"What is your name, boy?" I asked. The kid looked too young to be joining something like this. Or at least I thought he did. Perhaps they did things differently over here, and age didn't really matter that much.

"My name is Wane Nark. I pray for your blessing, my lord!" He said and thumped his chest loudly.

I nodded and asked;

"I'm sure you are aware of the dangers this carries, right?"

"Yes, my lord. I'm willing to do whatever it takes, so please don't mind me!" His response was the same as the many that came before him. I sighed inwardly before nodding.

"So be it, I hope you succeed," I said to which he smiled resolutely.

Without needing me to instruct him, Wane then stepped closer to me and sat down in the lotus position, he closed his eyes and emptied his mind. I waited until his breathing was steady before I sent a whisp of mana inside his body.

He shuddered as the mana traveled through his blood and veins but remained unmoving. It then began its circle inside his body, and I could see the sweat gathering on his forehead. His brows frowned as he gritted his teeth.

'Is it another fail?' I wondered. His start did not seem that promising. Now, it all came down to his will. Could he handle the pain?

****

My brows were raised in pleasant surprise as the mana finished its seventh circle! In Wane's body before it finally settled around his heart. The thread that connected him to the stream was as thick as a rope, a testament to his high affinity. His element was fire.

When tasked with using a spell, Wane summoned a small fireball which he managed to send flying through the sky before it exploded with a bang. His control over the fire element was impressive, to say the least. It was safe to say that he was the most talented one out of the batch.

The priests gathered around the young boy with smiles across their faces. Wane seemed to enjoy their company as he laughed while they patted his back in congratulations. I watched the scene as he was led to the pillar to carve his name with complicated emotions.

Out of all the volunteers, only three survived. Each one only had a single affinity with one element. Jon, with earth mana, Morena, with water mana, and finally; Wane, with fire mana. The only one that was missing was wind mana.

I turned to glance at Lana who was recording everything in her notebook before I asked;

"Don't you ever get tired of that?"

"Uh, no, not really..." She rubbed her head with an awkward expression as she was not expecting my sudden question.

"I find history to be fascinating. I think we can learn a lot from the past. Which is why I'd like to leave something that might be helpful to someone in the future. Besides, I think It's fun to record everything, it's like a diary of sorts," she chuckled with an embarrassed expression.

I nodded, "I see."

"What do we do now, my lord?" Lana asked as she watched the priests continue their celebration with Wane.

"We proved that it is possible to change the way humans use mana, now all that is left is to find a different way to make this more accessible to everyone. Perhaps create a way that might discern those with talent compared to those without it, that way we can lower the casualty rate. I also can't go around creating mages myself all the time, so I'm thinking to make them-" I motioned at Jon, Morena, and Wane before I continued speaking, "The heads of their respective elements."

Confused, Lana tilted her head and asked;

"What do you mean by, head of their elements, my lord?"

"I mean they will go around searching for good seedlings in an attempt to create more mages. Since they are the first, shall we call them orthodox mages? they will be the leaders."

"Oh, I understand, my lord. But we are missing a wind mage."

"Indeed, that's what I've been thinking about as well. For now, let's call it a day. Let them continue with their training for a little while before taking a rest. I'll go for a flight to clear my head."

"In that case, please enjoy yourself, my lord." Saying that Lana gave me a deep bow and quickly descended from the platform. Her eyes were glued to my form as I shot to the sky.

"Beautiful..."

****

Deep inside an ancient forest, a young man could be seen sitting on top of a giant boar's carcass. His brows frowned as he argued with someone.

"I think I was clear when I told you to shut the fuck up, no?"

"Arrogant, human. Is the method really important to you? Do you not care for your deceased loved one? Accept my blessing and you will gain power far beyond your wildest dreams! You can conquer this puny plane, no Gods nor Dragons would dare stand in your way!"

A sigh escaped from Ari's mouth as he unsheathed his sword and swiftly hacked at his neck.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" The voice panicked and forced the blade to stop mere inches away from his neck.

"Why are you so desperate to die?!"

Ari gave a crazed grin and replied; "First of all, it's my body, my rules. You either abide by the rules or fuck off. I'd rather die than become an empty husk for you to do as you, please. Second of all, the revenge is mine, and mine alone! So Do. Not. Intervene!"

The ancient voice went silent before it disappeared completely. Ari let out a sigh and held his head between his hands. He was truly tired. The constant whispering and temptations were akin to a consistent attack on his psyche. The longer it continued the harder it was for him to hold on. He could feel his sanity slipping, but he still tried to hold on, nonetheless.

He was still able to keep the mysterious monster at bay, for now. But how long would his threats work for? Could he really keep his sanity in check? He didn't know. It felt like he was in a race against time, and the odds were not in his favor.

"Fuck me."