.
"Tell me how you did it."
Leona watches him for a moment.
Then a faint smile appears.
"Oh? So you want my help?"
She stands up.
"Come with me."
They arrive at her private training ground.Leona walks to the weapon rack, picks up a sword, and tosses another to Ashora.He catches it instinctively.
"Now," she says, taking her stance, "let's spar."
Ashora blinks.
"What?"
"If you defeat me," she continues calmly, "I'll tell you."
Ashora doesn't hesitate.
"Fine."
He immediately lowers into a stance.
Leona smirks.
"Quite desperate, aren't you?"
She disappears.
In the next instant, she is already in front of him.
"Block it."
Clang!
Ashora raises his sword just in time.
Their blades collide.
The force echoes across the training ground.
Then—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clash again and again.
Dozens of strikes.
Hundreds.
Neither gives ground.
Ashora's movements grow sharper.
Faster.
More focused.
And slowly,His thoughts begin to fade.The anxiety.The frustration.The pressure.All of it disappears.All that remains is the fight.
Each clash.Each movement.Each breath.He begins to enjoy it.A faint smile forms on his face.For the first time in days His mind feels clear.
Then suddenly—
Leona steps back.
"Enough."
Ashora freezes.
"…What?"
A hint of disappointment appears on his face.
"Sis, why did you stop? I just started enjoying it."
Leona's expression turns serious.
"This."
Her voice cuts through his thoughts.
"This is exactly what's stopping you."
Ashora blinks.
"To reach Stage Two," she continues, "you need control over your emotions—fun, desire, temptation."
She steps closer.
"Did you notice what just happened?"
Ashora remains silent.
"You got completely absorbed in the fight."
"You forgot everything else."
"Your worries. Your thoughts. Your purpose."
Her gaze sharpens.
"That is not control."
"That is carelessness."
Ashora's expression slowly changes.
Leona continues.
"In a real battle, if you get carried away like that…"
"The enemy will use it against you."
Silence fills the space between them.
Leona lowers her sword.
"I've told you what you're lacking."
"What you do next… is up to you."
Her words echo in Ashora's mind.
Like a bell ringing.
Suddenly—
He understands.
Without saying anything, he turns and runs back toward his room.
Leona watches him leave, a faint smile on her face.
Ashora enters his room and closes the door behind him.
He laughs.
"Haha…"
"So that's it…"
"My ignorance…"
He sits down immediately.
"I wasn't controlling my emotions…"
"I was getting lost in them."
Another quiet laugh escapes him.
"So that's what I need to control…"
His expression becomes calm.
Focused.
He closes his eyes once more and begins to meditate again.
Days pass in silence.
Ashora remains seated in his chamber, unmoving, as if time itself has forgotten him. He neither eats nor drinks. Sleep does not touch him. His body grows weaker, but his mind sharpens, diving deeper into a state beyond ordinary thought.
One day passes.
Then another.
Thirteen days slip by like shadows.
Ashora opens his eyes.
A faint breath escapes his lips.
"…Finally."
His voice is hoarse, yet filled with quiet triumph.
"I can feel it."
A subtle tingling rises from his sacrum, spreading like a gentle current through his body.
He closes his eyes again.
A brilliant orange light suddenly erupts from his body, shooting straight into the sky.
The palace trembles slightly under the surge of energy.
Leona, Amitrochates, and Androcottus all sense it at once.
Without a word, they rush toward Ashora's chamber.
Inside—
Ashora floats in mid-air.
A sphere of flowing water surrounds him, shimmering like a living cocoon. From within, a pillar of orange light pierces the heavens.
Behind him, a radiant lotus begins to form.
One petal unfolds.
Then another.
Each petal blooms slowly, gracefully—like a lotus rising from still water.
The three watch in silence.
This is the sign of advancement.
Stage Two.
But suddenly—
The orange light begins to weaken.
It flickers.
Then starts to fade.
Androcottus' eyes narrow.
"…Is he failing?"
Leona's heart tightens.
"Grandfather, is there any way to stop it?"
Androcottus shakes his head.
"There is none."
"If he fails, he fails."
His voice is firm, yet heavy.
"If we interfere… it could cost him his life."
The orange light continues to fade.
Until—
It disappears completely.
Silence fills the room.
"It seems… he failed," Amitrochates says quietly.
But then—
Something changes.
The six-petaled lotus behind Ashora begins to glow.
Brighter.
A new light emerges.
White.
It bursts from Ashora's body, engulfing the entire chamber.
The surroundings turn completely white.
The orange lotus petals begin to change—
Turning white, one by one.
"What is happening?" Leona asks, shielding her eyes.
"Father… isn't white light the sign of reaching the seventh stage? Why is Ashora—"
She cannot finish her sentence.
Androcottus says nothing.
His gaze remains fixed on Ashora.
The white light intensifies—
Then begins to compress.
Slowly, it gathers into a dense sphere around Ashora, replacing the water cocoon.
The air grows heavy.
Still.
"This… is strange," Androcottus finally speaks.
"Light attribute awakening… is no different from other attributes awakening the sign of awakening is always the same no matter which attribute a person soul has.
He narrows his eyes.
"This is not because of his attribute."
A pause.
"…Is he skipping directly to the seventh stage?"
"That is impossible."
His expression turns serious.
"…Could it be his unknown blessing?"
Silence follows.
Then he exhales.
"Regardless… his advancement has succeeded."
He turns toward Amitrochates and Leona.
"I need to check the \history records."
"If something like this has happened before… it will be written there."
Without waiting, he leaves the chamber.
Time passes.Hours go by.Six long hours.The white sphere slowly begins to fade.The lotus dissolves into nothing.The light disappears.
And the room returns to normal.
Ashora's body gently descends back to the ground.He opens his eyes.There is a calmness within them.A depth that wasn't there before.
"Sister… Father…"
A faint smile appears on his face.
"I succeeded."
Amitrochates looks at him, pride clear in his expression.
"Well done, Ashora."
Leona watches silently, a small smile forming on her lips.
But Amitrochates raises his hand slightly.
"We'll talk later."
"First… stabilize your energy."
Ashora nods.
Leona and Amitrochates quietly leave the room, giving him space.
The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly, breaking the long silence that has filled the chamber for months.
A figure steps out.
A young woman.
Her posture is steady, her presence sharper than before.
Phillip, who stands nearby, looks at her with a faint smile.
"So… you finally succeeded in forming the second circle, Ikshita."
Ikshita walks forward, the faint glow in her eyes reflecting her growth.
"Yes, Uncle," she replies calmly. "I have formed the second circle in my heart."
Two years.
Two long years of isolation, discipline, and relentless effort.
Two years spent mastering Res under the guidance of one of the greatest mages in the kingdom.
Phillip nods, clearly satisfied.
"Then my training is complete."
He folds his arms.
"You are now a Second Circle Mage."
A small pause follows.
"You are free to go."
For a moment, Ikshita says nothing.
Then she bows deeply.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Phillip chuckles softly.
"Oh? My niece has grown up."
"There is no need for such formal thanks."
His tone carries both pride and warmth.
Then, as if remembering something, he adds casually—
"By the way… your friends."
Ikshita looks up.
"Prince Ashora and Princess Leona."
"They have both reached Stage Two of Awakening."
Ikshita's eyes widen slightly.
"What… both of them?"
Phillip smiles.
"Yes, yes. You weren't the only one training all this time."
A faint competitive spark flickers in her eyes.
Then Phillip continues.
"Now go."
"Meet your parents. Your friends."
"You have achieved what you came here for."
He pauses before adding one more thing.
"And in two days… you will turn eighteen."
"As will Prince Ashora."
"His Majesty has already announced a grand celebration."
Ikshita straightens.
A mix of emotions rises within her.
She bows once again.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Without wasting another moment, she turns and leaves.