The next day, Conner stirred awake to the sunlight trickling through his window. The birds had begun their morning choir, filling the air with their melodic song. Slipping out of his hand-knitted blanket, he let out a deep yawn and loosened his joints, stiffened from inactivity.

  It took some effort but he managed to pry himself from the comfort of his bed. He rubbed his groggy eyes into focus and made his way to the cottage's restroom to freshen up. He splashed cold water on his face, its icy touch jolting his muddled senses, and mat down his hair to clear away his bedhead.

  After lightly brushing his dark hair and ridding his mouth of its morning breath, he threw on his grey robe—the only unisex clothing Elder Iryna could offer him for the time being to replace his tattered clothes.

  He checked his appearance in the mirror standing against the wall, giving his reflection a satisfied nod. He needed to look at least somewhat presentable for his first day of training under the elder.

  Even before leaving the guest room, he picked up the faint aroma of eggs and toast wafting through the air. Making his way to the kitchen, he found Elder Iryna sprinkling spices onto scrambled eggs sizzling in a pan. Giving it a jerk, its contents arced satisfyingly in the air and settled back into the pan with skillful precision.

  "Good morning, Conner. I hope you slept well." She spoke without looking at him before he had a chance to announce himself.

  "Good morning, Elder Iryna. And yes, I slept okay." He situated himself at the dining table.

  Separating their portions, she set his plate in front of him, the steamy fragrance drifting into his nostrils. Eggs topped with melted cheese and buttered toast on the side tantalized him. Taking a spoonful of eggs, the perfect blend of spices popped in his mouth.

  He greedily took another bite, eliciting a poorly suppressed smirk from the old woman. "Glad you like it."

  He stopped himself, realizing he'd been wolfing down his breakfast like some animal. Embarrassed, he awkwardly took his napkin and wiped the accumulated mess around his mouth.

  "Sorry." He mumbled, rubbing his neck.

  Elder Iryna poured two glasses of water and set one beside the boy's plate. "So tell me, Conner, what do you know about mana?"

  He took another bite, now consciously monitoring his table manners. "Truthfully, what I know doesn't exceed the basics. I know that mana makes up the world we live in and those with a certain affinity have an easier time manipulating the corresponding mana particles."

  Setting her plate and drink down, she smoothed her robes and sat across from him. "Go on."

  "Your affinity is determined at birth so you'd be more predisposed to that element," Conner paused to sip his water. "After some time, your mana channels would mature and become more sensitive to your affinity, making visualization and chanting an afterthought. Naturally, the attunement to your element would make it impossible to will a fireball into your hand if your affinity is wind."

  She nodded along, slipping a spoonful of eggs into her mouth. "I'm impressed. You seem to have quite the reservoir of knowledge."

  He absentmindedly pushed at his eggs. "As I said, I'm limited to the basics. But apparently, even that isn't enough."

  She huffed a soft laugh. "That's because you've been looking at it the wrong way, Child."

  Conner cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

  Her blue eyes turned silver in the span it took for her to blink. "Activate your Keensight, Dear."

  He did as she instructed and hundreds of white motes bloomed into reality.

  "It's true that the physical world is made up of mana, but have you ever considered that mana only constitutes one half of our reality?"

  He pondered her words for a moment but only grew more confused.

  "What you see is not mana, My Dear, but the other half," she continued. "Since the world has accepted that there can only be mana, they've reduced our inability to influence it to a 'condition'. But those who have studied these white particles, albeit not extensively, call it astris."

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  "Astris?" He echoed, sweeping his gaze around the room dotted with soft particles.

  "Yes. And although we cannot yet explain why so few of us are sensitive to it, we do know that it behaves fundamentally different than mana."

  He turned back to her, her gentle aura harmlessly licking at the table. "How so?" He asked eagerly.

  Pleased with his thirst for comprehension, she took another bite of her food before elaborating further. "While both entities complete the physical world, astris functions differently than mana, though no one can provide a concrete answer as to what degree. It is speculated that it might be the building blocks of reality while mana is the contents that fill it."

  Conner nodded along, absorbing all that he could, but something had been nagging at the back of his mind. "Though I think I'm starting to understand, that doesn't explain why I can't influence astris' behavior..."

  She took the time to sip her cup of water before addressing his concerns. "Because you've been skipping a crucial step, My Dear."

  She must've noticed the confusion on his face because she went into more depth. "What you have are astris channels, not mana channels. Whereas a mage’s mana channels are always tethered to the corresponding ambient particles, astris channels are more akin to a muscle that you need to strengthen to affect astris. You can't hope to lift a heavy weight without training your body first."

  Conner's eyes gradually grew as the pieces began to fit into the puzzle he struggled to solve for years. "So all this time, I've..."

  A smile pulled at her lips, amused by his revelation. "I'm not sure if there are other methods, but the one I found to be most effective at strengthening them is meditation. Matching their calm nature makes a noticeable impact."

  "I wonder why I didn't think of that..." He pondered, looking down at his near-empty plate.

  "You were under the impression you had mana channels which are already linked to their element and cannot be trained to hold more reserves than what you're born with. That said, mana mages have no incentive to meditate." She released her Keensight and he did the same.

  After finishing their breakfast, she dabbed her mouth with her napkin and took the dishes to place them in the sink. As she started for the door, her legs trembled and she began to sway. He got up from his seat but before he could catch her, she directed her weight towards the wall to stabilize herself.

  "Are you alright?" Conner hurried to her side, ready to catch her if she were to fall.

  "Yes, quite alright. Just lost my footing is all. Such things come with age." She gave a dismissive smile, leaning on the wall for a few more seconds.

  Using the wall for support while Conner hovered at her side, she swung the door. "Oh how I hate resorting to this thing, but I suppose it can't be helped." She said, retrieving a wooden cane from behind the door before leaving the room. "Come. We will move on to more practical training..."

  His worry turned to giddiness at her words.

  "...after I show you how to tend to my garden."

  He deflated ever so slightly, but he couldn't argue since this was her terms for his stay. However, there was something he was curious about. "Wait. If astris and mana are different from one another, why did you ask me about mana?"

  She stopped in the doorway and glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "Simple. Your extensive studies would be a clear indicator of how serious you are to learn and progress." She turned back to the doorway and began walking. "I'm pleased to know that my time teaching you, at least from a theoretical approach, won't go to waste."

  For the next couple of hours, she taught him how to properly care for the crops in her fenced-in backyard. After just a few minutes in her garden, he very quickly had a newfound respect for those who do yard work on any kind of regular basis. Luckily, each time he'd tear the weeds too high or fumble with the watering can, the elder was there to correct him...after teasing him at his expense.

  He never thought nurturing crops would entail much physically demanding work but his sore body told him otherwise by the end. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Elder Iryna by herself.

  After he'd done a passable job on his first day, she guided him through the woods. Critters scurried as the elder led him up a trail that wrapped around a large hill. Dry leaves crunched beneath their feet and dappled sunlight caressed their skin. Eventually, they reached the top, a grassy clearing providing a breathtaking view of the Western Region of Phantovia.

  Flocks sailed across the majestic backdrop of sweeping mountains that reached for the heavens. Walls of brilliant light streamed through the rolling clouds, striking the winding rivers below. Forest greenery blended into a rocky plain that dipped into an ancient chasm carved into the earth, its depths concealed by moving shadows.

  "This is where I usually go to clear my thoughts, away from the weight of the world." She explained as she let an orange leaf flutter into her hand. "I normally don't share my place of solace with others so I hope it will serve satisfactory."

  Conner scanned the area, the gentle rustling winds through the branches singing a soothing lullaby that he never had in his village. As he panned his eyes, he spotted a family of striped deer observing them curiously, their light coat billowing rhythmically. Startled, Elder Iryna let out a chuckle.

  "Oh, they won't bother you," she reassured, the soft breeze playing with the ends of her robes.

  He refocused on the vast landscape before them. "I can see why you chose this as a sort of sanctuary."

  The elder smiled warmly as her eyes remained fixed on the view, pleased to hear his appreciation. "Yes, it truly is a sight to behold," she looked back at him, her wheat bangs rocking to the rhythm of the wind. "Now then, let's get started, shall we?"