Jan stood tall in the silence. Smoke and dust curled from the scorched magical circle, the once-perfect lines now marred by sizzling burns where lightning had struck.
The only sound was the crackle of arcs dancing across his body.
Jan held up his hand, his eyes wide with disbelief as the current sparked between his fingers.
Sophia and Aeris froze, their eyes wide as they stared at him—then, slowly, they turned to look at each other.
A beat of silence followed.
And then, both of them erupted, screaming at the top of their lungs while clutching each other like lunatics.
"I can't believe my eyes!"
"HE DID IT! HE ACTUALLY DID IT!" Sophia screamed.
"But—That—That shouldn't even be possible!!"
Sophia grabbed Aeris by the shoulders, shaking her so hard she rattled. "WHO CARES? IT WAS AWESOME!"
Before Aeris could even argue, Sophia seized her arm and dragged her straight toward Jan.
He blinked as they barreled toward him and gave a weak grin. "…Guys, I did it."
He might not have been physically injured, but mentally, Jan was exhausted. Now, he could barely process what had just happened.
Noticing the long face, Sophia skidded to a stop—and promptly kicked him in the butt, sending him to the floor. "Be happier, you bastard! That was INSANE!"
Jan sat up, rubbing his back, and glanced at Aeris, looking for confirmation; she was his "teacher," after all.
"It wasn't that bad. You should be happy," Aeris said flatly, though the faint pink on her cheeks betrayed how fired-up she really was.
"See? Even she can't hide it!" Sophia grabbed Jan's arm and yanked him back to his feet. "Moments like this, you're supposed to scream! Like this—AHHHHHHHH!!!"
Jan flinched, clearly not into it.
'…Do I have to?' he thought.
But the fire in Sophia's eyes told him there was no escape.
Reluctantly, he opened his mouth. "…Ahhh."
It was bland—just enough to technically count.
Sophia tightened her grip on his shoulders, her gaze burning into his like a coach drilling a fighter. Then she let loose again: "AAAAHHHHHH!!!"
Jan jolted. "AHH!!"
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
"aaaaAAHHHHHH!!!"
By the end, both were locking foreheads, matching each other's battle cries.
Jan's face was tense, his heart was loose, and his worries were all gone.
Sophia finally broke into a grin. "Now that's better."
Aeris folded her arms, cheeks burning. "D-Don't think this means you did it properly! You could've killed us all, you idiot!"
She sounded bitter, but the spark in her eyes betrayed how badly she wanted to join in.
Jan scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… that was a close call."
Aeris sighed, then her tone shifted. "Listen, Books. As your teacher, there are things I must tell you now—learning to control mana doesn't mean you've become a true mage. This is only the beginning. You need to train more, study magic properly, before it can become a real weapon in battle."
"Yes, Teacher," Jan said with a solemn nod.
A smile crept across Aeris's lips, tinged with excitement. "Then I, Aeris Sylvari of Sylvalis, formally congratulate you!"
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"The hardest part is over," Aeris continued proudly. "You can finally use mana. Everything changes now!"
"How come?!"
Sophia laughed. "It seems you haven't noticed yet! Look around—you can feel it, right?"
Jan blinked, then looked around the guild hall. At first glance, everything seemed normal.
"Focus," Sophia urged.
He narrowed his eyes, concentrating. And then—there it was. Energy pulsed all around him: vast sources like the Core Crystal at the center of the guild, down to small ones like the badge on his chest. He could even sense Sophia's mana, calmly flowing through her body.
"I can feel it! The Core Crystal, your mana…" Jan's eyes widened as he scanned the room—until they fell on Aeris. "…Wait. Why am I not sensing anything from you?"
The question killed the mood instantly. Both Aeris and Sophia fell silent.
Jan frowned. "I can sense the energy from Sophia, but not from you. Is it because you're a full elf? Should I learn—"
"It's because of my condition," Aeris cut him off, then let out a slow sigh. "Crispy forced me to see the priest at the church. He gave me a medicine—it limits my mana flow."
Jan's expression darkened. "But that means…"
"Yes," Aeris said quietly. "I can't use magic. Funny, isn't it? On the same day you learn to wield your mana… I lose mine."
She smiled, but her voice carried a sorrow she tried to hide.
Jan's chest tightened. He wanted to say something comforting, but the words stuck in his throat. Before he could open his mouth, Sophia smacked the back of his head.
Aeris shook her head with a faint smile. "It's alright, Crispy. It's no big deal. And it's only temporary, until they figure out what's wrong with me."
"Didn't they say what it was?" Jan asked.
"They took blood and mana samples," Aeris replied. "Said it won't take long before they find the answer."
Jan fell silent, but Sophia chimed in quickly. "I'm sure they're right. You'll be back to normal in no time!"
Aeris smiled at that, nodding softly. Then she straightened, her tone brightening. "But enough about me. This is about Jan—what he accomplished today. I think this calls for a celebration!"
Jan caught the faint shadow in Aeris's smile. He immediately understood that this celebration wasn't just for him—it was for her too. If anyone was going to brighten her mood, it had to be him. "I'll cook!" he said immediately.
"But it's supposed to be a celebration for you," Sophia protested. She looked at Aeris, then shook her head—clearly deciding Aeris had probably never boiled an egg in her life. "I-I-I'll cook."
"You're not even convincing yourself!" Jan chuckled. "It's fine, I'll do the cooking. But you two are cleaning up after me."
"Alright…" they both muttered.