Lucius pushed open the heavy wooden door of the city archive, the scent of old parchment and dust hitting him like a punch to the senses. This place wasn't just a library—it was a vault holding centuries of secrets, histories of kingdoms long fallen, and the quiet murmurs of power whispered through generations.
He'd come for answers.
The archive was a labyrinth of towering shelves stuffed with scrolls, tomes, and manuscripts. The air was thick with silence, broken only by the occasional creak of wooden beams and the soft rustle of turning pages from distant readers.
Lucius settled into a worn leather chair, opening a thick, leather-bound volume titled "The Essence of Mana and the Architecture of Power." The cover was cracked and the pages yellowed, but the knowledge inside was fresh as ever.
Mana—an invisible thread binding all life. The root of all magic and strength.
The book explained that every living being was born with a mana core. This core, nestled deep inside the body, was like a reservoir holding raw magical energy. Its size and purity dictated how much mana one could store and how naturally they could shape it into spells or physical enhancements.
Some were born with bright, vibrant cores—gifted mages and warriors capable of bending mana with ease. Others, like Lucius, carried sluggish or dormant cores, ones that demanded patience and careful nurturing to awaken.
The fruit he'd eaten? An ancient relic designed to crack open these dormant cores and coax out the first flickers of power. But awakening was only the start. True strength came from shaping mana with precision—bending raw energy into shields, blasts, healing, or enhancement. This process was called shaping.
The book warned of those who rushed this art. Forcing mana too quickly risked shattering the core, like glass breaking under too much pressure. Real power demanded slow, steady progress.
Lucius exhaled, a quiet smirk touching his lips. That suited him just fine.
The pages then unfolded the grand design of the world's political order.
At the summit stood the Empire—vast, sprawling, ruled by the Emperor, whose bloodline was rumored to possess the purest, most potent mana cores. His word was law, but the Empire's size made governance a delicate dance of influence and power.
Beneath the Emperor were Kings—rulers of semi-autonomous kingdoms within the Empire. Each King maintained armies, courts, and nobles but owed loyalty to the Emperor.
Dukes held domains inside the kingdoms, managing smaller regions, towns, and estates. Some dukes were just and loyal; others were corrupt, using their power to traffic secrets, forbidden magic, and rare beastkin.
The nobles below the dukes were the cogs turning this massive machine—knights, merchants, scholars, and spies, all vying for influence and survival.
It was in the shadowed corners of this hierarchy that dangerous whispers thrived. The minor duke's estate Lucius had glimpsed from the cliffs was exactly such a place—rumored to be a hub for illicit trades involving rare beastkin and forbidden powers.
Turning a page, Lucius found a section dedicated to the world's varied peoples.
Elves—ageless, graceful, and attuned to nature's mana flows. Their long lifespans gave them wisdom, but also a cold aloofness to the fleeting lives of humans.
Beast races—fierce and varied—ranging from cat-like humanoids with shapeshifting abilities to towering beastmen whose strength was unmatched.
Dwarves—masters of stone and metal, their mana often linked to earth and fire, crafting weapons and armor unlike any other.
Dragons—legendary creatures, powerful and rare. Among them, the Veilborn stood apart. Born with scales that absorbed light, breath without scent, and mana signatures so faint they were nearly invisible. Kael, his quiet companion, was one such Veilborn—perfect for moving unseen through a world of eyes and ears.
These races, alongside countless others, wove the rich tapestry of the world, each with their own histories, grudges, and alliances.
Closing the book, Lucius felt the weight of it all settle on his shoulders.
Magic wasn't just flashy power or brute force. It was politics, patience, and peril. Trust and betrayal. Growth and sacrifice.
And the strongest weren't always those who wielded the loudest spells.
Slowly, deliberately, Lucius would learn to navigate this world—mastering mana and maneuvering through courts and shadows alike.
One cautious step at a time