Chapter 5 - Mana

  My first true visit to the Estate library felt like stepping through a gate into a sacred place. The moment was granted to me only after I completed my reading and writing lessons with Margo. Truthfully, it had been a frustrating requirement. I had needed to act as if reading were already a familiar skill when in truth the symbols of this world were completely foreign during my earliest days. Even so, it made sense that the staff wanted to be absolutely certain before letting me anywhere near books that were both rare and expensive. It would have been devastating for the family if I damaged one through ignorance or clumsiness.

  My mother held my hand as a maid pushed open the large double doors that guarded the library. The doors were carved from solid oak and shaped into a graceful arch that gave the space an old world regal presence. Warm light spilled past the threshold and into the hall, inviting us in. I stepped across the boundary and paused, stunned by the dedication and craftsmanship poured into this place.

  A massive hearth sat at the far wall, directly in front of the entrance. The entire structure had been carved from pale stone quarried from the northern mountains, its surface decorated with winding lines that resembled roots or veins of crystal. Above the mantel hung a portrait of the Baron and the Baroness, each rendered with such care that their eyes almost seemed to follow one across the room. The flames within the hearth crackled in a steady rhythm that warmed the air and created a peaceful glow across the library floor.

  Closer to the entrance, arranged as if inviting visitors to curl up and disappear into a story, sat a crescent shaped couch upholstered in deep, soft fabric. An end table rested in front of it with a single lantern that cast a gentle golden light. On each side of the room tall shelves climbed upward toward the ceiling. They were loaded with books of every color, shape, and age. The entire space smelled of parchment, ink, herbs used to preserve old paper, and the faint scent of citrus oil that the maids used when polishing the wooden shelves.

  Just ahead of us was a long study desk complete with a pair of glass lamps, fresh quills, ink wells, and various tools used for writing or bookmarking passages. It felt like the kind of desk where one could lose hours in concentration.

  Still holding my mother’s hand, I drifted toward the nearest wall and let my fingers hover close to the spines. I recognized some categories from my earlier lessons. History chronicles. Almanacs focused on different monsters, crops, or climates. Beginner guides on trade, hunting, and survival. Catalogs of noble lineages. Collections of poetry. It was an overwhelming amount of information, yet it only deepened my excitement.

  I turned my gaze toward my mother and asked, almost in a whisper, where the books on Mana were kept. Her eyes softened with amusement and affection. She brushed a hand across my hair and said that her young snowflake was already eager to study Mana. She promised to find something simple enough for an eight year old to begin with. She and her maid stepped into one of the back sections while I waited in the center of the library, trying not to bounce on my feet with eagerness.

  Their discussion lasted around three minutes. From their quiet voices I could tell they were debating between two or three possible books. Eventually they returned and placed an old leather bound volume into my hands. The leather was cracked along the spine and the pages carried the soft yellow tone that only age could produce. The book felt fragile yet important, as if it had shaped many young minds long before mine.

  I reminded myself that I had only two years before the ascension ceremony. I had already spent the past two years training my body with my father, learning the fundamentals of combat, balance, and movement. If I focused the next two years on gaining control over Mana, then I felt confident that I would stand on a far stronger starting point than most of my peers.

  The book carried a title stamped in dark gold ink. The words read The Echoes of Mana and Screams of Dungeons. The title felt both ominous and irresistible. With anticipation coiling in my chest I opened the cover and examined the index. The early chapters focused on the origins of Mana, its natural properties, the differences between light and dense concentrations, and the methods by which one could absorb or store it. The latter half of the book covered dungeon theory, including the most common types, their depth classifications, traps likely to appear, and the creatures that tended to inhabit each level. Based on my quick skim, the information was beginner friendly and exactly what I needed.

  I lifted my head, grinning widely at my mother. She laughed softly, clearly pleased by my enthusiasm. I thanked her and then plopped onto the fur covered couch, letting the warmth of the hearth wash over me as I began to read.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  My mother brushed her hand affectionately over my hair and told her maid that they should attend to their duties elsewhere. She commented playfully that I would likely be far too absorbed to notice their absence. The maid replied with a teasing remark of her own about her young lord being fully occupied. I barely heard them. My mind had already fallen into the world contained within the book.

  From that day onward, my routine took on a rhythm.

  Sunrise meant breakfast with my parents. After breakfast came my library and study time. Lunch acted as a small break from the academic strain. After lunch my father led my physical and weapon training. Dinner reunited us as a family. After dinner I retreated to my personal Mana training and meditation.

  Tracking time in this world had been surprisingly challenging. The Estate possessed only a handful of analog clocks, so I had become much more reliant on natural cues like the angle of sunlight, the change of shadows, and the passing of daily routines. Coincidentally the world used the same twelve hour structure that I remembered from Earth, which made mental adaptation considerably easier.

  My newest and most cherished part of the day became the quiet hours spent experimenting with Mana. Everything I read in the book insisted that anyone born sensitive to Mana would have an easier time grasping its presence through meditation. My own sensitivity had been prevalent since I arrived in this world. When I sank into meditation I could feel something surrounding me. It was not that I felt Mana directly but rather the presence of something living within the land and objects around me. The sensation resembled sitting at the bottom of a pool, surrounded by still water that pressed gently at every side.

  The book explained that after the ascension ceremony most people found it much easier to sense Mana. Some individuals even claimed that they could see Mana in physical form whenever they entered areas with strong concentrations. This thought fascinated me enough that I spent several nights trying to push my meditation even deeper.

  My first truly eye opening experience occurred one night when I slipped quietly into the Estate garden. I wanted a place quiet enough for me to focus and the small gazebo nestled in the center of our snowy garden felt perfect. Snow fell lightly across the grounds and the moon cast a pale glow over everything. I sat cross legged inside the gazebo and let the world fade away. The soft crunch of snow. The distant sound of the wind. The faint scent of pine drifting from the nearby grove. I allowed each detail to drift past me until all that remained was the steady beat of my own breath.

  Eventually my awareness shifted. My vision dimmed and a new impression took its place. The world turned into a great field of dark space, yet I could see outlines of the environment around me. It looked as if the land had been remade in soft luminous ink. Dots of green drifted around the garden, each one representing some form of living energy. Light blue motes swirled gently around the snow petals that grew throughout the northern region. More light blue flickered within each snowflake falling from the sky. The entire scene moved with patient rhythm, neither rushed nor frantic. I felt small within it yet deeply connected, as if I were witnessing a secret that very few ever perceived.

  Then a distant rumble echoed across the night.

  Far beyond the Estate, high above one of the immense mountains that shielded the northern horizon, a bolt of lightning cracked across the sky. The flash lit the dark distance and the thunder reached me like a giant drumbeat. The crack lingered for a moment and felt almost like a chord vibrating through my very bones.

  At that same moment something sparked within my eyes. A faint tingling spread through them and my field of vision sharpened with unusual clarity. A thin blue hue shimmered across everything I could see.

  Then an intense pain surged around the edges of my eyes and I cried out. The sound tore free before I could stop it. I rolled backward onto the cold wooden floor of the gazebo, clutching my face as the pain seared deeper. Footsteps thundered across the snow. Shouts filled the air as the Estate guards rushed toward me.

  Before they reached me the edges of my vision darkened. My limbs grew heavy and my breathing slowed. Even while fading I saw something flicker in front of me. A message. A notification like the ones from the very first day I awoke in this world. A strange familiarity washed over me and my mind tried to grasp every word before consciousness slipped away.

  SYSTEM NOTIFICATION

  Unauthorized use of Mana sensory field detected

  Scanning....No class detected....

  No tier detected...

  Lightning affinity detected (Touched)

  Beginning adjustment of Mana sensory field....

  New skill title Lightning Lense granted

  Skill limited until Ascension ceremony.

  I tried to read every line. I tried to make sense of the words lightning affinity and the notion that I had used an advanced sensory field before even undergoing ascension. My mouth formed the beginning of a curse but darkness swallowed the rest and I fell into an unwilling sleep brought on by pain and Mana exhaustion.

  The last thing I remembered was a quote I had read earlier within the same book that rested in the library. The words echoed faintly within my mind as if they were written in drifting light.

  ---

  Those whose hearts resonate with the beat of Planet Silara may see with the purest vision. Gifted ones from all races may sing with the sun and mingle with the moon. Only those with lenses for vision may gaze upon the truth.

  Elarion the Veilbender Author of Echoes of Mana and Screams of Dungeons