The first to arrive were my future in-laws.
Elaine followed in their wake.
She was already showing clear signs that she would be a professional troublemaker. She had vivid green eyes, far too observant for someone so small, slightly wavy blonde hair that insisted on never staying in place, and that baby fat in her cheeks that gave her an innocent appearance...
Which was clearly a disguise.
She also had an easy smile.
A dangerous one.
Because it meant she was always on the verge of getting into something.
The moment she laid eyes on me... that was it.
I gained a shadow.
She wouldn't leave my side.
If I walked, she followed. If I stopped, she stopped. If I looked at her, she smiled as if we already shared a secret.
At first, I ignored it.
But everything changed when she saw me train.
I was sitting under a tree, concentrated, trying to make the sensation of mana feel natural. I still needed focus. It wasn't automatic yet. I pulled at that subtle presence, letting it flow through my body, circulating it until it reached my mana heart.
A light breeze formed around me.
The leaves moved.
The air responded.
I was tuning in.
When I finished, I opened my eyes...
And there she was.
Standing there.
Staring at me.
She let out a long sigh, clearly impressed.
— You're very cool, Erond.
I blinked.
Actually... it didn't feel bad to be praised.
A small smile escaped me.
— Want to learn?
Her eyes lit up immediately.
— Yes! — she replied, full of enthusiasm.
I patted the grass beside me.
— Then sit here. I'll explain how to do it.
She sat down, awkwardly mimicking my posture. Legs crossed, back too straight, clearly trying to look important.
— First, don't try to force it — I explained. — Just feel it. It's like listening to a very low sound. You don't create the sound... you perceive it.
She closed her eyes.
She fell silent.
For a moment, I thought she was going to complain or give up.
But she didn't give up.
She listened.
She felt it.
I noticed the exact moment it happened.
The air around her responded.
Soft.
Natural.
Her eyes opened slowly.
— I... felt it...
I froze.
It wasn't possible.
— Try to pull that sensation inside — I said, far more serious now.
She obeyed.
The mana flowed.
It entered her body.
It circulated.
No resistance.
No difficulty.
No effort.
And then...
It stabilized.
I could feel it.
A mana heart had formed.
Silence.
I looked at her.
She looked at me.
And she smiled, proud.
— Did I do it?
It took me a second to answer.
— ...You did.
Inside, my mind was screaming.
It didn't take weeks.
It didn't take days.
It didn't take hours.
It took minutes.
Minutes.
I stared at that small, smiling elf.
I didn't dwell on it for too long.
Our training continued until the sun began to hide behind the trees. Golden light pierced through the leaves, and for the first time since I reincarnated, things felt... normal.
Natural.
We went back home together.
As soon as we entered, I saw our parents sitting at the table, chatting happily, each with a glass in hand. From the sweet scent, it was fruit wine. They laughed, relaxed, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
When they noticed our arrival, their eyes lit up.
It was impossible not to notice the joy on their faces seeing us together.
Ever since I discovered I had a fiancée, I found it strange at first. Very strange. But with time... you get used to it.
Or at least you stop having an existential crisis every time you see your "future wife."
Elaine, as always, ran straight to her mother.
— Mom! Mom! Look what I learned!
She began to talk too fast, gesturing, clearly excited.
As she spoke, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.
My father.
— Son — he said with a calm smile — any news about the runes?
Before I could answer, Alarion, who was sitting beside him, leaned forward.
— Runes? — he asked, curious.
That was it.
Now I had an audience.
Everyone looked at me.
I took a deep breath.
— Runes are... words of power — I began. — Every time we use mana, it doesn't just execute an action. It forms a pattern. A symbol. It's almost imperceptible, but it's there.
I raised my right hand.
I let the mana flow to the tip of my finger.
— If you reproduce that pattern... you don't need to recreate the whole process. The rune does it for you.
Carefully, I drew in the air.
A line.
A curve.
A dot.
The mana followed my finger, leaving a luminous trail suspended in space.
A rune.
Simple.
Perfect.
The instant I finished...
Fwoosh. A small fireball appeared above my hand.
It floated.
Alive.
Stable.
It didn't burn my skin.
It didn't go out of control.
It simply... obeyed.
Silence took over the room.
I looked up.
The shock on my future in-laws' faces was evident.
Alarion was completely motionless.
Elaine's mother had her hand over her mouth.
My mother looked at me with absolute pride.
And my father...
My father smiled.
Not with surprise.
But with certainty.
As if, deep down, he had always known.
— ...Runes — Alarion murmured, still in shock.
And it was in that moment I realized.
I wasn't just learning magic.
I was creating it.