Ryo sat still, his eyes wide with anticipation, as his grandfather looked deep into his eyes, his gaze calm but intense.
"Now," the old man said solemnly, "go to a quiet, peaceful place. Sit, breathe, and clear your mind. Meditate until you can truly feel the flow of mana inside your body. Only then will you be ready to form your core. And without a core, Ryo… you cannot wield magic through the third method."
Those words struck Ryo with a thrilling sense of urgency. The third method—the one drawn from within, from a source deeper than any outside energy—was within reach. All he needed was to find it within himself.
Without hesitation, Ryo rose to his feet. "I'll find it," he said with quiet determination.
He set out immediately, his feet carrying him through the familiar woods that surrounded their home. The air was cool and filled with birdsong, the rustling of leaves soothing his hurried thoughts. Deeper and deeper he wandered, until he found a secluded spot nestled among tall trees, where a gentle stream trickled nearby and the sunlight filtered through the branches in golden patches.
There, in that tranquil clearing, Ryo sat down. He crossed his legs, rested his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes.
Time passed. The wind whispered through the trees. Minutes turned to hours. Still, nothing.
Ryo's breath grew slow, steady. Doubts crept into his mind—maybe he wasn't gifted after all, maybe he wasn't meant to walk this path. But he pushed them aside. His grandfather believed in him. He would not give up.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Again. And again. He let go of his impatience, his need to succeed, his thoughts about strength or weakness. He focused only on the present moment—on his breath, his body, and the silence.
And then… something shifted.
At first, it was faint—a flicker, a whisper beneath his skin. A tingling warmth stirred gently in the center of his chest. It pulsed softly, not loud or wild, but calm and steady, like a quiet heartbeat.
Ryo's eyes opened, and he gasped softly. He could feel it—mana. Not from the world around him, but from within. It was there, flowing through him like a stream beneath the earth. Hidden, but real.
"I did it…" he whispered. "I can feel it."
With a heart pounding with excitement, Ryo jumped to his feet and sprinted back toward home, his feet barely touching the forest floor. He rushed through the door of his house, nearly breathless.
"Grandfather!" he called out, his voice ringing with joy. "I've felt it—I can feel the flow of mana inside me!"
His grandfather, seated quietly by the fire, looked up with a mixture of surprise and pride. A smile slowly spread across his face, his eyes shining.
"So soon…" the old man murmured. "Most children take two, sometimes three days to sense the flow of mana for the first time. But you… you've done it in one."
Ryo beamed with pride, his earlier frustration now replaced with a fiery sense of accomplishment.
"Now," his grandfather said, rising to his feet, "you are ready. I will teach you how to shape that mana into a core—your own source of power—and how to circulate it through your body. This is the foundation of the third method."
"I'm ready," Ryo said without hesitation, eyes shining with determination.
His grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder, the warmth of pride evident in his touch.
"This is only the beginning," he said. "But you've already taken your first step into the true path of magic.