After Eric left to talk to his father, Seraphine entered the house with a light but confident step. Her gentle eyes fell on Luka, who was sitting calmly in the centre of the room.
"How are you feeling, my darling?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. "How did you find your day?"
Luka looked up at her and replied, surprisingly calm:
"Strangely, I feel fine. I'm not even tired... on the contrary, I feel light."
A soft smile spread across Seraphine's lips.
"Perfect. That means your body is starting to adapt. Now it's time to move on to the second part of your training. Tell me, what do you know? Since you woke up... what have you observed? How have you felt?"
'
Luka took a moment. His eyes wandered for a moment, then he replied slowly:
"Since I woke up, the world seems more... alive. It's strange. As if everything around us, the trees, the animals, the air itself... is vibrating. As if everything has energy. A kind of presence. An essence. "
He paused, then added:
"In my opinion, this energy... is what we call mana. It's a force that connects everything. It's in all living things, in objects... it's everywhere."
Seraphine nodded slowly, satisfied.
"You're not wrong, Luka. But that's only part of the truth. Mana is much more than just energy. It's a connection. A resonance between you and the world. It's breath, memory, flow. It runs through everything that exists. It's not just there: it connects, it feels, it responds."
She gently placed her hand on Luka's heart.
"Mana is not to be controlled. It is to be listened to, felt. When you awaken, your mind struggles to attune itself to it. Yesterday, your father helped you begin this harmonisation through physical effort. Today, we will go further. Remain seated. Breathe in. Breathe out. Open your heart. Close your eyes.' "
Luka obeyed, sitting down in the lotus position. His breathing slowed. Silence fell over the room, broken only by the gentle breath of the wind.
"See those particles around you. They are there, alive. They are not running away from you. They are welcoming you. Don't think with your head. Feel with your heart. Talk to them, softly. Invite them. Breathe in. Breathe out."
Time seemed to stand still. An imperceptible rustling sound could be heard. The air changed.
Suddenly, everything shifted.
A veil of purple light, subtle yet dazzling, began to form around Luka. Slowly, it enveloped his body in a silent dance. The particles began to spin, as if drawn to him, gradually merging with his skin.
Luka opened his eyes. They shone with a new brilliance.
"I can feel it..." he whispered. "Before, I could see them. Now I can feel them. They're responding to me. So that's what mana is...' "
Seraphine was overwhelmed.
She, who always wore a calm smile... who radiated confidence and grace... had never been so shaken. In her entire life, she had never felt such a mixture of pride and disbelief.
She, the great Seraphine—one of the most brilliant fighters of her generation, whose name still echoed across every continent—had taken three whole days to establish her first connection with mana.
Three. Whole days.
And yet... her son, Lucas, had succeeded in less than a minute.
Thirty seconds.
That was all it took for Lucas to connect to the mana.
Thirty seconds.
Not a second more.
She couldn't believe it. She could have thought it was an accident, a passing illusion, external manipulation... but no.
Everything in the atmosphere confirmed the reality of what she had just seen. The energy had reacted. The mana had accepted Lucas. And not timidly — no. It had recognised him, bound itself to him as if it were obvious.
At this level, it was no longer talent. It was a divine anomaly.
On a human scale, no one had ever achieved this feat. The greatest geniuses took days, sometimes weeks, to establish a clear, stable and conscious connection with the flow of mana. Even she, renowned throughout the continent, had taken three full days, at the cost of intensive training and total isolation.
And him?
Lucas had done it in thirty seconds.
It wasn't a head start.
It was a chasm.
A difference so abysmal that it defied all known laws of mana learning.
An absolute record.
A feat never recorded in any grimoire, legend or sacred text.
And it was her son.
She stared at him, sitting calmly, his face lit up with an almost unreal serenity, worthy of a seasoned cultivator. The ethereal strands of mana still floated around him, gradually fading into his magical signature like a silent promise.
Her heart tightened.
She was proud. Of course she was.
But... she was also a little jealous.
Just a little.
Her pride had been wounded. For her own son had just surpassed her most remarkable achievement. A milestone that had tripped up many, that even geniuses feared.
And yet she smiled. Because a mother's love would always triumph over her pride.
After all... he was her son. That monstrous talent was also in his blood.
Seraphina approached him gently and ruffled Lucas's snow-white hair.
"Lucas... you did well. Wonderfully well. You are... extraordinary."
'
Lucas looked up at her, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"Thank you, Mum. But... is it really supposed to take this long? For the others, I mean?"
Seraphina let out a soft sigh. Her lips trembled for a moment before she replied.
"For most people, yes. Even for the very gifted. It takes days, sometimes weeks. And even then, with several failures."She paused, then smiled slightly. "As for me... let's just say I'm one of the greatest geniuses of my generation, shall we?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued.
"So... how long did it take you?"
She hesitated. Just for a moment.
Then she sighed, resigned.
"Three days."
Lucas blinked. Slowly.
Then he smiled mischievously.
"So I beat you, huh."
'
She couldn't help but laugh softly.
"Yes... you beat me. But deep down, you're still my son. I share this victory a little."
Lucas's smile widened.
"So there are two monsters in the family."
Seraphina ruffled his hair again, this time tenderly.
"No, my darling. You're the monster. I'm just a mother who's proud to have given birth to such a prodigy."
And in that silent room, bathed in the last glimmers of mana and an aura of peace, an invisible, deep bond grew between a mother and her extraordinary son.
Meanwhile, Eric had joined his colleagues Max, Lucinda and Erian.
"So, what's new?" he asked as he approached the group.
Erian spoke first:
"We found traces of trolls deep in the forest. We think it's time to finish off that camp. "
Eric frowned.
"Are you sure it's a troll camp?"
"Not 100% sure," replied Erian, "but all the signs are there: massive footprints, marked trees, and a lingering smell of sulphur."
Max interjected, arms crossed:
"If they've really set up camp, then there's probably a shaman around... and surely a troll warrior to protect the tribe."
Eric had never really feared trolls. But right now, he had to play the role of the cautious leader.
"All right, it's risky, but we can't ignore this.
Let's go see for ourselves what's going on."
Erian nodded.
"Perfect. Let's get going."
And without wasting any time, the group plunged into the forest, the atmosphere becoming more and more oppressive as they advanced. The hunt had begun.
In the forest, the atmosphere was tense.
Eric, Max, Lucinda and Erian moved cautiously among the dense trees.
"Let's try to muffle our footsteps,"whispered Eric. "We'll locate the troll camp and act quickly. Above all, be careful. We don't know what kind of trolls we're dealing with yet. Protect yourselves first and foremost."
"Understood," replied Max, nodding, and the others followed suit.
Without another word, the group plunged into the forest. The air was heavy, charged with an almost palpable tension.
Suddenly...
Fssssh!
An arrow shot out at full speed, straight towards Eric. In a fraction of a second, he drew his sword, the blade cutting through the air with lightning precision.
Clang! The arrow exploded on impact.
It was as if he had sensed the threat before he even saw it. His gaze hardened. His body lit up briefly, surrounded by crackling lightning, and in a flash, he disappeared. A moment later, he reappeared in front of a troll lying in wait.
Zzzzt! A clean, precise blow. The troll was cut in two.
"We've been spotted," Eric announced, his gaze fixed.
"Shit," Ariane growled. 'This is going to complicate things..."
Max snickered.
"Honestly, why worry? They're just trolls. Let's just exterminate them."
Lucinda shot him a dirty look.
"You idiot... Do you think they're acting alone? If they're setting ambushes, there must be a leader coordinating them. So there's probably a shaman... or a champion."
"Or maybe both," added Eriane.
A heavy silence fell.
Then Eric took the lead again.
"Good. Now that that's clear... let's go."
And they all resumed their march, adrenaline rising with every step, ready to face whatever awaited them in the shadows of the forest.
As Eric and his companions advanced silently through the forest, a strange feeling came over him. He could feel... eyes on him. Several pairs. Heavy. Hostile.
Trolls. They were there, lurking in the shadows, watching their every move.
But Eric said nothing.
"I could take them out with two blows if I had to,' he thought. 'But I'd risk giving away my cover. Let's act discreetly... for now."
A quick glance at Étienne was enough. A barely perceptible nod. They understood each other. The others, focused, didn't notice this subtle exchange.
Suddenly, a huge ball of fire shot out from between the trees.
Max, without hesitation, stepped forward. His axe glowed, covered in a red incandescent light.
In a powerful circular motion, he split the fireball in two. The flames dissipated with a shrill hiss.
Taking advantage of the opening, Eric and Étienne leapt forward, accelerating towards the enemy camp.
And there... it was an ambush.
Dozens of trolls were waiting for them.
Eric, unperturbed, drew his sword. Electricity crackled around him, blue, bright, screaming. His entire body seemed to merge with the lightning as he charged into the heart of the melee. Every movement was a flash. Every blow, a storm.
Lucinda followed him with her eyes, fascinated.
"His sword skills... incredible. Where did he learn all this?"
Max, meanwhile, was laughing heartily.
"Come on, all of you! Don't run away! COME, you filthy beasts!" he shouted, bringing his axe down on the trolls one after the other in an exhilarating dance of carnage.
At his side, Lucinda provided support. Every time Max was about to be hit, she sprang forward, protecting him or knocking the enemy off balance.
Erian, meanwhile, was more discreet. His spear, thin and deadly, glowed with a dark red fire. Each blow set his targets ablaze, reducing them to glowing embers.
The trolls, seeing their army being decimated, retreated... but too late.
Their shamans then stepped forward.
They were misshapen, hooded creatures with glowing eyes and hands trembling with power. They threw fireballs, the air vibrating with magical intensity.
Érian took on the largest of them: a troll champion with enormous muscles, armed with a black stone hammer. The fight was brutal.
Meanwhile, Eric fought his way to the main shaman.
Magical projectiles flew, but Eric dodged them with superhuman agility. He leapt forward, blade outstretched, ready to strike down the shaman with a single blow.
But at the last moment, an invisible barrier stopped his attack.
CLANG!
The sword crashed against the magical defence. The shaman leapt backwards in a fluid somersault, his body supple despite his age. He now held a double-bladed sword, black and gleaming.
Eric frowned.
'That barrier... it's strange.'
Then he felt it.
The energy of chaos.
A dark necklace pulsed around the shaman's neck. A black aura emanated from it, dense, heavy, almost alive.
Something was awakening.
'No... this energy... it's... demonic. How is this possible? Chaos shouldn't be here. This was just a routine mission...'
Eric understood that the stakes had changed.
He no longer had a choice.
He stamped his foot on the ground. The ground began to vibrate.
Around him, a zone of gravity activated.
Time seemed to slow down. An invisible bubble bound Eric and the shaman together.
"Throne of Gravity: activated."
Gravity suddenly increased tenfold. The shaman felt his body grow heavy, his movements becoming hesitant.
Eric, focused, advanced step by step, lightning dancing around him.
« Let's end this. »