The sun had begun its slow descent toward the western horizon, painting the sky with shades of crimson and gold, while Leo remained standing a short distance away, silently observing everything unfolding before him.
A considerable amount of time passed.
He watched without intervening.
Without speaking.
Without revealing even the slightest intention of stepping forward.
Finally...
When the group of boys eventually grew bored of tormenting their victim, they laughed amongst themselves and walked away one after another, leaving behind nothing but mocking voices that slowly faded into the distance.
The small boy remained lying on the ground alone.
Dust clung to his clothes.
Bruises stained his body.
Humiliation lingered heavier than any physical wound.
For several long moments, he did not move.
It was as though he was allowing his battered body to remember how to bear pain before forcing it to rise once again.
At last, he slowly pushed himself to his feet.
His gray hair had become covered in dirt, and with a trembling hand he brushed away the dust before absentmindedly touching his face.
His fingers traced swollen bruises and fresh cuts, where thin streams of blood still trickled down his skin.
Yet despite all of it...
Not a single tear escaped his eyes.
It wasn't courage.
Nor was it pride.
It was something far more heartbreaking.
The numbness of someone who had suffered for so long that even tears had abandoned him.
It was the face of a child whose childhood had long since been stolen...
Or perhaps buried by his own hands before it ever truly began.
Leo watched him quietly.
Then, with calm, measured steps, he approached until he stood before the battered boy.
His voice was soft.
"Why don't you fight back?"
The boy slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were completely devoid of light.
There was neither resentment nor fear within them.
Only resignation.
"What would be the point?"
"They'll just come back tomorrow..."
"And there'll be even more of them."
Leo studied him for a few silent moments before speaking once again.
"And you believe accepting every blow in silence is the answer?"
A faint smile appeared upon the boy's lips.
It wasn't the smile of hope.
It was one filled with quiet mockery—directed not at Leo, but at himself.
"What else can I possibly do?"
Silence lingered between them.
Then Leo answered in a calm voice that carried absolute conviction rather than empty comfort.
"Become strong."
"So strong..."
"That their numbers no longer matter."
"So strong..."
"That every trick they rely upon crumbles before you."
He looked directly into the boy's empty eyes.
"In this world..."
"No one will protect you forever."
"Your own strength..."
"Is your only sanctuary."
"And your final fortress."
His gaze remained unwavering.
"There are those who are born with greatness already written into their destiny."
"And there are those..."
"Who seize their own destiny with their own hands."
"The latter..."
"Are the ones who create legends."
His words were few.
Simple.
Yet their impact was immeasurable.
Those lifeless eyes...
Eyes that moments ago resembled windows opening into an endless abyss...
Slowly began to regain a faint glimmer of light.
It was as though a tiny spark had finally been rekindled after countless years buried beneath cold ashes.
Suddenly, the boy raised his voice.
It trembled with emotion unlike anything he had shown before.
"Please!"
"Teach me!"
"Help me become strong!"
"I want the strength to crush everyone who ever hurt me!"
"And I want..."
"To forge my own destiny with my own hands!"
Leo remained silent for several moments.
Then a faint smile of satisfaction appeared across his face.
"At the very least..."
"I've found something worthwhile to occupy my next two days."
Looking back at the boy, he spoke calmly.
"Tomorrow."
"Come back to this exact place."
"At dawn."
"And don't be late."
The boy nodded so vigorously that he nearly lost his balance.
"I will!"
---
The following morning...
Leo arrived at their meeting place.
Only to discover that the boy had arrived long before him.
He stood there quietly, patiently waiting, as though he feared arriving late more than anything else in the world.
A faint smile appeared on Leo's face.
"Diligent..."
"He came even earlier than I expected."
Walking toward him, Leo spoke.
"What I'm about to teach you..."
"Isn't a spell."
"Nor is it a combat technique."
"It is the foundation upon which everything else is built."
"The art of refining and purifying mana within your body."
His expression turned serious.
"Whether you can truly master it..."
"Depends entirely on you."
The boy bowed respectfully.
"I understand."
Leo began his lesson from the very beginning, carefully avoiding overly complicated theories that would only confuse a complete beginner.
First, he explained mana itself.
The invisible magical particles permeating every corner of the world.
The very fuel that powered every spell and every magical art.
Afterward, he described the structure of magic circles.
How they were formed within the body.
How mana flowed through countless internal pathways.
Despite the complexity of the subject, Leo simplified every explanation as much as possible, allowing the boy to grasp concepts that would have overwhelmed even many aspiring mages.
When the explanations were finally complete, Leo nodded.
"Now..."
"It's time to practice."
The boy sat cross-legged exactly as instructed.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated with everything he had.
Trying to sense the mana surrounding him.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Nothing happened.
Even Leo slowly began to wonder whether the boy simply lacked the necessary talent.
Then...
Suddenly—
The boy's eyes flew open.
"I can feel it!"
His voice overflowed with excitement.
"No..."
"I can actually see it!"
"It's..."
"It's mana!"
A satisfied smile crossed Leo's face.
"Excellent."
"You're doing very well."
"Now..."
"Absorb it."
"Allow it to flow through your veins."
"Guide it toward your heart."
"And while doing so..."
"Continuously refine it."
The boy immediately obeyed.
Pouring every ounce of concentration into following Leo's instructions.
Another hour passed.
Sweat poured from his forehead.
His entire body trembled from exhaustion.
Then suddenly—
He coughed violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Leo immediately stepped forward.
"Enough."
"We're stopping here."
"If you continue pushing yourself..."
"You'll end up damaging your body."
The exhausted boy nodded obediently.
"As you wish."
---
Later that night...
After returning to his apartment, Leo quietly reflected upon everything that had happened.
"His talent isn't extraordinary..."
"But it's undoubtedly among the finest I've seen in this era."
A faint smile appeared upon his lips.
"Even so..."
"His talent isn't what impressed me the most."
"It's his determination."
"His stubbornness."
"His relentless desire to move forward..."
"No matter the cost."
Looking quietly toward the ceiling, he murmured,
"He's fortunate."
"The refinement technique I taught him..."
"No matter how long he searched..."
"He would never find another one like it anywhere in this age."
---
The following morning...
Leo returned once more.
Exactly as expected...
The boy had already arrived before him.
But this time...
He wasn't simply waiting.
He had already begun practicing the refinement technique by himself, carefully repeating every instruction Leo had given him the previous day.
The long day passed.
Success followed failure.
Failure gave birth to success.
Pain.
Exhaustion.
Countless repeated attempts.
Little by little...
Progress began to reveal itself.
By the time evening arrived...
The boy had finally mastered the fundamentals of mana refinement and purification.
Leo looked at him with quiet approval.
"Gather your mana..."
"Into your fist."
Without hesitation, the boy obeyed.
Leo nodded.
"Now..."
"Strike the ground."
"With everything you've got."
The boy shouted as he drove his fist downward.
The instant it struck—
The earth trembled.
A crater nearly half a meter deep and roughly the width of a forearm burst open beneath the impact.
The boy stumbled backward.
His eyes widened in complete disbelief as he stared at the hole he had created.
"Is..."
"Is this really..."
"My strength?"
Leo smiled.
"Yes."
"That is the power..."
"You built with your own hands."
"And this..."
"Is only the beginning."
He continued.
"In time..."
"You'll have to choose your path."
"The path of magic..."
"Where mana is woven into powerful spells."
"Or the path of the sword..."
"Where mana becomes an aura surrounding your blade..."
"Granting each strike devastating explosive force."
The boy silently stared at his clenched fist.
Then he bowed deeply.
His voice overflowed with gratitude and admiration.
"Thank you..."
"Master."
---
Several moments later...
Leo suddenly asked,
"By the way..."
"You never told me your name."
Silence settled over them.
The boy lowered his head.
"I'm an orphan."
"My parents died..."
"Before they could even give me a name."
"So..."
"I don't have one."
Leo quietly looked at him before speaking.
"In that case..."
"How about I give you one?"
The boy's head snapped upward.
His eyes widened.
"A..."
"A name?"
Leo nodded.
"What do you think..."
"About the name..."
"Ivan?"
The boy softly repeated it.
As though savoring every syllable for the very first time.
"Ivan..."
Then...
A brilliant smile bloomed across his face.
Perhaps the brightest smile he had ever worn.
"My name..."
"Is Ivan."
"I love it!"
Leo smiled back.
"Good."
Then he added,
"And by the way..."
"My name is Leo."
---
Once everything had come to an end...
Leo quietly turned around and resumed his journey.
Ivan stood motionless, watching his departing figure until the distance between them continued to grow.
Then, gathering every ounce of strength within him, he shouted with all his heart,
"Leo!"
"I'll never forget your kindness for as long as I live!"
Leo did not turn around.
A faint smile quietly appeared upon his lips.
"If fate allows us to meet again..."
"Then I'll see just how far you've managed to walk along your own path."