Few minutes earlier.
Richard was beginning to feel the mana around him, now it was all about forming his core.
Then–
BOOM!
He looked up, seeing fire arrows falling from the sky.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue. Then facing Alice, he said, "Alice, you can feel and move your mana right?"
"Um... yes. A little. Why?" She asked. "Good. You're going to have to assist Alice. I'll take care of the rest on my own." He said in a matter-of-fact manner.
"W-what! How am I going to fight that?! I don't know a single spell." She snapped.
"You can feel your mana already right?" He asked. "Yeah." She replied confused. "And obviously you can move it now. Right?" He asked again.
"Yeah. What's your point?" She asked, still confused.
"Then can you feel for your elemental affinity?" Richard asked.
"Um..." she tried to answer but Richard interrupted. "It's simple. Just close your eyes and feel the mana around you."
"Ok." She did as he said and closed her eyes as she began feeling the mana around her. "Once you do that, try to distinguish the different mana in the air."
"Huh?" She questioned, confused.
"There are different types of mana in the air. Elemental mana is one of them. Feel for the elements within the mana and search for your affinity."
"Huuu." She exhaled and closed her eyes again, reaching for the surrounding mana.
After feeling the flow of mana brushing against her skin, Alice focused, her brows furrowing in concentration.
She reached out with her senses, trying to isolate the different strands of mana dancing in the air–fire, wind, water, earth... light...
She latched onto one faint, glimmering thread of light–and then snap, it slipped through her grasp like mist.
"Damn it," she muttered, eyes still closed.
"Don't rush it," Richard said, his tone calm but edged with urgency. "You felt it, didn't you? That flicker? Try again. Slowly. Gently."
Alice nodded, swallowing her frustration. "Okay."
Her breathing slowed, mind clearing, as she reached once more into ambient mana.
She brushed past heavier, denser elements–flames that burned too hot, wind that howled too loud. Then, a shimmer. A soft glimmer.
She extended her will toward it–only for it to fizzle out again.
"Shit!"
"Alice," Richard said, voice more firm this time. "You're trying too hard. Stop chasing it. Let it come to you. Light isn't loud like fire or sharp like wind. It's subtle. Calm. Let it settle into you."
She nodded again,clenched fists relaxing. Her expression softened. She opened herself–heart, body, spirit–to the flow of mana.
She didn't reach this time. She simply waited.
And then she felt it. It was warm. Gentle. Like sunlight breaking through the clouds.
"I... I feel it," she whispered. "It's... like it was always there."
"Good," Richard said, grinning through the sweat trickling down his temple. Mana was still flowing through him–Alice's mana and now ambient mana–and with it, he was slowly sculpting his core.
"Now... try forming it."
"Huh?"
"A sword," he said. "Try to shape that light around you. Pull it in. Command it into a blade."
That was how spellcasting worked in this world. The incantations said were just to help focus the image in the mage's mind.
"Okay... okay."
Alice stepped back slightly, inhaled deeply, and extended her hand forward. The light affinity mana flickered around her fingers like golden dust.
She concentrated. Visualised a sword–not just any sword, but one made of pure radiance. A weapon of hope. Protection.
A thin line of light formed in her hand, flickering–
Then it surged.
A blade of brilliant white extended from her palm, humming with energy, the edges glowing like molten sun.
"I did it!" She shouted in shock, joy erupting across her face.
"You did," Richard said, eyes still closed, the shape of his forming mana core beginning to solidify in his center.
"Now go. Help Beatrice. She can't last much longer."
Alice's eyes flicked toward the battlefield where distant explosions of fire still lit up the street like a war zone.
"I'm going."
With the glowing sword in hand, Alice dashed off toward Beatrice, light trailing behind her like the tail of a comet.
Richard exhaled, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Good luck," he muttered. "Both of you."