Teclos could barely wait for the morning.

As the first rays of sunshine slipped through his shutters, he got up and moved quickly through his familiar routine—far quicker than usual. He was eager to begin. The sun had only just risen over the crest of the treeline, painting the village roofs in pale gold, and already his mind was racing ahead.

He still had one month left, he thought as he stretched his arms overhead. One month was plenty of time to prepare for the ceremony—if he used it well.

Talmir was already outside, standing with his arms crossed. His eyes betrayed the heavy sleepiness still lingering in him.

"I’ll ask you again—do you really want to do this in just a month?" his father asked, yawning.

Teclos nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. I’m close to my next circle, so I might as well push myself a bit more."

Talmir studied him for a moment longer.

"Okay then. I won’t waste a single day, then. Instead of normal training, we’ll get you to hunt some beasts."

Teclos blinked, confused for a second. "Why hunt beasts all of a sudden?"

"Well, it’s dangerous," Talmir said evenly, "but killing beasts will increase your mana quicker. Of course, weaker beasts yield less mana."

Teclos slowed slightly, trying to process that. This was his first time hearing of something like this.

"You gain mana by... killing beasts?"

"Sort of," Talmir replied. "Once a life fades, it releases pure mana. It is attributeless—meaning you can take that mana into your body. Sometimes, depending on how potent it is, you can directly try to circle up."

Teclos felt a spark of excitement run through him. The concept felt strangely familiar—almost like gaining experience in a game, only far more real... and far more gruesome.

Talmir had prepared some gear for him, hanging neatly over the fence. He walked Teclos through it step by step—how to strap the leather armor tight, how to secure the belt properly so the sword wouldn’t shift mid-run.

Once Teclos was ready, they made their way to the gates and out into the forest.

"We’ll start with easy prey," Talmir said as they walked beneath the shade of the trees. "I’ll stay behind you and watch your back. Just focus, stay calm, and try to kill a few beasts that I point out."

Teclos nodded, as his heart began beating faster with excitement.

He had killed a ghoul before—but he hadn’t known there was a method like this, a way to actually gain from it. If he had known... maybe he would have already reached a higher circle.

"Why didn’t you teach me that sooner?" he asked, glancing back.

"For one, it’s dangerous," Talmir said without missing a beat. "If you get greedy and challenge something you can’t beat, you die. And believe me, people were stupid enough to try."

He paused briefly, then continued.

"Secondly, it’s generally frowned upon. Some fanatics or cultists stop at nothing to gain strength... even murder. That’s why you need a permit like a hunter’s license—to hunt and to be vetted."

Teclos frowned slightly.

"And lastly," Talmir added, his tone sharpening just a little, "if you somehow manage to kill something far above your level and take in its mana forcefully, your body won’t handle it. You’ll get mana poisoning. Best case—you die. Worst case... you turn into a monster."

Teclos swallowed, more cautious now.

As they walked deeper into the forest, Talmir continued explaining—what kinds of beasts they would be looking for today, what to do after a kill. His instructions were precise, practical, and experienced.

Eventually, they reached a small cave at the base of the mountain range. The entrance was dark, jagged, and quiet.

Talmir stopped and gestured forward.

"Get ready."

Teclos tightened his grip on his sword.

"We’re hunting sonic bats in there," Talmir said. "They have four wings, move fast, and have an annoying sonic attack. Low-level beasts—but good for reflex training and mana siphoning."

From his pouch, Talmir pulled out a pair of strange earplugs—cone-shaped, with a leather-like exterior and soft fabric lining inside. Tiny runes were etched faintly along their surface.

"Is this standard hunter gear, Dad?" Teclos asked, taking a pair.

Talmir snorted. "No. I had those made after dealing with that banshee. Now if something screams that loudly again, it can suck my ass... and don’t tell your mother I said that."

Teclos almost laughed, despite the tension, as he fitted them into his ears.

They stepped into the cave together.

The darkness swallowed them quickly, the air turning damp and cold. A faint, high-pitched chittering echoed somewhere deeper inside.

Talmir’s voice dropped low. "Simple strategy. I’ll keep them from escaping with a wind barrier. You focus on dodging and striking. Don’t rush—watch their movement calmly. After you kill them, siphon the mana immediately."

Teclos nodded, his body already tensing.

A sudden screech cut through the cave.

Shapes burst from the ceiling—fast, erratic, wings slicing through the air as the sonic bats dove toward the intruder in a chaotic swarm.

Teclos reacted instinctively, ducking as one shot past his head, the air around it vibrating with a sharp, piercing hum. Another came from the side—he twisted, barely avoiding it, feeling the vibration ripple through his body even with the earplugs in.

"Focus!" Talmir called from behind.

Teclos steadied himself and watched them.

Their flight wasn’t random—it looped, curved, dipped in patterns, avoiding the cave walls and their kin.

One bat lunged straight at him.

He stepped aside at the last possible moment and swung his blade.

It cut the bat in half, and its body dropped to the ground.

Teclos focused on the corpse’s mana—a faint, almost invisible surge of energy leaking from it.

Without hesitation, he reached for it, and the mana slipped into him like a breath of cold air, merging with him and becoming part of him.

His heart raced with excitement.

More bats dove.

This time, Teclos moved with more confidence—ducking, weaving, striking when openings appeared. Each kill came quicker than the last, each movement less wasteful.

The cave filled with echoes of wings, steel, and sharp impacts as he fought—learning, adapting, improving with every exchange.

And with every fallen beast, he reached out again—pulling that faint, fleeting energy into himself.

It wasn’t much.

But it was enough.

Enough to feel the mana rising in his heart, kill by kill.

This continued on for the whole day, and by the end of it Teclos was so exhausted that Talmir had to carry him home.

He was sleeping on Talmir’s back.

’Haha, it’s like he was possessed by something.’

And he was, as he felt tangible growth in his mana. He was currently speed-running his way up to the second circle.

As Talmir stepped through the door, Saldia got worried for a second after seeing Teclos knocked out cold. But Talmir’s genuine smile immediately stopped her worries.

"What happened?" she asked, unable to help her curiosity.

"You should’ve seen my boy, he was determined and fierce, haha! Even I wasn’t like that when I was young... he swung his sword until he literally couldn’t stand anymore."

It warmed Saldia’s heart as Talmir got fully animated, talking about Teclos and their outing.

Once they put Teclos to bed, they had a passionate night together.

After the sunshine greeted Teclos through the shutters again, he quickly opened his eyes, startled and disoriented. He didn’t know where he was for a second.

’I guess Dad carried me here...’

He focused inward and felt the thick stream of his new mana. He’d likely need some more days, but he was on the right track to gain his second circle in his heart.

He quickly got up and washed himself, scrambling to gear up and go outside, expecting to see Talmir.

But he was nowhere to be found. Now, although Talmir was late sometimes, it was very rare. So Teclos went back into the house and noticed that even dinner plates were left on the table...

"Huh?"

That was highly unusual for Saldia to leave them, since no one was up yet. He decided to wait at the kitchen table and eat some fruit that was still there.

After about an hour, Talmir finally got up. He looked disheveled, with heavy eye bags. His gear was sloppily put on, and in some places even put on wrong.

"Wow.... what happened to you?" Teclos wondered.

Talmir noticed him and tried to think of an excuse. "A beast attacked me last night... had to fend it off, you know..."

He thought it was strange, but what the hell—as long as they were going on a hunt again today.

This hunting and training continued on for a whole two weeks, and Teclos finally drew close to making his second heart circle.

Still, when he sat down one night to meditate, he didn’t expect anything. The mana he gathered was anything but subtle—roaring with power as it coiled around his heart faster than ever before.

With unnatural smoothness, the heavy, rapid flow began to transform, merging with him. Teclos was surprised but didn’t stop. He guided it carefully.

The rotation accelerated.

He pushed it into place, and the mana spun tighter and condensed.

His breath escaped in a hiss.

’It’s now or never,’ he thought, opening his eyes.

Focused entirely on the task at hand, Teclos began to change.

Mana flooded in—and his veins darkened beneath his skin as thick black mana surged through them. The room dimmed, as the darkness and pressure spread.

A black haze bled outward, heavy and suffocating. The floor beneath him groaned, hairline cracks spreading as the pressure doubled.

His eyes turned pitch black once more.

The pressure mounted—then the spinning mass condensed further, locked, and snapped into place.

A second dark ring formed, rotating in perfect harmony with the existing one.

The backlash was instant.

Teclos’ head snapped back as a scream tore from his throat. Power detonated outward. The haze exploded.

Walls split with sharp cracking sounds. The door was ripped from its hinges and slammed into the kitchen table hard enough to splinter the wood.

Black sludge poured from his nose, ears, and mouth—thick, foul-smelling mana waste. He gagged violently, spitting and retching as his lungs burned.

Footsteps thundered down the hall.

Saldia and Talmir burst into the doorway, both having been thrown from their beds. They recoiled from the stench and lingering pressure.

"Teclos!" Saldia cried.

"I’m okay," he rasped. "I did it!" he claimed, even as he vomited up his dinner.

"Did what?" Saldia asked, concern still clear in her eyes.

"Cough... I made my second circle in my Heart."

Talmir noted the smoother flow through Teclos’ body, more condensed now, the Heart bleeding power into his Core like a living circuit.

"...Another Heart circle?" Saldia whispered, incredulous.

Teclos nodded weakly. "I knew I was close. Just... didn’t think it would happen tonight."

A smirk tugged at Talmir’s lips, subtle but proud.

"...That’s my boy," he said slowly. "At your age, that’s quite an achievement."

Teclos swallowed, slightly nervous that he’d gone overboard and would stand out too much. "Is it... that good?"

Talmir was silent for a moment.

Finally, he said, "It means the coming-of-age ceremony will surprise everyone. Envy and awe will probably be waiting there. But no matter what, you can always lean on us."

He smiled as he knew that his parents had his back.

It washed away his worry and nervousness.

Although this new circle might get him into trouble during the ceremony, he steadied his resolve and decided to face whatever came together with his family and friends.

Looking onward, next time would be the Mind circle again, which was worrisome, but Father Pella had assured him it wouldn’t be as bad as before.

As he smiled, he stepped toward his parents for a group hug.

Instead, a small wind blast and a jet of water hit him simultaneously.

Holding her nose with one hand while a stream of water poured from the other, Saldia spoke. "Go wash up first. You stink."

Talmir nodded. "Yeah. Don’t even think about coming near us in that state."

"Oi! Isn’t that a bit too much?! How—" He tried to complain, but the water jet targeted his mouth mid-sentence.

"Ugh... it’s even worse when you talk. Go brush your teeth too."

Teclos stared at them, dumbfounded by the complete lack of empathy. He’d thought they were having a moment.

Like a wet, dirty dog, he was herded toward the bath and forced to scrub himself thoroughly.

While he washed up, Talmir began repairing his room and the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Saldia cleaned up the foul mana residue and vomit Teclos had left behind. Then she prepared a light snack for him, knowing he had quite literally thrown everything up.

After that fiasco, a week passed.

That morning, Teclos was halfway through breakfast when a knock came at the door.

He stayed silent and continued eating quietly.

The door rattled as someone knocked again, louder this time.

And again.

Finally rolling his eyes, Teclos answered.

"Alright, alright!" he shouted, standing up from the table and opening the door.

Ralph stood there, bow slung over his shoulder, grin wide enough to be suspicious.

"Morning," Ralph said cheerfully. "You busy today?"

Teclos blinked. "That depends. Why?"

Ralph leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice like he was sharing a great secret. "Because if you are, you shouldn’t be. Trust me. I’ve got some big news."

Intrigued, Teclos raised an eyebrow. "And what is this big news?"

"I’ll tell you when we arrive at Gillard’s," Ralph answered. "So? You free?"

Teclos hesitated, glancing back toward the table. Normally, mornings after training were reserved for reading, chores, or Saldia’s relentless study sessions. But with his goal already achieved, he could afford a day or two of rest.

A second later, he made up his mind. One day wouldn’t hurt, right?

"I guess I can spare a day," he said. "What do you have planned?"

Ralph’s grin widened. "Haha, I’m not telling you, man. You’ll see when we get there."

Rolling his eyes, Teclos sighed. "Okay, I guess." And followed Ralph.

They walked through the village at an easy pace, the morning sun already warming the dirt paths. Ralph was practically bouncing beside him, humming to himself, occasionally letting out a quiet laugh for no apparent reason.

Teclos eyed him sideways. "Must be good news, judging by the way you’re prancing around."

"You could say that."

Teclos snorted. "You’re usually terrible at keeping secrets."

"Yeah, well, not this time. My lips are sealed until we arrive."

"Fine, I guess. You’ve made me quite curious." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Ralph only laughed, refusing to elaborate further no matter how much Teclos pressed him. By the time the forge came into view, the anticipation had started to grate on his nerves.

Gillard was hard at work, hammer rising and falling in a steady rhythm as sparks danced across the stone floor. The heat from the forge washed over them as they approached.

You could find him there every day.

Ralph cupped his hands around his mouth. "Oi! Stop working already!"

Gillard didn’t look up and continued hammering. "Finally. Took you long enough, Ralph."

Teclos smirked. "I heard you two had a big secret to share? Maybe I should give you some privacy—wouldn’t want to interrupt whatever intense ’thing’ you were doing here."

"Funny," Gillard said. "Real funny. Let’s just get to it."

"Alright," Ralph said proudly.

Gillard set the hammer aside and wiped his hands on a rag. "Father!" he called toward the inner room. "Mind if I take a short break?"

A gruff voice answered from inside. "Don’t wander off too long."

"Wouldn’t dream of it."

They slipped around the back of the forge, past stacked wood and cooling ingots, toward the small barn behind it.

Both of them looked at Teclos with a mischievous grin, and Teclos finally stopped walking.

"...Alright," he said flatly. "What is this about?"

They turned to face him, still grinning like children who had just pulled off something impressive.

Gillard spoke first. "We figured we’d tell you together."

Ralph nodded eagerly. "Yeah. Seemed right."

Teclos folded his arms. "Tell me what?"

They straightened—just a little.

"We both completed our fourth circle," Gillard said.

For a moment, Teclos simply stared in shock. Then his expression softened into a genuine smile.

"...Really?" he said. "That’s great. Both of you?"

Ralph puffed up slightly. "Took some effort."

Gillard nodded. "Wasn’t easy."

Teclos stepped forward and clapped each of them on the shoulder. "I was expecting a prank, but this is a welcome surprise. Congrats. That’s seriously awesome, guys."

Ralph frowned. "That’s it?"

Teclos tilted his head. "What, did you want fireworks?"

Gillard squinted at him. "You’re not shocked? Or mad?"

"We thought you’d freak out," Ralph added. "You know—now that we’ve caught up."

Teclos blinked, then laughed.

"What, you thought I’d be angry? Idiots—I’m happy for you."