We waited for Master Swert.
Then—
Creak.
The door groaned open.
My head snapped toward it.
Master Swert stepped out.
He wore the same plain clothes as the rest of us. Brown trousers and a white buttoned shirt. No cloak. No display. A single-handed sword hung at his waist.
There was weight in each step he took. He stopped a few paces from us.
The others bowed in unison. I tried to mirror them.
"Good morning, Master."
He nodded.
"Morning."
His gaze moved from face to face and paused on Sam.
"All present?"
Sam straightened.
"Fifteen present, Master. Plus the new arrival."
Swert gave a short nod.
"At ease."
Shoulders dropped a fraction. Breaths slipped out.
Master Swert spoke again, his eyes drifted around us.
His eyes swept us again.
"Today, we begin with theory. Since we have a new arrival, we'll review the foundations together. Sit."
The others stepped forward and settled into a wide half circle around him. I lowered myself to sit when his voice cut through.
"Lucien. Sit at the front."
I froze, then moved to the center of the curve and sat.
Swert unsheathed his sword.
Shing.
He drove it into the sand with a firm push.
Thud.
Both hands rested on the hilt as he leaned against it slightly.
His voice came clear and firm.
"First. The Path of Mana, and the stages we all must pass through."
His eyes moved through the circle before landing on me.
"Lucien. How much do you know about the Path of Mana?"
I drew a breath and spoke.
"The Path of Mana is divided into two parts. Awakening and Adaptation. Each has three stages."
Swert inclined his head.
"Tell us about the stages."
I nodded once before continuing.
"Awakening. First stage: Dormant. Every being is born with a mana core. From birth, the core lies dormant. Present, but inactive. You cannot use mana."
Master Swert gestured for me to continue.
"Second stage: Flowing. Reaching it is called Awakening. The core liquefies inside the heart. Mana begins to flow through the body, carving the first pathways. At this stage, you can channel mana to strengthen yourself."
I steadied my breath, reciting the words I had learned.
"Third stage: Condensed. Over time, you naturally absorb mana from your surroundings. When the amount exceeds what your core can hold, the core begins to refine itself. The liquid hardens, and the core fuses with the heart."
I drew another breath.
"The core becomes the heart, and the heart the core. By then, the body has adapted, creating pathways that make it easier to channel mana. This stage is called True Awakening, since your mana will reveal the color of your soul affinity."
Swert listened without interruption. Then he gave a slight nod.
"Good. Seems someone listened during his lessons."
Chuckles stirred around us.
My lips twitched at the words, but the sound faded when Swert spoke again, his eyes fixed on me.
"Those are the stages of Awakening. What about Adaptation?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing, Master. I was told not to learn them."
He nodded.
"True. Too much knowledge too soon can hinder progress. But you are all old enough to hear of it at least."
He shifted in the sand, eyes sweeping the half circle.
"Who can explain the stages of Adaptation?"
Bodies shifted. Eyes dropped. Sand hissed as someone adjusted a knee. Then Sam raised a hand.
Swert let the silence hang for a moment.
"Go on, Sam."
Sam began, his voice steady.
"Adaptation. First stage: Strengthening. After the core condenses, focus shifts to the body. From Awakening onward, every time you use mana, a trace leaks into your muscles. It damages, then regenerates them stronger. Over the years, it seeps into every fiber, toughening the body and preparing it for your affinity. At this stage, you can also start to enhance objects with your mana."
He drew a breath and continued.
"Second stage: Affinity Manifestation. Here, mana undergoes a transformation, fully integrating the user's Soul affinity into their core, body, and flow. It begins back at Condensed with color, but now the mana itself starts to shift. At first, it hurts. The raw affinity damages your body. It takes years for the body to adapt and gain resistance. But once it does, you can wield your affinity freely."
Sam's tone grew firmer.
"Third stage: Fusion. Your body fully adapts to your mana, and your mana adapts to your body. We call it body and mana union. The core overloads, spilling excess mana into every cell and fiber, reconstructing the body. Even then, the core is still overloaded with mana, nearing collapse. The core splits apart, birthing your first star. That is the first step onto the Path of Stars."
He finished and glanced toward Master.
Swert gave a short nod.
"Some pieces are missing, but enough for today. These are the six stages of the Path of Mana. You will walk them at your own pace. Some fast, some slow. All can reach them with work and guidance."
'The Path of Mana…and the Path of Stars. How many stars does Father hold? I never asked. But he feels weaker than Master…so perhaps.'
My hand lifted. Swert's eyes flicked toward me.
"Master. How many stars do you have?"
He chuckled once.
"Three. If Ragnar grants me grace, four before long."
'Three… That means Father has likely two.'
A ripple spread across the half circle.
"Three stars?"
"Soon four?"
"Master is a mountain."
Swert's voice cut them down. He pressed the sword a thumb deeper into the sand.
"Quiet."
The chatter died at once.
"That is enough for the Path of Mana. We will return to it when your bodies are ready to feel what your ears hear."
His gaze swept across us.
"Now we speak of Beasts. We have a hunt later, and you should know what you fight."
Curiosity prickled along my skin.
"What kind of beast is it?"
His hand waved down.
"A lesser beast. Nothing you cannot handle if you listen. You will see soon enough."
A boy on the left raised a hand.
"Master. How are beasts ranked?"
Swert didn't answer at once. Instead, he pulled the sword out and drew three long lines in the sand.
Scratch.
He wrote single letters into each column.
B
M
T
When he finished, he stood loose, sword in hand.
"Three groups. Beasts. Monsters. Titans."
He tapped the 'B' with the sword.
"First, Beasts. They are grouped into five ranks."
He wrote five letters beneath and tapped each as he spoke.
"Lesser. Greater. Elder. Royal. Mystic."
He paused before continuing.
"You will meet many of them. Some friendly, some dangerous. Beasts are born with active cores. They grow faster than we do, but die sooner. Some are born with affinities, others not. You will hunt them. You will guard against them. That is the work of a warrior."
The sword angled toward the M.
"Monsters. Rarer. But you will meet them if you walk this path long enough. Five ranks again."
He wrote five more letters.
"Fiend. Horror. Terror. Tyrant. Calamity."
The blade lifted, catching pale light.
"Monsters are beasts that have been corrupted."
He twirled the sword once, smooth and elegant.
"Mana gathers in places. Fire in volcanoes. Water in the seas. Wind along cliffs. But rarer affinities also appear. Life and death. They surface and fade as they wish."
His eyes swept across us.
"And Death mana in the wild is called miasma. When it appears, it poisons the land. Beasts that breathe it change. They grow clever. They become cruel. They live only for destruction. They break what they find, or turn it into one of them."
I raised my hand.
"If miasma spreads from death, then how do we kill them? Won't it poison the ground further?"
The sword tip leveled at me.
"Good question. When a monster dies, its core releases what it hoarded. Miasma spreads. That is why you never fight a monster without a mage who can purify. Without it, the ground will keep killing long after the body is gone."
A ripple of unease passed through the group. Someone swallowed audibly.
Gulp.
My thoughts tugged toward old mission tales Father had told in his flat voice.
'Monsters… so they weren't just bedtime stories.'
Master tapped the last column.
Tap.
"Titans. Beasts so ancient and full of power that they stand apart. They live in secrecy. Forests where daylight never reaches. Mountains above the clouds. The black water of the deep sea. They do not age like beasts."
He wrote again.
C
B
A
He tapped each letter in turn.
"Colossal Titan. Newly risen into that state. A little over a hundred years old."
He pointed to the next.
"Behemoth Titan. They are hundreds of years old."
Then he drove the sword into the sand beside the last letter.
"Ancient Titans. Some say they have lived since the forgotten times. Some say they protect us in silence. Others claim they will bring destruction when the time comes. Truth is. We don't know, and it's better if we never find out."
He let the words hang.
"You should hope never to meet one. I would not care to meet one either."
That admission pulled sharp breaths from the younger kids.
A girl whispered.
"Not even Master could win against them."
A boy snapped back.
"Of course not, idiot! What should Master do against an Ancient Titan?"
Master Swert pulled his sword free, brushing the blade clean.
"Not just Ancient. I couldn't even win against a Colossal Titan."
Another wave of silence.
The girl's voice trembled.
"But what stops them from eating us all?"
Swert laughed, low and steady.
"They are beings so powerful some call them divine. They do not meddle in the affairs of mortals like us."
He paused deliberately.
"They have their domains. They do not cross the lines they've drawn unless something drags them out. Stay where you should, and they will never find you."
Then his mouth curved, warming the cold morning a fraction.
"And if one does, our Champions will put it back in its place."
The tension vanished.
"Right! The Champions."
"They'll beat them."
"Even titans can't win against our Champions."
Laughter rippled through the half circle.
I let out a slow breath.
'Champions… I've read of them. If Master says they can fight titans, then how strong are they...'
But my thoughts didn't stay there.
'Monsters. Titans. Corruption.'
The question pressed at me since he'd spoken of titans. I couldn't hold it back. My hand lifted, my voice hesitant but clear.
"Master… if miasma can corrupt beasts, what would happen if a Titan were...corrupted?"
The laughter died. Silence fell. Eyes shifted toward me.
Master held my gaze. He was silent at first, fingers tapping once against his sword hilt, his expression unreadable. Then his voice carried across the yard, low and steady.
"It is said that over their long lives, Titans build a natural resistance against corruption. In thousands of years, there are no records of a Titan ever falling to it."
He paused, his eyes narrowing as if weighing the thought.
"But…if it happened. If a Titan were ever consumed by miasma, then one of the strongest and most dangerous creatures in this world would be born. And nothing would be able to stop it."
The air thickened. My throat tightened. Around me, the others shifted uneasily in the sand.
With sudden force, Swert raised his blade and drove it into the sand.
Thud.
The sound cut the silence like a warning.
"Enough. That's it for today. You have time for individual work until lunch. After that, we begin in earnest. Those with drills, do them. Those who need correction find Sam. Lucien, rest. You are still worn from your journey."
We answered in unison.
"Yes, Master."
He pulled the sword out and sheathed it as he turned toward the door and walked back inside.
Thud.
The door closed behind him.
The half circle broke apart. Kids drifted toward the building or to racks along the wall where practice weapons waited.
I rose with them but lingered on the sand a moment longer, lost in thought, then turned for the door.
I stepped back inside the building and made my way to my room, closing the door behind me.
Click.
I leaned my head against the wood and drew a long breath. Then crossed to the bed and sat. The mattress gave in under my weight, and I let myself fall back, one hand lifting, fingers closing on air.
'Beasts. Monsters. Titans. The world held far fiercer beings than I had known. But that didn't matter right now. Only one thing mattered.'
My hand tightened into a fist.
'Two stars.'
'That's all I need… but how far is that from where I stand now?'
My chest tightened. I let out a breath and spoke his name into the empty room.
"Adonis."
The name carried through the empty room until I spoke again.
"Hold on. Survive until I come."