By the time Eiden turned three, he could speak clearly and read simple books without help.
To his parents, he was just a bright child. They smiled proudly whenever he spoke about stars or energy. They didn't know he was talking about mana.
To Eiden, this life was peaceful… but slow.
He spent his mornings playing in the garden, but his nights were different. After everyone slept, he sat in silence, meditating.
He breathed in, focused on the air around him.
He searched for mana—the invisible energy in the world.
And little by little, he found it.
---
At first, it was like trying to hold water with bare hands.
Mana would slip away the moment he touched it. His body was too weak, too small.
But Eiden didn't give up.
He remembered the basics. Core building, flow control, soul alignment—things normal people didn't even know.
Each night, he sat still and let the mana move through him like wind through leaves.
And slowly… the spark inside him grew warmer.
---
By age four, he could sense mana in objects.
He held a small rock in his hand and smiled.
"There's no flow. It's dead," he whispered.
Then he touched a leaf.
"This… has life. Weak, but moving."
He was re-learning the world, step by step.
---
One day, a strange sound echoed through the city.
Howl!
A monster had escaped the barrier.
Eiden and his mother hid inside the house while hunters fought outside.
Through the window, he saw them—men and women with glowing weapons, casting spells and slashing the beast.
*So this world uses magic