The midday sun beat down on the main estate training grounds. At just three years old, Mori sat cross-legged right in the center of the dirt and gravel field, the training ground. His small body locked in a rigid meditation posture.
His eyes were closed, his mind racing back to the books he read in the library.
(To gather mana, look inward. Find the ambient energy in the air and pull. It should feel like a sudden, rush straight to the abdomen...pulling towards your mana core)
He took a slow, deep breath, reaching out with his senses.
Nothing.
He tried again, clearing his thoughts and pulling harder.
On the third try, it hit him. A rush of current snapped into existence, rushing straight from the air and slamming into his abdomen. It flooded toward his developing mana core like an open dam. Mori finally felt it, "I can go further" he gritted his teeth, pushing his limits and forcing the intake to widen. The rush intensified, swirling into an almost vortex inside his small frame.
Suddenly, a firm hand clamped onto his shoulder. The hand broke his focus and disrupted his flow, breaking him out of the meditation. Mori snapped his eyes open, glaring up. "That is enough, young master," his butler guard said, his face completely serious as he knelt beside him. "You were pushing yourself too much. If you handle that much mana at once, it will cause damage your core and cause troubles for you later on. You are only three years old, nonetheless."
Mori fussed and grumbled, brushing his clothes off as he stood up. "Tch. I had it under control. I could have handled more."The butler didn't argue, only offering a faint, knowing smile before his eyes drifted toward the edge of the training grounds. "It looks like the new young master is settling in."
Mori followed his gaze. A short distance away, Ancel was walking the paved paths, looking overwhelmed as a small entourage of maids and guards led him on a formal tour of the massive estate. Mori watched him for a quiet moment, keeping his hands tucked away.
Back in the main hall, the heavy doors had closed, leaving Annot and the Seer in relative privacy.
The Seer leaned forward, her sharp eyes scanning Annot's face. "You do know there is a distinct reason why you possess such an overwhelming talent in light and divine magic, do you not? That reason might be intertwined with your savior boy too" the seer said as she crossed her legs.
Annot shrugged it off, completely unbothered. "My father always said I was blessed by the heavens, but that's about it. My mother was never really around enough to explain anything else either."
The Seer didn't push further. She just offered a cryptic, knowing smile and bowed her head. "I see. I shall take my leave then, annot." Clasping her hands before getting up
Annot watched her walk out, not thinking too much into the woman's vague talks.
A moment later, the side doors opened. Sayer the Fourth walked back into the hall, carrying one-year-old Jin in his arms. He had been playing with the boy to pass the time, but his expression looked dull and heavy with thoughts. He carefully handed the baby back to Annot and glanced toward the main exit.
"What was that all about?" Sayer asked, nodding toward the direction the Seer had left.
"It's nothing," Annot said softly, rocking Jin in her arms. She looked up, reading the heavy lines on her husband's face. She could see right through him. "You're still bothered about your father, aren't you?" He didn't answer, his silence confirming it.
"You know he'll be fine," Annot assured him, her voice steady and grounding. "He is one of the strongest people we know. He'll turn up sooner or later. Now Just don't worry yourself to death." Sayer let out a heavy breath, his shoulders dropping slightly. "I hope so."
He looked down at Jin, who was completely oblivious to the weight in the room, happily cooing and reaching his tiny hands up toward his mother.