The dawn broke over Sylvaris with a pale golden light filtering through the canopy. Birds chirped in soft melodies, and the scent of damp earth lingered in the air. For most of the outpost, it was just another morning. But for Rihan, it was the beginning of something he had never thought possible.
Elira stood in the small clearing behind the lodge, her bow strapped to her back, a wooden training sword in her hand. Her long silver hair shimmered faintly in the morning light as she looked at Rihan with calm authority.
"You said you wished to learn," she said. "Then today, your body will understand what words cannot."
Rihan, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, blinked nervously. He was dressed in a simple tunic and boots provided by the elves, and already he felt out of place. "I-I've never really… fought before," he admitted. "I mean, in games, sure, but—"
Elira tossed him a wooden sword. He barely caught it, fumbling with the weight.
"This is not a game," she said, voice sharp. "And if you treat it as one, you will die before your next sunrise."
Her words cut deep. Rihan swallowed hard and nodded.
---
The training began brutally. Elira wasted no time in attacking him with swift, precise strikes. Rihan stumbled, blocked poorly, and often fell flat on his back. His arms ached, his breath burned in his throat, and sweat poured down his face.
Every time he collapsed, Elira's voice echoed coldly: "Again."
Rihan groaned, dragging himself up each time. Part of him wanted to scream at her, to quit, to say this wasn't fair. But then he remembered the glowing eyes of the wolf, the cold fear of death, the overwhelming truth that he would not survive in this world as he was.
So he pushed himself. Again. And again.
By midday, his arms felt like lead, but something strange stirred in him. The sword felt slightly less awkward in his grip. His footing stumbled less. And then—when Elira struck again, he managed to parry, even if clumsily.
Elira's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, she gave a small approving nod. "Better."
---
After a short break, Elira changed the lesson. She placed a small glowing crystal on the ground. It pulsed faintly with mana, lighting the grass around it.
"Now," she said, "channel your energy. That spark you felt yesterday—it was not coincidence. It was mana."
Rihan stared at her. "Mana… like magic?"
Elira tilted her head. "In your world, perhaps you call it that. Here, mana is life itself. It flows through all things—the trees, the air, even your blood."
She knelt beside the crystal, placed her hand over it, and whispered a single word in Elvish. The crystal flared, glowing brighter, then calmed.
Rihan's eyes widened. "That's… amazing."
"Now you," Elira instructed, stepping aside.
Rihan hesitated, then crouched near the crystal. He extended his hand awkwardly, staring at it like an idiot. "Uh… so, I just… think magic thoughts?"
Elira sighed. "Close your eyes. Breathe. Focus not on your hand, but on the space within you—the warmth you felt when the fire answered you."
Rihan obeyed, shutting his eyes. At first, all he felt was embarrassment. But then… slowly, faintly, he sensed it. A warmth deep inside his chest, pulsing like a heartbeat. He reached for it.
The crystal glowed faintly. Sparks flickered from his palm.
Rihan gasped, eyes flying open as a tiny flame danced above his hand.
"I-I did it!" he exclaimed, grinning wide.
The flame sputtered out, but Elira's lips curved in the faintest smile. "Clumsy, but… yes. You did."
For the first time since arriving in this world, Rihan felt something he hadn't in years: pride.
---
That night, exhausted from training, Rihan sat outside the lodge staring at the moon. His arms were sore, his palms raw, but his heart was strangely light.
The System pulsed again.
[Quest Complete: Begin Training.]
[Reward: Skill Unlocked – Mana Spark.]
Rihan blinked as the description appeared:
> Mana Spark (Lv.1): Creates a small burst of fire. Power grows with mastery.
He clenched his fist. It was weak, yes, but it was his.
---
Elira approached quietly, her steps barely audible. She sat beside him, gazing at the stars. "You learn quickly for a human."
Rihan chuckled weakly. "You call that quick? I feel like my body's falling apart."
Elira's expression softened, just slightly. "Falling apart means you are pushing your limits. That is how warriors are made."
For a while, they sat in silence, listening to the night.
Then Elira spoke again, her voice quieter. "You remind me of someone… My brother. He too once struggled, but he never gave up."
Rihan glanced at her, surprised. She rarely shared anything personal.
"What happened to him?"
Elira's eyes darkened. "He fell. Fighting the Abyss."
The words lingered in the air, heavy and cold. Rihan didn't know what to say.
Before he could respond, a faint chime echoed in his ears. The System flickered with a new message.
[Hidden Quest Unlocked: The Threads of Fate.]
[Objective: Meet the one who heals.]
Rihan frowned. The one who heals…?
At that moment, a soft breeze brushed the clearing, carrying with it a faint whisper, almost like a voice in the wind.
"…Rihan…"
He stiffened, heart pounding. Elira noticed his sudden tension. "What is it?"
Rihan shook his head slowly, but the hairs on his neck rose.
Somewhere out there, beyond the safety of Sylvaris, someone—or something—was calling his name.
And though he didn't know it yet, that call would lead him to the next person who would shape his destiny: Lyra, the Healer Priestess.