Fifteen years had passed since I took Zyler in. He had grown into a strong young man, able to hold off multiple powerful monsters on his own. He had both the talent and the passion to learn, and with each passing day, his strength only continued to grow.
"Master, I'm done mastering the basic techniques you tought me"
Zylers voice snapped me out of my day dreaming.
"Is that so?" I exclaimed crossing my arms.
"I'm done with the basics, now just like you promised teach me magic" he pleaded as he threw the sword on the ground.
"I did promise that" I murmured.
"Yes you did" he rambled.
"Alright then, before we start with your first spell, let's check if you have the right amount of mana," I said, crossing my arms.
Of course, I already knew he had a great mana pool. He was half-demon, after all.
As expected, his mana was greater than the average mage his age — even greater than most mages much older than him.
How much stronger would he be once he fully learned to control it?
The thought alone made my heart stir. Maybe... maybe I'd finally be freed from this curse.
"Alright," I said, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "You have more than enough mana. Ready to get started?"
"Wait! I have a question," Zyler exclaimed, raising his hand quickly.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"How does magic work?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
I chuckled under my breath, stepping closer.
"Magic is woven," I explained, my voice low and patient. "Mana flows through everything — the air, the earth, water and fire... even people's souls."
I lifted my hand slowly, and with a small effort, pulled a shimmering thread from the empty air between us.
"It appears naturally as invisible threads of mana," I continued. "Thin lines of energy that connect all things. And you..."
I gave him a small, knowing smile.
"...you are the weaver. You bend, tie, twist, and stitch these threads into patterns."
Zyler's brow furrowed deeper.
"I still don't get it," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.
I chuckled.
"Follow me" I said.
The sun had already dipped behind the hills as I led Zyler into a clearing—the same clearing where I taught thousands of apprentices who are now long gone.The ground was cracked due to the years of training. And beautiful wildflowers pushed through the cracks.
"Stand still here" I commanded.
Zyler followed.
"And close your eyes" I said.
Zyler obeyed, his brows furrowing.
"Now listen."
He stayed silent.
"Imagine this... The world hums, Zyler. It hums with a music you cannot hear yet. The threads are the notes. You must learn to listen beyond your ears."
I circled him slowly, my hands tracing invisible lines in the air.
"Mana is not just power you force out. You have to control it. But to control it. you must feelit."
A slow breath escaped Zyler's lips. Then, a flicker — a ripple in the air.
"There," I said, sharply. "You felt it."
"I think so..." he mumbled, his eyelids twitching.
I extended my palm. Golden lines, thin as spider silk, shimmered into view around us—threads looping from the earth, the stones, the very air.
"Now, open your eyes"
Zylers breath hitched.
"I... I see them!"
"Good" I murmured. "Now comes the hard part. Weaving."
I knelt and pulled a single thread from the ground — a soft green one, Earth Thread — and twisted it between my fingers like yarn. A stone at my feet rumbled, rising an inch.
Zyler's eyes widened.
"Now your turn. Choose one thread—gently, like plucking a harp string. Feel it.
Nervously, Zyler reached out. His fingers fumbled through the air, swiping uselessly until...
Ping.
A single faint blue thread — a Water Thread — vibrated against his touch.
"Good... Now weave it. Loop it into a knot."
He bit his lip in concentration, threading the energy clumsily around his fingers. The thread resisted at first—mana had a will of its own—but slowly, under Zyler's trembling hands, the loop tightened.
A tiny mist puffed into the air, hovering between his palms.
"I did it... I did it!" he shouted.
The mist popped like a bubble. He stumbled backward, laughing.
"You wove your first thread," I said, my chest tightening with hope.
Zyler grinned, a boy's grin—but behind it, I glimpsed the future: A blade sharp enough to end my cursed existence at last.
"Now, do it again" I said.
A week had passed. Zyler had mastered the basics of weaving magic, just as I had expected.
Now, I think it's time to teach him how to fuse threads for stronger spells.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from the training ground.
I rushed over, thinking Zyler might have been hurt.
When I got there, rubble completely covered the ground, and dust stung my eyes.
"Zyler!" I called out, my heart racing.
"I'm here" his voice low and weak.
"Where?" I shouted.
There was no answer.
I grabbed a white thread from the air, twirling it into a spiral to create a small tornado. The dust cleared instantly, and I quickly searched for Zyler.
I found him lying unconscious on the ground.
I rushed over, pulling a water thread from a nearby flower and a light thread from the air. I fused the two threads together and wove them over his body, healing him.
"Who dares intervene?" a deep voice growled from behind me.
I stood up and turned around. There, standing in the swirling dust, was a demon.
"What do you want?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"I was sent by the Lord to retrieve the hybrid," it said, its voice rumbling like distant thunder.
"What does this Lord of yours want with the hybrid?" I demanded.
"The hybrid is to be sacrificed to the Lord," it replied flatly.
"If you want him, you'll have to defeat me first," I said, weaving my hand in the air.
"A lowly lifeform challenging me? This will be fun," it sneered, raising its sword high.
I pulled a golden thread from the air, weaving it quickly into a shimmering dome. I placed it over Zyler, shielding him from harm.
The demon charged, swinging his sword in a wide arc. I swiftly dodged, feeling the blade whistle past my face.
I pulled Light, Air, and Water threads from the surroundings, weaving them together into dozens of shining beams.
But the demon merely laughed, deflecting every strike with effortless sweeps of his sword.
"How fun," he growled, dark amusement gleaming in his eyes. "You can use light magic."
He lunged again, this time slashing his sword through the air. Dark waves of magic erupted toward me.
I hastily wove a barrier, shielding myself as the shockwave blasted the ground. Dust and debris filled the clearing, clouding my vision. Where is it?
The ground suddenly trembled beneath my feet.
From below?!
I leapt away just in time, weaving a small tornado to scatter the dust.
As the air cleared, I saw flames bursting from cracks in the earth, setting the ground ablaze.
Before I could react, the demon struck. His blade caught my barrier, sending me flying backward.
I rolled to my feet, weaving another shield just in time to absorb the impact. My arms shook from the force of holding the barrier, but I grit my teeth and pressed on.
"Now," he snarled, his voice thick with malice, "feel hell's flames!"
"Thanks for the fire," I muttered under my breath.
I reached into the air, pulling a Light thread, and into my own soul, drawing out a Spirit thread.
Weaving them together carefully, I shaped the spell — Luminous Bind.
Golden chains erupted from the ground, shackling the demon in place.
"What's this?" he sneered, thrashing. "You think this will hold me?"
He struggled violently, but the chains only tightened, glowing brighter with every movement.
His expression twisted in recognition.
"This is... Luminous Chains?!"
Without a word, I pulled a Fire thread from the burning earth and combined it with another Light thread.
Weaving them carefully, I created Sunlace — a spear of burning, radiant light.
With a flick of my hand, the beam shot forward, piercing the demon clean through.
His mouth opened in shock.
"How cou—"
Before he could finish, his body disintegrated into dust, scattered by the wind.
I stood there, heart pounding, the golden chains fading into mist around me.
I had really strained myself, huh? Using two high-level spells had already depleted an eighth of my mana.
I turned to Zyler. He was safe.
So, the Demon Lord had found out about him, huh?
I was sure he would send more demons to retrieve his sacrifice. We couldn't stay here any longer — fighting off the Demon Lord's soldiers would be a hassle.
I lowered the barrier and gently lifted Zyler into my arms. Carrying him back home, I began preparing everything we would need for our journey.
All that was left now was to wait for Zyler to wake up.
Hours had passed, and Zyler still hadn't woken up. I was starting to worry. He must have completely exhausted his mana.
That demon from earlier… he was just a soldier, and yet he wielded Hell's Flames so effortlessly. Have demons grown stronger over the past centuries? If that's the case, I need to train Zyler harder. I don't know when the next attack will come.
Just then, Zyler's eyes began to twitch. Slowly, he opened them—and I froze.
One of his eyes was red.
Was it from the demon's attack? Or was he… transforming?
"What happened?" he asked, his voice weak and groggy.
"We were attacked by a demon," I said softly, rubbing my thumb against his cheek.
"A demon?" he repeated, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Then… what happened next?"
"I killed it."
He blinked. "Cool."
I reached for the water beside the bed and handed it to him. "Drink this."
Zyler sat up slowly and drank. He seemed okay, physically at least. But that red eye...
"How do you feel?" I asked, watching him closely.
"I'm fine," he replied, setting the cup down.
"Rest a bit more," I said, standing up. "We're leaving this country soon."
"What?" he said, startled. "Why?"
"It's not safe here."
"But you already killed the demon. Why should we still move?"
"They'll come back—with more demons."
"But I can fight them!" he argued, fists clenching.
"They're too strong," I said firmly.
"I've fought powerful beasts before! I was just ambushed—that's the only reason I fainted!"
"It's too dangerous."
"What if I don't want to leave?"
"You don't have a choice."
"But I don't want to leave!" he shouted.
"Why not?" I said, crossing my arms.
Zyler's face turned bright red.
"I-It's because I met a cute elf," he muttered.
"Oh?" I raised a brow.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the house.
I bolted outside. Three demons stood in the distance, their auras pulsing with menace.
"We've come to retrieve the hybrid," one of them growled.
Behind me, I heard Zyler's voice. "What's happening?"
"Stay back," I ordered.
"I can help," he said, stepping forward.
"No. You're still weak." I raised a hand, weaving a barrier around the house.
"But I want to he—"
An arrow whistled through the air. I twisted away just in time.
"Give us the hybrid," one of the demons snarled, "or we'll kill you without mercy."
"I'd like to see you try," I snapped, weaving multiple fire tornados and sending it to them in quick succession.
They dodged and deflected them with ease.
The sun had already set—I couldn't draw from light threads anymore. My only hope was the moon, but thick clouds veiled the sky.
Damn it.
How was I supposed to fight them without light?
One of the demons continued to rain flaming arrows from above. I quickly wove a barrier, shielding myself from the onslaught. Another charged, his blade slashing in a wide arc. I dodged swiftly, then pulled an Earth thread from the ground, twisting it into a pillar that erupted beneath his feet, launching him through the air.
I didn't let up. Grabbing a Shadow thread, I fused it with Earth and Spirit threads. The result: two shadowy golems emerged from the ground, massive and silent. They lunged toward the demon with the bow, distracting it.
"Enough games," one of them growled.
He hurled a spear into the sky—then it shattered midair, breaking into thousands of burning spears that darkened the sky.
I gritted my teeth and raised another barrier, but then—
"Behind you," a low voice hissed.
I turned.
A clawed hand clamped over my face, lifting me off the ground like I weighed nothing. The demon's grip tightened, crushing.
"I guess you'll have to die," he snarled, his breath reeking of sulfur.
Panic surged—but I saw it: a faint black thread pulsing in his arm. Demonic energy.
In a last desperate effort, I reached out—not just with my hand, but with my will—and pulled that demonic thread from him. At the same time, I tore a Spirit thread from deep within my own soul.
I wove them together mid-air.
The demon's eyes widened as the black thread turned pale and began to shimmer.
"Wha—"
Cleansed Flame.
A pale, silvery fire erupted around my body and up its arm. The flame didn't burn with heat—it burned with purpose.
It screamed.
Not in pain—but in fear.
The flame knew it. Knew what it was.
The fire climbed higher, devouring its corruption. Its skin cracked and flaked away like ash caught in the wind. He released me, howling, and staggered back, trying to extinguish the unholy blaze—but it clung to it like judgment.
Within moments, it collapsed, a pile of ash.
The other two demons froze.
I landed hard, breathing raggedly. My body trembled. That spell… it drained more than just mana. It took will.
But it worked.
I stood, wiping blood from my lip, and raised my hand toward the others.
"Who's next?"