Three Years Later

  Rei sat cross-legged on the floor of his small bedroom, a book open in his p and a frustrated frown on his face. The same book. The Flow of Mana. The pages were worn from being flipped through so many times, but no matter how much he read, nothing seemed to change.

  "Come on…" he muttered, closing his eyes and pressing his fingers together, just like the book instructed. Feel the mana. Let it flow.

  Silence.

  Still nothing.

  He groaned and flopped backward onto his bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. It had been three years since he first picked up this book, and he had made absolutely no progress. Not even a spark.

  Rolling onto his side, Rei gnced at the candle on his nightstand. If he had magic, even just a little, then maybe…

  He sat up, pointed a finger at the candle, and concentrated.

  Nothing happened.

  Rei let out a long sigh and fell back onto his bed again. Maybe Lyra had been right—maybe magic just wasn’t for him.

  "Rei!"

  A voice called from outside his room, and before he could react, the door swung open. A boy about his age, with messy brown hair and an excited grin, burst inside. "You’re gonna wanna see this!"

  Rei yelped, nearly rolling off the bed. "H-Harn! What did I say about barging in like that?!"

  Harn ignored him and grabbed his wrist, dragging him off the bed. "No time! Come on!"

  "Wait—where are we going?!" Rei stumbled as he was pulled along.

  "You’ll see!"

  Moments ter, they skidded to a stop in the courtyard of the guild’s estate. Several people had gathered, whispering excitedly. Rei, still trying to catch his breath, peeked over the heads of the onlookers.

  A knight stood in the center, but this wasn’t just any knight—his armor was polished, his stance was strong, and his presence alone commanded attention. He carried a sword at his side, but unlike the heavy bdes most knights wielded, this one shimmered with faint traces of light—magic.

  Rei’s breath caught.

  "Who is that?" he whispered.

  Harn grinned. "That’s Ser Aldric. He’s one of the best knights in the kingdom. They say he can cut through an entire tree with a single swing of his sword."

  A knight that used magic.

  Rei couldn’t tear his eyes away. For years, he had struggled, wondering if magic was out of his reach. He wasn’t a mage, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t cast spells like one. But Ser Aldric… he wasn’t a mage either. He was a knight, but his magic was there, woven into his swordpy.

  A small spark of hope flickered in Rei’s chest.

  Maybe… maybe he could still learn magic. Maybe he had just been going about it the wrong way.

  As Ser Aldric raised his sword to demonstrate a technique, Rei watched intently, his fingers curling into fists.

  Maybe he wasn’t meant to be a mage.

  But that didn’t mean he had to give up on magic.

  Later that evening, Rei sat at the dinner table, his mind still racing with thoughts of Ser Aldric’s magical swordpy. He barely touched his food, his thoughts a whirlwind. Could he really be like him? Could he find a way to combine both his sword skills and magic?

  His parents, who had always been supportive but quiet about his attempts at magic, exchanged looks across the table. Finally, his mother put down her fork and cleared her throat.

  "Rei," she began softly, "there's something we need to talk to you about."

  Rei blinked, looking up at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

  His father, normally a man of few words, sighed and set his gss down. "It's about your magic, son. About why it hasn't been working like you hoped."

  Rei frowned, his stomach tightening. "What do you mean? I’ve been practicing. I can feel the mana flow sometimes. It just doesn’t... do anything."

  His mother reached out, gently pcing a hand on his. "Rei, honey, we’ve known this for a while, but we didn’t want to tell you. We didn’t want to hurt you."

  Rei stared at her, confused. "Hurt me? What’s going on?"

  His father spoke up this time, his tone unusually heavy. "Rei, you don’t have the amount of mana that most people do. Some people are born with it in abundance. Others... don’t have much at all." He looked at Rei seriously. "You’re one of those people."

  Rei’s heart sank. "So... you mean I can't use magic?"

  His mother squeezed his hand, her voice soft but firm. "Not in the way you want to. You can still sense mana, and maybe use a little here and there, but you’ll never have enough to cast spells like other mages or use it to the extent that knights like Ser Aldric can."

  Rei’s thoughts spun. He didn’t understand. He had always assumed that if he kept trying, if he just practiced hard enough, then the magic would come. But now…

  "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" he whispered, his voice a little shaky. "I could’ve known, and I wouldn’t have wasted all that time…"

  His father leaned forward, his expression pained. "We didn’t want you to feel like you were less than anyone else. You’re still capable, Rei. You don’t need magic to be great. You’ve got skills of your own."

  Rei blinked, trying to hold back the sting in his eyes. "But I wanted to be a mage. I thought I could be more than just a knight…"

  His mother smiled softly, her voice reassuring. "You are more than just a knight. You’re a good person, and you’ve always been determined. That’s what makes you special, Rei. Not your magic."

  For a long moment, Rei was silent, the weight of their words sinking in. Slowly, the storm of emotions inside him began to calm. Magic had been his dream, but it wasn’t the only path he could walk. Maybe it was time to accept that.

  His father patted him on the back. "It’s okay, son. We’ll figure it out together. You’ll find your way."

  Rei took a deep breath and looked up at them, his heart heavy but also strangely light at the same time. It wasn’t the answer he had hoped for, but it was the truth.

  "Thanks," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think I’m starting to understand."

  As he looked out the window, a quiet resolve settled within him. He might not have the magic he dreamed of, but he would make his own way. With or without it.

  [What’s next for Rei? Will he become the first knight to rise with almost no mana, his every move fueled by sheer muscle, sweat, and the savage will to survive? Or will he be crushed by the weight of his own fate, bound to a life where magic is everything, and all he’s left with is the broken, bloody remnants of his strength?]