I will find her.
But—
My head lifted, eyes drifting through the cell before I whispered.
"I can't find her from a cell."
My gaze stopped on the cell door.
'I needed to get out.'
My body moved immediately after, placing my palms against the cold stone floor.
Slowly, I pushed myself upward, legs trembling. One hand shifted to the wall beside me, supporting me until I could stand alone.
Step.
The first step felt wrong.
My body swayed left and right for a moment before I regained my balance.
Step.
The next one went better.
Step.
My legs carried me forward until I stood in front of the bars.
Tap.
I tapped them lightly with my hand while my eyes scanned every part of them.
The steel was old, streaked with rust, but still solid.
I gripped the bars with my hands and pulled.
Nothing.
I pushed.
Nothing.
I tried different angles and different bars.
Still nothing.
The metal held firm.
I stopped and stepped toward the door.****
It should be the cell's weakest point.
I tried again—pushing and pulling, even ramming my shoulder against it, but the door didn't move.
My hands brushed along the bars, checking every inch.
That's when I saw it.
The hinges.
They faced downward.
The door had been lowered into place after the bars were set.
Meaning that the whole door might be lifted out if I wedged something beneath it and pushed it upward.
I bent down, sliding my fingers under the door.
There was not much space beneath it, only enough for the tips of my fingers.
Haah.
I took a breath and pushed.
Creak.
The metal creaked slightly as the door moved upward.
But—
Only about a millimeter.
I straightened again, brushing my aching hands clean with my shirt, gaze still fixed on the door.
It wouldnt work.
I couldnt use my full strength with only my fingertips. It was impossible to lift the door with only that.
No.
What I needed wasnt strength.
I needed something that could be used as leverage.
A tool.
My head turned away from the door, gaze drifting through the cell.
There was nothing besides stone.
Stone walls.
Stone floor.
Only bits of straw and torn cloth lay on the ground, but that wasn't helpful.
My mind raced thinking of another way to get out of here while I walked circles inside the cell.
Step.
That's when—
Crack.
While walking around, I had stepped on something.
My thoughts stopped, head lowering to the floor.
There was...
Nothing.
Just stone tiles and straw.
Did I imagine it?
Was I turning crazy after not even one day inside this cell?
Dismissing what I heard as my delusions, I continued to walk.
Step.
When—
Crack.
Again, the same sound was heard.
Irritated, I looked down.
Nothing.
But this time I didn't dismiss it as an illusion.
Something had to be there.
I crouched down with that thought, brushing the straw away.
I didn't have much hope.
Maybe there was something under it.
The straw was gone now, allowing full view of the thing beneath it.
And—
There it was.
A cracked stone tile, split into smaller pieces.
It didn't break under my weight, but was likely broken a long time ago.
My hands moved before I knew it, gripping the stone pieces.
One was brick-like.
Too big to be used.
But the other—
Long.
Thin.
Useable.
A small smile spread across my lips.
"I can use this."
My hand tightened around the stone.
"I will escape."
I turned around, stone piece in hand, and bent down toward the door.
My hands moved, attempting to fit the piece underneath it, to pry it upward.
Scratch.
A grinding sound echoed as I tried to angle it under the door.
But—
It was too thick.
I pulled the stone out and straightened again.
The piece twirled in my hand as I thought, mind racing.
I need to thin it.
But how?
There weren't any tools I could use to grind the stone.
The only possible way was...
My gaze shifted toward the nearest stone wall before my legs followed.
Step.
I stopped in front of it, brushing one hand over its surface.
Too smooth.
It wouldn't work.
My gaze lowered, dragging my boot across the floor, slowly, testing the surface.
It's rougher.
This could work.
Thud.
I let myself fall to the floor, leaning my back against the wall.
My right hand gripped the stone piece firmly before pressing it against the ground.
Scratch.
I rubbed the piece slowly, back and forth.
Scratch.
This would work.
But—
I needed more… strength.
Grinding this stone piece into shape with my meager strength would take days, maybe weeks.
At that moment, a memory resurfaced.
It was a normal training day.
I did sword drills under the swordmaster's instructions until something happened.
Warmth exploded inside me.
That's when I remembered—
That I had awakened my core.
I dug through my memories, searching for the information I had about mana.
There was no memory of a real lesson about it. Only bits and pieces of information I had gathered or heard over time.
But I soon found what I was looking for.
Awakening.
It meant I'd reached the second stage on the Path of Mana.
The Flowing stage.
Which meant that I should be able to use mana and enhance my muscles.
But—
How?
I was never taught how to use mana.
My mind raced, connecting all the information I had about mana, be it from stories or even rumours.
Mana.
Every person was born with a mana core inside their heart.
The core stays in a dormant state until enough mana gathers, and it awakens.
That was the moment when mana began to flow from your heart through your body.
Which meant—
I should be able to feel something.
Something I never had.
A core.
And—
Mana.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my heartbeat, trying to feel something.
Bathump.
My heart beat in a slow rhythm.
Bathump.
That was all.
Nothing else.
I opened my eyes.
Sigh.
That was expected.
Haah.
'I mean, how should I feel something I never had? Without even knowing what I am searching for?'
How does mana even feel?
Haah.
I let out another breath, calming myself.
'Stay calm. Remember the feeling from your awakening.'
I thought back to that moment.
Warmth was the only way to describe it.
Something inside me heated up at that time.
Now—
I tried again, inhaling once before my eyes closed.
Bathump.
I imagined the blood flowing through my body with each beat, chest moving up and down with each breath.
Bathump.
Then—
I felt something different.
It may be just an illusion, played by my own mind.
But—
There was warmth.
It was faint.
Flickering like a small candle, inside my heart.
I focused on that feeling, afraid it would vanish.
Between the beats of my heart and my breathing.
It flared up.
Like a candle receiving air.
It wasn't strong.
But it was there.
I was certain.
'This...this warmth. I never had this on Earth.'