The day was slowly breaking, the pale light of dawn filtering through the entrance of the cave. The biting cold lingered, made worse by the absence of warmth from the now-extinguished fire. Veil opened his eyes, grimacing slightly as he felt a dull sting on his cheek. The small cut from the previous day, though dry, throbbed with each movement, especially in the icy air.
He sat up slowly, running a hand over his face to wipe away the last traces of sleep. Alynia was still asleep, curled up in a corner of the cave, her steady, calm breathing blending into the ambient silence.
"I should relight the fire... It'll help us get started faster," he murmured, thoughtful.
Determined, he gathered twigs and fallen branches near the cave entrance, carefully arranging them over the remnants of the previous night's embers. He studied the makeshift pile for a moment, searching for a way to ignite it. However, nothing he had could produce a spark.
"How am I supposed to light this...?" he muttered, frustrated.
A calm, slightly mocking voice broke the silence behind him.
"With this, it'll be more efficient," she said in a neutral tone.
Veil flinched slightly, turning to see Alynia standing there, her piercing blue eyes still hazy from sleep. She held out a small flint toward him, a subtle yet almost imperceptible smile on her lips.
He took the object with a brief nod, murmuring a quick "Thanks" before leaning back toward the fire. A few sparks later, flames sprang to life, their flickering glow softly illuminating the cave and pushing back the lingering cold.
Alynia sat back down nearby, stretching slowly, her white tail brushing lightly against the dusty cave floor. She watched him prepare his training space, her neutral expression masking a certain curiosity.
"You should eat something before continuing. It's been three days, and you won't last without strength," she added calmly.
Veil, already sitting cross-legged near the puddle, shook his head slightly without even looking at her.
"I don't have time... The deadline ends tomorrow," he muttered, jaw clenched.
Alynia narrowed her eyes slightly, a critical glint flashing through her gaze. But she made no comment. She opened a pack of dried meat and began eating slowly, occasionally glancing at Veil.
He silently recited every step he had learned. Sense, visualize, guide. His lips moved faintly as he repeated the instructions in an almost inaudible whisper.
"This time, I have to succeed... I can't afford to fail," he whispered, focused.
He raised his hand over the small puddle, carefully guiding his mana. His first attempt failed, the thread breaking before even reaching the surface. He closed his eyes for a moment, refocused, and tried again.
On the third attempt, something happened. The water reacted, forming small ripples that gently spread outward, as if an invisible breeze had brushed across its surface. The waves, though imperfect, were undeniably the result of his connection with mana.
Alynia, having finished her meal, set aside the half-eaten piece of meat and straightened slightly.
"Not bad, Little Wolf. That's enough to move on to the next step," she said in a firm tone, though not without recognition.
She crouched near the puddle, fixing Veil with a serious gaze. Her blue eyes gleamed with a familiar intensity—a mix of patience and high expectations.
"You've understood how to establish the link. Now it's time to move on to mastery. Water becomes one with you when mana flows uninterrupted, but if you try to control it with force..." she explained, calm but firm.
She paused, then lightly pointed to her own cheek, mimicking the thin scar that still marked Veil's face.
"...you know what happens," she added coldly.
Veil slowly nodded, instinctively lowering his hand to his cheek. The pain had almost faded, but the memory remained vivid in his mind.
"For this step, it all depends on your imagination. Water responds to what it sees in you. If your mind is unclear, it will be confused. If your mind is clear, it will follow," she continued, her tone composed.
She extended her hand over the puddle, palm open, and briefly closed her eyes. The surface of the water trembled slightly, then rippled as if a gentle breeze had passed over it. Slowly, several droplets rose, floating in the air as if suspended by invisible threads.
"Watch," she said gently.
The droplets converged toward her hand, gathering in her palm to form a tiny puddle. The cave's dim light reflected in the water beads, giving them a fragile, almost ethereal glow. Then, with the same effortless motion, she returned them delicately to the puddle.
"Your turn. Connect your mana to the water. Visualize a clear image. A drop. Nothing more. Fragile, but free," she added, looking at him.
Veil took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He recalled each step: guiding his mana, linking it to the water, and now, giving it a clear and precise form.
"A drop... just a drop...," he whispered, focused.
He extended his hand over the puddle. This time, the process of connecting his mana felt smoother. He could almost sense the invisible thread anchoring itself securely to the liquid's surface. He imagined a single drop, slowly separating from the puddle and rising toward him.
The surface of the water reacted faintly. A ripple appeared, followed by a slight distortion, as if the water was attempting to rise but still hesitated. A thin column briefly formed, wavering before collapsing back with a soft plop.
Veil grimaced but didn't let it discourage him. He closed his eyes again, repeating the process. With each attempt, he visualized the drop more clearly, feeling its fragility and its free movement.
"Don't force it. Focus. Water responds to what you show it, not to what you command," she said as she glanced over while tending the fire.
Minutes turned into hours. Veil continued tirelessly, sometimes frustrated by the lack of significant progress, but he refused to stop. At times, a faint column would form, hesitant, before collapsing. Other times, nothing happened at all—but he persisted.
The sun reached its zenith, its rays faintly piercing through the cave entrance, illuminating the damp walls. Neither Veil nor Alynia seemed to pay attention to the passing time.
"I have to succeed. It's just one drop. I can do this," he said, determined.
He took a deep breath, slowly releasing the air from his lungs. But his body protested—a dull fatigue weighed on his limbs. His fingers trembled slightly, and a lingering ache resonated in his outstretched arm.
He lowered his hand, his breathing slightly faster than he would have liked.
"You're tired, Little Wolf. That's normal," she said, watching him, calm.
She set down the CryoWolf pelts she had been working on and stepped slightly closer to him.
"Even if you don't get visible results, every attempt consumes mana. Your body wears down from trying, whether you succeed or not. Slow down. Eat something. Mana is energy. And without energy, you'll get nowhere," she explained, composed.
Veil nodded, his mind still occupied by his repeated failures. He sat near the fire, taking a portion of the meal Alynia had prepared the day before. The dried meat was bland but nourishing, and as he ate, he slowly felt his energy returning.
Meanwhile, Alynia, still absorbed in her work on the pelts, kept a watchful eye on him, observing his movements and expressions.
After a moment, Veil set down the piece of meat he had been chewing absentmindedly and stood up.
"Don't you ever finish what you start?" she asked, throwing him a quick glance.
Veil didn't respond, too focused on his goal. He positioned himself once again before the puddle, recalling each step he had learned—connecting his mana, visualizing, guiding.
He raised his hand, palm open toward the water. This time, he clearly envisioned the drop separating, rising gently, then moving toward him.
Push it... Make it come to you, he thought.
The water began to stir faintly. A steady ripple appeared, and suddenly, something changed. A light breeze formed around his hand—barely noticeable at first, but it quickly gained intensity.
"Little Wolf?" she asked, standing up, wary.
The wind grew stronger, causing the embers in the fire to flicker. Then, in an instant, a small whirlwind formed in Veil's palm, spinning with surprising speed.
"What... what is...?" he whispered, opening his eyes, surprised.
The whirlwind intensified slightly, scattering fine dust throughout the cave. The fire was abruptly snuffed out, plunging the space into a chilling darkness. The temperature seemed to drop, and a strange tension filled the air.
But the moment Veil lost his concentration, the phenomenon stopped instantly. The whirlwind vanished, letting the ashes drift down in delicate spirals onto the ground.
Silence fell. Veil stared at his still-trembling hand, while Alynia slowly stepped closer, her piercing gaze fixed on his palm.
"What did you just do?" she asked, her voice firm, controlled.
Veil shook his head, his rapid breathing betraying his confusion.
"I... I don't know. I was just trying to raise the water... But... this wind... I... I don't understand," he replied, troubled.
He dropped to his knees, his gaze unfocused, while Alynia crouched beside him.
"That's not normal. Water mana and air mana don't coexist like that. Not without training, and certainly not without a natural gift. You... You shouldn't be able to do that," she said, narrowing her eyes, thoughtful.
She placed a hand on her chin, thoughtful, her eyes fixed on an invisible point in front of her.
"Do it again. Connect your mana to the water. Try it again," she said, resolute.
Veil, though shaken, nodded and repositioned himself. He closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure. He visualized the connection, guiding his mana toward the water just as he had done dozens of times before. But this time, nothing.
The puddle remained still. No wind, no ripples—nothing happened.
"I... I can't. Why isn't it working anymore?" he growled, frustrated.
Alynia stepped back slightly, still deep in thought.
"A spontaneous phenomenon... That could be...," she murmured, her voice low, almost to herself.
She straightened up, extending a hand toward Veil to help him do the same.
"Little Wolf, this isn't something to ignore. You have a strange potential. And if we want to understand what it means, you'll have to master it. But not today," she said, her gaze sharp.
She crossed her arms, her expression marked by intense contemplation. After a moment of silence, she locked eyes with Veil.
"Go back to the water. This phenomenon... We'll deal with it later. One thing at a time, especially if you can't reproduce it," she said, calm but firm.
She stepped back slightly, her ears flicking briefly as if emphasizing her discomfort.
"My affinity ends with water. That wind—I can't handle it or help you understand it. So focus on what you can control for now," she explained.
Veil slowly nodded, though his mind remained troubled by what had just happened. He repositioned himself in front of the puddle, raising an uncertain hand over the water.
Why did that happen? This wind... Why now? he thought.
Despite his restless thoughts, he closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. He guided his mana as he had learned, but his first attempts were fruitless. The water remained perfectly still, and his own emotions only further disrupted his concentration.
Time passed. Veil kept trying, each failure feeding a frustration he struggled to suppress. He took a deep breath, gathering his composure, and tried again—over and over. Finally, a faint movement appeared in the water. Small ripples formed, rising and falling with visible irregularity.
"Better. You're improving. Don't force it," she said, glancing over from the fire.
Encouraged by her words, Veil focused even more. As the evening wore on, he slightly changed his approach. He stopped picturing the water as a target to pull toward him.
"Not pulling it... Guiding it. Like a thread gently sliding," he whispered, focused.
He imagined his mana flowing along that invisible thread, connecting with the water without resistance, without force. A soft, diffuse warmth spread through his hand. He let that warmth extend, feeling his mana leave his palm and merge with the water.
Slowly, a single droplet separated from the puddle. It rose, wavering slightly, but when it reached above his palm, it burst into a fine mist.
Alynia, watching in silence, allowed a subtle smile to form.
"Not bad. You're starting to understand," she said calmly, with a hint of amusement.
Despite the partial failure, Veil felt a hint of pride stir within him. He continued, repeating the same process again and again under Alynia's attentive gaze.
Night settled in, wrapping the forest in darkness. Finally, after hours of effort, a single drop of water stabilized above his palm. Unsteady, irregular, but real. It trembled slightly, yet it did not fall.
"Good. One drop is a start. It may seem insignificant, but it's an important step," she added, serious but satisfied.
Veil looked at the drop, a tired but happy smile forming on his face. Without thinking, he released his concentration, letting the droplet softly burst above his palm.
"I did it...," he whispered, content.
"That's enough for today. Your body and your mana need rest. And you—you need to eat and sleep," she said, firm but without harshness.
Veil nodded, exhausted but pleased with his progress. As they finished their evening meal, the satisfaction of this small victory relaxed him, even though it was only the first step on a long journey.
That night, when he fell asleep, his rest was light—but it was filled with a sense of progress. Tomorrow would bring another challenge, but he was ready to face it.