Chapter 21 : Training in Shadows
Nights were my sanctuary.
While the house slept, I crept into quiet corners—the storeroom, the courtyard, even under the old tree by the wall. My tiny body still wobbled when I ran, but when it came to magic, I felt more stable than ever.
I practiced first with sparks. Small bursts of fire that fizzled and cracked in my palm.
Controlling them was easier now. Violent Spark still carried too much power for me, but with focus, I could at least keep it from detonating half the room again.
Then came ice. Frozen Touch.
I pressed my hands to buckets of water, watching frost spiderweb across the surface. I laid my palm on stone tiles, chilling them until the maids muttered about “the strange cold” in the halls.
Sometimes, I got it wrong. Mana overflowed, and the bucket shattered. Once, frost bit too far into my skin and left my fingers numb for hours.
But each mistake was progress.
The HUD tracked everything, a silent tutor only I could see.
[Frozen Touch – Beginner, 37%]“Advanced ice spells…” I muttered, breath misting in the air. At three years old, I had no idea how to learn them, but it didn’t matter. Each night, each repetition, I pushed closer.[Requirement for evolution (All Freeze): Acquire advanced ice spells – 0/3]
And slowly, I learned control. The frost spread smoother, thinner, sharper. Sparks flared brighter without exploding.
But control didn’t erase the fear.
One night, as my brother stirred in the nursery, I panicked—the frost creeping too close to his crib. I yanked my mana back, heart racing, sweat dripping despite the cold.
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My hands shook. If I ever lost control near them…
I hugged my knees, whispering fiercely to myself:
“No. I won’t hurt them. I’ll master this. Even if it takes everything.”
The HUD pulsed faintly, as though it had heard my vow.
[Protective Instinct – Reinforced]The words didn’t comfort me. Not yet.
But one day, they would.
The courtyard was quiet, bathed in moonlight.
I crouched low by the old stone wall, hands pressed to the ground.
Frost spread out in jagged lines, the air around me shimmering with cold. My breath came in misty puffs, my small body trembling from the strain.
“Steady…” I whispered, forcing the mana to flow evenly. The frost crawled across the dirt, slow but controlled. For the first time, it didn’t spike wildly or freeze my fingers solid.
I grinned. “Good. Getting better.”
“Rooga.”
I froze.
The voice—soft, low, familiar—cut through the night like a blade. My head jerked up.
Selene stood at the edge of the courtyard, her silver hair glowing under the moon, her eyes sharp and unreadable.
“M-Mama…” My voice wavered.
She stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over the frost patterns, the sweat on my forehead, the trembling of my small hands. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“You’ve been doing this… alone?”
I lowered my head, cheeks burning. “I… I wanted to learn. To control it. So I don’t hurt anyone.”
Silence. For a moment, I thought she would scold me. For sneaking out at night. For practicing dangerous magic at my age.
Then she knelt, lifting my chin with her gentle hand. Her eyes were wet.
“You remind me of myself,” she whispered. “Even when I was you're age, I practiced until my hands bled. Not because anyone told me to. But because I couldn’t stop.”
Her hand cupped my cheek, warm against my cold skin. “But you don’t have to carry this burden alone, Rooga. Not while I’m here.”
I blinked at her, wide-eyed. “…You’ll teach me?”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “How could I not, when you look at me with those eyes?”
She kissed my forehead, then stood, her presence radiating both pride and sorrow.
“Come,” she said, extending her hand. “From now on, we’ll train together. But promise me this—never let your magic endanger your brother. Or your sister. Or yourself.”
I placed my tiny hand in hers, gripping tight. “Promise.”
The HUD flickered faintly as I spoke:
[Bond Strengthened: Selene Valemont]Selene didn’t see the words. But I did. And for the first time, I felt… safe.[New Training Path Unlocked: Structured Mana Control]
Not because of my magic.
But because my mother would walk beside me.