The warm breeze brushed against Conner's skin as he honed in on the earthly scent of moss and soil. His ears tuned in on the soothing melody of the winds meandering through the branches. The dancing grass stroked his legs, providing comfort and keeping him focused on the present.

  Elder Iryna remained at his side, sitting cross-legged and fully embracing nature's gentle symphony. The rustling leaves mingled with the distant calls of birds to calm her thoughts.

  Though nature's song provided Conner with a peaceful atmosphere, he only became more restless as time passed. He thought his training would be simple enough but he soon found it difficult to calm his mind.

  His mind drifted to Acclar's warriors, reminding him of his lingering reservations. He fidgeted, trying to push aside his churning thoughts threatening to overwhelm him but they wouldn't budge.

  After what felt like hours, Elder Iryna's voice sounded to his right, snapping him out of his thoughts. "That's enough for now." She carefully rose to her feet and smoothed her robes. "Let's start heading back. I'd like to finish the rest of the house chores before sundown."

  As Conner followed her back down the path, he noticed he felt no different than before he began his meditation. To confirm his suspicions, he activated Keensight but after inspecting himself for a few minutes, he found no noticeable difference in himself or reaction from the astris particles while in his presence.

  Somewhat frustrated, he released his Keensight and continued following the elder back to her home. By the time he finished helping her with the last of the housework, it was already dusk. He readied himself for bed to ensure an early start to his morning.

  The next day, he helped the elder gather water from the stream before returning home to prepare breakfast. She quizzed him as they ate and was pleased to hear that he'd retained everything after hearing it once. When they finished eating, they left to go tend to the garden, checking for signs of pests and caring for the crops.

  Conner still fought with every weed he pulled on, each one feeling like a battle won, and somehow managed to overwater some of Elder Iryna's Starbloom flowers. Fortunately, she had a vast reservoir of patience.

  After sufficient work, he went back inside to wash the soot caking his face. That's when he stopped as he was passing by her collection of books in the room he woke up in. With the elder still watering her plants and curiosity enticing him, he wandered into the room to browse her selection.

  As he slid a book from its place, he broke into a fit of coughs as he disturbed the dust settled over it. Waving away the cloud after blowing off the cover and flipping through its faded pages, he found that it was a grimoire storing simple spells based on water magic. Putting it back in its place, he moved on to the next grimoire which offered basic spells for earth magic typically used by farmers.

  If it weren't for the coat of dust and dangling cobwebs, her grimoires would've been in mint condition. Putting it back, he scanned the next shelf of mana-based grimoires. He wondered why she had so many books on mana if they weren't applicable to her.

  As he looked through more of the same books, he stumbled across a book tucked away in a corner. He slid it out and barely noticed any dust on it. Its worn cover and creased pages told him it was used quite often.

  'Astris Theory,' he read the title before opening to a page.

  Reading its contents, it promised to go over very basic topics and theories relating to astris. Flipping through the first few pages he was immediately absorbed into the book. Most of what he'd skimmed through, Elder Iryna had already taught him but the author provided a more in-depth explanation.

  "Good find." A voice spoke from the doorway, startling him out of his thoughts.

  Elder Iryna stood with a smirk that teased him about his nosiness. Fumbling with the book, he closed it shamefully which only got an amused chuckle from the elder.

  "S-Sorry, Elder Iryna. I didn't mean to snoop." His gaze fell to the floor as she approached.

  "Don't concern yourself. Though do try to keep your curiosity in check as others might not be as forgiving," she gently took the book from his hands and flipped through its pages.

  He looked back at her grimoire collection. "May I ask something, Elder Iryna?"

  She looked up at him, awaiting his question.

  "Is there a reason you have so many grimoires that are of no value to you?"

  She stared at him, lifting an eyebrow as she answered. "I hope you haven't made it a habit to determine what others find valuable based on nothing."

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  He blinked, surprised by her scolding tone, before his eyes fell again after replaying his words in his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that..."

  She let out a soft sigh as she continued to flip the pages. "As for your question, it's for the same reason you've likely had grimoires that provided little use for you. I was misguided."

  Conner found a strange comfort when hearing this. He watched as her expression grew nostalgic, her eyes moving over contents she'd probably studied extensively throughout her own journey. "This is the only source of information I have on astris. The foundation of what I know has come directly from this book."

  As she closed it again, she handed it back to him.

  "It doesn't offer much, but I'd like for you to have it."

  He looked at her with uncertainty. "Are you sure?"

  Her gaze drifted to the floor as she showed traces of a wistful smile. "I only have so much time left on this earth. I'd like to pass it on."

  His face fell at her words. He hadn't known her long, and he wasn't sure if he could properly give her any consolation. But as he stepped forward to try, she promptly turned and headed back for the door.

  "Besides, that book won't do me any good anyhow. I could practically recite every word by now." She let out a dismissive laugh.

  With an uncertain look, he followed her out. After cleaning himself up, the two hiked up the hill back to the elder's place of solace. Sinking into a cross-legged position, she allowed her mind to settle in nature's calm embrace, letting her senses drift into serenity.

  Conner followed her lead, sitting beside her and closing his eyes to focus on the gentle rustling of grass and trees. As he let his mind wander, he felt a sense of peace welcome him. The training was simple enough but he began questioning if he was supposed to feel a difference in his channels. He then reminded himself of something Elder Iryna had said to help keep the voices of doubt at bay.

  She'd warned that training astris channels would be a gradual and tedious process, a journey akin to a marathon rather than a race. To assure him it was normal, she explained that it took her around two years to strengthen her channels. Although, her channels were well past their prime since, by then, she had already reached old age.

  After an hour of pushing away the growing thoughts of uncertainty, he heard Elder Iryna standing. Giving him an appreciative smile as he helped her to her feet, she told him that was enough for today and began making their way down the hill.

  As the days trickled by, Conner continued his meditation and read up on astris in his spare time. Just as the elder said, he didn't learn any new information beyond what was reiterated in the book but he still found it to be an interesting read. The way the author articulated their thoughts on the page clearly despite covering a subject still a mystery to them was impressive.

  In the first few chapters, the author suggested theories on what astris was and its relationship with mana, though in the end, there was no concrete answer. Compared to mana, he had no idea if astris could measure up.

  Conner found himself atop the hill overlooking a fraction of the Western Region again, trying to quiet his thoughts but each time he meditated, the tendrils of doubt encroaching on his mind tightened. Two weeks had already passed and he saw no noticeable difference. He was beginning to think he was the issue. Those in Acclar seemed to think so.

  His mind veered back to the lightning wyvern and his arms began to tremble. Perhaps he was a fool to believe he could actually make any headway. He'd forgotten that his development would remain stagnant like the motes he saw, as if they too were mocking him. It was a truth he never wanted to acknowledge but perhaps it was for the best. It pained him to have Elder Iryna waste any more of her time. It was best if he...

  "Might I ask what's been troubling you these past couple of weeks, dear?" Elder Iryna's soft voice cut through his insecurities and silenced the storming winds of inhibition.

  Once his mind had settled, Conner met her tender gaze but quickly looked away as he admitted his worries. "I'm sorry I've been burdensome lately."

  The elder's brow lifted slightly. "And why would you say such a thing?"

  His eyes fell to his hands fidgeting in his lap. "You're needlessly using up your time on someone who's inept. I've always had a habit of disappointing those around me, so I know it's only a matter of time before I disappoint you too."

  The elder remained unfazed at his self-depreciating words, her expression fixed as she studied him. After a moment, she said in a soft yet stern tone. "If I shared the same sentiment, do you think you'd still be sleeping under my roof?"

  Unable to form a proper response, he remained silent.

  "You have undeniable potential, Conner. Even if you fail to see it yourself," her eyes flashed with a silver hue. As she briefly examined him, a pleased smirk played on her lips and reverted back to their natural milky blue color before she stood up. "So before you go spouting nonsense, you should take the time to compare where you are now to where you were when you started."

  With her cane stabilizing her steps, she began making her way back down the hill. Her cryptic words left him confused but he was still convinced she was mistaken.

  He got up and followed her back down, frustration and discouragement weighing down his steps. His eyes lit with silver as he watched astris flare around Elder Iryna's form.

  Looking down at his hands again, he sighed. 'She simply doesn't understa-'

  He halted and looked closer. He rubbed his eyes, believing them to be deceiving him, but when he opened them again, it was still there. An astris particle orbited around his right hand, mildly drawn to his presence. Promptly inspecting himself fully, he found less than a handful of motes gravitated weakly towards him then drifted away before others took their place, mimicking the same behavior.

  He stared at them in disbelief. It was hardly something comparable to Elder Iryna but to physically see his presence influence astris, even to a minuscule degree, filled him with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

  His face lit up, his excitement drowning out the boisterous thoughts once clawing at his mind. After gushing over his tiny bit of progress, he'd realized the elder had already disappeared from sight and dashed down the path, now eagerly awaiting the next day.